Chapter 6

1See, then, my beloved brothers, the greatness of the mercy of the Lord our God, who is good and righteous, who loves humanity, and who is merciful and compassionate. [The supplied text is defective here.] The Lord God says, “Turn.” He does not delight in those who judge with deceitful hearts and without mercy. Rather, he wills that those who have sinned should be converted and received into the true religion, so that they may be able to come to repentance. If bishops do not teach and act in this way, God will require the sin at their hands, as Isaiah says: “Admonish my people, says God; you priests also, speak to the heart of Jerusalem.” The bishop ought to examine the people. If any have sinned, let him turn them to repentance, so that they may gain a good reward for themselves. If bishops do not teach the people and turn them to true godliness, they will receive condemnation.

2Let us therefore receive with joy and love the repentance of those who turn to God. Let us judge those who have sinned with compassion and mercy, as is fitting toward the penitent. If you see someone committing sin and falling into error, raise him again from his fall. But if you make his way of life seem pleasant to him, then you have killed your brother. You must raise the fallen person from his fall so that he does not perish, and so that others who see him may learn, understand, and receive the word of admonition. The bishop must not be negligent concerning the people’s sin, nor disregard the desire of those seeking repentance, lest the Lord’s flock perish through his carelessness. Concerning such shepherds, God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah: “Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard and defiled my portion. They have made my portion, which I love, a desert and a wasteland. It has become desolation and ruin; because of me, the whole land has perished and been destroyed.”

3[The supplied text is defective at this transition.] Let him command the deacons to expel the man and put him outside, and to admonish and teach him, so that others who see may be afraid. When he turns and comes to repentance, let them petition and entreat God and the bishop on his behalf, so that the bishop may instruct him. For the Savior prayed to his Father for sinners, as it is written in the Gospel: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Then let the bishop examine the one who has sinned to see whether he has forsaken his evil way. When he confesses his sins and turns to repentance, let them allow him to enter the Church, and instruct him to fast according to the seriousness of the sin he has committed: two weeks, three weeks, five weeks, or seven weeks. You must teach, instruct, and admonish the sinner without anger or [illegible], so that he may humble himself, pray to God, and find compassion and mercy when he stands before him.

4For it is said: “If you, O Lord, should mark sin, O Lord, who could stand before you? For forgiveness is with you,” and mercy is in your hand. Act in this way, then, making a distinction. For God said to Cain, “You have sinned; now be silent,” and do not lift up your hand. The sinner ought to grieve and despise himself. Let us understand the word that God spoke to Moses concerning Miriam: “If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been put to shame for seven days? Let her be removed outside the camp for seven days, and afterward let her enter.” So Miriam was removed outside the camp for seven days, and all the people did not journey until Miriam had been purified. Afterward they journeyed. Let us act in this way toward all who desire repentance for their sins. Let us appoint them a fixed period of years according to their sin, during which they shall repent. When they repent, let us receive them as fathers should receive their children.

5But if bishops and others have any defilement or stain upon them, the people are put to shame because of them. If they do not judge uprightly for the orphan, the poor, and the widow, but show partiality in judgment so that they may receive gifts and bribes, they will be counted among the hypocrites. As it is written in the Gospel: “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye but do not see the beam in your own eye?” Let bishops and presbyters therefore take care that deeds of this kind are not found among them, lest others be offended when they see these evil actions. For the wicked seek occasions to destroy others and scatter the Lord’s flock. A little leaven leavens a great quantity of meal. In the same way, sin follows those who commit it and thus destroys very many.

6When a thief is found in a treasury, the evil of his actions brings a bad name upon his relatives. When the stinking flesh of a corpse is thrown into ointment, the fragrance of the ointment is spoiled. When a king is evil and cruel and does not administer justice, his princes are the same. When a scabby sheep feeds with other sheep, all of them become scabby unless it is separated from them. When a mad dog bites everyone it meets, unless it is killed, all whom it has bitten become mad with it. In the same way, if anyone is scornful, mocking, contentious, and a transgressor of the commandments contained in the law, let him be expelled from the Church, lest he corrupt the house of the Lord and make it a den of robbers.

7We must not remain silent concerning sinners and wicked people. We must admonish them so that they may forsake their ways and put away wicked deeds and habits. We must also instruct them to fast, pray, and give alms, so that they may learn the fear of God. For he said to the children of Israel, “Fear me and keep my commandments.” The bishop ought to be deeply concerned about the people’s sin and consider the life of each one, so that he may guide and save them for works of righteousness, that they may be prepared for God and saved from the condemnation that will fall upon sinners on the day of judgment. Let those who are negligent hear what is said: “Why have you remained silent concerning transgressors and gathered their fruits?”

8The bishop ought to feed the people in peace. He must not allow those who have not sinned to fall, and he must turn those who have sinned to repentance. Hear, O bishops, what the Lord says to you: “Do not despise one of these little ones.” They ought to forgive and pardon the one who has sinned. When a sinner confesses his sin and cries to the Lord from the depth of his heart, humbling himself with tears and sighs, the Holy Spirit will come and say to him, “The Lord pardons all your sin.” Know, then, O bishop, how much honor and glory God has bestowed upon you and that he has given you authority to loose and to bind. Take heed to yourself and guard the flock of Christ. Walk in the way of righteousness while you live in this world, for you will give an account on the day of judgment. “For from the one to whom much has been entrusted, much will be required.”

9No one lives even one day without sin, except the One who for our sake became man, God the Word. For this reason the memorial of the righteous who took good heed to themselves has been written. For it is said: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give them eternal life.” He answered the people and said to them: “Behold, I judge between rams and sheep. Know, then, that you have fed in a good pasture, and you have trampled the rest of the pasture with your feet. … My sheep have eaten.” And again: “Now you shall know that I am the Lord, and you are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture. You are my sheep, and I am the Lord your God, says the Lord.” Hear, bishops, and hear, people, what God says: “Behold, I judge between rams and he-goats.” Moreover, he says: “I will pronounce judgment against the shepherds of the sheep who have destroyed my flock through their negligence.” Again he says: “I will judge between bishop and bishop, between people and people, and between ruler and ruler.”

10My sheep are rational creatures and are not without reason. Therefore, the people must not say, “We are sheep and not shepherds; what does this have to do with us?” The sheep that follows the good shepherd is preserved, for he saves it from the ravening wolf that destroys. In the same way, when a sheep follows a foolish and wicked shepherd, the wolf will devour that sheep before the shepherd’s face. Therefore, we must keep far away from evil and deceitful shepherds, who neither spare nor save their flocks, and follow good shepherds, who spare and save their flocks. The people love a good shepherd and fear him as a father, a lord, a priest, and God’s high priest, because he admonishes them and guides them to true godliness. Whoever obeys him has obeyed Christ and heard Christ’s voice. But whoever rejects him and does not hear his voice has rejected and transgressed against Christ, just as whoever obeys Christ has obeyed God. Moreover, it is said: “Whoever hears you has heard me, and whoever rejects you has rejected me; and whoever rejects me has rejected the one who sent me.”

11In the same way, the bishop ought to love the people as his children, for they are his sons. He should nurture them with admonition, as a bird broods over her eggs and raises her young until they can fly. In the same way, let him teach the people the word of God, feed them with spiritual doctrine, and give what is needed to all who desire to receive from him. Let him not be burdensome to them, but admonish them with words of wisdom and put fear into them, lest they return to sin. Rather, let him instruct them to walk in the way of righteousness and keep the faith, and let him feed the people in peace. Let him raise those who have fallen, strengthen the weak, gather those who have been scattered, heal those wounded in heart, console the fainthearted, and strengthen the lame with the word of admonition. Let him lighten the heavy burden of their sin so that they may gain good hope. As for them, let them learn the law of the Church and turn to repentance.

12If anyone has been cast out because he did not understand the words of the Scriptures, do not despise him or allow him to fall into sin. Help him, heal him from the wound of sin, bring him back to yourself, and restore him to the Christian flock. But whoever refuses to return shall go out from your flock and become food for the birds of heaven and the beasts of the field. His portion shall be with those who say, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die,” and who do not consider their latter end. If the bishop sees anyone acting in this way, he ought to say to him, “I will bear your sin and die in your place,” just as Christ died for the sin of the world. Then let him labor and suffer with him until he returns to repentance. For “the good shepherd gives up his life for the sheep. But the hireling, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, flees, and leaves his sheep. The wolf catches and scatters them. Because he is a hireling, he does not care for the sheep.”

13We must know that God is merciful and does not desire the death of a sinner, but his conversion and return to repentance. If anyone sins because he does not understand the commandments God has ordained for repentance, but walks in his own deceit and does not remember his sin or the evil he has done, and does not remember the words of the holy Scriptures that have proclaimed mercy to him, such a person will perish and be without hope. But seek out a good shepherd, a meek and patient teacher and admonisher, one who is merciful and a peacemaker, who goes about feeding his sheep and seeking the one that is lost, like our Lord and Savior. For our Father in heaven sent his beloved Son, our Savior, the Good Shepherd and our Teacher, Jesus Christ. He left the ninety-nine in the wilderness and went to seek the one sheep that was lost. When he found it, he carried it on his shoulder and brought it back to the flock with joy, because he had found what was lost.

14Hear this, O bishop: guide those who have gone astray, gather those who have been scattered, and seek those who are lost. You have authority to turn them to repentance, so that you may bind and loose. For our Savior said to the man with paralysis: “I have forgiven your sin. Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” The peace we have received is the Church of Christ. Into it you should bring those who have repented of their sins, have been cleansed, have practiced righteousness and goodness, and have found the hope of life.

15The bishop ought to heal those who are sick through sinful deeds. He must visit them, console them, and heal their wounds, for “it is not the healthy but the sick who need the physician. The Son of Man came to seek and to help what was lost.” Since you are a physician in the Church of the Lord, give each person the healing that is fitting and feed them with spiritual food, so that they may be strong in the Holy Church. Feed Christ’s flock with humility, love, and mild severity, without anger. Do not exalt yourself because of your position of authority, for you are the shepherd of the sheep of Christ’s flock, and you shall gather the lambs into your bosom.

16Be merciful and just, without guile, revenge, jealousy, slander, calumny, hatred, partiality, evil speech, haughtiness, or boasting. Do not despise those under you, conceal God’s commandments from them, turn away from their repentance, raise pretexts against them, or drive them from the Church. Exercise understanding in judgment. Do not accept the testimony of one person against anyone, but only the testimony of three good and faithful men, whose goodness and faithfulness are attested by others and who cherish no hatred, revenge, or jealousy.

17Some speak falsely and have two or three tongues. They rejoice in wrongdoing, hate the brothers, and seek to scatter Christ’s flock. If you listen to their voices and believe people who act in this way, you have scattered your flock without judgment and handed them over to evil and ravening wolves—that is, to evil people. Or rather, they are not people but evil beasts in human form: ungodly, unbelieving apostates who do not know God. Such people lie in wait along the road. Like a wolf that seizes and devours, they seize those who depart from the law of the Church. When they see someone who is lost, it seems a great thing to them. Their father, the devil, is a murderer. Devils shall become the shepherds of those who stray from the Church and depart from its law, and they shall afflict them with torment, distress, and sorrow of heart. They shall follow the way of transgressors, lose their reward, and depart farther and farther from God. If the bishop does not judge uprightly, his portion shall be with them.

18Therefore, you must not thrust the sinner away or despise the one who turns back. Do not be lacking in mercy, so that you may heal the wound of sin, and do not have fellowship with a man of blood. Concerning such people Scripture says: “Their feet are swift to shed blood; shame and affliction are in their way. They do not know the way of peace, and there is no fear of God before their eyes.” The way of peace is our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us, saying: “Forgive, so that he may forgive you; and give, and people will give to you.” That is, forgive people their trespasses so that your heavenly Father may forgive your trespasses. Moreover, he taught us in the Prayer, saying: “Forgive us our trespasses and our iniquity, as we also forgive the one who has trespassed against us.” But if you cannot forgive the trespasses of the one who has trespassed against you, how will you find forgiveness for your own trespasses?

19If anyone has been expelled although innocent, and then returns and asks for pardon, but the bishop does not receive him, that bishop is a murderer of his brother and a shedder of blood, like Cain, who shed the blood of his brother Abel, whose blood cried out to God. Any bishop who expels someone who is innocent is, like Cain, a murderer.