Shepherd of Hermas Review: Building the Temple Within

The Blueprint and the Stones: Building the Temple Within

My journey of study, especially during that period of intentional withdrawal from the world's noise, led me down many fascinating paths. Beyond the scriptures themselves, I found myself exploring some of the writings of the early Christians, wrestling with their understanding of faith and the walk with God. One text that particularly resonated with me, speaking to the process of transformation I felt undergoing, was The Shepherd of Hermas. It’s an older book, not part of the official biblical canon for most traditions, but filled with powerful visions and parables.

One vision, in particular, grabbed hold of me – the building of a great Tower, which is revealed to be the Church, the living body of believers. What struck me wasn't just the grand structure itself, but the focus on the stones used to build it, and the Architect overseeing the work.

The stones, Hermas is shown, represent people. People who are being used, or are meant to be used, in the construction of this divine dwelling. And they weren't all perfect, ready-to-place blocks arriving at the site. Far from it. The vision shows stones being brought, and the Architect – a figure clearly representing God – examining each one.

Some fit immediately, perfectly interlocking with others. These, it’s explained, are the truly righteous, the pure in heart, or perhaps those who, through deep and sincere repentance, have been made perfectly fit.

But many, many more stones needed work. They were brought to the builders, who had to cut them, shape them, remove rough edges, or even repair cracks before they could be placed. This hit me hard. It’s the messy reality of our lives, isn’t it? We arrive with our baggage, our past hurts, our ingrained flaws, our worldly shapes that don't naturally fit into a divine structure. My own life, filled with sharp edges from abandonment, cracks from betrayal, and a general roundness from trying to fit into worldly molds, certainly felt like a stone in desperate need of shaping.

Hermas describes different types of these difficult stones: some were cracked and couldn't be repaired (those who fall into persistent, unrepentant sin), some were round and rolled away from the tower altogether (the wealthy or worldly who refused to give up their comforts to be shaped), some were initially good but became dirty or broken when moved carelessly (those who stumbled after finding faith). It’s a stark reminder that the process isn’t passive; it requires a willingness to be worked on, to endure the cutting and shaping that God knows is necessary.

And this is where the vision connects so deeply with the idea of seeking the Kingdom within. The Temple isn't just a building "out there." It's also the spiritual dwelling being built inside each believer, and collectively, it's the spiritual body of Christ, the Church. Becoming a fit stone for that Tower isn't about conforming to external religious rituals alone; it's about the internal work of purifying your heart, aligning your will with God's, letting the divine Architect remove the parts of you that are incompatible with His holiness and love. It's about building that Kingdom within your own soul.

The vision also carries a sense of urgency. The builders are working diligently, and the Tower, Hermas is shown, is nearing completion. This isn't a project that will go on forever. And the stones that have been rejected, those that refused shaping or were deemed irreparable – they are simply discarded, left lying around the base of the Tower, useless for the final structure.

This is the challenging, but necessary, truth. Those who have not allowed themselves to be shaped, who have not contributed to the building process through faith, repentance, and allowing God to work within them – they ultimately won't be part of the finished Temple. It’s not a harsh eviction; it’s a matter of incompatibility. A round stone simply cannot fit into a wall built with square ones. If you haven't become a living stone, fitted by the Master Builder, you can't be part of the living structure.

My own journey has been one of intense shaping. It hurt. It felt like being broken down sometimes. But seeing it through the lens of this vision, understanding that God was the Architect, patiently working to make me fit for His dwelling, shifted my perspective entirely. The suffering wasn't random; it was part of the process of becoming a usable stone.

The Temple is still being built, but the clock is ticking. The call is to become that stone, to surrender to the Architect's hands, to seek the Kingdom within by allowing the necessary shaping. Because when the final stone is laid, only those who have become part of the living structure will be allowed to dwell within its sacred walls. The work is hard, but the reward – being a part of God's eternal home – is everything.