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Jumpstarter 9 of 10

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Encounter Messages  /  The Shepherd of Hermas: Hope for Repentance  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 9
The woman in the visions tells Hermas that as a blacksmith hammers out his work, speaking what is right every day will defeat all evil, so he must never stop warning his sons. What daily habits of speech would this require in a Christian home, and what keeps parents from doing it?
Another way to ask: Hermas is told that speaking what is right every day defeats evil, like a blacksmith hammering his work, and that he must keep warning his sons. What would this look like in a Christian home, and what stops parents from doing it?

Direct Answer

The transcript does not list specific habits, but it calls for steady, truthful speech in the home, repeated day after day. What holds Hermas back is being so fond of his children that he does not correct them.

Support from the Message

- The woman compares this work to a blacksmith hammering out whatever he wants to make. - She says "speaking what is right every day will defeat all evil." - She tells him to "never stop warning your sons." - Hermas's failure is named directly: "you are so fond of your children that you have not corrected your family." - The goal is repentance. If they repent with all their heart, their names will be written in the Book of Life with the saints.

Discussion Follow-up

Where has affection or fear kept you from saying something true to someone in your family? What is one right word you need to begin speaking regularly?

Jumpstarter 9 of 10
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