Texts in Conversation
The Shepherd of Hermas and the Gospel of Philip make summer an image of the world to come. Fruit becomes visible then, so the change of seasons connects present work with future reward and warns against expecting the harvest before its proper time.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Shepherd of Hermas 53:2
Early Christian
1 He showed me many trees again, some of them sprouting, and others withered, and he said to me, “Do you see,” he said, “these trees?” “I see them, Sir,” I said; “some of them sprouting, and others withered.” 2 “These trees,” he said, “that are sprouting are the righteous, who shall live in the world to come; for the world to come is summer for the righteous, but winter for sinners. When then the mercy of the Lord appears, then those who serve God will be revealed, yes, and all people will be revealed. 3 For just as in summer the fruit of each tree is revealed and recognized for what kind it is, so also the fruit of the righteous will be revealed, and everyone, even the smallest, will be known to be flourishing in that world.
Date: 90-140 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Gospel of Philip 1:18
Nag Hammadi
When we were Hebrews, we were without a father; we possessed our mother. When, however, we became Christians, we obtained a father and a mother. Those who sow in winter will reap in summer. The winter is the world, the summer is the other age. Let us sow in the world in order for us to be able to reap in summer. Consequently, it is fitting that we do not pray in winter. What follows winter is summer. If someone, however, would reap in winter, he will not reap. He will instead uproot, exactly like someone who will not bring forth fruit [...]. He not only will come forth [...], but also on the Sabbath [...] it will be without fruit.
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Notes and References
“... 7. Those who sow in the winter reap in the summer. The winter is the world.- The summer is the other aeon. Let us sow in the worid. that we may reap in the summer! Because of this it is fitting for us not to pray (for anything [sc. reward]) in the winter.' What follows on the winter is the summer. But if anyone reaps in the winter, he will not (really) reap, but (only) pluck out. 8. Since such a (man or field) will produce fmit [for the Na]me, it (the fruit) will not only come forth [daily], but [not] even on the Sabbath is [his power] without fmit. [...] 2. Cf. Hermas. Sim. Ill 2; IV 2. ...”
Schenke, Hans-Martin
"The Gospel of Philip" in Schneemelcher, Wilhelm; Wilson, R. McL. (ed.) New Testament Apocrypha, Volume 1: Gospels and Related Writings
(p. 188, 206) James Clarke & Co., 1991
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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