According to church tradition, the Holy Apostle Hermas, or Hermas, is one of the seventy apostles. His name is mentioned by the Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Romans: "Greet Asincritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrov, Hermas and other brothers with them" (Rom. 16:14). This brief greeting is important because it shows the living fabric of the early Church: behind each name are real people who participated in spreading the Christian faith and the life of the first communities.
There is little information about the biography of the Apostle Hermas. According to church tradition, he was a Roman citizen, of Greek origin, lived at the end of the 1st century and became Bishop of Philippopolis of Thrace. Thus, Hermes belongs to a generation of Christians who lived on the border of the Apostolic and post-Apostolic eras. He was associated with the circle of disciples among whom the preaching of the Apostle Paul spread, and is perceived by the Church as one of the early witnesses of the Christian faith.
The name Erma is traditionally associated with the ancient Christian work "The Shepherd". This book is structured in the form of visions, commandments, and parables. Its central theme is repentance, the correction of life, and the responsibility of a Christian before God, family, and the church community. "The Shepherd" was widely known in the ancient Church, it was read as an edifying work useful for spiritual education. However, he did not finally enter the canon of the New Testament.
The question of the authorship of "The Shepherd" remains controversial. Church tradition often associates the book with the Apostle Hermas, mentioned in Paul. At the same time, many researchers attribute this work to the second century and assume that its author was another Roman Christian named Hermes. Therefore, it is more correct to say that "Shepherd" is associated with the name Hermas in the church tradition, but historically this identification cannot be considered indisputable.
It is also important not to confuse the Apostle Hermas with the Apostle Hermas. In the Epistle to the Romans, they are named side by side, but as two different persons. In the Greek and Latin texts of the New Testament, the difference between these names remains. Hermas, according to legend, preached in Dalmatia, enlightened the pagans, performed healings, and after many labors died peacefully. The work "Denunciation of Pagan Philosophers" was sometimes associated with his name, but such an attribution has no solid grounds.
The memory of the Apostle Hermas reminds us that the early Church was built not only by the labors of the great apostles, but also by the ministry of many disciples, whose names have been preserved only in brief lines of Scripture and Tradition. For us, Hermes remains the image of a Christian of the first century — a witness of faith, a participant in a living church community, and a man whose name is associated with the important theme of repentance and inner renewal.