The Lord of Spirits Podcast

Episode: Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs

Date: May 10, 2024
Hosts: Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick & Fr. Stephen DeYoung

Overview

This episode launches a new series exploring the Apocrypha—ancient texts outside of the biblical canon—with a deep dive into the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs. The hosts examine the historical, theological, and literary importance of these Second Temple Jewish works, focusing on their influence on Orthodox Christian tradition, monastic spirituality, and New Testament thought. Throughout, they highlight the unity of “the seen and unseen world” and challenge listeners to see Christianity as the organic continuation and fulfillment of the Old Testament faith.

Key Topics & Insights

1. Defining the Apocrypha and Its Categories

• [04:00] Fr. Stephen clarifies the modern confusion around the term "apocrypha":
  • True Definition: “The word apocrypha... refers to something... private, rather than public, which is related to what is hidden or secret.” (Fr. Stephen)
  • Three Historical Categories:
    • Scriptures publicly read in church—the Bible (canonical)
    • Works not to be read—heretical texts
    • Apocrypha—read privately, typically by the literate/educated (usually clergy), valued but potentially problematic if misinterpreted.
• Private vs. Public Reading:
  • In eras of low literacy, public readings reached everyone; private (apocryphal) texts demanded discernment and discretion.

Quote:

"Apocrypha...a middle category...books to be read in private." (06:54, Fr. Stephen)

2. The Literary Structure & Transmission of the Testaments

• [14:09] The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs are framed as the final words of Jacob's twelve sons, drawing from Genesis 48–49.
• Genre: “Testament” as “last will and testament,” not “covenant.”
• Authorship: No one in the Second Temple era believed the patriarchs actually penned these texts; they are openly fictional, crafted for moral and prophetic edification.
• Transmission: Composed and circulated individually and later collected, with evidence in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek (fragments from Qumran, copies from Mt. Athos and St. Catherine’s).

Quote:

"This is...a sort of middle category throughout church history...books to be read in private." (06:54, Fr. Stephen)

3. Enduring Influence on Christian Tradition

• [16:04] Why are these texts crucial for Christians?
  • Serve as a bridge between Jewish wisdom literature (e.g., Proverbs), Christian monastic tradition, and New Testament interpretation (especially St. Paul and St. John).
  • Preserved not by Rabbinic Judaism, but by Christians, especially in major Orthodox monastic centers like Athos and Sinai.
  • Their themes and ethical meditations are deeply woven into the Orthodox tradition; much content is “fully absorbed” even if the texts themselves are not widely read.

Quote:

"If you pick up this stuff and read it...little will be surprising to you...the principles will all be very, very familiar." (35:18, Fr. Andrew)

4. Major Themes and Structure of the Testaments

• [36:06] Two chief functions:
  • Exemplar figures: each patriarch embodies a virtue or vice (e.g., Reuben = lust, Simeon = envy).
  • Apocalyptic elements: some testaments feature heavenly journeys revealing the spiritual reality behind history.
• Not overt biblical exegesis but narrative and moral meditations.
• Span from private ethical instruction to prophecies resonating with later Christian teachings.

5. Detailed Walkthrough: The Twelve Testaments

The hosts analyze the core message and literary function of each testament (see timestamps/sections below for deeper dives).

Reuben (Lust & Repentance):

• [54:14] Recounts his sin of sleeping with Bilhah, emphasizing personal responsibility and repentance (“He waits until Bilhah is drunk and asleep, and he goes into her...this is rape...” 56:21–56:59).
• Fasted for seven years as true repentance—"Repentance is not just him saying, hey, guys, I messed up...He does something." (59:48, Fr. Andrew)
• Digs into the structure of the human spirit (“seven parts”), rejecting Gnostic or Greek dualism.

Simeon (Envy):

• [73:18] Focused on hate and envy toward Joseph, paralleling Cain and Abel.
• Repentance is transformation; uses the story of Joseph and Benjamin to illustrate recovery from passion.

Levi (Priestly Line & Apocalyptic Ascent):

• [85:05] Levi’s violence is reframed as righteous. Apocalyptic ascent into heaven where he is vested as high priest—sets up expectation of a restored Levitical priesthood and a priestly Messiah, a concept not ultimately adopted in Christian tradition.

Judah (Kingship & Self-Control):

• [99:14] Played as a warrior but marred by failures (e.g., drunkenness, foreign wife, the Tamar affair).
• Strong moral: self-control—especially regarding alcohol and sexuality.
• Messianic expectation: order of precedence among tribes, distinct priestly and royal Messiahs.

Issachar & Zebulun (Virtue of Ordinary Life):

• [107:05, 115:53] Issachar as the model of married chastity and the hard-working, quiet life (farmer); Zebulun as the provider for others (fisherman).
• Elevates “living a simple life of virtue” as equally noble to heroic exploits.

Dan (Wrath/Hatred):

• [137:47] Portrayed as wholly given over to violence, his descendants are cursed. Identified with the “right hand of Satan.”

Naphtali (Inclusion of the Nations & Apocalyptic Vision):

• [142:47] Centered on the fate of the lost tribes and the incorporation of Gentile nations. Vision of Joseph ascending to heaven on the bull of heaven—interpreted as the Gentiles joining Israel through exile.
• Prefigures St. Paul’s theology (Romans 11).

Gad (Contrast: Hate vs. Love of Neighbor):

• [154:06] The opposite of fraternal murder (“love is active, not mere feeling”). Connects love for brother even when not reciprocated; vengeance belongs to God.

Asher (Two Paths & Hypocrisy):

• [158:45] Addresses duplicity: most try to seem good while doing evil; stresses that God cannot be fooled.

Joseph (Chastity, Messianic Prophecy):

• [164:24] Joseph’s story as moral model for resisting temptation (Potiphar’s wife). Features visionary material with pronounced messianic expectations: born of a virgin, “Lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world” (179:04), leader against evil spirits—not Gentile nations.

Benjamin (Ambivalence, Love for Righteousness):

• [183:53] Benjamin as the “good kid,” but his descendants are mixed (Saul); final prophecy outlines a suffering, sacrificial Messiah who purifies not just Israel but also the nations (blood of the new covenant).

6. On Christian Identity and Tradition

• [203:32] The hosts argue: Christian tradition is more than a list of doctrines or isolated practices—it is an embodied, living continuity with ancient Israel.
• Deconstruction is dangerous: The tendency to select, decontextualize, or discard elements of Christian tradition “molds Christianity around myself...ideally suited to me remaining the same. That’s not salvation.”
• True Tradition: To be Christian is to be formed by the faith, not to fashion faith according to self.

Quote:

"The most important scriptures for you to read and meditate upon are the ones you don’t like, are the ones that you find confusing and upsetting." (208:32, Fr. Stephen)

Notable Quotes & Moments

Apocrypha Definition

• [05:15] “That is a completely incorrect usage of the term.” (Fr. Stephen)

Tradition and Authority

• [35:36] “You might be surprised that these principles are pre-Christian...other than that, it’s not going to be anything weird. Nothing rewrites Christianity.”

Messianic Prophecy in Simeon

• [80:33] "Then Shem will be glorified...Because God has taken a body to eat with human beings and to save human beings." (Fr. Andrew reading the text)

On Repentance

• [59:51] “Repentance is not just him saying, hey, guys, I messed up...He does something.” (Fr. Andrew)

Testamental Messianism vs. Christian Claims

• [176:02] “And that’s what we’re dealing with here, people. When [some say] this is a Christian idea that must have been added—even though it’s the same Greek as Isaiah 7.”

Unity of Faith

• [193:39] “They show this continuity between the religion of ancient Israel and the religion of the followers of Jesus Christ...it's simply the same one thing.” (Fr. Andrew)

On Christianity as a Transformative Tradition

• [207:43] “If I mold Christianity around myself...then it can’t mold me in return. And it is ideally suited to me remaining the same. That’s not salvation; remaining the same.” (Fr. Stephen)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [04:00]—True meaning of Apocrypha and threefold text categories
• [14:09]—Origin of the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, literary genre
• [31:49]—Discovery, languages, and transmission history
• [35:18]—How the Testaments shaped Orthodox tradition
• [54:14]—Summary and analysis of each patriarch’s testament begins
• [80:33]—Prophecy of the Messiah’s incarnation in Testament of Simeon
• [179:04]—Testament of Joseph: "Lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world"
• [193:07]—Major takeaway: continuity of ancient Israel and Christianity
• [203:59]—Application: Avoiding decontextualization and the seamless garment of tradition
• [204:08]—Christianity as a religion, not just “a relationship”
• [207:43]—True tradition changes and saves us, does not conform to individual taste

Conclusion

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs bridge pre-Christian Judaism and the Orthodox Christian faith, revealing the deep roots and organic development of Christian theology, ethics, and spirituality from within Israel’s tradition. The hosts encourage listeners to receive Christianity as a living, full-bodied tradition—a community and way of life that forms and transforms hearts—not as individualized or disconnected ideas. Reading ancient literature like the Testaments not only enriches faith, but cultivates discernment, humility, and wholeness in Christian life.

Next episode: Stay tuned for continued exploration of the Apocrypha and how these texts illuminate the union of the seen and unseen worlds in the Orthodox Christian tradition.