The Church of the Nazarene affirms that the Shepherd of Hermas is not part of the canonical Scripture. While this 2nd-century writing provides valuable insight into early Christian life and values, it is not accepted as divinely inspired or as having scriptural authority.

The Nazarene commitment to the 66-book canon as complete and sufficient means that patristic writings, even those from the early Church, are not elevated to scriptural status. The Shepherd of Hermas was rightly excluded from the New Testament because it is sub-apostolic and was never universally recognized as canonical.