Abba Paphnutius said, “As I was traveling on the road, I happened to lose my way because of the dew and found myself near a village. There I saw some people having relations with one another. I stopped and prayed concerning my own sins. And behold, an angel came holding a sword and said to me, ‘Paphnutius, everyone who judges his brothers will perish by this sword. But because you did not judge, but humbled yourself before God as though you had committed the sin, your name has been written in the book of the living.’”
They said of Abba Paphnutius that he did not readily drink wine. Once while traveling he came upon a band of robbers and found them drinking wine. The leader of the robbers knew him and knew that he did not drink wine. Seeing that he was exhausted from great toil, he filled a cup with wine, held his sword in his hand, and said to the elder, “If you do not drink, I will kill you.” The elder, knowing that he was fulfilling God’s commandment and wanting to win the man, took the cup and drank. The leader made a prostration before him and said, “Forgive me, Abba, for distressing you.” The elder said, “I trust God that because of this cup He will show you mercy both in this age and in the age to come.” The robber chief said, “I trust God that from this moment I will do evil to no one.” Thus the elder won the whole band of robbers by giving up his own will for the Lord’s sake.
Abba Poemen related that Abba Paphnutius said, “Throughout the lives of the elders I used to visit them twice each month, although I was twelve miles away. I revealed to them every thought I had, and they never answered me with anything except this: ‘Wherever you go, do not measure yourself, and you will live in stillness.’”
There was a brother living in Scetis with Abba Paphnutius who was attacked by fornication. He said, “Even if I take ten wives, I will not satisfy my desire.” The elder exhorted him, saying, “Do not, my son; this is warfare from the demons.” But the brother would not listen. He went to Egypt and took a wife. After some time the elder happened to go up to Egypt and met him carrying baskets of potsherds. He did not recognize him, but the man said, “I am that disciple of yours.” Seeing him in such humiliation, the elder wept and said, “How did you leave that honor and come to this disgrace? But did you at least take ten wives?” Groaning, he answered, “I took only one, and I am worn out trying to find bread to feed her.” The elder said, “Come back with us.” He asked, “Is there a place for repentance, Abba?” The elder said, “Yes.” So he left everything, followed him, entered Scetis, and through experience became a proven monk.
A brother living in the desert of the Thebaid had this thought: “Why are you sitting here without fruit? Get up, go to a monastery, and there you will bear fruit.” He got up and went to Abba Paphnutius and told him the thought. The elder said, “Go back and sit in your cell. Make one prayer in the morning, one in the evening, and one at night. When you are hungry, eat; when you are thirsty, drink; when you are sleepy, sleep. Remain in the desert and do not obey that thought.” He also went to Abba John and told him Abba Paphnutius’s words. Abba John said, “Do not make any prayer at all; just sit in your cell.” Then he went to Abba Arsenius and told him everything. The elder said, “Hold to what the Fathers have taught you. I cannot tell you anything beyond that.” Fully persuaded, the brother went away.