John Chrysostom, On False Prophets

who said: I am the beginning and the end? Let each one fix his own mind, putting away every care of this life. The Lord said: See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ; and they will lead many astray. And again: Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves; but by their fruits you will know them, he says; that is, from their words, from their false prophecy, from their hypocrisy, from their evil opinion, from their blasphemy you will know them. For a corrupt tree cannot bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. So you also will know such people by their own fruits; and knowing them, do not receive them into your house, do not yield, do not deem them worthy of a word, do not cast your pearls before them; but beware of their leaven, that is, of their heresy. Let no one among you lose heart, or listen carelessly; for it is God who is speaking. Hear, O shepherds, the voice of the Chief Shepherd; hear how he reveals and triumphs over the hidden wolves; hear and pay attention both to yourselves and to all the flock. Beware of the dogs, beware of the thieves. For he who does not enter by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs in by another way, is a thief and a robber. And again he says concerning them: He who is not with me is against me. And again he said to them: You are of your father the devil. Woe to you, for you shut the kingdom of heaven. 59.557 for you yourselves do not enter, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. And elsewhere again: You are not of my sheep. Do you see how everywhere the Master denounces and triumphs over the impious, so that we may not be led astray? O the ineffable condescension! O the incomparable goodness! What shall we render to the Lord for all these things? what defense shall we make to the chief shepherd? O shepherds and fellow shepherds; for behold, these are a few things out of many. How everywhere the Master, making us safe through the immaculate Gospels, cries out: See, be vigilant, pay attention, be diligent, strive? And not only does he cry out through the Gospels, but also through the God-bearing prophets, and the theologian disciples he utters similar things; for in all of them he speaks as he wills; and Paul bears witness to me, saying: Of Christ speaking in me. Come, therefore, let us bring the theologians into our midst, and let us hear from them what they command us concerning heretics. Tell us, blessed Peter, whom our Lord God Jesus Christ called blessed; tell us about those who lead astray and are about to lead astray the flock of Christ, which the chief shepherd and bishop of our souls delivered and entrusted to you; tell us as much as the Holy Spirit has supplied to you, and strengthen your flock; show us the hidden wolves, just as your teacher Christ the Lord did. Peter said: Know this first, that in the last days scoffers will come, walking according to their own lusts. And again he says: And among you there will be false teachers, who will bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them. And many will follow their licentiousness; for whom the judgment is not idle, and their destruction does not slumber; children of a curse, having forsaken the right way. These things Peter uttered, Peter the truly blessed, Peter the rock of faith, on which Christ built the Church, Peter who holds the keys of heaven, Peter who walked upon the waves, the fervent lover of the Master Christ, who cast down Simon Magus in Rome, as the chief and leader the first robber and disciple of

εἰπόντος· Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀρχὴ καὶ τὸ τέλος; Ἐπιστησάτω δὲ ἕκαστος τὸν νοῦν ἑαυτοῦ, ἀποθέμενος πᾶσαν βιωτικὴν μέριμναν. Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος· Βλέπετε, μὴ πλανηθῆτε. Πολλοὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου ἐλεύσονται λέγοντες, ὅτι Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Χριστός· καὶ πολλοὺς πλανήσουσι. Καὶ πάλιν· Προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν, οἵτινες ἔρχονται πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν ἐνδύμασι προβάτων, ἔσωθεν δέ εἰσι λύκοι ἅρπαγες· ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιγνώσεσθε αὐτοὺς, φησί· τουτέστι, ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων, ἐκ τῆς ψευδοπροφητείας, ἐκ τῆς ὑποκρίσεως αὐτῶν, ἐκ τῆς κακοδοξίας αὐτῶν, ἐκ τῆς βλασφημίας αὐτῶν ἐπιγνώσεσθε αὐτούς. Οὐ γὰρ δύναται δένδρον σαπρὸν ποιεῖν καρποὺς καλούς. Πᾶν γὰρ δένδρον ἐκ τοῦ ἰδίου καρποῦ ἐπιγινώσκεται. Οὕτω καὶ ὑμεῖς τοὺς τοιούτους ἐκ τῶν καρπῶν τῶν ἰδίων ἐπιγνώσεσθε· καὶ ἐπιγνόντες, μὴ παραλαμβάνετε αὐτοὺς εἰς οἰκίαν, μὴ ὑποκάμψητε, μὴ ἀξιώσητε λόγου, μὴ βάλητε τοὺς μαργαρίτας ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν· ἀλλὰ προσέχετε ἀπὸ τῆς ζύμης αὐτῶν, ἤγουν τῆς αἱρέσεως αὐτῶν. Μηδεὶς ἐξ ὑμῶν ἀποκακήσῃ, ἢ παρέργως ἀκούσῃ· Θεὸς γὰρ ὁ λαλῶν. Ἀκούσατε, οἱ ποιμένες, τὰς φωνὰς τοῦ Ἀρχιποιμένος· ἀκούσατε, πῶς ἀποκαλύπτει καὶ θριαμβεύει εἰς τοὺς κρυφίους λύκους· ἀκούσατε καὶ προσέχετε καὶ ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ παντὶ τῷ ποιμνίῳ. Βλέπετε τοὺς κύνας, βλέπετε τοὺς κλέπτας. Ὁ γὰρ μὴ εἰσερχόμενος διὰ τῆς θύρας εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν τῶν προβάτων, ἀλλ' ἀναβαίνων ἀλλαχόθεν, κλέπτης ἐστὶ καὶ λῃστής. Καὶ πάλιν περὶ αὐτῶν λέγει· Ὁ μὴ ὢν μετ' ἐμοῦ, κατ' ἐμοῦ ἐστι. Καὶ πάλιν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἔλεγεν· Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστέ. Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, ὅτι κλείετε τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. 59.557 ὑμεῖς γὰρ οὐκ εἰσέρχεσθε, οὐδὲ τοὺς εἰσερχομένους ἀφίετε εἰσελθεῖν. Καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ πάλιν· Ὑμεῖς οὐκ ἔστε ἐκ τῶν προβάτων τῶν ἐμῶν. Ὁρᾷς πῶς πανταχοῦ ὁ ∆εσπότης στηλιτεύει καὶ θριαμβεύει τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς, ὅπως ἡμεῖς μὴ πλανηθῶμεν; Ὢ τῆς ἀφράστου συγκαταβάσεως· ὢ τῆς ἀνεικάστου ἀγαθότητος. Τί ἀνταποδώσομεν τῷ Κυρίῳ περὶ πάντων τούτων; τί ἀπολογησόμεθα τῷ ἀρχιποιμένι; Ὦ ποιμένες καὶ συμποιμένες· ἰδοὺ γὰρ ὀλίγα ἐκ τῶν πολλῶν. Πῶς πανταχοῦ ἀσφαλιζόμενος ὁ ∆εσπότης διὰ τῶν ἀχράντων Εὐαγγελίων βοᾷ· Βλέπετε, γρηγορεῖτε, προσέχετε, σπουδάσατε, ἀγωνίσασθε; Καὶ οὐ μόνον διὰ τῶν Εὐαγγελίων βοᾷ, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τῶν θεοφόρων προφητῶν, καὶ τῶν θεολόγων μαθητῶν τὰ ὅμοια φθέγγεται· ἐν πᾶσι γὰρ αὐτοῖς λαλεῖ ὡς βούλεται· καὶ μαρτυρεῖ μοι ὁ Παῦλος λέγων· Τοῦ ἐν ἐμοὶ λαλοῦντος Χριστοῦ. ∆εῦρο τοίνυν παραγάγωμεν εἰς μέσον τοὺς θεολόγους, καὶ ἀκούσωμεν ἐξ αὐτῶν τί περὶ αἱρετικῶν παραγγελοῦσιν ἡμῖν. Εἰπὲ, μακάριε Πέτρε, ὃν ἐμακάρισεν ὁ Κύριος Θεὸς ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός· εἰπὲ ἡμῖν περὶ τῶν πλανώντων καὶ μελλόντων πλανᾷν τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ποίμνην, ἥν σοι παρέδωκε καὶ ἐπίστευσεν ὁ ἀρχιποίμην καὶ ἐπίσκοπος τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν· εἰπὲ, ὅσα σοι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐχορήγησεν, καὶ στήριξόν σου τὴν ποίμνην· δεῖξον ἡμῖν τοὺς κρυφίους λύκους, καθὼς ὁ καθηγητής σου Χριστὸς ὁ Κύριος. Πέτρος εἶπε· Τοῦτο πρῶτον γινώσκετε, ὅτι ἐλεύσονται ἐπ' ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν ἐμπαῖκται, κατὰ τὰς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας πορευόμενοι. Καὶ πάλιν λέγει· Καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν ἔσονται ψευδοδιδάσκαλοι, οἵτινες παρεισάξουσιν αἱρέσεις ἀπωλείας, καὶ τὸν ἀγοράσαντα αὐτοὺς ∆εσπότην ἀρνούμενοι. Καὶ πολλοὶ ἐξακολουθήσουσιν αὐτῶν ταῖς ἀσελγείαις· οἷς τὸ κρῖμα οὐκ ἀργεῖ, καὶ ἡ ἀπώλεια αὐτῶν οὐ νυστάζει· κατάρας τέκνα, καταλείποντες τὴν εὐθεῖαν ὁδόν. Ταῦτα Πέτρος ἐφθέγξατο, Πέτρος ὁ μακάριος ἀληθῶς, Πέτρος τῆς πίστεως ἡ πέτρα, ἐφ' ἧς ᾠκοδόμησεν ὁ Χριστὸς τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, Πέτρος ὁ τὰς κλεῖς τῶν οὐρανῶν κατέχων, Πέτρος ὁ κατὰ κυμάτων πεζεύσας, ὁ θερμὸς ἐραστὴς τοῦ ∆εσπότου Χριστοῦ, ὁ τὸν Σίμωνα τὸν μάγον ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ ῥίψας, ὡς κορυφαῖος καὶ πρωτοστάτης τὸν πρῶτον λῃστὴν καὶ μαθητὴν τοῦ