John Chrysostom, On False Prophets

of the devil in the heresies. John said: The children of the devil are manifest. Do you see how in all these things Christ is speaking? For indeed in the Gospels He said similar things to them, that You are of your father the devil. I know many who say that God also formed them—for without God, they say, was not anything made—understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. For that God created me, I also agree; but He created us for good works, that we might follow in them, and become children of God through the right faith. 4. But let us return to the subject at hand. John says: And now many antichrists have come; and again, Look to yourselves, that you may not lose what you have worked for; for many deceivers have gone out into the world. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. And again he says: If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching with him, do not receive him into your house or say "Greetings" to him. For he who says "greetings" to him shares in his evil works. And again, Everyone who transgresses and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. These things John exhorts us, John the son of thunder, the one loved above all saints, who established the Church from one end of the world to the other, and shut the mouths of the heretics with his theology. James said: Whoever wishes to be a friend of them, makes himself an enemy of God. Hear, all 59.558 you who eat with heretics, a painful decision: that you are enemies of Christ. For neither can he who befriends the king's enemies be a friend of the king; but he is not even deemed worthy of life, but will perish with the enemies, and will suffer worse things. Jude, the brother of James, said: For certain people have crept in unnoticed who were long ago designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. And again he says: In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions. These are they who fearlessly shepherd themselves, waterless clouds, carried about by every wind, wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever. These things and more than these does the good Jude exhort us. Come then, Paul, vessel of election, tell us yourself also according to the grace given to you from God, tell us about the present evil age; expose the hidden wolves, triumph over and denounce the thieves of the holy flock of God. Paul said: I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Do you see everywhere the theologians agreeing with the Teacher about the godless heretics, calling them dogs and wolves? as Paul also says elsewhere: Look out for the dogs, look out for the evil workers, look out for the mutilation. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit. Look carefully then how you walk, for the days are evil. Who will have a defense for carelessness, hearing so many commands? And elsewhere again: Do not accept a heretical man after a first and second warning; and again, Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings; and again, Heretical men will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived; and elsewhere, To the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. Hear again, you who make love feasts with them; how will you flee from the wrath coming upon you, you who are defiled with them in food, in drink? how do you dare

διαβόλου ἐν ταῖς αἱρέσεσιν. Ἰωάννης εἶπεν· Φανερά ἐστι τὰ τέκνα τοῦ διαβόλου. Ὁρᾷς, πῶς ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις ὁ Χριστὸς λαλεῖ; Καὶ γὰρ ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις τὰ ὅμοια εἶπε πρὸς αὐτοὺς, ὅτι Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστέ. Οἶδα πολλοὺς λέγοντας, ὅτι καὶ αὐτοὺς ὁ Θεὸς ἔπλασεν χωρὶς γὰρ Θεοῦ, λέγοντες, ἐγένετο οὐδὲν, μὴ νοοῦντες μήτε ἃ λέγουσι, μήτε περὶ ὧν διαβεβαιοῦνται. Ὅτι με γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς ἔκτισε, σύμφημι κἀγώ· ἀλλ' ἔκτισεν ἐπ' ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς, ἵνα ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐπακολουθήσωμεν, καὶ γενώμεθα τέκνα τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τῆς ὀρθῆς πίστεως. δʹ. Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὸ προκείμενον ἐπανέλθωμεν. Ἰωάννης λέγει· Καὶ νῦν ἀντίχριστοι πολλοὶ γεγόνασι· καὶ πάλιν, Βλέπετε ἑαυτοὺς, ἵνα μὴ ἀπολέσητε ἃ εἰργάσασθε· ὅτι πολλοὶ πλάνοι εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἐξῆλθον. Ἀγαπητοὶ, μὴ παντὶ πνεύματι πιστεύετε, ἀλλὰ δοκιμάζετε τὰ πνεύματα εἰ ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστιν· ὅτι πολλοὶ ψευδοπροφῆται εἰς τὸν κόσμον εἰσεληλύθασι. Καὶ πάλιν λέγει· Εἴ τις ἔρχεται πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ ταύτην τὴν διδαχὴν οὐ φέρει μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ, μὴ λαμβάνετε αὐτὸν εἰς οἰκίαν, καὶ Χαίρειν αὐτῷ μὴ λέγετε. Ὁ γὰρ λέγων αὐτῷ χαίρειν, κοινωνεῖ τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ τοῖς πονηροῖς. Καὶ πάλιν, Πᾶς ὁ παραβαίνων, καὶ μὴ μένων ἐν τῇ διδαχῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, Θεὸν οὐκ ἔχει. Ταῦτα Ἰωάννης ἡμῖν παραινεῖ, Ἰωάννης ὁ υἱὸς τῆςβροντῆς, ὁ ὑπὲρ πάντας ἁγίους ἠγαπημένος, ὁ στηρίξας τὴν ἀπὸ περάτων ἕως περάτων τῆς οἰκουμένης Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ ἐμφράξας τὰ τῶν αἱρετικῶν στόματα τῇ θεολογίᾳ. Ἰάκωβος εἶπεν· Ὃς ἐὰν δοκῇ φίλος αὐτῶν εἶναι, ἐχθρὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ καθίσταται. Ἀκούσατε, πάντες 59.558 οἱ τοῖς αἱρετικοῖς συνεσθίοντες, ὀδυνηρὰν ἀπόφασιν· ὅτι τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐχθροί ἐστε. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς τοῦ βασιλέως συμφιλιάζων, δύναται τοῦ βασιλέως φίλος εἶναι· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ζωῆς ἀξιοῦται, ἀλλὰ σὺν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἀπολεῖται, καὶ τὰ χείρονα ὑπομένει. Ἰούδας Ἰακώβου εἶπεν· Παρεισέδυσάν τινες ἄνθρωποι οἱ ἔκπαλαι προγεγραμμένοι εἰς τοῦτο τὸ κρῖμα, ἀσεβεῖς, τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν χάριν μετατιθέντες εἰς ἀσέλγειαν, καὶ τὸν μόνον ∆εσπότην καὶ Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἀρνούμενοι. Καὶ πάλιν λέγει· Ἐπ' ἐσχάτων τῶν χρόνων ἔσονται ἐμπαῖκται, κατὰ τὰς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας αὐτῶν πορευόμενοι τῶν ἀσεβειῶν. Οὗτοί εἰσι οἱ ἀφόβως ἑαυτοὺς ποιμαίνοντες, νεφέλαι ἄνυδροι, παντὶ ἀνέμῳ περιφερόμεναι, ἀστέρες πλανῆται, οἷς ὁ ζόφος τοῦ σκότους εἰς αἰῶνας τετήρηται. Ταῦτα καὶ πλείονα τούτων παραινεῖ ἡμᾶς Ἰούδας ὁ καλός. ∆εῦρο λοιπὸν, Παῦλε, τὸ σκεῦος τῆς ἐκλογῆς, εἰπὲ ἡμῖν καὶ αὐτὸς κατὰ τὴν χάριν τὴν δοθεῖσάν σοι παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, εἰπὲ ἡμῖν περὶ τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος πονηροῦ αἰῶνος· φανέρωσον τοὺς κρυφίους λύκους, θριάμβευσον καὶ στηλίτευσον τοὺς κλέπτας τῆς ἁγίας ποίμνης τοῦ Θεοῦ. Παῦλος εἶπεν· Οἶδα ὅτι εἰσελεύσονται μετὰ τὴν ἄφιξίν μου λύκοι βαρεῖς εἰς ὑμᾶς, μὴ φειδόμενοι τοῦ ποιμνίου. Ὁρᾷς πανταχοῦ τοὺς θεολόγους συμφωνοῦντας τῷ ∆ιδασκάλῳ περὶ τῶν ἀθέων αἱρετικῶν, κύνας αὐτοὺς καὶ λύκους προσαγορεύοντας; καθὼς καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησιν ὁ Παῦλος· Βλέπετε τοὺς κύνας, βλέπετε τοὺς κακοὺς ἐργάτας, βλέπετε τὴν κατατομήν. Βλέπετε μή τις ὑμᾶς ἔσται ὁ συλαγωγῶν διὰ τῆς φιλοσοφίας καὶ κενῆς ἀπάτης. Βλέπετε ἀκριβῶς πῶς περιπατεῖτε, ὅτι αἱ ἡμέραι πονηραί εἰσι. Τίς ἕξει ἀπολογίαν ἀμελείας, ἀκούων τὰς τοσαύτας παραγγελίας; Καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ πάλιν· Μὴ παραδέχεσθε αἱρετικὸν ἄνθρωπον μετὰ μίαν καὶ δευτέραν νουθεσίαν· καὶ πάλιν, ∆ιδαχαῖς ποικίλαις καὶ ξέναις μὴ παραφέρεσθε· καὶ πάλιν, Αἱρετικοὶ ἄνθρωποι προκόψουσιν ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον, πλανῶντες καὶ πλανώμενοι· καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ, Τοῖς μεμιασμένοις καὶ ἀπίστοις οὐδὲν καθαρόν. Ἀκούσατε πάλιν, οἱ τὰς ἀγάπας μετ' αὐτῶν ποιοῦντες· πῶς φύγητε ἀπὸ τῆς ὀργῆς τῆς ἐπερχομένης ἐφ' ὑμᾶς, οἱ τούτοις συμμιαινόμενοι ἐν βρώσει, ἐν πόμασι; πῶς τολμᾶτε