John Chrysostom, On False Prophets

to approach the divine and awesome mysteries of Christ? Or have you not heard the blessed Paul crying out, that You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Come out from among them, and touch not the unclean thing. Shall we then entreat you? Or do we labor in vain and speak into the air? But for the sake of those who are willing and eager to hear the word and to do it, I will not hesitate, we will not desist from the words of Paul, but I will say the same things again: hear, Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship has light with darkness? Where are the insolent-mouthed, who say that these things are not said in the divine Scriptures; whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things? These things Paul exhorts and teaches and advises, Paul, the chosen vessel, the bulwark of the Church, the much-contending and noble one, Paul the divinely-sounding lyre, the herald of Christ, the writer of dogmas, the trumpet of the Word, the orator of piety, the dragnet of the nations. And the blessed theologians have spoken these things and more than these concerning the godless and unbelievers; and the prophets who came before of old spoke similar things; for it is necessary to bring these forward as well. The prophet David said: There is no truth in their mouth. And again he says: O Lord, do I not hate those who hate you, and am I not grieved with those who rise up against you? I have hated them with a perfect hatred; they have become my enemies. And Solomon says, that The impious feign piety. And again he says: My son, let not 59.559 impious men lead you astray, nor walk in the way with them. But Isaiah the prophet, or rather the Lord through the prophet, says: I have begotten and exalted sons, but they have rejected me; and again, There is no peace for the wicked, says the Lord. 5. Are these things sufficient? Or should I bring forward all the prophets as well? But even these things are sufficient for those who wish to hear. For he who does not heed what has been said, will not be persuaded even by more. But let us linger a little longer on the words of the prophet David, and see how he denounces and triumphs over their hidden deceit, and says: There is no truth in their mouth; their heart is vain, and so on. But see the understanding of the prophet, how he publicizes and triumphantly reveals those of evil opinion, so that we may not be led astray. Hear, O orthodox, and do not condescend to the heretics; hear, O shepherds, and tremble, and do not be silent, but preach the word; give no place to the devil, give no prey to the wolves. Imitate the blessed apostle Peter, how in Rome when the thrice-cursed Simon was blaspheming, and saying that he himself was the power of God, he was not silent even for an hour, nor did he delay, but having rebuked him, and having proved him a liar, and a robber and an enemy of God, he cast him down and delivered him to destruction? And likewise also his son, or rather the son of the devil, Montanus, the defiled and unclean and godless one, with his two adulteresses, the Apostle with great eagerness rebuked, and having proved him an enemy of God and a false Christ and a false prophet, muzzled him, and shut his defiled mouth in the name of Christ, not being long-suffering, not delaying at his blasphemy. Thus therefore you also do, O shepherds, and do not have fellowship with the unclean works of darkness; but rather even rebuke them, just as the apostles and the forefather of God David endured many toils and many struggles concerning them, rebuking and reproving, denouncing them and appealing to God against them, and saying: How long shall the wicked, O Lord, how long shall the wicked triumph? Scatter them in the

προσελθεῖν τοῖς θείοις μυστηρίοις καὶ φρικτοῖς τοῦ Χριστοῦ; ἢ οὐκ ἠκούσατε τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου βοῶντος, ὅτι Οὐ δύνασθε ποτήριον Κυρίου πιεῖν, καὶ ποτήριον δαιμόνων· οὐ δύνασθε τραπέζης Κυρίου μετέχειν, καὶ τραπέζης δαιμονίων. Ἐξέλθετε ἐκ μέσου αὐτῶν, καὶ ἀκαθάρτου μὴ ἅπτεσθε. Ἆρα δυσωπήσωμεν ὑμᾶς; ἢ εἰς κενὸν κοπιῶμεν καὶ εἰς ἀέρα λαλοῦμεν; Πλὴν διὰ τοὺς θέλοντας καὶ σπουδάζοντας ἀκούειν τὸν λόγον καὶ ποιεῖν, οὐκ ἀποκνήσω, οὐκ ἀποστήσομεν τῶν ῥημάτων Παύλου, ἀλλὰ πάλιν ταὐτὰ ἐρῶ· ἀκούσατε, Μὴ γίνεσθε ἑτεροζυγοῦντες ἀπίστοις. Τίς γὰρ κοινωνία φωτὶ πρὸς σκότος; Ποῦ εἰσιν οἱ θρασύστομοι, οἱ λέγοντες, μὴ εἰρῆσθαι ταῦτα ἐν ταῖς θείαις Γραφαῖς· Ὧν ὁ Θεὸς ἡ κοιλία, καὶ ἡ δόξα ἐν τῇ αἰσχύνῃ αὐτῶν, οἱ τὰ ἐπίγεια φρονοῦντες; Ταῦτα ὁ Παῦλος παρακαλεῖ καὶ διδάσκει καὶ παραινεῖ, Παῦλος, τὸ σκεῦος τῆς ἐκλογῆς, τὸ ἕρκιον τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, ὁ πολύαθλος καὶ γενναῖος, Παῦλος ἡ θεόφθογγος λύρα, ὁ Χριστοῦ κήρυξ, ὁ συγγραφεὺς τῶν δογμάτων, ἡ σάλπιγξ τοῦ Λόγου, ὁ ῥήτωρ τῆς εὐσεβείας, ἡ τῶν ἐθνῶν σαγήνη. Καὶ οἱ μὲν μακάριοι θεολόγοι ταῦτα καὶ πλείονα τούτων περὶ ἀθέων καὶ ἀπίστων ἐφθέγξαντο· οἱ δὲ προφῆται προηγούμενοι ἔκπαλαι τὰ ὅμοια ἐφθέγξαντο· ἀναγκαῖον γὰρ καὶ τούτους εἰς μέσον ἀγαγεῖν. Εἶπεν ὁ προφήτης ∆αυΐδ· Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν στόματι αὐτῶν ἀλήθεια. Καὶ πάλιν λέγει· Κύριε, οὐχὶ τοὺς μισοῦντάς σε ἐμίσησα, καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ἐξετηκόμην; Τέλειον μῖσος ἐμίσουν αὐτοὺς, καὶ εἰς ἐχθροὺς ἐγένοντό μοι. Καὶ ὁ Σολομὼν λέγει, ὅτι ∆υσσεβοῦντες ὑποκρίνονται εὐσέβειαν. Καὶ πάλιν λέγει· Υἱὲ, μή σε 59.559 πλανήσωσιν ἄνδρες ἀσεβεῖς, μηδὲ πορευθῇς ἐν ὁδῷ μετ' αὐτῶν. Ἡσαΐας δὲ ὁ προφήτης, μᾶλλον δὲ ὁ Κύριος διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγει· Υἱοὺς ἐγέννησα, καὶ ὕψωσα, αὐτοὶ δέ με ἠθέτησαν· καὶ πάλιν, Οὐκ ἔστι χαίρειν τοῖς ἀσεβέσι, λέγει Κύριος. εʹ. Ἆρα ἀρκεῖ ταῦτα; ἢ παραγάγω εἰς μέσον καὶ πάντας τοὺς προφήτας; Ἀλλὰ ἀρκεῖ καὶ ταῦτα πρὸς τοὺς ἀκούειν θέλοντας. Ὁ γὰρ τοῖς εἰρημένοις μὴ προσέχων, οὐδὲ τοῖς πλείοσι πεισθήσεται. Ἀλλ' ἔτι μικρὸν ἐνδιατρίψωμεν τοῖς τοῦ προφήτου ∆αυῒδ ῥήμασι, καὶ ἴδωμεν πῶς στηλιτεύει καὶ θριαμβεύει τὸν κεκρυμμένον αὐτοῖς δόλον, καὶ λέγει· Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν στόματι αὐτῶν ἀλήθεια· ἡ καρδία αὐτῶν ματαία, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ὅρα δὲ τὴν τοῦ προφήτου σύνεσιν, πῶς δημοσιεύει καὶ ἀποκαλύπτει θριαμβεύων τοὺς κακοδόξους, ἵνα μὴ ἡμεῖς πλανηθῶμεν. Ἀκούσατε οἱ ὀρθόδοξοι, καὶ τοῖς αἱρετικοῖς μὴ συγκαταβαίνετε· ἀκούσατε ποιμένες, καὶ φρίξατε, καὶ μὴ σιγήσατε, ἀλλὰ κηρύξατε τὸν λόγον· μὴ δότε τόπον τῷ διαβόλῳ, μὴ δότε θήραν τοῖς λύκοις. Μιμήσασθε τὸν μακάριον ἀπόστολον Πέτρον, πῶς ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ τοῦ τρισκαταράτου Σίμωνος βλασφημοῦντος, καὶ λέγοντος ἑαυτὸν εἶναι τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὔτε κἂν πρὸς ὥραν ἐσιώπησεν, ἢ ἀνεβάλλετο, ἀλλ' ἐλέγξας, καὶ ψεύστην αὐτὸν ἀποδείξας, καὶ λῃστὴν καὶ ἀντίθεον, ῥίψας αὐτὸν τῇ ἀπωλείᾳ παρέδωκεν; Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τὸν τούτου υἱὸν, μᾶλλον δὲ τοῦ διαβόλου, Μοντανὸν, τὸν μιαρὸν καὶ ἀκάθαρτον καὶ ἄθεον, μετὰ τῶν δύο μοιχαλίδων, σπουδῇ πολλῇ ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἐλέγξας, καὶ ἀντίθεον ἀποδείξας καὶ ψευδόχριστον καὶ ψευδοπροφήτην, ἐφίμωσε, καὶ ἐνέφραξε τὸ μιαρὸν αὐτοῦ στόμα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, μὴ μακροθυμήσας, μὴ ἀναβαλλόμενος ἐπὶ τῇ τούτου βλασφημίᾳ. Οὕτως οὖν ποιεῖτε καὶ ὑμεῖς, ποιμένες, καὶ μὴ συγκοινωνεῖτε τοῖς ἔργοις τοῖς ἀκαθάρτοις τοῦ σκότους· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἐλέγχετε, ὥσπερ καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ ὁ θεοπάτωρ ∆αυῒδ περὶ αὐτῶν πολλοὺς μόχθους κατεβάλετο, καὶ πολλοὺς ἀγῶνας, ἐλέγχων καὶ ἐπιτιμῶν, στηλιτεύων αὐτοὺς καὶ τῷ Θεῷ ἐντυγχάνων κατ' αὐτῶν, καὶ λέγων· Ἕως πότε ἁμαρτωλοὶ, Κύριε, ἕως πότε ἁμαρτωλοὶ καυχήσονται; ∆ιασκόρπισον αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ