John Chrysostom, On False Prophets

and to the Ruler of rulers; to him you agreed and confessed, and you enlisted in the presence of many witnesses; henceforth in his hand are both you and your words. From now on, expect him coming from the heavens, bearing your bond, the words from your mouth before angels and men. See, brother, and guard yourself henceforth from the affairs of the gentiles. Hear the Apostle saying: This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened. But you have not so learned Christ. Pay attention to what is being said, beloved, and do not mix with those who do such things. For many are disciples of destruction, and they will yet be multiplied. See that the days are evil, and the time appoints its own servants. 8. And do not be surprised if shepherds become wolves. For Paul the apostle, speaking to bishops and presbyters, said that from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things. Therefore let no one deceive you, having an angelic appearance on the outside, and a diabolical one on the inside. For this reason Jesus said: See that no one leads you astray. And I will say the same things again: see that no one leads you astray, neither from within, nor from without, not a bishop, not a presbyter, not a deacon, not a reader, or anyone who may be speaking perverse things; who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves; who have a form of godliness, but deny its power. But you, beloved, be not deceived, but as you have received our Lord Jesus Christ, walk in him; and the God of peace shall be with you. And concerning these things I will here render my account; and having discussed briefly the signs of the consummation, I will cease. But when I begin to speak about the consummation, a shudder comes over me, and I am beside myself. All things of the Lord are indeed wonderful, great and fearful and glorious; but the end of the consummation and the mystery of his second coming, is beyond reason and mind and thought, it surpasses all narration, and astounds every ear. And great was the struggle and great the desire of the disciples, to hear from the teacher the signs concerning the consummation. For as you have often heard the Gospel saying, that as Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately, saying: Tell us, what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age. See the wisdom and understanding of the disciples. When they wanted to ask something great, not all of them approach him, but privately, and they say: Tell us, Master, and the, tell us, good one; tell us, knower of hearts; tell us, you who know the last things and the ancient things; tell us, you who know all things before their creation; tell us, you creator of the ages; tell us, you Father of the age to come; tell us, what is the sign of your coming and of the end of the age, when you are about to come to judge the living and the dead of all the inhabited world; when you will abolish every rule and every authority and power; when every knee shall bow to you, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth; Tell us, what is the sign of your coming, so that we also may teach all the nations your paradoxical coming. And the Lord said to them: See that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ. See that no one leads you astray; for the time is near. What we now see with our eyes, 59.563 he then said, that the time is near; now it stands, and we all see it. Do you see how much zeal the Master has concerning false teachers and heretics to strip them bare, and show us the hidden

καὶ Ἄρχοντι τῶν ἀρχόντων· αὐτῷ συνέθου καὶ ὡμολόγησας, καὶ συνετάξω ἐπὶ πολλῶν μαρτύρων· λοιπὸν ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ σὺ καὶ οἱ λόγοι σου. Τὸ λοιπὸν προσδέχου αὐτὸν ἐρχόμενον ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐπιφερόμενόν σου τὸ γραμματεῖον, τὰ ῥήματα ἐκ τοῦ στόματός σου ἐπὶ ἀγγέλων καὶ ἀνθρώπων. Ὅρα, ἀδελφὲ, καὶ φύλαξον τοῦ λοιποῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνικῶν πραγμάτων. Ἀκούσατε τοῦ Ἀποστόλου λέγοντος· Τοῦτο οὖν λέγω, καὶ μαρτύρομαι ἐν Κυρίῳ, μηκέτι ὑμᾶς περιπατεῖν, καθὼς καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἔθνη περιπατεῖ ἐν ματαιότητι τοῦ νοῦ αὐτῶν, ἐσκοτισμένοι τῇ διανοίᾳ. Ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐχ οὕτως ἐμάθετε τὸν Χριστόν. Προσέχετε τοῖς λεγομένοις, ἀγαπητοὶ, καὶ μὴ συναναμίγνυσθε τοῖς τοιαῦτα πράττουσι. Πολλοὶ γάρ εἰσι τῆς ἀπωλείας μαθηταὶ, καὶ ἔτι πληθυνθήσονται. Βλέπετε, ὅτι αἱ ἡμέραι πονηραί εἰσι, καὶ ὁ καιρὸς τοὺς ἰδίους ὑπηρέτας προχειρίζεται. ηʹ. Καὶ μὴ θαυμάσῃς, ἐὰν οἱ ποιμένες λύκοι γίνωνται. Πρὸς γὰρ ἐπισκόπους καὶ πρεσβυτέρους διαλεγόμενος Παῦλος ὁ ἀπόστολος ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Ἐξ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἀναστήσονται ἄνδρες λαλοῦντες διεστραμμένα. Ὥστε μηδεὶς πλανάτω ὑμᾶς, ἔχων ἔξωθεν σχῆμα ἀγγελικὸν, καὶ ἔσωθεν διαβολικόν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἔλεγεν· Βλέπετε, μή τις ὑμᾶς πλανήσῃ. Κἀγὼ δὲ πάλιν τὰ ὅμοια ἐρῶ· βλέπετε μή τις ὑμᾶς πλανήσῃ, μήτε ἀπὸ τῶν ἔσωθεν, μήτε ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξωθεν, μὴ ἐπίσκοπος, μὴ πρεσβύτερος, μὴ διάκονος, μὴ ἀναγνώστης, ἤ τις ἐὰν ᾖ λαλῶν διεστραμμένα· Οἵτινες ἔρχονται πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν ἐνδύμασι προβάτων, ἔσωθεν δέ εἰσι λύκοι ἅρπαγες· οἵτινες ἔχουσιν μόρφωσιν εὐσεβείας, τὴν δὲ δύναμιν αὐτῆς ἠρνημένοι. Ὑμεῖς δὲ, ἀγαπητοὶ, μὴ πλανηθῆτε, ἀλλ' ὡς παρελάβετε τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, ἐν αὐτῷ περιπατεῖτε· καὶ ὁ Θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης ἔσται μεθ' ὑμῶν. Καὶ περὶ μὲν τούτων ἐνταῦθα ἀποδώσω τὸν λόγον· μικρὰ δὲ διαλεχθεὶς περὶ σημείων τῆς συντελείας, καταπαύσω. Ὅταν δὲ ἄρξωμαι λαλεῖν περὶ τῆς συντελείας, φρίκη μοι ἐπέρχεται, καὶ ἐξίσταμαι. Πάντα μὲν τὰ τοῦ Κυρίου θαυμαστὰ, μεγάλα καὶ φοβερὰ καὶ ἔνδοξα· τὸ δὲ τέλος τῆς συντελείας καὶ τὸ τῆς δευτέρας αὐτοῦ παρουσίας μυστήριον, ὑπὲρ λόγον καὶ νοῦν καὶ ἔννοιαν, ὑπερβαίνει πᾶσαν διήγησιν, καὶ καταπλήττει πᾶσαν ἀκοήν. Μέγας δὲ ἀγὼν καὶ πολὺς πόθος τῶν μαθητῶν, ἀκούειν παρὰ τοῦ διδασκάλου σημεῖα περὶ τῆς συντελείας. Ὡς γὰρ πολλάκις ἠκούσατε τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου λέγοντος, ὅτι Καθημένου τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὄρους τῶν Ἐλαιῶν, προσῆλθον αὐτῷ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ κατ' ἰδίαν λέγοντες· Εἰπὲ ἡμῖν, τί τὸ σημεῖον τῆς σῆς παρουσίας, καὶ τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος. Ὅρα τὸ σοφὸν καὶ συνετὸν τῶν μαθητῶν. Ὅταν μέγα τι ἐβούλοντο ἐρωτᾷν, οὐ πάντες αὐτῷ προσέρχονται, ἀλλὰ κατ' ἰδίαν, καί φασιν· Εἰπὲ ἡμῖν, ∆έσποτα, καὶ τὸ, εἰπὲ ἡμῖν, ἀγαθέ· εἰπὲ ἡμῖν, καρδιογνῶστα· εἰπὲ ἡμῖν, ὁ γινώσκων τὰ ἔσχατα καὶ τὰ ἀρχαῖα· εἰπὲ ἡμῖν, ὁ εἰδὼς τὰ πάντα πρὶν γενέσεως αὐτῶν· εἰπὲ ἡμῖν, ὁ ποιητὴς τῶν αἰώνων· εἰπὲ ἡμῖν, ὁ Πατὴρ τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος· εἰπὲ ἡμῖν, Τί τὸ σημεῖον τῆς σῆς παρουσίας καὶ συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος, ὅταν μέλλῃς ἔρχεσθαι κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκροὺς πάσης τῆς οἰκουμένης· ὅταν καταργήσῃς πᾶσαν ἀρχὴν καὶ πᾶσαν ἐξουσίαν καὶ δύναμιν· ὅταν καμφθῇ σοι πᾶν γόνυ ἐπουρανίων, καὶ ἐπιγείων καὶ καταχθονίων· Εἰπὲ ἡμῖν, τί τὸ σημεῖον τῆς παρουσίας σου, ὅπως καὶ ἡμεῖς διδάξωμεν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τὴν παράδοξόν σου παρουσίαν. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Βλέπετε, μὴ πλανηθῆτε· πολλοὶ γὰρ ἐλεύσονται ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου, λέγοντες, ὅτι Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Χριστός. Βλέπετε, μή τις ὑμᾶς πλανήσῃ· ὅτι ὁ καιρὸς ἐγγύς ἐστι. Ὅπερ νῦν ἡμεῖς θεωροῦμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν, 59.563 τότε εἶπεν, Ὅτι καιρὸς ἐγγύς ἐστι· νῦν ἔστηκε, καὶ πάντες θεωροῦμεν. Ὁρᾷς, πόση σπουδὴ τοῦ ∆εσπότου περὶ ψευδοδιδασκάλων καὶ αἱρετικῶν τοῦ ἀπογυμνῶσαι, καὶ δεῖξαι ἡμῖν τὸν κεκρυμμένον