Deceivers

About Bishop St. Theophane the Recluse

About "old" and "new" calendar

February 23 (March 8)

2John 1:1-13; Mk/15:22-25,33-41

"'Many deceivers are entered into the world — writes St. John the Theologian. — who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh” [2John 1:7]. That’s how it was back then, while nowadays there are deceivers entering into the world who do confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh — yet, just like then, they are “deceivers and antichrists”.

It became evident about the time of the Arian heresy, in the fourth century, and goes on through this day. In the old times, however, there were mostly errors in teaching about the Person of Jesus Christ our Savior, while since Luther more common have become errors related to our salvation through Him. How many such false teachers have we seen? Even in this country there are such “deceivers and antichrists” who say: “Just believe, and that’s enough; don’t care about anything — either the Church, or the sacraments, or the priesthood...” And, likewise, they start off with Christ the Lord and salvation through Him, but as long as their teaching is false, they are in fact antichrists, subject to anathema.

Beware of them! “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God” [2John 1:9]. They don’t have God either, for they have no teaching of Christ. This teaching is in the Church, and they have left the Church. Only if one remains faithful to the Church he has the teaching of Christ and abides in it. Because of that we have both Christ the Son of God and God the Father, while they have nothing, in spite of their numerous claims to the contrary. “Receive them not into your house, neither bid them God speed” [2John 1:10].

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