State super vias et videte et interrogate de semitis antiquis quae sit via bona et ambulate in ea et invenietis refrigerium animabus vestris

19 Oct 2019

A Warning Against Defilement

Οὐδὲν λανθάνει τὸν Κύριον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ κρυπτὰ ἡμῶν ἐγγυς αὐτῷ ἐστιν, πάντα οὖν ποιῶμεν ὡς αὐτοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν κατοικοῦντος, ἵνα ὦμεν αὐτοῦ ναοὶ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν ἡμῖν θεὸς ἡμῶν· ὅπερ καὶ ἔστιν καὶ φανήσεται πρὸ προσώπου ἡμῶν, ἐξ ὧν δικαίως ἀγαπῶμεν αὐτον. Μὴ πλανᾶσθε, ἀδελφοί μου· οἱ οἰκοφθόροι βασιλείαν θεοῦ οὐ κληρονομήσουσιν. εἰ οὖν οἱ κατὰ σάρκα ταῦτα πράσσοντες ἀπέθανον, πόσῳ μᾶλλον, ἐὰν πίστιν θεοῦ ἐν κακῇ διδασκαλίᾳ φθείρῃ, ὑπὲρ ἧς Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐσταυρώθη; ὁ τοιοῦτος ῥυπαρὸς γενόμενος, εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ ἄσβεστον χωρήσει, ὁμοίως καὶ ὁ ἀκούων αὐτου. Διὰ τοῦτο μύρον ἔλαβεν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ ὁ Κύριος, ἵνα πνέῃ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἀφθαρσίαν. Μὴ ἀλείφεσθε δυσωδίαν τῆς διδασκαλίας τοῦ ἄρχοντος τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, μὴ αἰχμαλωτίσῃ ὑμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ προκειμένου ζῆν.

Ἅγιος Ἰγνάτιος Ἀντιοχείας, Ἐπιστολή Προς Ἐφεσιους

Source: Migne PG 5.657a-b
Nothing is hidden from the Lord, but even our secrets are near to Him. Let us then do all things as if we had Him dwelling in us, that we may be His temples and He may be in us our God, as indeed He is, and He will be shown before us, whence we rightly love Him. Do not be deceived, my brethren, corrupters of households will not inherit the kingdom of God. If, then, those who do these things in the flesh have died for it, how much more shall it be if someone corrupts the faith of God with wickedness, for which Jesus Christ was crucified? He who is defiled in such a way shall go into everlasting fire and likewise those who listen to him. For this the Lord received the ointment on His head, that He might breathe incorruption into the Church. Do not be anointed with the foul odour of the teaching of the prince of this world, let him not lead you away captive from the life set before you.

Saint Ignatius of Antioch, from the Letter to the Ephesians

No comments:

Post a Comment