Angels And Apostles And Preaching

Sed licet nos, aut angelus de coelo evangelizet vobis, praeter quam quod evanglizavimus vobis, anathema sit. Sicut praediximus, et nunc iterum dico: si quis vobis evangelizaveir praeter id quod acceptistis, anathema sit.  Potest et hyperbolice dictum accipi, non quo aut apostolus, aut angelus aliter potuerint praedicare quam semel dixerant: sed etiamsi hoc posset fieri, ut et apostoli et angeli mutarentur: tamen non esse ab eo quod semel acceptum fuerat, recedendum: maxime cum ipse apostolus in alio loco firmitatem fidei suae ostendat dicens: Scio quia neque mors, neque vita, neque angelis, neque principatus, neque praesentia, neqye futura, neque fortitudo, neque altitduo, neque profundum, neque alia creatura, poterit nos separare a dilectione Dei, quae est in Christo Jesu Domino nostro. Veritatem dico, non mentior, testimonium mihi perhibente conscientia mea. Haec quippe dicta non sunt ejus possit a Christi fide et dilectione aliquando discedere. Qui autem nolunt καθ ὑποθέσις hoc dictum esse, sed vere: quod scilicet possint et apostoli et angeli ad pejora converti, illud opponunt, quod et ipse Paulus scierit posse se labi, si segnius? ageret, dicens: Subjicio autem corpus meum, et in servitutem redigo, ne aliis praedicens, ipse reprobus inveniar. Angelos quoque esse mutabiles, qui non servaverint principatum suum; sed relinquentes proprium domicilium, in judicio magni diei vinculis aeternis sub caligine reservantur. Dei solius naturam esse immutabilem, de quo scribantur: Tu vero ipse es. Et ipse de se: Ego Deus vester, et non mutor. Cecidisse luciferum, qui mane oriebatur; et eum qui mittebat quondam ad omnes gentes, in terra esse contritum. Eleganter in hoc loco vir doctissimus Terullianus, adversus Apellem, et ejus virginem Philumenem, quam angelus quidam diabolici spiritus et perversus impleverat, hunc esse scribit angelum, cui multo antequam Apelles nasceretur, Spriitus sancti vaticinio sit anathenma per Apostolum prophetatum. Porro ἀναθέμα verbum proprie Judaeroum est, et positum tam in Jesu Nave, quam in Numeris, quando omnia quae erant in Jericho et Madianitarum detestationi et anathemati habenda Dominus imperavit. Interrogemus eos, qui Christum et apostolum Paulum, boni Dei et usque ad illud tempus ignorati, vel filium asserunt esse, vel servum, qui maledicere nesciat, nec noverit aliquem condemnare: quomodo nunc Apostolus ejus, verbo Judaeorum, id est, Creatoris utatur: et perire vel angelum vel apostoulm velit, cum ipse non soleat ulcisci. Quod autem addidit, sicut praediximus, et nunc iterum dico, ostendit se et in principio hoc ipsum caventem, denuntiasse anathema eis qui aliter praedicaturi erant, et nunc postquam praedicatum est, id anathema decernere quod ante praedixerat. Propterea autem et sibi, quem aliud in Judea facere, aliud docere in gentibus criminabantur, et angelo quem majorem etiam praecessoribus suis apostolis esse constabat, anathema denuntiavit: ut non magna Petri et Joannis putaretur auctoritas, cum nec sibi liceret qui eos ante docuerat, nec angelo aliter praedicare, quam semel didicerant. Se itaque et angelum nominatim posuit: alios vero absque nomine. Si quis, inquit, vobis evangelizaverit, ut in generali vocabulo, nec praecessoribus faceret injuriam; et tamen nomina eorum latenter ostenderet Sanctus Hieronymus, Commentariorum in Epistolam ad Galatas, Liber I, Cap I Source: Migne PL 26.319b-320b

But even if we or an angel from heaven preach to you differently from what we have preached to you, let him be anathema. So we have said, and now we say again, if someone preaches to you differently to what you have received, let him be anathema. 1 One may understand that this as hyperbole, that neither an Apostle or an angel would be able to preach differently what has once been said, but even if it were so, that an Apostle or an angel were changed, however it must be conceded that it would not be received from him who once was; especially when the same Apostle, demonstrating the firmness of his faith, says in another place,  'I know that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor powers, nor present things, nor future things, nor strength, no height, nor depth, nor any created thing, is able to separate us from the love of God which is in our Lord Jesus Christ.' 2 And: 'I speak the truth, I do not lie, my conscience bears me witness.' 3 These things certainly are not said by one who at any time is able to be cut off from the faith and love of Christ. Those who are unwilling to accept this as a hypothesis, who say that it is possible that an Apostle and an angel might turn to the worse, oppose to it that which even Paul knew, that he could fall, if he acted sluggishly, saying, 'I subject my body and in servitude I am driven, lest preaching to others , I am found blameworthy.' 4 Angels are also changeable, those who did not serve their prince, but abandoning their proper place, are kept in eternal chains in darkness for the day of judgement. 5 The nature of God alone is immutable, concerning which it is written, 'You, however, are.' 6 And He says of Himself: 'I am your God, and I do not change.' Lucifer fell, he who arose in the morning, and he who was once sent to all the nations, was crushed into the earth. The most educated Tertullian speaks elegantly concerning this against Apelles and his virgin Philumenem whom an angel of a diabolic and perverse spirit possessed, writing that this is the angel whom by the foresight of the Holy Spirit the Apostle had made prophecy was anathema, long before Apelles was born. 6 Now anathema, is a word proper to the Jews and is used in Joshua the son of Nun 7 and in Numbers, 8 when the Lord commanded all those who were in Jericho and of Midianites to be held in detestation and anathema. Let us ask those who assert that neither Christ nor the Apostle Paul, neither the Son nor the servant, would curse or condemn those until that time ignorant of the good God, how it is  this Apostle uses this Jewish word, and so of the Creator, even to wish to destruction an angel or an Apostle, when he is not accustomed to vengeance? And then he adds, 'as we have preached and now again I say to you,' he shows that he has given warning of this even in the beginning, that those who were preaching otherwise should be denounced as anathema, and now after he has preached, he gives the judgement of anathema which before he had preached. On account of which he even applies it to himself who was accused of teaching one thing in Judea and another among the Gentiles, and he denounces as anathema even an angel, one greater even than the Apostles who preceded him, that neither the great authority of a Peter or a John be allowed, when neither to those who came before him, nor an angel is it given to preach otherwise what had been taught before. Thus he names himself and an angel and leaves others without a name. 'If someone,' he says, 'preaches to you,' using a general term, that he not do injury to his predecessors, and yet secretly showing their names. Saint Jerome, Commentary on the Letter to the Galatians, Book 1 Chap 1 1 Gal 1.8 2 Rom 8.38 3 Rom 9.1 4 1 Cor 9.27 5 Jude 6 6 Tertull Prescription of Heretics 30.3-6 7 Joshua 6.7 8 Numbers 21.3