OPPOSING A DEVIOUS SPIRIT Besides his personal struggle to sanctify himself and be devoted to God, a pastor needs to rely on heavenly wisdom as he fulfills his duty to oppose all inventions, heresies, and devious teachings or conduct. St. Paul elaborates on these issues in this chapter: 1- Heresies and Evil 1-5. 2- Corrupt Teachers 6-9. 3- Tolerating their Harm 10–13. 4- Reliance on God’s Word 14–17. 1- Heresies and Evil Speaking about foolish and corrupt arguments, the Apostle begins by discussing deviousness, especially that concerning conduct. Often, heresies and inventions are closely associated with an evil life. This is essentially a life that is rooted in the ego or selfishness, vainglory and love of divisions. Thus, thought that deviates from the truth becomes closely linked with evil conduct. St Paul says, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves.” (1, 2) By “last days,” he means the days after the coming of the Son, the Incarnate Word. In the fullness of time, God proclaimed His love by offering us redemption through the crucifixion of His Son. At the same time, Satan instigated those working on his account to oppose truth. To believers, these are times of grace, yet they are hard times for those who are deceived by the tricks of the devil and his falsehoods. Under any circumstance, God proclaims His love throughout the ages. At the same time, Satan aroused his followers mislead people. St. Paul gives examples from the age of Moses, the prophet, and says, “Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith.” (8) Hence the fault does not lie in the times but rather in the wickedness of a man’s heart. This is what St. John Chrysostom expresses when he says, [Do not blame the days or the times, but rather blame people across the ages. We have become accustomed to speak about good times and bad times when we refer to events caused by people’s deeds and which ultimately affect us1.] The root and basis of all evil is the ego. In other words, it is man’s love for his ego. Hence, he becomes self-centered and sets his ego as his deity; wishing that all serve his ego rather than serving others. Consequently, he harms himself without realizing it. St. John Chrysostom comments as follows: [He who has concern for others actually has concern for himself… He who neglects the needs of others actually neglects his own needs. Since are members of one body, what benefits our brother also affects the whole body positively and is not limited to just one member. Similarly, the harm that comes to our brother does not end there, but affects painfully the rest of the body. This also applies to the Church; if you belittle your neighbor, you are actually harming your own self2.] He also comments on the Apostle’s words: “For men will be lovers of themselves,” by saying, [He is indicating the root or basis from which all evil arises... We 1 In 2 Tim. Hom. 7. 2 In 2 Tim. Hom. 7. 2 say about a person who loves himself (the ego), that he does not love himself; as for a person who loves his brother, we consider that he really loves himself in the true sense of the word1.] Thus the Apostle indicates that the love of one’s self, or love of the ego, or conceit, is the basis of evil and heresy. That explains why St. Augustine speaks about heretics and says the following: [How do they oppose truth except through the conceit in their false and towering pomp. However, whereas they set up themselves as the great and righteous ones, they pass away as an empty wind2.” The heart of man becomes extremely limited due egotistic love or pride. He is solely concerned with his own needs to fulfill his greed or lusts. Consequently, the heart is led from one sin to another: the one delivering him into another so that he becomes a puppet of sin and defilement. He loses his freewill and his holiness as he chooses to live in humiliation and weakness. St. Paul says, “For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2-5) St John Chrysostom notes in his comments on the previous verses that every sin leads to the next sin. This is his explanation: [Love of money arises from love of the ego… From the love of money arises love of greatness. Out of that comes pride, and out of pride comes blasphemy and disobedience… A person who is haughty towards people easily acts haughtily towards God. In this way, sin is generated and develops from a simple level to higher levels. A person who deals morally with men will show even more devotion towards God… One who is gentle with his slaves or with his fellowmen will be even gentler with his master. If a slave despises his co-worker, he will end up behaving in the same way towards God. Therefore, may we not despise one another, for this is a wicked experience that leads us to despise God3.] Thus St. John Chrysostom notes that although sin is at first directed towards men, it ends up by being directed towards God. St. Cyprian states that the predictions of St. Paul have been fulfilled: [The end of the world is drawing near, and the signs indicating that are apparent in the domain of mankind and in the changing times. Sins are masked, and the enemy (Satan) is becoming increasingly wild, violence is more brutal, jealousy more inflamed, greed more blinding, evil more attractive, pride more pompous, division more bitter, and anger more contagious4.] We will briefly enumerate the evils that the Apostle mentions: a. Love of the Ego: We have noted that this is the root and basis of all evil. It is a state in which the soul or heart shuts out the love of God and men. b. Love of Money or Greed: An egotistic person desires everything for himself. Hence he is greedy for money and honor at the cost of others as well as his own. St. John Chrysostom finds that this sin is closely associated with ingratitude. He explains: [How can greed express thankfulness?! Towards whom could a greedy person be grateful? No 1 In 2 Tim. Hom. 7. 2 On Ps. 37. 3 In 2 Tim. Hom. 7. 4 Treatise on the Unity of the Church, 16. 3 one, for he considers that all men are his enemies and envies all what they have. If you spend all what you have on him, he will not be grateful. Indeed, he will be angry because you do not possess more and are consequently unable to give him more. If you set him up to rule the whole world, he would be ungrateful and believe that he has not received anything. This voracious greed is unquenchable as it is a sick lust… It is like someone suffering from a fever and feels thirsty. He does not get appeased but keeps asking for water. The same applies to someone who lusts for wealth; he cannot be satisfied however much you gave him. He will continue to feel dissatisfied and unthankful1.] c. Love of Greatness and Vanity: Just as egotism generates unending thirst for money and wealth that the world cannot quench, so can the same disease generate a thirst for vainglory and temporal honor… These are matters that cause a person to lose his inner peace. d. Blasphemy: Man’s thirst for earthly matters, whether in the financial domain or in the domain of love for temporal honor, distracts the inner perception away from God Himself. Hence the soul despises her God and cannot interact with His redeeming work and His free gifts. All this ultimately leads to blasphemy. e. Disobedience to Parents: A person who disregards God will also disregard his parents. By his blasphemous attitude he wishes to liberate himself from the divine Fatherhood since this represents an authority that eliminates his freedom. By disobeying his parents, he displays the same attitude towards his natural parents and the blood ties that relate him to them. f. Ingratitude: We have seen that this is a natural outcome in the life of a person who lusts after money. It is a sign of the inner void that the world cannot satisfy however much it offers to him. This is in contrast to the heavenly ones who enjoy spiritual fulfillment and whose life is marked by thanksgiving evident in the praise, which they offer continuously. g. Ungodliness: Just as the inner void generates an ungrateful nature that cannot be thankful, it also drives a person to lust in order to distract it. He believes that indulging in lust would bring him satisfaction and physical and psychological pleasure. h. Lack of Tenderness: This means lack of natural emotions. A corrupt person seeks his own satisfaction, and even though he might show love yet it is not one that springs from a concern for other people’s welfare but rather from a desire to satisfy his own pleasure. A clear example of that is Amnon who became very sick due to his corrupt love for his sister Tamar. When he obtained what he lusted for, he threw her out, similarly, the wife of Potiphar loved pure Joseph in a physical way and therefore delivered him to be jailed and endangered his life when he spoke to her gently and rejected to act wickedly. i. Dissatisfaction: This means renouncing the covenant and the commitment to it. j. Slander: Accusing others wrongly. Added to the act of breaking promises which a person has willingly committed himself to keep is the act of wrongfully accusing others. St. John Chrysostom says, [Those who feel there is nothing good in themselves while they commit multiple sins and delinquent acts find comfort in damaging other people’s reputations2.] k. Meanness and Immorality: This is due to man’s inability to control himself 1 In 2 Tim. Hom. 7. 2 In 2 Tim. Hom. 8. 4 with respect to his tongue, his desires, and all other senses. He wishes to indulge in pleasure without restraints. According to Origin: [He who follows pleasures loves the wide road and deviates from the narrow and difficult path of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt 7: 13, 14). It is a path, which has no turnings and no corners whatsoever, (Matt 6: 5)1.] L. Brutality: The nature of sin degrades man of his humanity. Hence he becomes brutal and opposes others for no real reason. M. Despisers of Good: In other words, there is contempt for good acts that are regarded as petty issues. N. Treason: The Apostle uses this expression to indicate men’s betrayal of their covenant with God. In another sense, it could refer to the betrayal of a natural commitment such as the father delivering his son, or the son delivering the father to death (Matt 10: 21), or the betrayal of friendship. O. Aggressors: those who interfere wickedly in matters that do not concern them. P. Stubborn: or haughtiness and lacking reflection. Q. Lovers of Pleasure: Devoid of love for God. Man’s love to satisfy his desires becomes a barrier preventing him from loving God. The Apostle concludes his words about evil men by saying the following: “having the form of godliness but denying its power.” (5) That is the most dangerous type of evil: when man appears so deceivingly glamorous while the inner being is filled with corruption. St. John Chrysostom comments that hypocrisy is a dangerous thief in disguise that robs religious people of all their possessions. Other sins are obvious and it is easy for a sinner to confess them and repent, whereas it is difficult for a hypocrite to be aware of his sin since he not only deceives others but himself as well. He believes that he is better than others and rejects learning or advice. 2-CORRUPT TEACHERS “And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.” (6-9) Corrupt heretics were able to creep into homes and act under cover. This was especially easy in the case of compulsive women who adopted whatever was new. These women were attracted to the Gnostic thoughts and delivered themselves to some of those teachers who belittled the sanctification of the body since they considered it an element of darkness that will neither be resurrected on the Day of the Lord, nor receive reward or glory. Hence it was given free reign to satisfy its desires. It seems that some women, in their thoughtlessness, abandoned their husbands and followed these deceivers. Hence they deviated from the path of holiness and truth. The Apostle calls them “gullible,” that is “foolish” or “witless.” They accepted devious thoughts delivered by corrupt teachers who have crept into their homes. It is as though they have repeated the act of their first mother when the old serpent crept into her home in Paradise and entered her heart and mind in order to introduce its deceptions. In the same way, the heretics crept into the homes of believers 1 On Prayer 19:3. 5 by approaching witless women. Here the Apostle does not only blame the heretics whom he knows are deceivers and corrupt, but he also blames the witless women who open to them their homes, hearts, and thoughts. Moreover, they deliver their bodies to them as they neglect to be spiritually vigilant and particular. The heretics found that such women responded inwardly even before they were attracted physically. They were inclined to be evil and so the way was open to their corrupt hearts and minds. The Apostle gives an example of heretic teachers by relating the events that occurred in the days of Moses, the prophet, and Aaron. They were faced by the defiance of the deceptive magicians Jannes and Jambres. St. Paul knew about them from the Jewish tradition and not from the Holy Bible. These magicians deceived the Egyptians through acts that seemed to resemble those of Moses and Aaron. However, they were actually corrupt and arrogant men who lacked faith. Through deceptive appearances they sought to lead men into foolish paths. The Apostle wishes to underline that in every age we find divine action and it is counteracted by satanic deceptions. When Moses and Aaron stood for God, Satan confronted them by raising deceptive magicians. In this context, St. John Chrysostom says, [If any one denies that there are heretics now, let him know that they have been there from the beginning of time, for Satan is constantly creating deviousness to confront the Truth. In the beginning, God promised good things, and Satan too made his promises. God created Paradise, and Satan deceived man by telling him “you will be like God.” (Gen 3: 5) Therefore, even though he could not offer some kind of tangible act, he offered promises that were mostly just words... and that is intrinsic to the nature of deceivers. After that, we get Cain and with him came Abel, The sons of Seth and with them the daughters of men, Ham and Japheth, Abraham and (in his days) the Pharaohs, Jacob and Esau, Then came Moses and Aaron and the magicians came forward, The apostles and the false apostles, Christ and the Antichrist will come. That is went happened before, and what is happening until today... In short, there was never a time when evil was absent to oppose the Truth, therefore do not be anxious1.] 3- TOLERATING THEIR HARM Now that the Apostle has ended his teachings about the presence of heretics who oppose the truth in every age, he clarifies the importance of steadfastly tolerating their harassment. St. Paul explains: “But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra- what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me,” (10, 11) Here the Apostle presents a practical meaning for delivering the trust or the apostolic traditions. It does not merely involve the delivery of a doctrinal or ideological 1 In 2 Tim. Hom. 8. 6 belief that a disciple receives from his teacher, or that one generation receives from the previous one. It involves the delivery of a living faith with all its aspects; besides the teachings, a disciple is to learn about the lives of the saints, the aspirations to which the Apostle has devoted his life. He has to observe the longsuffering, love, perseverance and other matters in which the Apostle was involved and his manner of coping with them. What the bishop, St. Timothy, has received from the Apostle is actually “Life in Christ” with all its apparent and hidden particulars. As I have stressed before, in more than one context, and especially in the book entitled “Tradition Orthodoxy,” apostolic tradition is not concerned with extraneous matters or a set of beliefs and ecclesiastical rules that govern church rites, behavior of the congregation and membership. It deals with “life” essentially, with all its aspects, and how the Early Church practiced it and handed it down. It is relevant to add here the acceptance and tolerance of suffering is part and parcel of apostolic teaching. St. Timothy now receives the teachings from the suffering Apostle and here his teacher is reminding him to hold steadfastly onto what he has witnessed and touched in order to obtain fellowship with him in the Lord. He has to be longsuffering and tolerate pain, have the same aspirations as the Apostle, as well as his intentions, perseverance, and love towards his persecutors. In other words, St. Timothy learns to tolerate pain, not only by seeing his teacher, St. Paul, suffering; but also through receiving his instructions and gaining insight into the inner depths of his teacher. Hence he understands the meanings, intentions, emotions and underlying feelings in the Lord Jesus Christ. That means the discovery of the mystery of inner power of the Apostle in spite of the actual sufferings and painful circumstances. St John Chrysostom comments on the words of the Apostle as follows: [Be strong, for you have not only been present with me, but you have closely followed my teachings. St. Paul says, “You have carefully followed my doctrine,” to refer to discussions about the faith. When he refers to “manner of life,” he points to his behavior, and uses the expression “purpose” to indicate his jealous and steadfast state of mind. It is as though he wishes to say, “I do not pronounce these words without applying them. I am not a (wise) philosopher just saying words. By “faith and longsuffering...,” the Apostle intends to underline that none of these matters made him anxious. He speaks about “love” that is lacking in these (corrupt) people, as well as the absence of “longsuffering.” The Apostle has demonstrated longsuffering towards heretics and perseverance in the face of trying conditions1.] Reference to the persecutions that the Apostle endured in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra [11] are just an example of what the Apostle went through, and does not reflect all his hardships. His intention is to present examples only to his disciple. He has no desire to gain vainglory by an exhibit of his history. With respect to his experience of pain, the Apostle summarizes it as follows “And out of them all the Lord delivered me.” (11) that is the conclusion that the Apostle wishes to convey to his disciple. The hardships that resulted from corrupt teachers, or rather that came from Satan himself, affected St. Paul as well as “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus (and) will suffer persecution.” (12).St. John Chrysostom comments as follows: [It is impossible for a person to live virtuously without being exposed to sadness or fatigue or temptation. How does a person avoid these if he wishes to walk in the narrow and hard 1 In 2 Tim. Hom. 8. 7 way, and hears that in the world he would face hardship (John 16: 33)? In his days, Job said that the life of man is a time of hard service (Job 7: 1). How much more do people suffer in these present times?!1 On behalf of the Apostle, St. John Chrysostom goes on to say, [Do not worry if (corrupt teachers) live in luxury while you are enduring hardship, for this is ذnatural. Looking at my experience, you learn that as many struggles with the wicked he will definitely be exposed to hardship. One cannot be engaged in a battle and lead a life of leisure, or be engaged in a fight and enjoy pleasures at the same time. May all (spiritual) fighters refrain from praying for an easy and joyful life! Our present life constitutes a state of struggle, war, hardship and difficulties. It is a stage for (spiritual) struggle. The present is not a time for rest but it is rather a time of hardship and struggle2.] In a probing statement, St. Augustine says, [If you do not want to face difficulties then you have not yet started to be a Christian... If you are not facing persecution (or hardship) for the sake of Jesus Christ, then be aware that you have not yet started to lead a life of purity in the Lord3.] The above is relevant to spiritual fighters who accept hardship - whatever its source - for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ. As for wicked men, St. Paul says, “But evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (13) The Apostle does not indicate whether they are living in hardship or in leisure, since even if they led a live of pleasure and luxury, they would be suffering constantly from inner trouble. Even if they are joyful, it is temporary since the world cannot appease their inner being. However, the Apostle found it necessary to reveal that their condition becomes worse. They lead others as well as themselves to loss and failure. Thus they move from one deception to another and from humiliation to the next, and progressively move closer to the abyss. 4- RELIANCE ON GOD’S WORD The Apostle wishes to proclaim that the mystery behind man’s spiritual strength lies upon his reliance on the Word of God. That is what leads him on in spite of all the hardships he might have to face. Hence, the Holy Bible is the source of support for a minister as well as for those under his care. The Apostle explains how the Word gives assistance against the strikes of deceivers in the following verses: “But as for you, continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (14-17) St John Chrysostom has a beautiful commentary on the above passage. He says: [The Holy Bible has been delivered for this purpose, that the man of God might become perfect by It. Without the Word, man can never be complete. St. Paul is really saying this: You have the Holy Scriptures instead of me. If you wish to learn about something, go to them. The Apostle wrote this recommendation to St. Timothy who was filled with the 1 In 2 Tim. Hom. 8. 2 In 2 Tim. Hom. 8. 3 On Ps, 66. 8 Spirit, so how much more relevant is it for us?!1] St Timothy had received the faith from his grandmother and mother who breastfed him and raised him, so to speak, on the Holy Bible. Now, as a bishop, he needed to hold on to what he has learned by continuing to enjoy the Word of God. Thus he would be enabled to be steadfast in his faith, and progress in his spiritual knowledge as well as in his experience. Such a growth would enable him to learn and teach, for he will grow in the Lord and in his ability to support others develop in their spiritual lives... This is the hidden treasure that both the shepherd and the shepherded need to strive endlessly to possess within themselves. It is the pearl of great price for which we are ready to sell all in order to possess it. It is a great peril to the Church if it has a minister who believes that he has learned enough. This leads him to stop feeding himself daily from the Word of God. According to St. Cyprian: [It is appropriate for the bishop not only to teach, but to learn as well. A person who grows constantly and progresses towards better things can certainly become a better teacher2.] St Clements of Alexandria speaks about the role of the Holy Bible as a source of teaching and training in a person’s life, whether he is a pastor or a member of the Church. He explains: [These Books are truly holy as they sanctify and deify... No person is influenced in the same way that he is influenced by them if he only listens to the advice of any one of the saints. These are the words of God Himself, the Lover of mankind. They are the work of His hands, indeed, they are His only work, man’ salvation. That is why He urges men to be redeemed, and rejoices saying, “The Kingdom of God is within you.” Faith leads you, experience teaches you, and the Holy Bible trains you3.] St. John Chrysostom comments as follows: [One single word from the divine Scriptures is more effective than fire! It softens the cruelty of the soul and prepares her for every good work4.] He adds: [Knowing the Holy Scriptures strengthens the spirit, cleans the conscience, uproots obsessive lusts, deepens virtue, uplifts the mind, enables confrontation of unexpected surprises, protects against the strikes of Satan, transports us to heaven itself, liberates man from the flesh, and grants him wings for flight5.] St Paul tells his disciple that the Word of God is good for teaching and for education too. It is good for edification as well as for punishment. Hence he should deliver the Word without embellishment or compliments. He should deliver it in the spirit of truth that can be gentle and reprimanding, patient yet firm... That is why St. Augustine warns us in one of his sermons lest a preacher of the Word transforms himself into a music player. As such, he would seek to entertain his listeners with his beautiful music when he should, at the right time, deliver bitter words directed for punishment. Eventually, these will be accepted as sweetness in their hearts. 1 In 2 Tim. Hom. 9. 2Ep. 73:9. 3 Exhortation to the Heathens. 4 In 2 Tim. Hom. 9. 5De Stud paes, PG 63: 485
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