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Acts of Disputation

Archelaus

Chapter 35

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Author: Archelaus

Section 35

35. These things, moreover, he has said with the

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view

of

showing

us

that

all

others

who

may

come

after

him

will

be

false

apostles

,

deceitful

workers

,

transforming

themselves

into

the

apostles

of

Christ

.

And

no

marvel

;

for

Satan

himself

is

transformed

,

like

an

angel

of

light

.

What

great

thing

therefore

is

it

,

if

his

ministers

also

be

transformed

into

the

ministers

of

righteousness

?

—

whose

end

shall

be

according

to

their

works

.

He

indicates

,

further

,

what

manner

of

men

these

were

,

and

points

out

by

whom

they

were

being

circumvented

.

And

when

the

Galatians

are

minded

to

turn

away

from

the

Gospel

,

he

says

to

them

:

“

I

marvel

that

ye

are

so

soon

removed

from

Him

that

called

you

unto

another

gospel

:

which

is

not

another

;

but

there

be

some

that

trouble

you

,

and

would

turn

you

away

from

the

Gospel

of

Christ

.

But

though

we

,

or

an

angel

from

heaven

,

preach

any

other

gospel

unto

you

than

that

which

has

been

delivered

to

you

,

let

him

be

accursed

.

”

And

again

he

says

:

“

To

me

,

who

am

the

least

of

all

the

apostles

,

is

this

grace

given

;

”

and

,

”

I

fill

up

that

which

was

behind

of

the

afflictions

of

Christ

in

my

flesh

.

”

And

once

more

,

in

another

place

,

he

declares

of

himself

that

he

was

a

minister

of

Christ

more

than

all

others

,

as

though

after

him

none

other

was

to

be

looked

for

at

all

;

for

he

enjoins

that

not

even

an

angel

from

heaven

is

thus

to

be

received

.

And

how

,

then

,

shall

we

credit

the

professions

of

this

Manes

,

who

comes

from

Persis

,

and

declares

himself

to

be

the

Paraclete

?

By

this

very

thing

,

indeed

,

I

rather

recognise

in

him

one

of

those

men

who

transform

themselves

,

and

of

whom

the

Apostle

Paul

,

that

elect

vessel

,

has

given

us

very

clear

indication

when

he

says

:

“

Now

in

the

last

times

some

shall

depart

from

the

faith

,

giving

heed

to

seducing

spirits

,

and

doctrines

of

devils

;

speaking

lies

in

hypocrisy

;

having

their

conscience

seared

with

a

hot

iron

;

forbidding

to

marry

,

and

commanding

to

abstain

from

meats

,

which

God

hath

created

to

be

received

with

thanksgiving

of

them

which

believe

and

know

the

truth

.

For

every

creature

of

God

is

good

,

and

nothing

to

be

refused

,

if

it

be

received

with

thanksgiving

.

”

The

Spirit

in

the

evangelist

Matthew

is

also

careful

to

give

note

of

these

words

of

our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

:

“

Take

heed

that

no

man

deceive

you

:

for

many

shall

come

in

my

name

,

saying

,

I

am

Christ

;

and

shall

deceive

many

.

But

if

any

man

shall

say

unto

you

,

Lo

,

here

is

Christ

,

or

there

;

believe

it

not

.

For

there

shall

arise

false

Christs

,

and

false

apostles

,

and

false

prophets

,

and

shall

show

great

signs

and

wonders

;

insomuch

that

,

if

it

were

possible

,

they

shall

deceive

the

very

elect

.

Behold

,

I

have

told

you

before

.

If

they

shall

say

unto

you

,

Behold

,

he

is

in

the

desert

;

go

not

forth

:

if

they

shall

say

,

Behold

,

he

is

in

the

secret

chambers

;

believe

it

not

.

”

And

yet

,

after

all

these

directions

,

this

man

,

who

has

neither

sign

nor

portent

of

any

kind

to

show

,

who

has

no

affinity

to

exhibit

,

who

never

even

had

a

place

among

the

number

of

the

disciples

,

who

never

was

a

follower

of

our

departed

Lord

,

in

whose

inheritance

we

rejoice

,

—

this

man

,

I

say

,

although

he

never

stood

by

our

Lord

in

His

weakness

,

and

although

he

never

came

forward

as

a

witness

of

His

testament

,

yea

rather

,

although

he

never

came

even

within

the

acquaintance

of

those

who

ministered

to

Him

in

His

sickness

,

and

,

in

fine

,

although

he

obtains

the

testimony

of

no

person

whatsoever

,

desires

us

to

believe

this

profession

which

he

makes

of

being

the

Paraclete

;

whereas

,

even

were

you

to

do

signs

and

wonders

,

we

would

still

have

to

reckon

you

a

false

Christ

,

and

a

false

prophet

,

according

to

the

Scriptures

.

And

therefore

it

is

well

for

us

to

act

with

the

greater

caution

,

in

accordance

with

the

warning

which

the

sainted

apostle

gives

us

,

when

,

in

the

epistle

which

he

wrote

to

the

Colossians

,

he

speaks

in

the

following

terms

:

“

Continue

in

the

faith

grounded

and

rooted

,

and

not

to

be

moved

away

from

the

hope

of

the

Gospel

,

which

we

have

heard

,

and

which

was

preached

to

every

creature

which

is

under

heaven

.

”

And

again

:

“

As

ye

have

therefore

received

Christ

Jesus

the

Lord

,

so

walk

ye

in

Him

;

rooted

and

built

up

in

Him

,

and

stablished

in

the

faith

,

as

ye

have

been

taught

,

abounding

therein

with

thanksgiving

.

Beware

lest

any

one

spoil

you

through

philosophy

and

vain

deceit

,

after

the

rudiments

of

the

world

,

and

not

after

Christ

.

For

in

Him

dwelleth

all

the

fulness

of

the

Godhead

.

”

And

after

all

these

matters

have

been

thus

carefully

set

forth

,

the

blessed

apostle

,

like

a

father

speaking

to

his

children

,

adds

the

following

words

,

which

serve

as

a

sort

of

seal

to

his

testament

:

“

I

have

fought

a

good

fight

,

I

have

finished

my

course

,

I

have

kept

the

faith

:

henceforth

there

is

laid

up

for

me

a

crown

of

righteousness

,

which

the

Lord

,

the

righteous

Judge

,

shall

give

me

at

that

day

;

and

not

to

me

only

,

but

unto

all

them

also

that

love

His

appearing

.

”

Notes

1
2 Cor. ix. 14, 15. The text gives “velut angelum lucis,” as if the Greek had read ὡς. So also Cyprian, in the beginning of his book on The Unity of the Church. [Vol. v. p. 422, sec. 3.]
2
Avertere vos.
3
Gal. i. 6–8.
4
Infimo omnium apostolorum.
5
Eph. iii. 8.
6
Col. i. 24.
7
2 Cor. xi. 23.
8
The Codex Casinensis gives, “de Persida venientem monet;” for which corrupt reading it is proposed to substitute “de Perside venientem Manem,” etc.
9
Reading percipiendum with the Vulgate. But the Codex Casinensis has perficiendum.
10
1 Tim. iv. 1–4.
11
These words falsi apostoli seem to be added by way of explanation, as they are not found either in the Greek or the Vulgate.
12
Matt. xxiv. 4, 5, 23–26.
13
Radicati.
14
Immobiles.
15
Audivimus.
16
Col. i. 23.
17
Col. ii. 6–9.
18
The text gives “circum cucurri,” perhaps for “cursum cucurri.” The Vulgate has “cursum consummavi.”
19
2 Tim. iv. 7, 8.