Chapter LXXXII.—The prophetical gifts of the Jews were transferred to the
Christians.
“For the prophetical gifts remain with us, even to the present time. And hence you ought
to understand that [the gifts] formerly among your nation have been transferred to us. And
just as there were false prophets contemporaneous with your holy prophets, so are there
now many false teachers amongst us, of whom our Lord forewarned us to beware; so that
in no respect are we deficient, since we know that He foreknew all that would happen to us
after His resurrection from the dead and ascension to heaven. For He said we would be put
to death, and hated for His name’s sake; and that many false prophets and false Christs
would appear in His name, and deceive many: and so has it come about. For many have
taught godless, blasphemous, and unholy doctrines, forging them in His name; have taught,
too, and even yet are teaching, those things which proceed from the unclean spirit of the
devil, and which were put into their hearts. Therefore we are most anxious that you be
persuaded not to be misled by such persons, since we know that every one who can speak
the truth, and yet speaks it not, shall be judged by God, as God testified by Ezekiel, when
He said, ‘I have made thee a watchman to the house of Judah. If the sinner sin, and thou
warn him not, he himself shall die in his sin; but his blood will I require at thine hand. But
if thou warn him, thou shalt be innocent.’510 And on this account we are, through fear, very
earnest in desiring to converse [with men] according to the Scriptures, but not from love
of money, or of glory, or of pleasure. For no man can convict us of any of these [vices]. No
more do we wish to live like the rulers of your people, whom God reproaches when He says,
‘Your rulers are companions of thieves, lovers of bribes, followers of the rewards.’511 Now,
if you know certain amongst us to be of this sort, do not for their sakes blaspheme the
Scriptures and Christ, and do not assiduously strive to give falsified interpretations.
510 Ezek. iii. 17, 18, 19.
511 Isa. i. 23.
Chapter LXXXII.—The prophetical gifts of the Jews were transferred to the Christians.
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Chapter LXXXII.—The prophetical gifts of the Jews were transferred to the…