ACC ~ Matthew 24 v11

WHY HERESY IS PERMITTED

INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW: For whom is it said, “Whoever perseveres to the end”? Is this said for the benefit of those who are persecuting Christians or seducing prophets? No, it is not. For just as medicine is administered to the sick rather than to the healthy, so also consolation is given to the endangered, not to the dangerous.

“And the gospel will be proclaimed throughout the whole world.” St. Mark clarifies this verse by adding, “First the gospel must be preached.” When the literal war was brought against Jerusalem, the gospel had just begun to be preached, but it had not yet extended to the whole world. Prior to the rise of the heresies, however, the proclamation of the gospel had already been completed. For the knowledge of Christ reached everyone either through individual preachers or by one nation evangelizing another continually until the time of the Christian king. If you want to know with certainty, however, that the knowledge of Christ had been extended to the whole world by that time, consider that the very purpose for which the heretical wars began was so that there might be a decision for the better doctrine. Therefore as long as there is still a summons, since a summons is as much an impediment to a final decision as a decision is to a summons, there can be no decisive choice. HOMILY 48. [1]

[1] PG 56:906.