ACC ~ Matthew 24 v12 - 14

PREACHED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE WORLD

CHRYSOSTOM: What is even more terrible than all of these things is that they shall not even have love’s consolation. “Most men’s love will grow cold.” Even all this, however, will in no way harm those who are noble and firm. So do not be afraid. Do not be troubled. If you demonstrate the patience that fits your faith, these dangers will not prevail over you. You will see proof of this when the gospel will be preached everywhere in the world. Then you will be above all these things that would otherwise alarm you. You will preach everywhere. You will not waste away in despair asking whether you will survive. Then he added, “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come.” The sign of this final time will be the downfall of Jerusalem. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 75.2. [1]

[1] PG 58:688; NPNF 1 10:452.

LEAVING NO EXCUSE

JEROME: The sign of the Lord’s coming is that the gospel will be preached throughout the entire world, leaving no one any excuse. We believe that this has already been accomplished or is about to be accomplished, since it appears to me that there remains no nation that does not know the name of Christ. Even if they haven’t been visited by an evangelist themselves, certainly they have heard about the Christian faith from neighboring countries. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 4.24.14. [1]

[1] CCL 77:225.

THEN THE END WILL COME

INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW: Both the end of the world and the antichrist must be understood according to the spiritual sense of Scripture, since heresies, famines, epidemics and all such things will precede each of them. Finally, however, the abomination of desolation, which is the army of the antichrist, will stand in the holy place. The army of the antichrist consists principally of every heresy which finds its way into the church and stands in its holy place that it might appear to be the word of truth, even though it is no word of truth at all, but the abomination of desolation and the army of the antichrist which separates the souls of many from God. Perhaps it was of this that the apostle said, “who opposes and exalts himself against everything which is called God or is worshiped, so that he might be seated in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.” [1] In this way, the collective evil of diverse heresies, which at one time were only rumored, will then stand in the holy place and desecrate the church of Christ. Having been given license to go this far, they will then begin to possess the churches entirely. We here announce that reports of war, famines, earthquakes, epidemics, rumors of heresy, deprivation of the Word, the beating of Christians and the corruption of morals have already been preceding these events from the time of Constantine to the reign of Theodosius. [2] HOMILY 49. [3]

[1] 2 Thess 2:4.

[2] Constantine reigned A.D. 306-337; Theodosius reigned A.D. 347-395.

[3] PG 56:906-7.