ACC ~ Matthew 24 v38

IN THE DAYS BEFORE THE FLOOD

INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW: Christ did not forbid eating, drinking and marrying when he said “As in the days of Noah, they were eating, drinking, marrying, and being given in marriage.” He would never destroy what he himself established. Instead, he was commanding that what we do with our bodies, we do spiritually and to the glory of God so that our flesh might be made spiritual on account of the spiritual purposes for which we use it… .

Before the flood, people were fleeing from the fear of God and doing nothing for his glory. Everything they did was only for their own flesh. Whenever they ate or drank, they ate and drank only to satisfy their bodily desires, not to glorify God as the apostle had commanded. [1] What Christ wanted to say here is that it will be like this again near the end of the world… .

At the end of the world, the destruction will be universal and sudden like it was “in the days of Noah.” Just as every creature of the earth was destroyed in the flood, except only those who escaped in the ark, so also at the consummation of the world every heresy will be destroyed, but only one ark will be saved—the church of Christ, composed of the righteous. Everything outside of the ark died in the flood. Likewise, at the end of the world whoever is found to be outside the one true church will perish. HOMILY 50. [2]

[1] 1 Cor 10:3-4.

[2] PG 56:922.

Mt