ܡܪܝ ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܡܒܘܓܝܐ

ܞ Champion of Orthodoxy ♰

[ܡܪܝ ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܡܒܘܓܝܐ @MarPhiloxenos]

Excerpts from the works of St. Philoxenos of Mabbug will be tweeted on scheduled every Wednesday at 9:30am ET.

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[ܡܪܝ ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܡܒܘܓܝܐ @MarPhiloxenos]

Some turned aside toward falsehood out of premeditation, and some of them on account of bodily affections, and others because they were [already] heretics, and others because they were troubled, and again others because the fear of God was contemptible in their eyes

[ܡܪܝ ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܡܒܘܓܝܐ @MarPhiloxenos]

Fornication of the soul is when the thoughts thereof have intercourse secretly with the lust of fornication, though the act is not performed outwardly; the fornication of the spirit is when the soul has intercourse with devils, or when it receives agreement with strange doctrines

[ܡܪܝ ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܡܒܘܓܝܐ @MarPhiloxenos]

Now there is a distinction even in fornication: there is the fornication of the body, and the fornication of the soul, and the fornication of the spirit… The fornication of the body is the adulterous act which takes place outside the law with a strange woman

-Disourses

[ܡܪܝ ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܡܒܘܓܝܐ @MarPhiloxenos]

I exhort you also to be open defenders and preachers of the truth. Be not afraid of man; do not desist from fighting zealously for the truth, saying: “We are solicitous for the quiet of our ascetic life.”

-Letter to the Monks on Faith

[ܡܪܝ ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܡܒܘܓܝܐ @MarPhiloxenos]

Now Jesus went forth immediately after baptism, and He left the world and all that is in it, and the dwelling with mankind, and everything that is in it, and went forth by Himself in His own strength to do battle with the Accuser.

-Discourses

[ܡܪܝ ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܡܒܘܓܝܐ @MarPhiloxenos]

Let us take out with us from the world nothing, except our spiritual armor, which is not of the world.

-Discourses

[ܡܪܝ ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܡܒܘܓܝܐ @MarPhiloxenos]

In that same type in which He departed from dwelling with the children of men to the conflict with the power which was opposed to Him, let us also depart from the world in the battle which is against Satan.

-Discourses

[ܡܪܝ ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܡܒܘܓܝܐ @MarPhiloxenos]

Let the going forth of Christ our Lord into the wilderness be an excellent example to us of the doctrine of poverty

[ܡܪܝ ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܡܒܘܓܝܐ @MarPhiloxenos]

Cunning is only useful in the business of the world, and to those who have set themselves to spoil and plunder others, and for the oppression and defrauding of those akin to them; to them [alone] is slyness necessary.

[ܡܪܝ ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܡܒܘܓܝܐ @MarPhiloxenos]

The ornamentation of the head, which belongs to the dissolute, is not fitting for us, neither is deceit, which is the first invention of the Enemy. Craftiness is the property of the Accuser and of all his ministers, and simplicity is the riches of Christ and of all His disciples.

[ܡܪܝ ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܡܒܘܓܝܐ @MarPhiloxenos]

And if any other teacher wishes to give him [a child of faith] another doctrine besides that which he holds, he does not receive it; for his youth is natural sincerity, and not the destructive error of opinions

-Discourses

[ܡܪܝ ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܡܒܘܓܝܐ @MarPhiloxenos]

And as an [earthly] child knows only one master... and who does not know even of the existence of other masters, so also with the child of faith doth the fear of the mastership of Christ alone rule his life, and other teachers of doctrines are accounted nothing by him

-Discourse

[ܡܪܝ ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܡܒܘܓܝܐ @MarPhiloxenos]

It [craftiness] binds and looses, it believes and denies, at one time it judges something a thing good, but at another it rejects it and chooses another. For the mind which is trained in craftiness is a channel for confused opinion…

[ܡܪܝ ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܡܒܘܓܝܐ @MarPhiloxenos]

Simplicity, then, is with those who belong to Christ. For the man who wishes to be cunning and crafty cannot become a disciple of Christ… For the mind which is full of craftiness is at all times destroying and building up thoughts which are opposed.

[ܡܪܝ ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܡܒܘܓܝܐ @MarPhiloxenos]

So long as they [Adam and Eve] stood in simplicity they obeyed the commandment of God, but as soon as they wished to act craftily they became receivers of the counsel of the Accuser; for cunning is at the side of Satan.

[ܡܪܝ ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܡܒܘܓܝܐ @MarPhiloxenos]

When the counsel of the Enemy came and found simplicity, it taught craft and cunning and sowed in that one simple thought, another thought which was its opposite, so that he who was one man, and was wholly and entirely sincere in his simplicity, might be divided into two thoughts

[ܡܪܝ ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܡܒܘܓܝܐ @MarPhiloxenos]

And by faith Adam received [the command], and kept [it], and [in] his simplicity he did not judge the command, [saying], "Why has He withheld from us one tree, and given us power over the rest of the others? And He has promised to give me life if I keep the command."

-Discourses

[ܡܪܝ ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܡܒܘܓܝܐ @MarPhiloxenos]

Adam and Eve, so long as they stood in natural simplicity…as soon as they heard the command of God, they received it and kept it. For God said to Adam, "Thou shalt not eat; and if you eat, you will die; but if you keep the command I will give you eternal life."

-Discourses

[ܡܪܝ ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܡܒܘܓܝܐ @MarPhiloxenos]

The One Whom I have seen in baptism I have acknowledged in the womb (of the Virgin), and the One Whom I have found in the womb, I contemplate stretched on the Cross. One of the Trinity was in the womb; one of the Trinity in baptism; one of the Trinity on the Cross.

-Ltr to Zeno

[ܡܪܝ ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܡܒܘܓܝܐ @MarPhiloxenos]

But your hateful things are not seen outwardly, for craftiness covers them over, for thus is it promised by it to the one who will become its disciple, that it will be a veil for his sin.

-Discourses