Oecumenius, on 1Tim 4:1

“Now the Spirit manifestly saith, that in the last times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to spirits of error, and doctrines of devils,”

“But the Spirit openly says that in later times some will abandon the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared. But the Spirit openly says. That is, clearly and obviously. Do not be amazed, Paul says, if some now, having fallen away from the faith, Judaize. For a time will come, he says, when the faith will be more broadly extended, in which they will do even worse things, not only in the observance of foods, but also in marriages and other matters. paying attention to deceitful spirits. For if anyone departs from faith, everything else becomes dangerous. For it is necessary from then on that the mind be attentive to impure spirits, and to demons leading man away from the right path. and teachings of demons. Through these he revealed every wickedness, especially the Manichaeans, the Encratites, the Marcionites. through the hypocrisy. That is, deceitful work. However, it stands that since they know the falseness of their dogmas, they strive to speak falsely. And Paul says that liars are those whose conscience has been seared by an evil life, that is, a depraved life: and because they are aware of much filth within themselves, therefore their conscience bears stubborn marks of a sleazy life. Truly, those who are such, through fear of retribution, pervert true dogmas, persuading themselves of anything rather than that only God is the just judge, the resurrection, and the retribution of good and evil.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.