Let no man deceive you with vain words. For because of these things cometh the anger of God upon the children of unbelief.

“And just as then, those who led vicious lives, and put other people astray, were condemned and cast out, so also even now the offending eye is plucked out, and the foot and the hand, lest the rest of the body perish in like manner. And we have the precept: "If any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with such an one no not to eat." And again does the apostle say, "Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of mistrust. Be not ye therefore partakers with them." And as then the condemnation of sinners extended to others who approved of them, and joined in their society; so also is it the case at present, that "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump."”

“I indeed desire, beloved brethren, and I equally endeavour and exhort, that if it be possible, none of the brethren should perish, and that our rejoicing Mother may enclose in her bosom the one body of a people at agreement. Yet if wholesome counsel cannot recall to the way of salvation certain leaders of schisms and originators of dissensions, who abide in blind and obstinate madness, yet do you others, if either taken in simplicity, or induced by error, or deceived by some craftiness of misleading cunning, loose yourselves from the nets of deceit, free your wandering steps from errors, acknowledge the straight way of the heavenly road. The word of the witnessing apostle is: "We command you," says he, "in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from all brethren that walk disorderly, and not after the tradition that they have received from us." And again he says, "Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them." We must withdraw, nay rather must flee, from those who fall away, lest, while any one is associated with those who walk wickedly, and goes on in ways of error and of sin, he himself also, wandering away from the path of the true road, should be found in like guilt. God is one, and Christ is one, and His Church is one, and the faith is one, and the people is joined into a substantial unity of body by the cement of concord. Unity cannot be severed; nor can one body be separated by a division of its structure, nor torn into pieces, with its entrails wrenched asunder by laceration. Whatever has proceeded from the womb cannot live and breathe in its detached condition, but loses the substance of health.”

“For virgins are a beautiful pattern to believers, and to those who shall believe. The name alone, indeed, without works, does not introduce into the kingdom of heaven; but, if a man be truly a believer, such an one can be saved. For, if a person be only called a believer in name, whilst he is not such in works, he cannot possibly be a believer. "Let no one," therefore, "lead you astray with the empty words of error." [Ephesians 5:6] For, merely because a person is called a virgin, if he be destitute of works excellent and comely, and suitable to virginity, he cannot possibly be saved. For our Lord called such virginity as that "foolish," as He said in the Gospel; and because it had neither oil nor light, it was left outside of the kingdom of heaven, and was shut out from the joy of the bridegroom, and was reckoned with His enemies. For such persons as these "have the appearance only of the fear of God, but the power of it they deny." For they "think with themselves that they are something, whilst they are nothing, and are deceived. But let every one constantly try his works," and know himself; for empty worship does he offer, whosoever he be that makes profession of virginity and sanctity, "and denies its power." For virginity of such a kind is impure, and disowned by all good works. For "every tree whatsoever is known from its fruits."”

“There were, it is likely, in the time of our forefathers also, some who "weakened the hands of the people" (Jer. xxxviii. 4), and brought into practice that which is mentioned by Ezekiel,-or rather who did the works of the false prophets, who "profaned God among His people for handfuls of barley" (Ezek. xiii. 19); a thing, by the way, done methinks by some even at this day. When, for example, we say that he who calleth his brother a fool shall depart into hell-fire, others say, "What? Is he that calls his brother a fool to depart into hell-fire? Impossible," say they. And again, when we say that "the covetous man is an idolater," in this too again they make abatements, and say the expression is hyperbolical. And in this manner they underrate and explain away all the commandments. It was in allusion then to these that the blessed Paul, at this time when he wrote to the Ephesians, spoke thus, "For this ye know, that no fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, which is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God"; adding, "let no man deceive you with empty words." Now "empty words" are those which for a while are gratifying, but are in nowise borne out in facts; because the whole case is a deception. Because of "fornication," he means, because of "covetousness," because of "uncleanness," or both because of these things, and because of the "deceit," inasmuch as there are deceivers. "Sons of disobedience"; he thus calls those who are utterly disobedient, those who disobey Him. Now there are some who say that the words, "the covetous man is an idolater," are hyperbolical. However, the statement is not hyperbolical, it is true. How, and in what way? Because the covetous man apostatizes from God, just as the idolater does. And lest you should imagine this is a bare assertion, there is a declaration of Christ which saith, "Ye cannot serve God and Mammon." (Matt. vi. 24.) If then it is not possible to serve God and Mammon, they who serve Mammon have thrown themselves out of the service of God; and they who have denied His sovereignty, and serve lifeless gold, it is plain enough that they are idolaters. "But I never made an idol," a man will say, "nor set up an altar, nor sacrificed sheep, nor poured libations of wine; no, I came into the church, and lifted up my hands to the Only-begotten Son of God; I partake of the mysteries, I communicate in prayer, and in everything else which is a Christian's duty. How then," he will say, "am I a worshiper of idols?" Yes, and this is the very thing which is the most astonishing of all, that when thou hast had experience, and hast "tasted" the lovingkindness of God, and "hast seen that the Lord is gracious" (Ps. xxxiv.: 8), thou shouldest abandon Him who is gracious, and take to thyself a cruel tyrant, and shouldest pretend to be serving Him, whilst in reality thou hast submitted thyself to the hard and galling yoke of covetousness. Thou hast not yet told me of thy own duty done, but only of thy Master's gifts. For tell me, I beseech thee, whence do we judge of a soldier? Is it when he is on duty guarding the king, and is fed by him, and called the king's own, or is it when he is minding his own affairs and interests? To pretend to be with him, and to be attentive to his interests, whilst he is advancing the cause of the enemy, we declare to be worse than if he breaks away from the king's service, and joins the enemy. Now then thou art doing despite to God, just as an idolater does, not with thine own mouth singly, but with the ten thousands of those whom thou hast wronged. Yet you will say, "an idolater he is not." But surely, whenever they say, "Oh! that Christian, that covetous fellow," then not only is he himself committing outrage by his own act, but he frequently forces those also whom he has wronged to use these words; and if they use them not, this is to be set to the account of their reverence. Do we not see that such is the fact? What else is an idolater? Or does not he too worship passions, oftentimes not mastering his passions? I mean, for example, when we say that the pagan idolater worships idols, he will say, "No, but it is Venus, or it is Mars." And if we say, Who is this Venus? the more modest amongst them will say, It is pleasure. Or what is this Mars? It is wrath. And in the same way dost thou worship Mammon. If we say, Who is this Mammon? It is covetousness, and this thou art worshiping. "I worship it not," thou wilt say. Why not? Because thou dost not bow thyself down? Nay, but as it is, thou art far more a worshiper in thy deeds and practices; for this is the higher kind of worship. And that you may understand this, look in the case of God; who more truly worship Him, they who merely stand up at the prayers, or they who do His will? Clearly enough, these latter. The same also is it with the worshipers of Mammon; they who do his will, they truly are his worshipers. However, they who worship the passions are oftentimes free from the passions. One may see a worshiper of Mars oftentimes governing his wrath. But this is not true of thee; thou makest thyself a slave to thy passion. Yes, but thou slayest no sheep? No, thou slayest men, reasonable souls, some by famine, others by blasphemies. Nothing can be more frenzied than a sacrifice like this. Who ever beheld souls sacrificed? How accursed is the altar of covetousness! When thou passest by this idol's altar here, thou shalt see it reeking with the blood of bullocks and goats; but when thou shalt pass by the altar of covetousness, thou shalt see it breathing the shocking odor of human blood. Stand here before it in this world, and thou shalt see, not the wings of birds burning, no vapor, no smoke exhaled, but the bodies of men perishing. For some throw themselves among precipices, others tie the halter, others thrust the dagger through their throat. Hast thou seen the cruel and inhuman sacrifices? Wouldest thou see yet more shocking ones than these? Then I will show thee no longer the bodies of men, but the souls of men slaughtered in the other world. Yes, for it is possible for a soul to be slain with the slaughter peculiar to the soul; for as there is a death of the body, so is there also of the soul. "The soul that sinneth," saith the Prophet, "it shall die." (Ezek. xviii. 4.) The death of the soul, however, is not like the death of the body; it is far more shocking. For this bodily death, separating the soul and the body the one from the other, releases the one from many anxieties and toils, and transmits the other into a manifest abode: then when the body has been in time dissolved and crumbled away, it is again gathered together in incorruption, and receives back its own proper soul. Such we see is this bodily death. But that of the soul is awful and terrific. For this death, when dissolution takes place, does not let it pass, as the body does, but binds it down again to an imperishable body, and consigns it to the unquenchable fire. This then is the death of the soul. And as therefore there is a death of the soul, so is there also a slaughter of the soul. What is the slaughter of the body? It is the being turned into a corpse, the being stripped of the energy derived from the soul. What is the slaughter of the soul? It is its being made a corpse also. And how is the soul made a corpse? Because as the body then becomes a corpse when the soul leaves it destitute of its own vital energy, so also does the soul then become a corpse, when the Holy Spirit leaves it destitute of His spiritual energy. Such for the most part are the slaughters made at the altar of covetousness. They are not satisfied, they do not stop at men's blood; no, the altar of covetousness is not glutted, unless it sacrifice the very soul itself also, unless it receive the souls of both, the sacrificer and the sacrificed. For he who sacrifices must first be sacrificed, and then he sacrifices; and the dead sacrifices him who is yet living. For when he utters blasphemies, when he reviles, when he is irritated, are not these so many incurable wounds of the soul? Thou hast seen that the expression is no hyperbole. Wouldest thou hear again another argument, to teach you how covetousness is idolatry, and more shocking than idolatry? Idolaters worship the creatures of God ("for they worshiped," it is said, "and served the creature rather than the Creator") (Rom. i. 25); but thou art worshiping a creature of thine own. For God made not covetousness but thine own insatiable appetite invented it. And look at the madness and folly. They that worship idols, honor also the idols they worship; and if any one speak of them with disrespect or ridicule, they stand up in their defense; whereas thou, as if in a sort of intoxication, art worshiping an object, which is so far from being free from accusation, that it is even full of impiety. So that thou, even more than they, excellest in wickedness. Thou canst never have it to say as an excuse, that it is no evil. If even they are in the highest degree without excuse, yet art thou in a far higher, who art forever censuring covetousness, and reviling those who devote themselves to it, and who yet doth serve and obey it.”

“Above, the Apostle forbade carnal sins; here he threatens the penalty of damnation, which is inflicted on sinners. Concerning this he does two things. For first he assures them of this; second he recounts the sins one by one, there: "that no fornicator," etc. He says therefore, "Know this, understanding" — that is, actually, not only habitually — hold it for certain. 1 John 3: "These things I have written to you, that you may know," etc. And what? That every fornicator, or unclean person, or covetous person, which is the service of idols, does not have inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Note that here he calls avarice idolatry, since idolatry is when the honor owed to God alone is rendered to a creature. Now honor is owed to God in two ways: namely, that we establish our end in him, and that we place our trust in him finally. Therefore whoever places this in creatures is guilty of idolatry. But the covetous man does this, who places his end in a created thing, and also his whole trust. Hosea 8:4: "They made for themselves their silver and their gold into idols, that they might perish." And this, because, as it is said in Proverbs 11:28: "He who trusts in his riches shall fall." But since in other sins man also places his end in a creature, to which he clings by love, why is the sinner not also called an idolater in those cases? I respond: to commit idolatry is to worship something external undeservedly. Now in other sins the end is placed in interior things, as it were in one's own exaltation. But he who places his end in riches places his end in them as in an external thing, like the idolater. But are the covetous, who show to a creature the honor owed to God, really idolaters, and per se? I say no, because in moral matters acts or works are judged from their end. He therefore is per se an idolater who intends per se to show worship to a creature. But the covetous man does not intend this per se; rather he does this per accidens, insofar as he loves excessively and inordinately. And what of such a man? "He will not have inheritance" — since indeed it is children who are also heirs, as is said in Romans 8:17. But now such men, who are thus carnal, are not children; therefore they do not have inheritance, because, as is said in 1 Corinthians 15:50: "Flesh and blood shall not possess the kingdom of God" — that is, God, who says in Ezekiel 44:28: "I am their inheritance." But it could be asked: if this inheritance is God himself, since he is indivisible and unpartitionable, why does he say "in the kingdom of Christ and God" divisively, as if this inheritance were divisible? I respond: our inheritance consists in the enjoyment of God; but now God enjoys himself in one way, and we enjoy him in another; for God perfectly enjoys himself, because he perfectly knows himself and totally loves himself as much as he is knowable and lovable. But it is not so with us, because although we perfectly know him in our homeland, and consequently love him — since he who attains something simple knows the whole of it, even if not totally, just as, if the light of the sun were a single point, the human eye would apprehend it wholly, though not totally, whereas the eye of the eagle would totally comprehend it — so too, if we perfectly know God in our homeland and perfectly love him, yet we do not totally comprehend him, therefore there seems to be there a certain imperfection and particularity. And therefore he says "of Christ and of God" conjointly, as though setting part with part, that is, because the inheritance is had through Christ and not through another. Then, when he says "let no man deceive you," here he excludes the deceit of seducers. And concerning this he does two things. For first he sets down the admonition; second he adds its reason, there: "for you were once darkness," etc. The first again is divided into two, because first he warns them not to be seduced by words, by believing them; second, that they not share with them by doing evil, there: "be not therefore made," etc. The first is still divided into two, because first he removes the seductions; second he shows the sign of the seduction, there: "for because of this the wrath comes," etc. It should be noted, therefore, that in carnal vices he taught only to beware of seduction, because from the beginning, so that men might freely enjoy their desires, they thought to find reasons that fornications and such venereal acts were not sins. And therefore he says "with vain words," because such words are without reason, which say that such things are not sins, nor exclude one from the kingdom of God and of Christ. Colossians 2:8: "See that no one deceive you through prophecy and vain deceit." And that such men are seducers and such words are seducing, he shows, because unless carnal sins were sins, they would not be punished by God, since, as God is just, he does not inflict punishment without fault. But now such things are punished by God, therefore they are sins. He proves the minor premise, when he says "for because of these things the wrath of God comes" — namely on account of carnal sins — "upon the sons of unbelief," as was evident in the flood; likewise in the case of the Sodomites; likewise the tribe of Benjamin was almost entirely consumed on account of these things. But he says "sons of unbelief," because those sinning in this way distrust regarding eternal life; for if one acting thus were to hope for eternal life, it would be presumption rather than hope, which is the certain expectation of future beatitude from merits, etc. Hence above, 4:19: "who, despairing, have given themselves up to shamelessness, unto the working of all uncleanness, unto covetousness." Wisdom 7: "Let there be no meadow that our luxury does not pass through," etc. And it follows at the end of the chapter: "because such men did not hope for the reward of righteousness," etc. He says therefore that upon "the sons of unbelief" — that is, those who do not trust in eternal joys — comes "the wrath of God," namely on account of sins. Or "of unbelief," that is, those concerning whom trust should not be placed, as far as it depends on their merits. And therefore he concludes, "do not therefore become partakers with them," namely by sharing with them in such works. 2 Corinthians 6:14f.: "For what participation has righteousness with iniquity, or what fellowship has light with darkness, or what communion has Christ with Belial, or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?"”

“Let no man deceive you with vain words,.... With vain philosophy, vain babblings, with foolish and filthy talking; suggesting that these were not sinful the apostle had condemned; or that they were small sins, the frailties of human life; and that God would take no notice of them, and they might continue in them with impunity: such deceivers there were, doctrinal and practical ones, who lay in wait to deceive men with such vain pretences; and there was danger of being carried away with their error; for the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, and is easily taken in such snares: wherefore the apostle cautions against such deceptions, adding, for because of these things; fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, filthiness, foolish talking, and jesting: the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience; in temporal judgments, and in eternal ruin; there have been instances of it; it is usually the case, and always if grace prevents not; this wrath comes down from above, and sometimes suddenly, with great force and power, like a mighty flood; and there is no standing up under it, and against it; and though it falls upon the children of disobedience, such as are disobedient both to law and Gospel, are unbelievers in Christ, and not persuadable by his ministers, are stubborn, obstinate, and rebellious; yet it shows how much these things are displeasing to God, and resented by him, and therefore should be avoided by his people; and the consideration of their not being appointed to this wrath, though deserving of it as others, and of their deliverance from it by Christ, should engage them the more to abstain from these sins.”

“Let no man deceive you - Suffer no man to persuade you that any of these things are innocent, or that they are unavoidable frailties of human nature; they are all sins and abominations in the sight of God; those who practice them are children of disobedience; and on account of such practices the wrath of God - Divine punishment, must come upon them.”

“The apostle here puts them in mind of the general judgment, when the angel of God will, on account of their crimes of avarice, fornication, &c. fall on the children of unbelief; by which are meant the wicked. He had before assured them that the perpetrators of such crimes would be excluded from the kingdom of heaven; and now he moreover informs them, that the severest punishments will be inflicted on such wicked persons. (Estius)”

“vain--empty, unreal words, namely, palliations of "uncleanness," Eph 5:3-4; Isa 5:20 (that it is natural to indulge in love), "covetousness" (that it is useful to society that men should pursue gain), and "jesting" (that it is witty and clever, and that God will not so severely punish for such things). because of these things--uncleanness, covetousness, &c. (Eph 5:3-5). cometh--present, not merely "shall come." Is as sure as if already come. children--rather, "sons of disobedience" (Eph 2:2-3). The children of unbelief in doctrine (Deu 32:20) are "children of disobedience" in practice, and these again are "children of wrath."”