If any man come to you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into the house nor say to him: God speed you.
ει τις ερχεται προς υμας και ταυτην την διδαχην ου φερει μη λαμβανετε αυτον εις οικιαν και χαιρειν αυτω μη λεγετε
10 Church Fathers comment on this verse
The Apostle warns those to whom he writes that they should not receive under their roof one who comes to them without confessing the teaching of Christ. They should not even deem him worthy of a greeting, because our greeting should be given only to those who share our character and faith. For whose welfare should we ask, if not for those who share our character and faith?
What then will those say who not only do not love the Lord who made and nourishes them, but even count among their friends those who speak falsehood against God? They share one table with them and, even while eating food, endure blasphemies against the One who nourishes them.
Therefore, when it is written, "Reject a heretic after the first admonition" (Tit 3:10), and when another man, bearing witness by the Holy Spirit. Said to avoid beasts of this kind and not to allow greeting or communion with them, how could it happen that we would not also consider a man we have seen in their company a defender of unbelief?
"If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or greet him. For he who greets him shares in his evil works."
It is forbidden to greet such people and to show them hospitality. In this case, this is not inhuman. The Apostle exhorts those who are unable to discuss divine things by contemplation neither to seek out nor to dispute with such people. Otherwise, through arguments resembling the truth, they may be drawn away from the teaching of truth.
I think one should not even pray with such people. After a greeting has been called forth by the one who is about to pray, the prayer performed in the house contains an expression of joy and peace.
This is excommunication in the New Testament: that the unbeliever be separated from the table, the Mass, and communion in the house and the Church.
If any of the above-mentioned deceivers or false teachers comes to you, and many such have come into the world (2 Jn 1:7), seeking disciples, male and female, among those not yet established in the faith. And if he comes to your house or meets you in some other place in order to teach faith and virtue, or in general to set forth teaching relating to Christianity. Yet does not bring the teaching that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, who came in the flesh (2 Jn 1:7), redeemed us from sin, and by faith made us participants in eternal life, but instead brings another teaching, foreign to this and not in agreement with it, do not receive such a one into your house. Shut the doors of your house before him and do not greet him.
The whole instruction of the Apostle has this general meaning: take heed. If it should happen that a false teacher comes to you and begins setting forth a teaching that does not agree with Christ's teaching, and is opposed to it, in order to turn you away from it and incline you to accept his own, be cautious. Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Mt 10:16). Avoid all and every kind of dealings with him. Do not receive him and have no fellowship with him, no acquaintance, and still less friendship. Shield yourselves from every dealing with him.
Such estrangement from those who differ in faith, and such aversion toward them, may cause perplexity. Some sectarians, for example from among our schismatic sects, understand the Apostle's saying literally and try to observe complete separation in food and drink from those who differ in faith.
Meanwhile, the Apostle commands not so much outward separation from heretics as spiritual and moral separation. For after saying, "Do not greet him," that is, the heretic, the Apostle explains himself with the following words: "For he who greets him shares in his evil works" (2 Jn 11).
This last saying clearly shows what the Apostle forbids. He does not forbid greetings that are accidental and, so to speak, passing expressions of generally accepted and conventional courtesy toward people differing in faith. Schismatics avoid even these, although no participation in evil deeds arises from them. Rather, he forbids close and friendly relations with them, which may arise and grow strong especially from hospitable feasting.
Teaching the general attitude toward heretics, the Apostle Paul says: "Reject a heretic after the first and second admonition" (Tit 3:10). But not everyone is capable of giving a heretic the proper admonition.
Having in view a woman and her children, John counsels them to have no fellowship at all with heretics, not to receive them into the house (cf. 2 Tim 3:5-7), and not to form acquaintance with them. For they loved, and still love, to deceive the simple-hearted (see Rom 16:18), and are therefore dangerous as wolves in sheep's clothing (see Mt 7:15; cf. 1 Jn 4:5).
Although we ought to seek both now and always, where ought we to seek? Among heretics, where everything is alien and hostile to our truth, and whom we are forbidden even to approach?
Therefore the one who abides in the Gospel teaching is he who thinks and acts according to it, and at the same time separates himself from anyone who does or thinks anything contrary to it.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 21 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS