Deuteronomy 13:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Even if they could and intended to heal, which is impossible, would you risk eternal ruin for a fleeting gain? Do you wish to mend the body at the expense of the soul? This profit is hollow: you appeal to your adversaries for bodily restoration, while provoking the Lord who fashioned the human form! Is it not simple for a malevolent individual, through his medical craft, to lead you towards the worship of false gods? The heathens have often succeeded in treating various ailments and restoring health through their practices. But does that mean we should engage in their sinful ways? Certainly not. Reflect on what Moses conveyed to the Israelites: "But if there arise in thee a prophet, or a man that seeth a dream, and shall give thee a sign or a wonder, and a sign or a wonder shall come unto thee, saying, Come, let us serve other gods, which thou knowest not: lest thou hearken not unto the saying of that prophet, or that man that seeth that dream." The meaning of these words is this: if a prophet emerges and performs miracles—such as raising the dead, cleansing lepers, or healing the afflicted—and afterward leads you towards iniquity, do not trust him merely because of the miracle he accomplished. Why? "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God, to lead you away, but if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul." Thus, it is evident that demons do not provide healing. If at times, by divine allowance, they perform some healing—similar to human agents—such permission is a trial for you, not because God is unaware of your heart but so you may learn not to accept healing from those evil spirits.

What a sacred and divinely sanctioned decree! If those who take a life are to die as the law states, how much more should the one who leads a soul into harmful error and plunges it into spiritual ruin—something that, according to the words of the Savior, is more valuable than the body (Matthew 10:28)? Thus, God established it as fitting that the liar and deceiver should face death; He also ordains the same fate for those who casually listen to such individuals with a careless and frivolous mindset. When the truth was readily available and the mind was clear, why then, He asks, did he willfully turn to unrighteousness?

Moses provides this understanding: when he stated, “But if a prophet arises among you, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder comes to pass, and he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, and let us serve them; you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams” (Deuteronomy 13:2-4). Thus, the false prophet performs signs and wonders with God's permission. We are instructed to disregard the signs of those who lead others away from true doctrine. Moses commanded that such a prophet be put to death, to protect the community from false teachings. He asserts, “You shall purge the evil from your midst” (Deuteronomy 13:5). If a brother, friend, or relative, ensnared by falsehood, seeks to mislead others, the law instructs that one must denounce this teacher of iniquity and cast the first stone at those who adhere to such teachings, proceeding to publicly execute the offender, so that their punishment may serve as a warning to others.

Regarding such individuals, it is written in Deuteronomy: ‘If a prophet or a dreamer shall arise among you, and shall show you a sign or a miracle, .... And he shall say at the same time, ‘Let us follow other gods, which thou knowest not, and let us serve them,’ then thou shalt not hearken to the words of this prophet or of this dreamer: For by this the Lord thy God will tempt thee, to know whether thou lovest the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul’ (Deuteronomy 13:1-3). The Gospel also warns, ‘false Christs and false prophets shall arise, and shall give great signs and wonders, to deceive, if possible, even the elect’ (Matt. 24:24).