THEOSISJerome of Stridon
Woe to the deluded prophets, those who are led by their own spirits and perceive nothing. The Septuagint translates this as a lament for those who prophesy from their own hearts and are blind, resembling those who follow their inner impulses. Although the term prophet applies to both the righteous and the unrighteous according to Scripture, there is a distinction: the righteous are characterized by wisdom, whereas the unrighteous are described as foolish and mad. The former refers to members of the Church, while the latter pertains to all heretics who abandon the Spirit of God and adhere instead to their personal inclinations, prophesying not through divine guidance but from their own hearts.
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The wise do not heed their own thoughts, but are led by the Spirit of God, mirroring how the living creatures and the wheels in the vision followed the divine will (Ezek. 1). The prophet instructs, “In the footsteps of the Lord your God you shall walk.” Additionally, it is written, “Guide me in the path of the right” (Ps. 26:11), and “Thy good Spirit shall guide me on the earth” (Psalm 142:10). For God’s people, the pillar of fire and the cloud led them in the desert (Exodus 13). Jeremiah expresses, “I am not weary of following Thee” (Jer. 17:16). However, which of the heretics, driven by his own spirit, does not falter in darkness and lead the blind into the pit? While they may believe they comprehend the mysteries more deeply than the Church's teachers, they are utterly blind, having forsaken the Sun of righteousness, and foolishly emulate those once known as seers, to whom it was said, “Come, see, and depart into the land of Judah, and in Bethel, you shall not prophesy” (Am. 7:12, 13). Thus, the superscriptions of Isaiah and Abijah show a theme of perception. The Lord commanded His disciples, “Lift up your eyes, and see” (John 4:35). The psalmist humbly pleaded, “Open my eyes, and I will comprehend the wonders of Thy law” (Psalm 118:18).
And the Lord spoke to me, saying, Son of man, you are to declare to the prophets of Israel, and you shall inform those who prophesy out of their own hearts, ‘Listen to the word of the Lord! Thus says the Sovereign Lord.’ This message confronts the false prophets who misled the people and proclaimed messages that went against God's commandments. It is important not to be misled by their title of prophets, for the Holy Scriptures often label anyone who speaks on their own accord as a prophet; similarly, the prophets of Baal and the prophets of idols are also referred to as such, and they are often seen as disordered.
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The Apostle Paul even identifies a Greek poet as a prophet, highlighting that a certain prophet from among them says, “The Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons” (Titus 1:12). Additionally, in the book of Hosea, it is stated: “like a prophet the men of Israel are astonished; the spirit has overwhelmed them” (Hosea 9:7). What was directed at the Israelites of that era now pertains to the Church, indicating that holy prophets are represented by the apostles and their successors, while the false and misguided prophets are the heretics, who invent their teachings from their own imaginations, leaving their followers to depend on their deceptions.