THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
A deceit, in its endeavor to be accepted, often masquerades as being rooted in reality; without such a foundation, it faces denial. To illustrate this, consider the case of Rahab, who, upon welcoming the spies, was questioned, “Have men come to you?” She replied, “Yes,” which was the truth at first, but then added, “but they went out,” which was falsehood. Had she claimed, “They did not leave,” her dwelling would have been subjected to a search. She conveyed the truth to build trust while interjecting a falsehood to mislead.
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By faith, Rahab the harlot, having welcomed the spies and hidden them by a different path, did not face destruction along with those lacking faith (Hebrews 11:31). Observe the remarkable wisdom with which she intertwined her cleverness. When the king's men inquired whether they had come to her, her response was, "Yes, they have." She opened with the truth and subsequently included the deceit. A falsehood on its own holds no credibility unless it cloaks itself in truth. Thus, those who aim to deceive effectively initially present facts and widely acknowledged truths before introducing the already suspect and untrue. "Have the spies come to you?" she affirms, "Yes." Had her first response been "No," she would have led the searchers to investigate. Instead, she suggested a route, claiming, "They went that way; pursue, and you shall catch them." What a clever deception! What a skillful ruse, not betraying the divine but rather safeguarding her faith! If Rahab, through her repentance, secured such deliverance and received commendation from holy figures—like Joshua, who declared, "Let Rahab the harlot live!"—and Paul, who wrote, "By faith Rahab the harlot... did not perish with the unfaithful," then how much more shall we be assured of salvation if we too embrace repentance?