THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
Why should the wicked man find justification when measured against the standards of unrighteousness, especially when he has filled his holdings with evil? Those who inhabit such places utter falsehoods, and their words are laden with deceit. Do you believe, he asks, that the unrighteous will find justification when weighed in the balance? If I assess the lives of every evildoer, do you genuinely think that I, who cherish virtue, would withhold a just verdict? Did you assume that those who possess ‘unjust weights in their garments,’ meaning those who seek wealth through greed and corrupt desires, can evade My judgment? For such gains only serve to multiply their treasure of wickedness.
Read more (170 words)
They are also deceivers and boasting individuals, as those enamored with lies, driven by the desire for shameful profit, are known for their love of falsehoods. Those who have amassed wealth often exhibit boldness and arrogance. The creators of ungodly teachings twist what is proper and lead the naive astray through manipulation to enrich themselves by trapping many. Nevertheless, those who acquire such illegitimate wealth do not speak the absolute truth; their words are false and misleading, tinted by the deception they embrace. These individuals raise their voices to speak untruths against God, uttering empty phrases with inflated significance. To them, it must be declared, ‘Hear, O tribe, and who shall embellish the city? Consuming fire, and the place of the wicked, gathering the possessions of the unjust, holding them in reproach for their wrongdoings?’ (Micah 6:9-10). The fire of judgment is not intended for their adornment but for their condemnation. Having become dens of iniquity, they shall face a curse and be judged, vulnerable to all forms of evil.