Without are dogs and sorcerers and unchaste and murderers and servers of idols and every one that loveth and maketh a lie.
εξω οι κυνες και οι φαρμακοι και οι πορνοι και οι φονεις και οι ειδωλολατραι και πας πας ο φιλων και ποιων ψευδος
8 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Here "dogs" means the shameless, the unbelieving, and in general evil workers, whom the Apostle laments. At the same time it means those who, after baptism, have returned to their own vomit. For this they will be estranged from the city above, together with murderers, adulterers, and idolaters.
Those who are outside the assembly of the saints will be openly cast out from the ark of joy.
Truly, the dogs remain outside the holy city and have no dwelling among the righteous, and so forth. For what do they have in common with the righteous of God?
On the far side there will also be everyone who loves and practices unrighteousness. Everything contrary to nature is false. Virtue is in harmony with nature, since the Creator from the beginning implanted the seeds of virtue in us at creation.
Just as health in bodies is natural, while sickness is contrary to nature, and hearing and sight are natural, while blindness and deafness are unnatural, so also in souls virtue accords with nature, while evil does not accord with it.
Strictly speaking, health corresponds to virtue, and evil to sickness. Therefore falsehood is evil, since it often falsely makes itself appear righteous. It makes audacity look like courage, depravity like prudence, dullness like wise knowledge, and certainly false modesty like righteousness.
All this is evil clothed in the mask of virtue. Therefore He will cast far away from the divine walls the one who gives himself to the pretense of evil.
In the preceding text Oecumenius expresses confidence that in Scripture “dogs” usually means those who enter into homosexual relations, although he does not cite other passages of this kind in support.
Even now the ungodly, in all their madness, test the Church from within. Yet when the Father of the house comes to the wedding feast, and the saints with Him, He will shut the doors. Then they will stand outside and begin to knock (see Lk 13:25).
We see that in this world a man, wherever he lives and wherever he is found, is called an inhabitant or citizen of the city in which he has his home. For example, an inhabitant of Moscow is a Muscovite, an inhabitant of Novgorod a Novgorodian, and so forth.
So also true Christians, although they are in this world, nevertheless have a city in the heavenly Fatherland, “whose craftsman and builder is God” (Heb 11:10). They are called citizens of this city.
This city is the heavenly Jerusalem, which the holy Apostle John saw in his revelation: “The city was pure gold, like clear glass. The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. The city had no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God illumined it, and its Lamp is the Lamb” (Rev 21:18, 21, 23).
On its streets the sweetest song is sung unceasingly: “Alleluia!” (cf. Rev 19:1, 3, 4, 6). Into this city “nothing unclean shall enter, nor anyone devoted to abomination and falsehood, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Rev 21:27).
“But outside are dogs and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (Rev 22:15). True Christians are called citizens of this beautiful and most radiant city, although they wander upon the earth.
There they have their dwellings, prepared for them by Jesus Christ, their Redeemer. Toward that city, from their wandering, they lift up the eyes and sighs of their souls.
Since nothing defiled will enter this city, as we have seen above, let us “cleanse ourselves,” beloved Christian, “from every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God,” according to the apostolic exhortation (2 Cor 7:1).
May we be citizens of this most radiant city, and, when we depart from this world, may we be counted worthy to enter it, by the grace of our Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit unto the ages. Amen.
All who fulfill the commandments of God, entering the Heavenly Jerusalem through the teaching of the apostles, will rest in Christ. No evil power will any longer be able to hinder such union. Conversely, all evil workers in general will be deprived of the holy city.
I attend to the account of the Divine Revelation and acknowledge it as true. It is impossible not to acknowledge it as just. The infinite God is all-perfect goodness. Man differs from Him by an infinite distinction in essence, and in his properties and direction has taken a position of opposition to God. If man, so insignificant before God, is also an enemy of God, then what meaning must he have before the holiness and majesty of the Godhead? The meaning of contemptible impurity and defilement, according to the testimony of Scripture. He must be driven from the face of God, as though hidden from the eyes of God.
Would a good and nobly minded master of a house wish a robber to settle in his home? Would he wish an insatiable and unclean glutton to sit at his table? Would he wish one made frenzied by wine to enter his conversation?
What then should be said of the Most High Master of the house, and of the pure inhabitants of the heavenly mansions? Is it possible that souls with such inclinations and habits should be admitted into their dwellings?
While these souls were in bodies, they were abhorrent and intolerable even to other men, who were not yet wholly cleansed, but only less impure.
“Outside are dogs and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (Rev 22:15). “Neither the covetous, nor thieves, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor 6:10).
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 21 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS