Hippolytus, On Christ and Antichrist

Since you wanted to learn the topics you proposed to us, my dear brother Theophilus, I thought it reasonable — having drawn freely from the holy spring of those divine Scriptures — to set before your eyes the things you were seeking. I did this so that you would not only be gladdened by hearing these things with your ears, but also be instructed by their power and by the realities themselves, and so be able to glorify God in every way. (2 Timothy 1:13-14; 2 Timothy 2:2)

This is to be a safeguard for you in the present life, free of danger, coming from us, so that you may bring forward the things unknown and hard for many to grasp, drawn from ready words. You will sow them in the breadth of your heart as in fertile and pure soil, and through them you will despise those who contradict and speak against the saving word. But I fear these things might be entrusted to unbelieving and blaspheming tongues; the danger is not trivial. Rather, let us entrust them to devout and faithful people who wish to live in a holy and righteous way with reverence. For the blessed apostle did not exhort Timothy in vain when he wrote: "Be mindful, guard the deposit, turning away from profane and empty talk and the contradictions of falsely named knowledge, which some, by professing it, have missed the mark concerning the faith." And again: "You, then, my child, be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and the things you heard from me through many witnesses, entrust these to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well."

And so the blessed apostle handed these things over with caution — things that are not for everyone — foreseeing by the Spirit that "the faith of all will be in danger." How much more will we be in danger if we simply and carelessly hand over the words of God to unholy and unworthy men? For since the blessed prophets became our eyes, foreseeing through faith the mysteries of the Word — mysteries they also served to later generations — they spoke not only of things past, but also proclaimed things present and future, so that a prophet might be shown not only for a time but for all generations, proclaiming the things to come. All of them were perfected by the prophetic Spirit and deemed worthy by the Word itself; they became instruments of themselves, always having the Word as a trigger. Not moved by their own power, they announced the things God willed. The prophets did not speak from their own power, nor did they proclaim what they themselves wanted; rather, first they were taught rightly through the Word, then they were instructed beforehand about the future through visions, and thus sent they spoke the things revealed to them alone by God.

By what logic will a prophet be called a prophet, if not because he foresaw the future by the Spirit? If a prophet spoke about something that had already happened, he would not be a prophet by saying things everyone had seen with their own eyes. But by narrating the future he was rightly judged a prophet. Therefore the prophets were rightly called "seers" from the beginning. From them we also, having been well taught in the things they foretold, declare that we speak not from our own invention. We do not attempt to innovate, but to bring to light the things spoken long ago, whose writings bring them into the light for those able to believe rightly, so that there may be common benefit for both: for the speaker, the ability to set forth the proposed things rightly by holding them in memory; for the hearer, the ability to give heed to what is said. Since a common goal is set before both — for the speaker to speak without danger, for the hearer to receive what is said faithfully — I also urge you, Theophilus, to join me in the struggle of prayer to God.