Hippolytus, On Christ and Antichrist
Because you wanted to learn the precise details of the topics you proposed to us, my beloved brother Theophilus, I judged it right to set before your eyes exactly what you asked for, drawing abundantly from the divine Scriptures as from a holy spring. My aim was that you would not only rejoice in hearing these things with your ears, but that, empowered and having grasped the realities themselves, you might glorify God in every way.
This present life calls for a safeguard from us, so that you may take what is difficult for many to know and hard to grasp, bring it forth from prepared words, and sow it in the breadth of your heart as in fertile and pure soil. You will then be able to despise those who contradict and speak against the saving word. But you must also fear lest these things be entrusted to unbelieving and blaspheming tongues; the danger is not a trivial one. Rather, entrust them to devout and faithful men who desire to live devoutly and righteously in the fear of God.
The blessed apostle did not command Timothy in vain when he wrote, 'Guard the deposit, turning away from profane empty talk and the contradictions of so-called knowledge, which some, by professing it, have swerved from the faith' (2 Timothy 1:13-14). And again he said, 'You then, my child, be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also' (2 Timothy 2:2).
So the blessed apostle handed these things over with caution, because they are not for everyone. He foresaw by the Spirit that the faith of all is in danger. How much more, then, will we be in danger if we hand over the words of God simply and carelessly to unholy and unworthy men?
Greek
Βουληϑέντι σοι zart ἀχρίβειαν ἐχμαϑεῖν τὰ προτεϑέντα ὑπι σοῦ ἡμῖν κεφάλαια, ἀγαπητέ μου ἀδελφὲ Θεόφιλε, εὔλογον ἡγησάμην, ἀφϑόνως ἀρυσάμενος ὡς ἐὲ ἁγίας πηγῆς ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν ϑείων γραφῶν καταστῆσαί σοι κατ᾽ ὀφϑαλμὸν τὰ ζητούμενα" ἵνα μὴ μόνον ταῖς τῶν ὥτων ἀχοαῖς ἐγκαταϑέμενος ταῦτα εὐφρανϑῆς, ἀλλὰ δυνάμει καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ πράγϊματα ἐνιστορήσας κατὰ πάντα τὸν ϑεὸν δοξάσαι δυνηϑῆς. τοῦτο γάρ σοι ἐφόϊδιον ἐν τῷ νῦν βίῳ ἀκίνδυνον ἤτω παρ᾽ ἡμῶν, ὅπως τὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς δύσγνωστα καὶ δυσχατάλημπτα ἐξ ἕτοίμῶν λόγων προενέγκας. ἐγκατασπείρης μὲν ἐν τῷ πλάτει τῆς καρδίας σου ὡς ἐν πίονι καὶ καϑαρᾷ γῇ, δυσωπήσῃς δὲ di αὐτῶν τοὺς ἀντιδιατιϑεμένους καὶ ἀντιλέγοντας τῷ σωτηρίῳ λόγῳ. δέδια δὲ μὴ εἰς ἀπίστους καὶ βλασφήμους γλώσοας ἐγκαταϑῇ ταῦτα, κίνδυνος γὰρ οὐχ ὁ τυχών᾽ μετᾶδος δὲ αὐτὰ εὐλαβέσι καὶ πιστοῖς ἀνϑρώποις τοῖς ϑέλουσιν., "ὁσίως xal δικαίως“ μετὰ φόβου ζῆν. οὐ γὰρ μάτην ὃ μακάριος ἀπόστολος παρήνει Τιμοϑέῳ γράφων" »,0 Ti ἐμόϑεε, τὴν παραϑήχην φύλαξον, ἐκτρεπόμενος τὰς βεβήλους κενοφωνίας καὶ ἀντιϑέσεις τῆς ψευδωνύμου γνώσεως, ἣν τινες ἐπαγγελλόμενοι περὶ τὴν πίστιν ἡστόχησα»"" καὶ πάλιν" ,,σὺ οὗν, τέχγον μοῦ, ἐνδυναμοῦ ἐν τῇ χάριτι τῇ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ ἃ ἤχουσας παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ διὰ πολλῶν μαρτύρων, ταῦτα παράϑου πιστοῖς ἀνϑρώποις, οἵτινες ἱκανοὶ ἔσονται καὶ ἑτέρους διδάξαι". & οὖν ὃ μακάριος ἀπόστολος μετ᾽ E 152v εὐλαβείας παρεδίδου ταῦτα, ἅπερ οὐ πᾶσιν eUyr 6r ἣν, προβλέπων τῷ πνεύματι ὅτι ,00 πάντων ἡ πίστις“, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἡμεῖς κινδυνεύσομεν, εἰ ἁπλῶς καὶ ὡς ἔτυχε τὰ ϑεοῦ λόγια μεταδώσομεν βεβήλοις καὶ ἀναξίοις ἀνδράσιν;