Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God[a]which He purchased with His own bloodFor I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.
“So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20, 28-32)
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Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? (II Corinthians 6, 14-15)
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Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14 That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. (II Timothy 1, 13-14)
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Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, 21 which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith. (I Timothy 6, 20-21)
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Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. (Hebrews 13, 8-9)
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So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings[c] we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved usand by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
(II Tessalonians 2, 15-17)
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If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. (I John 4,15)
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I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch out that you do not lose what we[a] have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christdoes not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. (II John 1, 7-9)
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But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. (II Peter 2,1)
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The Holy Scripture about the heretics
Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5, 19)
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Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. (Matthew 24, 4)
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For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. (Matthew 24,5)
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and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. (Matthew 24, 11)
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For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.25 See, I have told you ahead of time. (Matthew 24-25)
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He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. (Luke 21,8)
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As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! (Galatians 1,9)
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Take heed that ye be not deceived (II Tessalonians 21, 8)
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Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. (Hebrews 13, 9)
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But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. (II Peter 2, 1)
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Little children, let no man deceive you (I John 3, 7)
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We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. (I John 4, 6)
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If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: (II John 1,10)
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With these words of heed transmitted to us by the Lord through His Apostles in what regards the apparition of the wolves clothed in sheep in the space of His Church gained by His blood, we all who are partakers with God at this spiritual ministration fight and shall fight enlightening the Orthodox Christians about the danger that threatens them coming out from the many various heresies
(Archimandrite Gregory Raptopoulos, „Periscope against the adventists)
Pydalion is a testament that follows after the Old and the New Testament
This book (that contains the holy canons – Pydalion) is a testament following after the Old and the New Testament. The words from this book are inspired by God like the Old and the New Testament. These canons settled by our holy fathers will exist forever. They were settled by inspiration from the Holy Spirit by the Ecumenical and local Councils. This book contains the truth being called Pydalion of the Church because it guides safely the sailors and passengers, the clerics and laymen towards the peaceful shore of the Heavenly kingdom. This is the fruit, the result and the purpose aimed by so many patriarchs, by so many bishops from the whole world inspired by God and bearers of Spirit (the strong and the weak ones as well) and so many ecumenical and local councils were gathered on this base.
Saint Nicodemus the Athonite points that justly saying that the holy canons are `the spring of the spiritual life giving waters and the foundations on which the Holy Trinity built and raised the Church. If for the material building the laws of physics have great importance for the spiritual building, namely for the Church, the holy canons have great importance. The physical creation received the laws of physics and the order was settled immediately (Pydalion, pp. 16-17).
