Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 24:9-14

"Then shall they deliver you up unto tribulation, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all the nations for my name`s sake. And then shall many stumble, and shall deliver up one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray. And because iniquity shall be multiplied, the love of the many shall wax cold. But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then shall the end come." — Matthew 24:9-14 (ASV)

Rabanus Maurus: The Lord shows for what reason so many evils are to be brought upon Jerusalem and the whole Jewish province when He adds, "Then shall they deliver you up, etc."

St. John Chrysostom: Alternatively, when the disciples heard these things spoken about Jerusalem, they might have supposed that they would be beyond the reach of harm. They might have thought they were hearing about the sufferings of others, while they themselves would experience only prosperous times.

Therefore, He announces the grievous things that would befall them, making them fearful for themselves.

First, He had told them to be on guard against the deceptions of false teachers; now He foretells the violence of tyrants. He appropriately introduces their own woes at this point, as they will receive consolation from the shared calamities. And He offered them not only this comfort, but also that of the cause for which they would suffer, showing that it was for His name's sake: "And you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake."

Origen of Alexandria: But how could the people of Christ be hated by nations dwelling in the remotest parts of the earth? One might say, perhaps, that in this passage "all" is used hyperbolically for "many."

However, what He says, "Then shall they deliver you," presents a difficulty, for Christians were delivered to tribulation even before these events. To this, it may be answered that at that future time, Christians will be delivered to tribulation more than ever before.

People in any misfortune love to examine the origin of their troubles and to talk about them. Consequently, when the worship of the gods is nearly deserted because of the multitude of Christians, it will be said that this is the cause of the wars, famines, and pestilences. They will also claim that Christians are the cause of earthquakes, which will lead to the persecution of the churches.

St. John Chrysostom: Having named two sources of opposition—from seducers and from enemies—He adds a third, from false brethren: "And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another." See how Paul laments these same things: "Without were fightings, within were fears" (2 Corinthians 7:5), and in another place, "In perils among false brethren" (2 Corinthians 11:26). Of these, he says, "Such are false Apostles, deceitful workers" (2 Corinthians 11:13).

Remigius of Auxerre: As the capture of Jerusalem approached, many rose up who called themselves Christians and deceived many. Paul calls such people "false brethren," and John calls them "Antichrists."

St. Hilary of Poitiers: Such was Nicolaus, one of the seven deacons, who led many astray with his deceptions. And Simon Magus, who, armed with demonic works and words, perverted many with false miracles.

St. John Chrysostom: He adds what is still more cruel: that such false prophets will find no relief in love, "Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall grow cold."

Remigius of Auxerre: This refers to true love toward God and our neighbor. The more one surrenders to iniquity, the more the flame of love in his heart will be extinguished.

St. Jerome: Observe, He says, "the love of many," not "of all," for in the Apostles and those like them, love would continue, as Paul says, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" (Romans 8:35).

Remigius of Auxerre: "Whoever shall endure to the end," that is, to the end of his life; for whoever perseveres to the end of his life in the confession of Christ's name and in love, he shall be saved.

St. John Chrysostom: Then, so that they would not ask, "How then shall we live among so many evils?" He promises not only that they would live, but that they would teach everywhere: "And this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world."

Remigius of Auxerre: For the Lord knew that the disciples' hearts would be saddened by the destruction of Jerusalem and the overthrow of their nation, and He therefore comforts them with the promise that more Gentiles would believe than Jews would perish.

St. John Chrysostom: To show that the Gospel was preached everywhere before the taking of Jerusalem, listen to what Paul says: "Their sound has gone out into all the earth" (Romans 10:18). Consider also that Paul himself traveled from Jerusalem to Spain. If one man had so large a province, think how much all of them must have done.

This is why, when writing to certain people, he says of the Gospel, "It is bearing fruit and growing in every creature under heaven" (Colossians 1:6). This is the strongest proof of Christ's power: that in thirty years or a little more, the word of the Gospel filled the ends of the world.

Though the Gospel was preached everywhere, not all believed, which is why He adds, "for a witness to all nations." This serves as an accusation against those who do not believe, for those who have believed bear witness against those who did not believe, condemning them.

And Jerusalem fell at a fitting time, namely, after the Gospel had been preached throughout the world, as it follows, "And then the consummation shall come"—that is, the end of Jerusalem. For those who saw Christ's power shining forth everywhere and spreading over the whole world in a short time—what mercy did they deserve when they still continued in their ingratitude?

Remigius of Auxerre: The whole passage, however, could be referred to the end of the world. For then "many will be offended" and depart from the faith when they see the numbers and wealth of the wicked and the miracles of the Antichrist, and they will persecute their brethren. And the Antichrist will send "false prophets, who will deceive many; iniquity will abound," because the number of the wicked will be increased; and "love will grow cold," because the number of the good will diminish.

St. Jerome: And the sign of the Lord's second coming is that the Gospel will be preached in all the world, so that all may be without excuse.

Origen of Alexandria: And the saying, "You shall be hated by all men for my name's sake," might be applied to that time in this way: while at present all nations have conspired together against the Christians, when the things foretold by Christ have come to pass, there will be persecutions not just in some places, as before, but everywhere against the people of God.

St. Augustine of Hippo: However, we have no certain evidence to prove that this preaching of "the Gospel of the kingdom in all the world" was accomplished by the Apostles. There are countless barbarous nations in Africa among whom the Gospel is not yet preached, as we can easily learn from the prisoners who are brought from there. ¹

But it cannot be said that these nations have no part in God's promise. For God promised with an oath to the seed of Abraham not only the Romans, but all nations.

But in whatever nation a church is not yet established, it is necessary that one should be—not that all the people should believe. For how else could the scripture, "You shall be hated by all nations for my name's sake," be fulfilled, unless in all nations there are both those who hate and those who are hated?

Therefore, that preaching was not accomplished by the Apostles, as there were still nations among whom it had not yet begun to be fulfilled. The Apostle's words, "Their sound has gone out into all the world," though expressed in the past tense, are meant to apply to something future that is not yet completed. ⁱ

Similarly, the Prophet whose words he quotes said that the Gospel bore fruit and grew in the whole world, showing by this to what extent its growth would reach. If, then, we do not know when the whole world will be filled with the Gospel, we undoubtedly do not know when the end will be; but it will not be before that time.

Origen of Alexandria: When every nation has heard the preaching of the Gospel, then the end of the world will come. For even now, there are many nations—not only of barbarians, but of our own people as well—who have not yet heard the word of Christianity.

Glossa Ordinariaⁱ: But it is possible to maintain both interpretations of the passage, if we are willing to understand this diffusion of Gospel preaching in a twofold sense. If we understand it as the fruit produced by the preaching and the foundation of a church of believers in Christ in every nation, as Augustine expounds it in the passage quoted above, then it is a sign that ought to precede the end of the world, and which did not precede the destruction of Jerusalem. But if we understand it as the fame of their preaching, then it was accomplished before the destruction of Jerusalem, when Christ's disciples had been dispersed over the four quarters of the earth. ²

This is why St. Jerome says, "I do not suppose that there remained any nation that did not know the name of Christ; for where a preacher had never been, some idea of the faith must have been communicated by neighboring nations."ⁱ

Morally, he who sees that glorious second coming of the Word of God into his soul must necessarily suffer assaults from opposing influences, in proportion to his spiritual progress. And Christ in him must be hated by all—not only by the nations in a literal sense, but by the "nations" of spiritual vices.

In such inquiries, there will be few who reach the truth with any fullness; the greater part will be offended and fall away from it. They will betray and accuse one another because of their doctrinal disagreements, which will give rise to mutual hatred.

Also, there will be many who set forth unsound words concerning things to come, interpreting the Prophets in a way they should not. These are the false prophets who will deceive many and who will cause the fervor of love, which once existed in the simplicity of the faith, to grow cold.

But he who can remain firm in the apostolic tradition will be saved. And the Gospel, being preached to the minds of all, will be a testimony to all "nations"—that is, to all the unbelieving thoughts of the soul.

1. Ep. 199, 46
2. non occ.