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Explanation for:
Matthew
24
:
12
And because iniquity hath abounded, the charity of many shall grow cold.
10
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"He does not withhold His love from everyone, but rather from a select few; for many are invited, yet few are elected. This is evident in the apostles and those who will be saved, reflecting the truth of the scripture: Great waters cannot quench love (Ps 8:7). Furthermore, the apostle states: Who shall separate us from the love of God? Shall tribulation, distress, persecution, or hunger? (Rom 8:35), and so forth."},{"author-name":"Ambrose of Milan","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88871ceef8c96e0998cd0_Ambrose%20of%20Milan.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"This era is characterized by false prophets and lack of sustenance. If you recall the days of Elijah, you will uncover the prophets of discord, Jezebel, along with famine and drought, as documented in the accounts of the prophet Elijah: 1 Kings 17:1-19; 18; 1 Kings 21:17-28; 2 Kings 1:3-17; 2 Kings 2:1-18. Why has this occurred? It is due to the increase of wickedness and the diminishing of love. This is a time when the righteous find themselves in desolation while the unrighteous reside in power."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The greatest tragedy will be their absence of the solace found in love. This love is referred to by some as hospitality and by others as mercy. Observe the multitude of disasters He predicted for them, which served to make them increasingly resilient, fortifying their nobility and rendering them unconquerable."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"As iniquity increases due to the deceit of the Antichrist, humanity will exhibit beastly behavior, leading to a deterioration of love's ties, even among the closest individuals; betrayal will prevail among people."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Due to the rise of wickedness and the degradation of moral standards, love in many hearts will diminish. As sin abounds, love will wane, leading to a overshadowing of faith itself."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Due to the increasing prevalence of sin, as noted in Matthew 24:10, 11, this rise in transgressions, even among Christians, will result in a decline of genuine brotherly love in many. This moral decay ultimately undermines the essence of true Christian affection."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"In this time of persecution against you and my disciples, who will be drawn to your message, many will forsake me out of fear of torment and death. Others will harbor animosity toward one another for my sake and betray each other. Within a single household, there will be both my followers and those who are not, as brother turns against brother, father against child, and children against parents, leading to their condemnation. There will also arise false prophets who will mislead many; hatred, animosity, and wickedness among people will increase to such a degree that their hearts will be devoid of love. When the Christian faith was deemed dangerous and believers were sought to be exterminated, a dreadful enmity emerged within such mixed-religion families. Authorities pressured individuals to denounce Christians, leading to betrayals among kin—brother against brother, father against child, and children against parents. Hatred and treachery prevailed, love was cast aside and forgotten, even the term Christian became an object of scorn for non-believers. Thus, the prophecy of Christ was realized, as He stated, \\"Then shall many be tempted, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another\\" (Matt. 24:10); \\"and brother shall betray brother to death, and the father the children; and the children shall rise up against their parents, and shall put them to death\\" (Mark 13:12); \\"and because of the multiplication of iniquity, the love of many will grow cold\\" (Matt. 24:12); \\"and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake\\" (Mark 13:13)."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"In revealing further omens of the impending calamitous events, the Lord illustrated the futility of lofty expectations regarding the glorious establishment of His earthly kingdom, sentiments even shared by His closest disciples (Matt. 16:22; Matt. 20:21). He repeatedly declared that the Son of Man did not come to be served, but rather to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28). Time and again, He directed His followers away from the temporal rewards they anticipated, instead guiding them toward the path of the cross and self-denial (Matt. 16:24, 25), a journey He Himself undertook, providing a salvific example to emulate (John 12:26). As He anticipated His imminent departure, He sought to remind His disciples of the truths they had frequently heard from Him during His ministry (Matthew 10:17-22) and to bolster them with the assurance of divine aid amidst the approaching tribulations. \\n\\n“Be on guard”: for before these men lay hands on you, they will deliver you to synagogues and prisons; you will face trials and be beaten in councils, and you will be put to death, and brought before rulers and kings for My sake and for My name’s sake. Yet it will be for you as a testimony. When you are led away to be betrayed, do not premeditate what to say; it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak, for it will not be you speaking but the Holy Spirit. I will provide you with a mouth and wisdom that your adversaries will not be able to withstand or refute. Many will fall away, betraying one another and hating one another. False prophets will emerge and lead many astray, and because lawlessness will increase, the love of many will grow cold. You will be betrayed by your parents, siblings, relatives, and friends; some will be put to death. Brother will betray brother, and father will betray child; children will rise against their parents and kill them. You will be hated by all because of My name; but not a hair of your head will perish. Through your perseverance, you will secure your souls; he who endures to the end will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed across the world as a testament to all nations, and then the end will come.\\n\\nThe persecution of those who proclaim Christ's message, the division between believers and non-believers even severing close family bonds, the waning of mutual love, and the proliferation of temptations from false prophets were afflictions that a new world—the Christian world—was to emerge from amidst the ruins of the ancient one. The Lord’s words concerning Jerusalem’s destruction were fulfilled with remarkable precision. Before its downfall, four Roman emperors perished violently; there were three civil wars alongside other external conflicts, and the Roman provinces faced continuous upheaval. Fires ravaged Rome and corruption spread, leading to the total collapse of virtue. At that time, Judea was afflicted by severe famine (Acts 11:28), which, as documented by the Jewish historian Josephus Flavius, claimed many lives in Jerusalem, while during Emperor Claudius’s reign, famines struck Rome, Greece, and Palestine multiple times. Tacitus also recorded outbreaks of pestilence during this period. Earthquakes destroyed cities such as Laodicea, Hierapolis, and Colossae, with similar catastrophes occurring in Smyrna, Miletus, Chios, and Samos. According to Josephus, Palestine was rife with deceivers and sorcerers who led people into the wilderness to perform seemingly miraculous acts as though empowered by the divine. Notable among these false prophets were Dositheus the Samaritan, who claimed to be the Christ, Simon the Sorcerer also from Samaria, who called himself the son of God, as well as Menander and others. The Jews, having rejected Christ, eagerly awaited a conquering Messiah and were quick to embrace every charlatan. Josephus recounted that preceding the siege of Jerusalem, various portentous signs heralded the city's impending doom: A star resembling a sword hovered over the city for a year; at the feast of Unleavened Bread, an extraordinary light illuminated the altar and sanctuary as brightly as day; the brass gates of the temple, which would normally be locked with great difficulty, opened spontaneously at night; and during the feast of Pentecost, priests entering the temple to serve heard sounds and voices saying, “Let us depart from here!” (‘The Jewish War’. 17, 5).\\n\\nBefore Jerusalem’s destruction, the persecution of Christians escalated. After the ascension of the Divine Teacher, His disciples commenced preaching the Gospel, facing opposition from Jews and Gentiles, rulers and authorities, governors and kings alike. The relentless persecutors arrested the apostles (Acts 4:3), imprisoned them (Acts 5:18; Acts 12:4), subjected them to trials (Acts 4:7; Acts 5:27), flogged them (Acts 5:40), and executed them (Acts 7:58; 12:2). Apostles such as James the son of Zebedee, James the brother of the Lord, Peter, and Paul suffered martyrdom. Nevertheless, the message of the Lord spread ever wider (13:49), and even before Jerusalem's fall, the Apostle Paul noted that the Gospel was being proclaimed to all nations and that their words reached the ends of the earth (Rom. 10:18) and to every creature under heaven (Col. 1:23). The Gospel extended throughout the known world. During this time, numerous false prophets arose, which the holy apostles warned against (1 Jn. 4:1; Jude 1:4). All these signs, once seen as harbingers of Jerusalem's fall, will again manifest before the end of the age, as foretold by the Lord, linking the distant and immediate events. When the lawless one appears, he will come as a manifestation of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and every form of deception for those who are perishing (2 Thess. 2:8-10). Then the successors of the holy apostles, the shepherds and teachers of Christ’s Church, along with all faithful followers of the Lord, will face intense persecution for their testimony of Jesus and for the Word of God (Rev. 20:4)."},{"author-name":"Bogolepow D.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The intensity of the tribulation will be particularly evident in the betrayal of believers by their own family members, leading to a widespread animosity towards Christians. In this context, Matthew further mentions that many will be led astray, meaning they will turn away from their faith, and that a multitude of false prophets will emerge within the Christian community. He warns that these false prophets will deceive many, and the increase of wickedness will cause the love of many to grow cold. However, amidst these challenges, the Savior proclaimed a hopeful sign for the final days of both Jerusalem and the world: the proclamation of the Gospel to all nations. Those familiar with the history of the Church will recognize how significantly these predictions have been realized in the apostolic age."},{"author-name":"Alexander Gorsky","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8884037c1e1c51e1332e2_Alexander%20Gorsky.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"This warning (Matt. 23:37-39) deeply impacted the hearts of the disciples, who had faith in its realization, yet felt compassion for Jerusalem and struggled to understand how it could align with their vision of the Messiah’s reign. As they departed from the temple, and as the Lord overheard His disciples admiring the grandeur of the temple—particularly evident from the Mount of Olives—they were met with His revelation that all its magnificence would be brought to ruin in the impending destruction. Eager for further understanding, the disciples, once alone with Him on the Mount of Olives, inquired about the timing of this calamitous event. Since those who had yet to witness the inauguration of the Messiah’s kingdom, as they hoped for and anticipated, did not perceive the signs of the end of the current age—which, in Jewish thought, was expected to be entirely transformed upon the arrival of that kingdom—they collectively asked Him what signs would indicate the onset of His kingdom and the culmination of the age."}]}
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