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→Prelest in the New Testament: two quotes from 1 Timothy
In Acts 16:16–18, Apostle Paul expels the spirit of false prophecy.
In 1 John 4:1, Apostle John writes about false prophets and trust to spirits.
In 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, Apostle Paul writes about false visions.
In 1 Timothy 2:14, Apostle Paul mentions the deception of Adam and Eve.
In 1 Timothy 6:20, Apostle Paul advices to avoid delusion - "oppositions of science falsely so called".
==Kinds==
Passion of unauthorized teaching becomes a kind of prelest when the desire of teaching is based on the passion of pride rather than on the wish to share some information with others. Speaking about vainglory, St. [[John Climacus]] says: "Ignore him when he tells you to accept the office of bishop or abbot or teacher. It is hard to drive a dog from a butcher's counter."<ref>St. John Climacus. The ladder of Divine Ascent. Step 22.</ref> The conceited teacher often does not notice that he causes harm to his students because they do not understand, understand incorrectly or even cannot understand at all some subject, but the teacher does not cease his teaching. Lord Jesus warns against teaching those who are unprepared and cannot understand: "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." (Matthew 7:6). St. [[John Chrysostom]] says that the corruption of life is the reason why the teaching is not understood.<ref>[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf110.iii.XXIII.html St. John Chrysostom. Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew. VII.]</ref> The same idea is expressed by [[Apostle Paul]]: "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14)
Elder Joseph the Hesychast writes that when one passionate person starts to teach another passionate person, the first one immediately loses the gracebecause God gives the privilege of teaching only when the teacher achieved the state of dispassion and contemplation.<ref>Elder Joseph the Hesychast. Monastic wisdom. Letter 22.</ref> Elder Joseph and St. [[Symeon the New Theologian]]<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://www.pagez.ru/lsn/simeon/83.php St. Symeon the New Theologian. Word 83.]</ref> say also says that the reason for this is teacher should know the subject from experience. Also elder Joseph notes that he witnessed many times that unless God gives will help with His grace to understand, no human efforts alone can make the privilege teaching successful. St. [[Innocent of teaching Alaska]] writes that only to those the one who know something from experience have plenty of faith and love can have a mouth and who achieved wisdom, which all hearts of the state listeners shall not be able to resist.<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/russian/innocent_alaska_r.htm St. Innocent of dispassion and contemplationAlaska. Instruction for a missionary priest.]</ref>
Also, in James 3:1, Apostle warns against unauthorized teaching. Archbishop [[Averky (Taushev) of Syracuse|Averky (Taushev)]] in his analysis of James 3:1 says that one should start teaching with the great caution and distrust to oneself.<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://azbyka.ru/hristianstvo/bibliya/tolkovanie/averkiy_sobornye_poslaniya_10-all.shtml Archbishop Averky (Taushev). Exegetic analysis of the Epistle of James.]</ref>
Saint Iakovos worshiped a demon who appeared as Lord Jesus and who disappeared after Iakovos made the sign of the Cross. <ref>[http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2011/06/saint-iakovos-who-was-deluded-to.html Living of Saint Iakovos.]</ref>
Saint Isaac the Recluse of the [[Monastery of the Kiev Caves|Kiev Caves]] was living in seclusion for 7 years and was deluded by a false vision of Lord Jesus. He was left by demons lying unconscious. Saints Antonius and Theodosius of the Kiev Caves were nursing him and praying about him for 2 years. After that, St. Isaac got better and in the end of his life he received the power over demons.<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://ru.wikisource.org/wiki/%D0%96%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D1%81%D0%B2%D1%8F%D1%82%D1%8B%D1%85_%28%D0%94%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%A0%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9%29/%D0%A4%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C/14 Living of Saint Isaac the Recluse]</ref>
Saint Nicetas of the Kiev Caves attempted an excessive feat of seclusion without sufficient experience. He was deluded by an "angel" who helped him and gave him a false gift of clairvoyance. When the Holy Fathers of the monastery unraveled the demon tricks and casted the "angel" away, St. Nicetas lost his supernatural abilities and even could not read at all. Later, following the way of humility, St. Nicetas became the Bishop of Novgorod and received the gift of miracleworking.<ref name="nic"/>
Saint [[Silouan the Athonite]] was in delusion 2 times as written in the book of elder Sofronii. Once St. Silouan accepted a vision and nobody, whom he asked about it, told him that this was a false vision. "But I was beguiled by vanity and began to see devils again. Then I knew that I had been deceived, and I made full disclosure to my confessor and asked him for his prayers; and because of his prayers I am now saved and ever beseech the Lord to grant me the spirit of humility."<ref>Archimandrite Sofronii. "Saint Silouan, the Athonite". P. 432.</ref>
==Prelest in the liturgical texts of the Orthodox Church==
The notion of prelest is used in some of the liturgical texts of the Orthodox Church.
In the Akathist to the Mother of God:<ref>[http://www.stsymeon.com/akathist.html Akathist to the Mother of God.]</ref> "For thou hast quenched the furnace of deception" (Ikos 5); "For thou hast trampled on the delusion of error" (Ikos 6).
In the [[Great Canon]] of St. [[Andrew of Crete]]:<ref>[http://www.orthodoxchristian.info/pages/canon.htm The Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete]</ref> "I lie naked and ashamed, for the beauty of the tree, which I saw in the middle of the garden, deceived me" (Monday, Ode 2); "O God, Trinity yet One, save us from delusion, temptations and misfortune!" (Monday, Ode 3); "But you, my hopeless soul, have rather imitated Esau, surrendering to the crafty evil the beauty you inherited from God. In two ways, works and wisdom, have you been deceived and now is the time for you to change your ways" (Tuesday, Ode 4).
==References==
