Письмо 50
The Danger of False Wonders
The author warns against the sudden appearance of fortune-telling, noting that extraordinary gifts are rarely given without spiritual struggle.
And look — a fortune-teller has shown up among you, writing with a pencil. It's a murky business.1 It's something like those turning tables.2 Only I don't think this is a gift from God. Extraordinary gifts from God are hard-earned, and just like this, out of nowhere, nothing will come of it. Pagan priestesses also made many successful predictions. . .
Testing the Spirits
Using the historical example of an elder who possessed unearned knowledge, the author advises using prayer and exorcism to discern the source of such phenomena.
But they weren't true prophetesses. How many deceitful spirits there are!✦3 In the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra there was an elder who, without studying, knew the Old Testament by heart. Whatever they asked him, he knew it all and would recite it. But he only knew the Old Testament, and nothing from the New. They grew suspicious of him; the elders prayed for him, and he forgot everything. It's the same situation here. It would be good to read the prayers of exorcism over her and then ask.4
The Sufficiency of Christ
The author encourages detachment from such questionable figures, reminding the reader that Christ's own teachings are sufficient for the Christian life.
I even think that if you stand near her in a strong spirit of prayer, you can bind her prophetic knack.5 Still, wouldn't it be better to keep your distance from such people? The Lord has told us everything we need Himself, by word of mouth.6 What more could you want? Save us, Lord!
Read the original Russian
Вот и гадальщица к вам подоспела, карандашем пишет. Мудрена. Это что-то в роде вертящихся столов. Только не думаю, чтобы это был Божий дар. Чрезвычайные Божии дары трудно достаются, а так, ни с того, ни с сего ничего и не выйдет. Языческия жрицы тоже гадали о многом удачно. . .
а не были истинные пророчицы. Сколько есть духов лестчих! В Киево-Печерской Лавре был один старец, который, не уча, знал Ветхий Завет на память. Что ни спросят, все знает и прочитает. Но знал он только один Ветхий Завет и ничего из Новаго. Оподозрили его, помолились о нем старцы, и все забыл. Тоже и здесь. Хорошо бы прочитать над нею заклинательные молитвы и потом спросить.
Думаю даже, что, и стоя при ней в крепком молитвенном духе, можно связать ея пророческую снаровку. Не лучше ли однако ж держать себя подалее от таковых? Все нужное Господь сказал нам Сам устно. Чего еще хотеть? Спаси нас, Господи!
Scripture echoes
- ↩1Tim.4.1 — Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will abandon the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.
Notes
- 1 ↩Мудрена (colloquial/archaic for мудрёна): opaque, hard to make sense of, not straightforwardly wise or admirable.
- 2 ↩вертящихся столов points to nineteenth-century table-turning séances, not ordinary furniture.
- 3 ↩лестчих is an older Church-Slavonic-colored form for flattering/deceiving; rendered as 'deceitful spirits' (seducing spirits), not merely 'flattering'.
- 4 ↩заклинательные молитвы are adjuratory/exorcistic prayers (Orthodox prayers of conjuration against unclean spirits), not casual 'spells' or generic blessings.
- 5 ↩связать here is the spiritual sense of binding (restraining) a power or facility, not ordinary tying.
- 6 ↩устно stresses oral, direct speech of the Lord (not a written supplement or private revelation).
Letters on the Christian Life companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit