| For ye are bought with a price” ( 1Cor. 6:19–20 ). “Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men” ( 1Cor. 7:23 ). The hymn in heaven to the Lamb: “Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood” (Apoc. 5:9). In all three places this verb signifies that Christ has acquired us for Himself so that we might belong to Him entirely, as bought slaves belong to their Master. It remains for us to reflect upon the depth of this image, which was placed in the word by the Apostles themselves. On the one hand, the name “slaves” of Christ signifies a complete, unconditional giving over of oneself into obedience to Him Who has redeemed us all. Such precisely did the Apostles feel themselves to be. It is sufficient to read the first verses of a number of the Epistles of the Apostles. In the first words they call themselves the slaves (or servants) of Christ: “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ” (2 Peter); “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James” (Jude); “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an Apostle” (Romans); “Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ” (Philipians). Such a self-awareness should be present, according to the teaching of the Apostles, in all believers. The Holy Church in precisely the same way at all times has called and does call the members of the Church in the language of the Divine Services, “slaves (servants) of God.” But there is another side. The Saviour addresses His disciples in His farewell conversation with them: “Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” ( John 15:14 ); and in the same place He calls them “My children” ( John 13:33 ); “as the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you” ( John 15:9 ). And the Apostles teach: “Ye have received the spirit of adoption” ( Rom. 8:15 ); “We are the children of God; and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs withChrist” ( Rom. 8:16–17 ). And the Holy Apostle John, he who lay upon the breast of Christ, cries out in inspiration: “Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). |
| The second problem is that within the historical revelation of Christ there is a tension between the present and the future, the ‘already’ and the ‘not yet’. In the historical Christ and the experience of the first Apostles, God’s revelation is a poor reflection ‘as in a mirror’ rather than the whole reality that the eschaton will reveal ‘face to face’ (1Corinthians 13.12). Christ now presents an image and foretaste of that complete and direct personal knowledge of God for us, though, according to 1 John 3.2 , until that kingdom arrives, no prophet or saint has full or final knowledge of God. How can we attain a foretaste of heaven, the complete knowledge of God, and be confident that Christian teaching is the faithful and accurate expression of this foretaste? Truly to portray Christ as the revelation of God, Christian teaching has to be faithful in two respects: It has to portray truthfully the historical Christ of the past, and the future, eschatological Christ and his kingdom. Christian doctrine must hold together the past, historical revelation of Christ and the future advent of Christ in glory, and this union and transformation of past and future is the particular task of the Holy Spirit. ‘It seemed proper to the Holy Spirit and to us’, concluded the council of the Apostles in Acts 15. It is the conviction of the Church that, just as Scripture is ‘God-breathed’ (2 Timothy 3:16), the teaching of the Church is equally the work of the Holy Spirit. There are a number of ways in which we could understand this. The presence and action of the Holy Spirit could be understood as some kind of mechanical or magical intervention of God. For the ancient Greeks, ‘divine inspiration’ was involuntary, manifesting itself through divination and oracles, often without the consent of the individual who was caught up in prophetic rapture. But such an understanding as this would make the authors of the bible and the Fathers of the councils the involuntary tools of the Spirit. Another possibility would be to understand the presence and the effect of the Spirit in terms of the development of the human spirit through time, and the consequence of humanity’s efforts towards its own amelioration. A third possibility is that the work of the Holy Spirit is an event of communion that centres on a community, and which has a horizontal as well as a vertical dimension. |
| You promise me your death, and you will deny me your life. You, who now thinkest yourself able to die for me, learn to live first for yourself; for in fearing the death of your flesh, you will occasion the death of your soul. Just as much as it is life to confess Christ, it is death to deny Him. 2. Or was it that the Apostle Peter, as some with a perverse kind of favor strive to excuse him, did not deny Christ, because, when questioned by the maid, he replied that he did not know the man, as the other evangelists more expressly affirm? As if, indeed, he that denies the man Christ does not deny Christ; and so denies Him in respect of what He became on our account, that the nature He had given us might not be lost. Whoever, therefore, acknowledges Christ as God, and disowns Him as man, Christ died not for him; for as man it was that Christ died. He who disowns Christ as man, finds no reconciliation to God by the Mediator. For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5 He that denies Christ as man is not justified: for as by the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners; so also by the obedience of one man shall many be made righteous. Romans 5:19 He that denies Christ as man, shall not rise again into the resurrection of life; for by man is death, and by man is also the resurrection of the dead: for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1Corinthians 15:21–22 And by what means is He the Head of the Church, but by His manhood, because the Word was made flesh, that is, God, the Only-begotten of God the Father, became man. And how then can one be in the body of Christ who denies the man Christ? Or how can one be a member who disowns the Head? But why linger over a multitude of reasons when the Lord Himself undoes all the windings of human argumentation? For He says not, The cock shall not crow till you have denied the man; or, as He was wont to speak in His more familiar condescension with men, The cock shall not crow till you have thrice denied the Son of man; but He says, till you have denied me thrice. |
| About Pages Проекты «Правмира» Raising Orthodox Children to Orthodox Adulthood The Daily Website on How to be an Orthodox Christian Today Twitter Telegram Parler RSS Donate Navigation Will Everyone Be Saved? Source: Engage Orthodoxy Jacob Sparks 18 September 2021 © FLICKR/ROB WILLIAMS. Ceiling of the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood In Christ shall all be made alive. — 1 Corinthians 15:22 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven… — Matthew 7:21 It is a popular topic in Christian theology to discuss who will be saved when Christ returns to judge the living and the dead. There are a variety of opinions on this topic. Some believe that very few people will be saved, citing Christ’s words that, “the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13). Others cite the all-inclusive power of God’s salvific will, noting that the Apostle Paul states that, “God… desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4). Clearly Scripture itself is undecided on this issue. Different verses could be cited and counter-cited back and forth endlessly. The reason this issue remains unsolved by Scripture is because we are not supposed to know who will be saved and who will not be saved. The eternal salvation of each human person is a mystery that is known only to God, who alone holds the Book of Life in which the names of the elect are written. However, this does not mean that we are not able to speculate and consider this issue from a theological perspective and see where our thoughts lead us. Perhaps we should start with what we know to not be true. We know for certain that God eternally respects the free will of each human person, and therefore God will not force salvation on anyone. As God gave Adam and Eve the choice in the Garden of Eden to remain in union with him out of free will or to reject him by eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil by free will, he also gives us the choice in the present moment to accept or reject his salvation. Therefore we know for certain that God will not force salvation on anyone. It thus follows that universal salvation cannot be a dogmatic certainty because we know that people are free to reject God. |
| Apostle Pudens of the Seventy Commemorated on April 15 Saint Pudens was one of the Seventy Apostles whom the Lord Jesus Christ sent before him with the good news of the Gospel (Luke 10:1-24). Saint Pudens is mentioned in Saint Paul’s second Epistle to Timothy (2 Tim. 4:21). He occupied high position as a member of the Roman Senate. The saint received the foremost Apostles Peter and Paul in his home, where believing Christians gathered. His house was converted into a church, receiving the name “Pastorum”. According to Tradition, the holy Apostle Peter himself served in it as priest. Saint Pudens suffered martyrdom at Rome under the emperor Nero (54-68). He is also commemorated on January 4. Troparion — Tone 4 Together let us honor the threefold choir of Christ’s Apostles,/Aristarchus, Pudens and the holy Trophimus./Like rivers filled with the wisdom of God/They poured out the water of the Word for all the world./Through their intercessions, O Christ our God, have mercy on us! Kontakion — Tone 1 Apostles of Christ and laborers of the Savior,/You are the light of the world./Intercede for us who praise your holy memory,/And pray that we may be saved. скрыть способы оплаты скрыть способы оплаты Подпишитесь на рассылку Православие.Ru Рассылка выходит два раза в неделю: Мы в соцсетях Подпишитесь на нашу рассылку |
| Apostle Trophimus of the Seventy Commemorated on April 15 Saint Trophimus was one of the Seventy Apostles, whom the Lord Jesus Christ sent to proclaim the good news of the Gospel (Luke. 10:1-24). Saint Trophimus hailed from the city of Edessa. His name is mentioned in the Acts of the Holy Apostles (Acts 20:4) and in Saint Paul’s second Epistle to Timothy (2 Tim. 4:20). He was a disciple and companion of the Apostle Paul, sharing with him all the sorrows and persecution. Saint Trophimus is also commemorated on January 4. Troparion — Tone 4 Together let us honor the threefold choir of Christ’s Apostles,/Aristarchus, Pudens and the holy Trophimus./Like rivers filled with the wisdom of God/They poured out the water of the Word for all the world./Through their intercessions, O Christ our God, have mercy on us! Kontakion — Tone 1 Apostles of Christ and laborers of the Savior,/You are the light of the world./Intercede for us who praise your holy memory,/And pray that we may be saved. скрыть способы оплаты скрыть способы оплаты Подпишитесь на рассылку Православие.Ru Рассылка выходит два раза в неделю: Мы в соцсетях Подпишитесь на нашу рассылку |
| Christ the Savior in the Sermon on the Mount quotes, though without any references, the words from the book of Tobit (compare Tob. 4with Math. 7:12 and Luke 4:31, Tob. 4with Luke 14:13), from the book of Sirach (comp. 28with Math. 6and Mark 2:25 ), from the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon (comp. 3with Math. 13:43). The Apostle John in his Revelations takes the words and images from the book of Tobit (comp. Rev. 21:11–24 with Tob. 13:11–18). In Apostle Paul’s Epistles to the Romans (1:21), to the Corinthians ( 1Cor. 1:20–27; 2:78 ), to Timothy ( 1Tim. 1:15 ), we find the words of the Prophet Baruch. Apostle James has many phrases in common with the book of Jesus, Son of Sirach. The Epistles to the Hebrews of the Apostle Paul and the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon are so similar, that some moderately negative critics considered them to be the works of one and the same author. All the countless legions of the Christian martyrs of the first centuries were inspired for their exploit by the holiest example of the Maccabees’ martyrs, which is described in the second book of Maccabees. Metropolitan Anthony absolutely precisely determines: «The holy books of the Old Testament are divided into canonical, which are recognized by Christians and Jews, and non-canonical, which only the Christians recognize, but which the Jews have lost» (The Experience of the Christian Orthodox Catechism, page 16) All this unquestionably testifies to the high authority and Divine inspiration of the holy books of the Bible, which are incorrectly, or to be more precise, ambiguously called non-canonical. We discussed this question in detail, because Protestantism obediently following the Judean canon, rejects all the books, rejected by the Jews. The Language of the Bible The Holy Scripture was originally written in 3 languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. The greater part of the Old Testament is written in Hebrew. The following were written in Aramaic: in the Old Testament, chapters 2–8 of the book of the Prophet Daniel, chapters 4–8 of the 1 st book of Ezra and the book of Sirach; and in the New Testament, the Gospel of St. Matthew. |
| For we too, coming to this spiritual meadow of the mighty works of Ignatius, and beholding not the flowers of spring, but the manifold and varied fruit of the spirit in the soul of this man, are confused and in perplexity, not knowing to which we are first to give our consideration, as each of the things we see draws us away from its neighbours, and entices the eye of the soul to the sight of its own beauty. For see, he presided over the Church among us nobly, and with such carefulness as Christ desires. For that which Christ declared to be the highest standard and rule of the episcopal office, did this man display by his deeds. For having heard Christ saying, the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (Jn. 10:11), with all courage he did lay it down for the sheep. 2. And if you will, let us come first to the praise of his episcopate. Does this seem to be one crown alone? Come, then, let us unfold it in speech, and you will see both two, and three, and more produced from it. For I do not wonder at the man alone that he seemed to be worthy of so great an office, but that he obtained this office from those saints, and that the hands of the blessed apostles touched his sacred head. For not even is this a slight thing to be said in his praise, nor because he won greater grace from above, nor only because they caused more abundant energy of the Spirit to come upon him, but because they bore witness that every virtue possessed by man was in him. Now how this is, I tell you. Paul writing to Titus once on a time— and when I say Paul, I do not speak of him alone, but also of Peter and James and John, and the whole band of them; for as in one lyre, the strings are different strings, but the harmony is one, so also in the band of the apostles the persons are different, but the teaching is one, since the artificer is one, I mean the Holy Spirit, who moves their souls, and Paul showing this said, Whether therefore they, or I, so we preach (1 Cor. 15:11). This man, then, writing to Titus, and showing what kind of man the bishop ought to be, says, For the bishop must be blameless as God " s steward; not self-willed, not soon angry, no brawler, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober-minded, just, holy, temperate, holding to the faithful word, which is according to the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict the gainsayers (Titus 1:7-9); and to Timothy again, when writing upon this subject, he says somewhat like this: If a man seeks the office of a bishop, he desires a good work. |
| The Tenth Commandment “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife; thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, nor his field … nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.” This last commandment orders us to refrain from envy and avoid all sinful desires. While the preceding commandments spoke preeminently regarding external behavior, this last one turns our attention to our inner world – to our thoughts, feelings and desires. It calls on us to strive towards spiritual cleanliness. It is important to understand that every sinful act starts inside as a sinful disposition of our soul. When a person lingers on a bad thought, it becomes a desire, and as that desire strengthens, it draws the will toward accomplishing the sinful act. That is why, in order to successfully battle against temptations, it is important to learn how to overcome them at the very onset – in our mind. Envy is truly a poison for the soul. One who envies others always feels unhappy, even if he is the richest person in the world. The Scriptures say, “The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord,” and, “By the envy of the devil, death entered the world” (Proverbs 15:26 and Book of Wisdom 2:24). To help us to overcome any feelings of envy or discontent, the Apostle instructs: “Having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare … For love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:8-10). It is very helpful to remind ourselves of the innumerable mercies which God bestows on us. He should have destroyed us for our many sins, but, instead, He keeps forgiving us and sends us His material and spiritual gifts. To save us from eternal damnation, the Son of God came to our world, took our sins and spilled His Precious Blood to wash them out. With His Resurrection, He gave us eternal and blessed life in the Kingdom of Heaven. Shouldn’t we every instant thank Him for His infinite love? One of the main goals in our life is to purify our heart to make it a temple for the Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ promises a great reward for those who have abstained from all unclean thoughts and feelings: “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). The Apostle Paul instructs, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, and you are that temple” (1 Cor. 3:16-17). |
| This was realized by Alexander Solzhenitsyn in the Gulag slave-labor camps, where sorrow and suffering forced him to penetrate into the core of his existence. «Gradually», he wrote, «it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties – but right through every human heart – and then through all human hearts.... And even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained. And even in the best of all hearts, there remains... an unuprooted small corner of evil». 844 Line 17: this water we call joy... That is, the water which is «like the Way» in that it is yielding and always seeks the lowest place. In the underground recesses of humility and self-abandonment, into which Christ the Way empties Himself, we find the source of all joy, and out of us shall flow «rivers of living water» ( John 7:38 ). This image is continued in the succeeding chapter. Chapter 73 Line 21: Unless you change your mind. The Greek word for «repentance», metanoia, means «to change the mind» (i.e., higher mind or spirit). About this, see pp. 286–87. Line 22: Unless you abandon the path of avarice, sensual pleasure, and self-exaltation. In The Philokalia, St. Mark the Ascetic (fifth century A.D.) writes: «All vice is caused by self-esteem and sensual pleasure; you cannot overcome passion without hating them. ‘Avarice is the root of all evil’ (1 Timothy 6:10); but avarice is clearly a product of these two components. «The spirit is made blind by these three passions: avarice, self-esteem and sensual pleasure. These three passions on their own dull spiritual knowledge and faith, the foster-brothers of our nature. It is because of them that wrath, anger, war, murder and all other evils have such power over mankind. Because of them we are commanded not to love ‘the world’ and ‘the things that are in the world’ (1 John 2:15); not so that we should hate God’s creation through lack of discernment, but so that we should eliminate the occasions for these three passions». |
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