| «Иисус Христос,- пишет свт. Тихон Задонский ,- все блаженство у Себя имеет, какое может быть, и блаженство истинное и неподвижимое... Кроме Него нет никакого блаженства» ( Тихон Задонский, свт. Т. 3. С. 140). Б. как вечная жизнь противопоставляется в НЗ вечным мучениям, второй смерти (Мф 25. 46; Откр 21. 8). Небесное Царство, вечная жизнь, бытие с Богом без подверженности к.-л. губительному изменению есть Б. буд., вечное. Состояние вечного Б., понимаемое сотериологически (как спасенность человека) и эсхатологически (как вечная жизнь в Царстве Божием), имеет, т. о., онтологический статус. Ограниченность опыта и познания падшего человека не позволяет в полной мере представить суть буд. Б.: «Не видел того глаз, не слышало ухо, и не приходило то на сердце человеку, что приготовил Бог любящим Его» (1 Кор 2. 9). Полнота Б. достигается только в вечности, но Церковь Христова, таинственно соединяющая два плана бытия: временное и вечное,- предоставляет возможность богообщения уже здесь, на земле, приуготовляя христианина к Б. вечному. В земной жизни «достойные души... получают залог и начатки того наслаждения, той радости, того духовного веселия, которых святые в царстве Христовом будут приобщаться в вечном свете» ( Macar. Aeg. De orat. I). Опытом блаженного состояния («хорошо нам здесь быть» (Мф 17. 4; Мк 9. 5; Лк 9. 33)), преподанным Спасителем в дни Его земной жизни апостолам, было Преображение на горе Фавор. Озарив апостолов Нетварным светом, Господь явил людям Славу, к-рой облечены святые. Кроме того, Фаворское преображение, по словам свт. Григория Паламы , показало и потерянное Адамом состояние догреховного Б. ( Greg. Pal. Capita. 67). О соотношении состояний райского, земного и вечного Б. блж. Августин писал: человек мог быть «в раю гораздо больше блаженным, чем блаженны святые в настоящей жизни, некоторым, конечно, низшим образом, чем будут блаженны святые в вечной жизни» ( Aug. De Gen. XI 18. 24). Свящ. Писание, согласно св. Ефрему Сирину , учит о различных степенях Б. |
| оппозиции, недовольных ее провизант. политикой. Одновременно она возвратила К. ко двору и 1 сент. 533 г. указом Аталариха назначила его на должность префекта претория в Италии - высший адм. пост в гос-ве, ставший достойным завершением политической карьеры К. ( Cassiod. Ordo gen. 26; Varia. IX 24. 9). Вступив в новую должность, К. проявил большое рвение о делах Остготского гос-ва (Varia. XI. Praef. 1-3), и даже драматические события последующих лет не помешали ему неизменно сохранять свой пост вплоть до кон. 537 - нач. 538 г. ( Mommsen. 1894. P. X; Cappuyns. 1949. Col. 1354; Fridh. 1973. P. VII; относящиеся к этому периоду документы собраны в 9, 11 и 12-й книгах сб. «Variae»). В качестве префекта К. последовательно проводил начатый при Теодорихе и продолженный Амаласунтой политический курс на союз гот. населения с римлянами и создание единого мощного гос-ва, способного заменить собой распавшуюся Западную Римскую империю. Он провозглашал новые королевские законы, издавал указы, имевшие силу закона, отвечал за сбор налогов в гос. казну, предлагал кандидатуры губернаторов и осуществлял контроль за их деятельностью, а также исполнял роль верховной апелляционной инстанции ( Jones. 1946. P. 16). Помимо этого К. покровительствовал развитию наук и образования. Хотя и воспитанный в правосл. традиции, но мало интересовавшийся религ. вопросами в ходе своей предшествующей политической карьеры, К. только теперь стал проявлять к ним неподдельный интерес. Он усердно изучал Свящ. Писание (lectio divina - Cassiod. Varia. IX 25) и состоял в переписке с папой Иоанном II и др. итал. епископами, у к-рых он испрашивал молитв, мудрых советов и содействия в сохранении гражданского мира и порядка (Ibid. XI 2-3). К. интересовался и чисто богословскими вопросами: известно, что в 534 г. папа Иоанн II по просьбе К. направил ему и др. сенаторам письмо (см.: Ioannes II, papa. Epistula ad senatores//PL. 66. Col. 20A), в к-ром разбирал богословский вопрос о Лице Иисуса Христа, поднятый скифскими монахами в К-поле (см. в ст. Теопасхизм ), учению к-рых, по-видимому, К. симпатизировал. После смерти папы Иоанна К. сблизился с новым папой Агапитом (535-536), вместе с к-рым он строил планы открыть в Риме христ. школу по образцу Александрийской и Нисибинской, где классическое греко-рим. образование завершалось бы изучением Свящ. Писания и богословских дисциплин. Однако реализации этих планов помешали длительная война с Византией и общественно-политические изменения, вызванные завоеванием Италии войсками имп. Юстиниана I ( Cassiod. De inst. div. lit. Praef. 1; см.: Peretto. 1993). |
| La Penitencia: (La confesión) Este sacramento prepara al alma para recibir la Santa Eucaristía. Es una purificación. (I. Cor. 11:27–29; Juan 20:23). En la Iglesia Ortodoxa no hay confesionario. No hay nada que separa el padre del penitente. La absolución es una consecuencia del arrepentimiento sincero. Es un hecho libre cuja eficacia reside en la obra de redencin del Seρor sobre la Cruz. La ordenación: Este Sacramento esta basado sobre los textos evangélicos siguientes: (Mat. 10:1; Luc 10:1; Juan 6:70; Hechos 2.1; Hechos 6:6; Hechos 13,3; 1Tit.4:14). La validad de la ordenación hace validos los otros sacramentos. La Iglesia ortodoxa tiene sacerdotes casados y no casados (los obispos) según la decisión del IV Concilio Ecuménico (Canon 12). Los que se preparan para el Episcopado viven el celibato en Cristo. Los que eligen el matrimonio se casan antes de la ordenación. Después de la ordenación el matrimonio no esta permitido. Los sacerdotes casados están mencionados en el texto bíblico (Tito I, 5–6) El clero ortodoxo es de tres grados mencionados en el texto bíblico: el diácono, el sacerdote (presbíteros) y el obispo. Los obispos son elegidos entre los «archimandritas» (grado monástico). En la Iglesia Ortodoxa no hay cardenales. El matrimonio: El matrimonio fue instituido por Dios según al Antiguo Testamento ( Gen. 2:16 ; Gen 2:24 ) para la unión psicosomatica y el parto. En el Nuevo Testamento el matrimonio se hace un sacramento. Se convierte en una unión santificada. (Efes. 5:32). Para este sacramento se necesita el libre consentimiento de los futuros esposos y la ceremonia religiosa, según la antigua tradición de la Iglesia y la atestación de los Santos Padres (Ignacio, Policarpo (s. II). Este sacramento es de un carácter indisoluble, excepto a caso mencionado por el Señor (caso de adulterio; Mat. 19:9). El cristiano Ortodoxo es libre de elegir entre matrimonio bendito por el Señor y el celibato en Cristo, el celibato de castidad según el texto bíblico: (Mat. 19:2; I Cor. 7:32–33). Este celibato en Cristo puede hacerse en una comunidad monástica, en la vida de asceta o en el mundo según el don de cada uno. |
| Question 23. What are those you call general mortal Sins? Answer. These: Pride, Avarice, Whoredom, Envy, Gluttony, Desire of Revenge or bearing Malice, and Sloth. Question 24. What is Pride? Answer. Pride is an inordinate and unjust Ambition of its own Glory and Exaltation, by Right or Wrong, over others. This Sin, first of all, sprang from Lucifer; and from this, as from an infected Fountain, flow all the Streams of Wickedness. The Scripture saith of it (Prov.8:13), The Fear of the Lord is to hate Evil: Pride and Arrogancy, and the evil Way, and the froward Mouth, do I hate. And another Scripture saith (Eccl.10:7), Pride is hateful before God and Man. Opposite unto this Vice is the Virue of Humility, which our Lord Jesus Christ, commending and exhorting us to embrace, speaketh of thus (Mat.11:29), Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in Heart, and ye shall find Rest unto your Souls. Question 25. What further Sins arise from this? Answer. Namely, these; to wit, Man’s thinking Evil of his Neighbour; Rashly Condemning of others, whether Clergy or Laymen; Disobedience to the Church and our Spiritual Rulers; also Boasting, Hypocrisy, Fondness for Contention, Frowardness, Strife, Unseasonable Curiosity, Arrogancy, Neglecting of God’s Commandments, Familiar and habitual Practice of Sin, and the like. Wherefore, whosoever desireth to be free from this Sin, let him always bear in Mind the Words which God spake unto Adam (Gen.3:19), Dust thou art, and unto Dust thou shall return. Let him, likewise, be ever mindful of the Last Judgment, and of everlasting Torments; and also of these Words of the Apostle (Jas.4:6 and 1Pet.5:5), God resisteth the Proud, but giveth Grace unto the Humble. Question 26. What is Avarice? Answer. Avarice is the unbounded Coveting of Riches and Possessions. Of this Sin the Scripture speaketh thus (Prov.28:16), He that hateth Covetousness shall prolong his Days. And the Apostle (2Pet.2:14), An Heart they have exercised with covetous Practices; accursed Children. The Virtue opposite to this Vice is Liberality; as the Psalmist saith (Ps.112:9), He hath dispersed abroad and given to the Poor; his Righteousness remaineth for ever. Question 27. What Sins arise from Avarice? Answer. From Avarice do arise Rapine, Slaughter, Fraud, Lying, Rebellion, Oppression and Cruelty, Unmercifulness, Inhumanity, Hard-heartedness, Envy, Treachery, Injuries done to the Poor and others, Niggardliness, Theft, and the like of these. Whoever, therefore, desireth to avoid this Vice, let him constantly reflect upon the voluntary Poverty of Christ our Lord, who saith of himself (Mat.8:20), The Foxes have Holes, and the Birds of the Air have Nests, hut the Son of Man hath not where to lay his Head. Let him also be mindful that he is the Steward only, and not the Lord of that which he possesseth; and that God will require an Account of his Stewardship when he cometh to Judgment. |
| Образ Божий в человеке заключается не в его телесном облике, как полагали антропоморфиты, поскольку это означало бы признание телесности и ограниченности в Самом Боге (Resp. ad Tib. 10// Pusey. 1872. Vol. 3. P. 592-593; Ep. 83//Ibid. P. 603-604), но в определенных свойствах человеческой души. Среди них К. указывает разумность, добродетельность, святость, свободу воли, способность главенствовать над проч. творением: «Только человек в отличие от всех земных животных разумен, сострадателен и наделен способностью ко всякой добродетели, а кроме того, получил владычество над всеми живущими на земле (Быт 1. 28), по подобию и образу Бога» ( Cyr. Alex. Ep. 83// Pusey. 1872. Vol. 3. P. 605). «Изображается же Он в нас, как можно думать, прежде всего и главным образом через добродетель и освящение. Ведь Божество - свято и является источником, началом и основанием всякой добродетели» (Resp. ad Tib. 10//Ibid. P. 593-594). «Человек сотворен был вначале наделенным властью над собственными своими хотениями и обладающим свободным стремлением к чему бы ни захотел, ибо свободно Божество, по образу Которого он сотворен» (Glaph. in Pent. In Gen. I 4//PG. 69. Col. 24). Как богоподобное свойство человека К. особо отмечает его разум. Бог «влагает семя премудрости и богопознания, прирождает корень разума ( ) и таким образом совершает разумное живое существо, являя его причастником собственной Своей природы» (In Ioan. I 9// Pusey. 1872. Vol. 1. P. 111). Образ Божий не является исключительной принадлежностью человека: им обладают и ангелы, поскольку и у них есть добродетели, «притом несравненно больше, чем у нас». «Все разумное творение приобретает образ Божий через освящение, праведность и всякую добродетель. Ведь если даже у нас, живущих на земле, проявляется Божественная и превышающая этот мир красота, то разве не в большей мере - у разумных вышних сил, на которых почивает Бог?» (Resp. ad Tib. 14//Ibid. Vol. 3. P. 599-600). К. не соглашается с предположением, что сотворенный «по образу» Бога человек не образ Бога, но «образ образа», т. е. Сына, Который есть образ Отца (2 Кор 4. 4; Кол 1. 15). Поскольку «подобие во всем у Св. Троицы не имеет отличия» и «Божество по природе - одно в Отце, Сыне и Святом Духе», то «даже если человек сотворен по образу Сына, он и так является по образу Божию, ведь в нем блистают черты всей единосущной Троицы» ( Cyr. Alex. De dogm. sol. 4// Pusey. 1872. Vol. 3. P. 557-558). |
| In conclusion, we can say that sufferings are a part of our fallen reality. In our freedom, following the example of the Lord, we can follow the sufferings to reach resurrection or eternally get firm in evil. We have to always remember that our struggle is against temptation, against the spirit of evil. These are not medieval concepts, but an everyday reality. So, we cannot count only upon our free will, it could be substituted, but upon the Lord. Sufferings could be humiliating and sobering, they can place us in front of our way to be healed. The way of healing lies through humbleness, repentance and of course, prayer, i.e. through communication with the Lord, to Him is glory unto the ages. Amen. Gen. 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Gen. 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. Gen. 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. St. John of Damascus. Dialogue against Manicheans. PG 94, 1560C The beginning and the end of all, including evil is good. Everything belongs to good – the good and the opposing. We act wishing good; nobody turn his eyes towards bad, when he does what he does. So evil has not hypostases but para-hypostases. Gen. 3 Gen. 3:24 Gen. 3:5 Gen. 3:8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. Ephes. 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Gen. 3:15 Gen. 3:16 John 16:21 Gen. 3:17-19 Luk. 13:1-5 Luk. 15:11-32 |
| To the question, How was God» " s omnipotence expressed before there was a world, St. Methodius of Patara notes, “God Omnipotent is outside every dependence upon the things created by Him.” The Angelic World The first and highest place in the entire ladder of created being is occupied by the pure and fleshless spirits. They are beings not only comparatively higher and more perfect, but they also have a very important influence on the life of men, even though they are invisible to us.What has been revealed to us about them? How and when did they come into being? What nature was given them? Are they all of an equal stature? What is their purpose and the form of their existence? Angels in Sacred Scripture. The name “angel” means “messenger.” This word defines chiefly their service to the human race. Mankind knew about their existence from its first days in Paradise; we see a reflection of this fact in other ancient religions also, not only in the Jewish. After mankind fell into sin and was banished from Paradise, a Cherubim with a flaming sword was placed to guard the entrance to Paradise ( Gen. 3:24 ). Abraham, when sending his servant to Nahor, encouraged him with the conviction that the Lord would send His angel with him and order well his way ( Gen. 24:7 ). Jacob saw angels, both during sleep (in the vision of the mystical ladder, on the way to Mesopotamia; Gen. 28:12 ) and while awake (on the way home to Esau, when he saw a “host” of the angels of God; Gen. 32:1–2 ). In the Psalter, angels are often spoken of: “Praise Him all ye His angels” ( Ps. 148:2 ). “He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee and all thy ways” ( Ps. 90:11 ). Similarly, we read about them in the Book of Job and in the Prophets. The Prophet Isaiah saw Seraphim surrounding the Throne of God (ch. 6). The Prophet Ezekiel saw Cherubim in the vision of the House of God (ch. 10). The New Testament Revelation contains much information and many mentions of angels. An angel informed Zacharias of the conception of the Forerunner. |
| 1. BODY . The body of man was created by «God of the dust of the around» ( Gen. 2:7 ), and therefore belongs to the earth. «For dust thou art, and unto dust shall thou return» ( Gen. 3:19 ), it was said to the first man after his fall into sin. In his physical, bodily life, man is not different from any of the other living creatures or animals in satisfying the needs of the body. The needs of the body are various, but in general they all come down to the satisfaction of two basic instincts: 1) the instinct of self-preservation and 2) the instinct of continuing the race . Both of these instincts were placed by the Creator in the bodily nature of every living creature with a completely understandable and reasonable goal: that they not perish and be destroyed without a trace. For dealing with the external world, the body of man is equipped with five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch , without which man would be completely helpless in the world. This whole apparatus of the human body is extraordinarily complex and most wisely put together, but by itself would be merely a dead machine without motion if the soul did not bring it to life. 2. SOUL. The soul was given by God as the life-giving principle in order to govern the body. In other words, the soul is the life force of man and of every living being; the scientists call it just this: vital life strength. The animals also have a soul, but it was brought forth from the earth together with the body. «And God said: let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life...great whales, and every living creature that moveth...cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth...after his kind: and it was so» ( Gen. 1:20–24 ). Only of man is it said that, after the creation of his body from the dust of the earth, the Lord «breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul» ( Gen. 2:7 ). This «breath of life» is the highest function in man, his spirit, by which he is immeasurably higher than all other living beings. Therefore, although the soul of man is in many ways similar to that of animals, still, in its higher part, it incomparably surpasses the souls of animals, thanks to its being joined with the spirit which is from God. The soul of man is the link between the body and spirit, being, as it were, a bridge from the body to the spirit. |
| 2. Recovering the place of betrothal in New Testament theology Betrothal is the assumed means of entry into marriage in the Bible, and in Greek and Roman custom. It is also assumed in the marital imagery of the New Testament. St Paul compares the Corinthian church to a bride betrothed but not yet presented to Christ her ‘true and only husband’. (2 Cor.11.2-3) It is likely that the lengthy story of Jesus at the well with the Samaritan woman (Jn.4.1-42) is to be understood as a betrothal story because it relies on the literary conventions found in the betrothals of Rebecca, Rachel and Zipporah. John the Baptist explains he is the ‘forerunner’ of Jesus and compares his relationship to Jesus as one of ‘best man’ to bridegroom. But who is the bride? The betrothal conventions include 1. The hero travels to a foreign land far away. 2. The hero stops at a well. 3. A maiden comes to the well. 4. Hero does something for the maiden, showing superhuman strength or ability. 5. The maiden hurries home and reports what has occurred. 6. The stranger is invited into the household of the maiden. 7. Hero marries maiden-at-the-well. (He will eventually take her back to his native land.)’ Jesus too, travels to a foreign land, Samaria. He too stops at a well, Jacob’s well. A woman comes to the well. Unlike Rebecca and Rachel whose striking physical and virginal attributes are remarked on by male gazers and authors, the Samaritan woman has had 5 husbands and a live-in lover. Jesus, like Abraham’s servant, asks her for a drink. Abraham’s servant gives gifts to Rebecca (Gen.24.22) and her family (24.53). Jesus has ‘living water’ to offer the woman (Jn.4.10). Just as Rebecca ‘ran to her mother’s house’ (Gen.24.28), Rachel ‘ran and told her father (Gen.29.12), and the 7 daughters of Reuel returned to him (Ex.2.18), so the Samaritan woman ‘left her water-jar and went off to the town, where she said to the people, “Come and see a man who has told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”’ (Jn.4.29) |
| Unto thee shall be his desire (Gen. 4:1-24) Now we come to the actual subject of today’s meeting: is any service pleasing to God? The following words belong to St. Symeon the New Theologian, “The good done in a not good way is not good.” What does it mean? It may seem to be a cavil: after all, the person did good, and as they say: “work done, have fun.” But, it is not so. It is said: the good done in a not good way is not good. This is very vividly illustrated in the Biblical narration about the two brothers, children of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel. Cain and Abel. A fresco in Monreale Cathedral, Sicily, Italy. We read: And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord (Gen. 4:1). It’s a very interesting verse. Recall again the good news that we read in the third chapter of Genesis, the words of God addressed to the serpent: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel (Gen. 3:15). For the devil, these words were like a death sentence, but for Adam and Eve, they were good tidings. As Apostle Paul put it, the Gospel is a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: … the savor of death unto death (see 2 Cor. 2:15-16). And Eve remembered this promise of God, this good news, and, having given birth to Cain, said: I have gotten a man from the Lord . However, she “got ahead of herself,” for she gave birth not to the promised Messiah, but to Cain, the first murderer. Falling away from God, Who is Life, always leads to death. We read further: And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. A nd Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. |
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