| Y los que pueden hacerlo y están dispuestos, dan lo que cada uno cree adecuado; y lo que se recoge se entrega al presidente, el cual socorre a los huérfanos y a las viudas y a aquellos que, por enfermedad o cualquier otra causa, tienen necesidad, y a los esclavos y a los que están de paso entre nosotros, y en una palabra, se ocupa de todos los que están en necesidad. Pero el domingo es el día en que todos nos reunimos en asamblea común porque es el primer día en el cual Dios, habiendo hecho un cambio en la tinieblas y la materia, hizo el mundo; y Jesucristo nuestro Salvador resucitó el mismo día de entre los muertos. Porque Él fue crucificado el día anterior al Saturno (sábado); y el día después de Saturno, que es el día del Sol, habiendo aparecido a sus apóstoles y discípulos, les enseñó estas mismas cosas, las cuales hemos sometido a ustedes para su consideración (Comentarios sobre la adoración semanal del capítulo 67 de First Apology [Primera apología]). Junto con Ignacio y Justino Mártir, muchos otros padres apostólicos y de la iglesia primitiva declararon claramente al domingo como el día cristiano de adoración. Esto fue mucho antes de la centralización de la autoridad de la Iglesia en Roma y la «cristianización» del Imperio Romano bajo el mandato de Constantino. 2 Ignacio, Justino Mártir y otros padres de la Iglesia atribuyen el hecho de que se adore los domingos a que Cristo resucitó el primer día de la semana. Esto no es sorpresa, no sólo por el simbolismo que tiene con el día de la resurrección de nuestro Señor, sino porque el Señor mismo hizo hincapié en el domingo y no en el sábado al escogerlo como el día en el que se reunió con sus discípulos en sus apariciones posteriores a la resurrección (Mrc 16; Lucas 24; Jn 20:19–29 . Además, el Espíritu Santo se manifestó a Sí mismo un domingo y así nació la Iglesia (Hech 2). Aunque los principios morales que se hallan en los otros nueve mandamientos se expresan repetidamente en el Nuevo Testamento, ni una sola vez instruye el Nuevo Testamento a los cristianos a que guarden el mandamiento del sábado. Por el contrario, Colosenses 2:16–17 afirma que no debemos dejar que nadie nos juzgue respecto al sábado. En Romanos 14:1–6, el apóstol Pablo dijo claramente que se oponía a la controversia sobre «cuestiones disputables.» Declaró: «Uno juzga que un día es superior a otro, otro juzga iguales todos los días. Cada cual esté plenamente convencido según su propio sentir» (v.5). Dios dio el sábado a Israel como señal de su pacto especial con su pueblo escogido. Formaba parte de un elaborado sistema de sacrificios, rituales y ofrendas (Éxodo 31:13–17; Nehemías 9:13–14). Sin embargo, la Epístola a los Hebreos afirma claramente que la venida del Mesías invalidó estas regulaciones (Hebreos 10:1–18). Hace hincapié en que el Antiguo Testamento ha sido reemplazado por un nuevo pacto (Heb. 8:7–13). Pablo advirtió a la iglesia de Galacia sobre el legalismo que se relaciona con la ley mosaica diciendo: |
| Павла: Послания к Солунянам, к Филимону, к Евреям. М., 1998; Weiss B. Der Brief an die Hebräer. Gött., 18976; Zahn Th. Einleitung in das NT. Lpz., 1897-1899. 2 Bde; Soden H., von. Der Hebräerbrief, Briefe des Petrus, Jakobus, Judas. Freiburg i. Br.; Lpz.; Tüb., 18993; Harnack A. Probabilia über die Adresse und den Verfasser des Hebräerbriefs//ZNW. 1900. Bd. 1. S. 16-41; Никанор (Каменский), еп. Экзегетико-крит. исслед. послания св. ап. Павла к Евреям. Каз., 1903; Blass F. Brief an die Hebraer: Text mit Angabe der Rhythmen. Halle, 1903; Воронцов Е. А., свящ. Идея о Премирном Первосвященнике в ее раскрытии у Филона Александрийского и в Послании к Евреям//ВиР. 1906. 11. С. 539-552; он же. Псалом 8 и его цитация в Послании к Евреям//ХЧ. 1907. 5. С. 581-598; он же. Язык и стиль в Послании к Евреям//там же. 1. С. 3-23; он же. Сын Божий по естеству и сыны Божьи по благодати: Послание к Евреям II:12 и 13//Там же. 3. C. 365-384; Wrede W. Das literarische Rätsel des Hebräerbriefs. Gött., 1906; Ramsay W. M. Luke the Physician and Other Studies in the History of Religion. L., 1908; Dibelius F. Der Verfasser des Hebräerbrief: Eine Untersuchung zur Geschichte des Urchristentums. Strassburg, 1910; Wickham E. C. The Epistle to the Hebrews. L., 1910; Williams C. R. A Word Study of Hebrews 13//JBL. 1911. Vol. 30. N 2. P. 129-136; Розанов Н. П. Послание к Евреям// Лопухин. Толковая Библия. Т. 11. С. 431-493; Nairne A. The Epistle of Priesthood. Edinb., 1913 ; Глубоковский Н. Н. Ходатай Нового Завета: В память столетия МДА. Серг. П., 1915; он же. Искупление и Искупитель по Евр 2. Пг., 1917; он же. Послание к Евреям и ист. предание о нем//ГСУ, БФ. 1937. Т. 14. С. 1-62; Riggenbach E. Der Brief an die Hebräer. Lpz., 19223; Narborough F. D. V. The Epistle to the Hebrews. Oxf., 1930; Gyllenberg R. Die Christologie des Hebraerbriefes//ZSTh. 1933/1934. Bd. 11. S. 662-690; Jones E. D. The Authorship of Heb 13//Expository Times. 1934/1935. Vol. 46. N 12. P. 562-567; Badcock F. J. The Pauline Epistles and the Epistle to the Hebrews in Their Historical Setting. |
| In one, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the remission of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead. And the life of the age to come. Amen. The First Article of the Creed. 1. I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible . To believe in God means to be steadfastly sure that God exists, that He cares for us, and to wholeheartedly accept His Divine revelation; that is, everything that He revealed about Himself, and about the salvation of people by the incarnate Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. But in order that our faith be alive and active, it is necessary to confess it. To confess faith means to openly express internal faith in God by words and good works, and that neither danger, persecution, suffering, nor even death are able to force us to renounce our faith in the true God. Only by such a firm confession will we be able to save our souls. For man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation ( Rom. 10:10 ), says Apostle Paul. The holy martyrs serve as examples of steadfast and courageous confession of faith. They had such faith in God and were so animated by love for the Lord Jesus Christ that for His name’s sake they renounced all earthly gain, underwent persecution and such martyric sufferings that could be contrived only by the most evil imagination of man. The words of the Symbol of Faith, «In one God,» indicate the uniqueness of the true God. God is one, and there is no other beside Him ( Ex. 44:6 , Ex. 20:2–3 , Deut. 6:4 ; John 17:3; I Cor. 8:4–6). This reminder is given in order to repudiate pagan teachings about many gods. God is the highest Being, above all that is mundane or supernatural. To know the being of God is impossible. It is higher than the knowledge not only of men, but even of the angels. From the revelation of God, from the clear testimonies of the Holy Scriptures, we are able to get an understanding of the existence and the basic nature of God. God is Spirit ( John 4:24 ); living ( Jer. 10:10; I Thess. 1:9); self-existent, that is, dependent on no one, and having received life from Himself – He is ( Ex. 3:14; I John 2:13 ); everlasting ( Ps. 90:2 ; Ex. 40:28 ); unchanging ( James 1:17 ; Mala. 3:6; Ps. 102:27 ); omnipresent ( Ps. 139:7–12 ; Acts 17:27); omniscient (I John 3:29, Heb. 4:13); omnipotent ( Gen. 17:1 ; Luke 1:37; Ps. 32:9 ); all good (Matt. 19:17, Ps. 24:8 ); wise ( Ps. 104:24 ; Rom. 14:26; I Tim. 1:17); righteous ( Ps. 7:12 ; Ps. 10:7; II Rom. 6:11 ); self-sufficient (Acts 17:25); all blessed ( I Tim. 6:15 ). |
| John retains the sequence of prior tradition in connecting the feeding miracle (6:10–13) with Jesus walking on water (6:16–21), but given John " s wholesale adaptation and rearrangement of his sources (e.g., 2:13–20), what he retains is as much Johannine as whatever he might add. Even the Synoptics probably use Jesus» walking on water to hint at his deity in some way ( Mark 6:49–50 ), so it is not surprising that John would do the same with one of Jesus» «I am» statements here (confessions of Jesus» identity which perhaps become most explicit in 8:58). Turning water into something else as Moses did characterizes divine activity in Revelation (8:8; 16:3–6), though it could be delegated to a human agent (11:6). In Exodus, God " s people beheld his glory in some signs (Exod 16:7,10), but Moses beheld God " s glory most fully when God gave the gift of his word (Exod 33:18–34:7). In the Fourth Gospel, however, Jesus is the gift of the Word, and the disciples become the new Moses in beholding his glory. To paraphrase another early Christian writer, Jesus is greater than Moses in the same way that the builder of a house is greater than the house (Heb 3:2–3; cf. Num 12:7 ). Clearly the signs are linked with the responses they intend to evoke: faith or unbelief. 2412 But John also links the signs to «knowing» God. The first, foundational period of signs in the Hebrew Bible occurred in Israel " s redemption in the exodus. Repeatedly God announced that the purpose of these signs was so that those who saw them might «know» that he was the Lord. Thus the signs functioned as divine self-revelation. The statement of purpose in 20:30–31 sounds roughly analogous, except that the goal here stops not at information about God on which the wise will act, but full discipleship, mature faith. The Fourth Gospel selects particular signs to unveil Johannine Christology addressing Jesus» identity and mission. (Our next chapter will explore some other elements of John " s Christology.) Conclusion |
| Question 13. What are the Essential Attributes of God? Answer. The Essential Attributes of God, are those which equally belong to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost: Namely, to be God, to be Creator, to be Fore-knowing, to behold all Things, to be present with all Things, to fill all Things, to be infinite and boundless, to know all Things, whether hidden or manifest; and to sum up all in a few Words, besides the Personal Attributes before-mentioned, as of the Father to be unbegotten, and the Cause of the Persons, of the Son to be begotten and incarnate, and of the Holy Ghost to proceed; whatever else is said of God, is properly an Attribute of the Divine Nature, and equally appertaineth to the three Persons, without any Difference and Distinction. Question 14. Why is only this Attribute, Almighty, expressed in the first Articles of the Creed? Answer. Because this Word, Almighty, most fully expresses the peculiar Essence of the divine Nature, since no created Being can be called Almighty; and that for two Reasons, namely, first, for that it doth not derive its Nature from itself, but from its Creator; and, secondly, because no created Being can produce something out of nothing, which Almightiness alone can do. And God hath declared his Almightiness in the Revelation (Rev.1:8), I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. The same saith the Arch-Angel Gabriel (Luke.1:37), With God nothing shall be impossible. Nevertheless, this universal Power and Almightiness of God, is distinct from his Will and Benevolence, inasmuch as that doth not all which it can, but all which this appointeth: According to the holy Psalmist (Ps.115:3), As for our God, he is in Heaven; he hath done whatsoever pleased him. For it is certain had he pleased, he might have made six thousand Worlds as easily as he made this, but he willed not. We must, farthermore, consider the divine All-powerfulness as joined with the highest and utmost Perfections, most clearly void of all, even the least Weakness or Imperfection; as for instance, God cannot be evil; he cannot sin, he cannot lie nor deny himself (2Tim.2:13; Heb.6:8), for these are mere Imperfections: And God cannot be Almighty if he could be wicked, or defiled with Sin, or deny himself; these being the Marks or Fruits of Imperfections. But God is Almighty by his Will and most perfect Goodness, as the Prophet celebrates him (Ps.77:13, Ps.77:14), Who is so great a God as our God? Thou art the God that doth Wonders, and hast declared thy Power among the People. To conclude, God is styled Almighty, because all things are in his Power and Command, and because without any Labour or Difficulty he created the Universe by merely and only Willing that it should be so. |
| PARADISE The place of rest for the departed in Christ. The original Paradise, seen in Gen. 2:8-14, will be restored in its fullness following the Second Coming of Christ. See Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 12:4; 2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 2:7; 21:1. PARADOX That which is true, but not conventionally logical: for example, that a virgin could bear a Son and yet remain a virgin, as did Mary; or that God can be One, yet three Persons. The Christian faith is full of paradoxes, because our intellect is not sufficient to comprehend the mind of God (see Is. 55:8, 9). PASCHA Greek for " Passover. " Originally Pascha designated the Jewish Passover; now, it is the Feast of the Resurrection of Christ. Christ is the Lamb of God whose sacrifice delivers the faithful from death, as the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb delivered the ancient Jews from slavery and death in Egypt (Ex. 12; 13; 1 Cor. 5:7, 8). PASSION (1) A term used to describe the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. (2) Holy Week is often called Passion Week, describing Christ’s struggle and suffering in (3) Passions are human appetites or urges—such as hunger, the desire for pleasure and sexual drives—which become a source of sin when not controlled or directed by submission to the will of God (Rom. 1:26; 7:5; Gal. 5:24; Col. 3:5). PEACE (Heb. shalom) Tranquillity, harmony with God, self, and other people made possible through Christ, who unites human beings to God and to each other. See Rom. 14:17; Gal. 5:22; Eph. 2:13-16; Phil. 4:6, 7. PENTECOST Originally an OT harvest festival celebrated fifty days following the In time, Pentecost became the commemoration of the giving of the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai. Pentecost took on a new meaning with the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles at Pentecost. Through the Sacrament of Chrismation, Orthodox Christians experience their own personal Pentecost. Every Divine Liturgy becomes a Pentecost through the descent of the Holy Spirit on the faithful and the gifts (the bread and wine), transforming them into the Body and Blood of Christ. See Ex. 23:14-17; Lev. 23:15-21; Acts 2:1-41. |
| The Cross of Christ is a piece of armor, or a garment which we put on (Matt. 20:22–23; Mark 10:38–39 ; Luke 12:50) at the time of our earthly toils and labors in order that by it we be distinguished from all heterodox or unbelievers (Rev. 7:3; Ezekiel 9:4). The Cross of Christ is laudation for Christians and formidable punishment for those who loathe and shun it, for those who fall away from the Church of Christ because of it, and for the enemies of God ( Gal 6:14; I Cor 1:18; Heb. 13:13; 6:6; Philip. 3:18). The Cross of Christ is a spiritual sword by which visible and invisible enemies are vanquished. The Cross of Christ is a divine weapon to drive away every enemy and adversary ( I Cor. 1:181:71–74 ; Matt. 22:44). Finally, the Cross of Christ will be an awful sign on the day of Tribulation and Last Judgement of God for all adversaries of the name of Christ, antichrists (Matt. 24:30). (Compiled from Humility in Christ, P. Ivanovna; the Journal Eternal, and Lessons and Examples in Christian Faith by the V. Rev. Gregory Di-achenko.). Discussion of Two Providential Acts of God. In our day the rational world is increasingly indifferent to the Christian faith. Unbelief, godlessness, and atheism are becoming firmly established everywhere. But for the edification of the faithful, to strengthen us who vacillate in the face of the convictions of atheists, we will describe two historical events which are striking even to the materialistic world. The first of them occurred on the day of the suffering of our Saviour on the cross, and the other in our time. I. When the Saviour suffered on the cross all nature trembled, the light of the sun was hidden, and darkness was on all the earth, as the Evangelist relates. This extraordinary event had been predicted many centuries before by the Prophet Amos: The end is come upon my people of Israel: I will not again pass by them any more (Amos 8:2). And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day (Amos 8:9)...and I will make it as the mourning of an only Son... (Amos 8:10). |
| 550 I Pet. 5: 5; Prov. 3: 34. 551 Cf.: Mt. 19: 6; 24: 37—39; Lk. 17: 26—30; 18: 8; 21: 23. 552 Lk. 21: 23; Mt. 24: 19. 553 Plato, Leges, VIII 840 a; Aelianus, De natura animalium VI 1; Varia historia III 30. 554 Diog. Laert. V 35. 555 Истр Киренский был учеником Каллимаха и писателем второй половины третьего века до н. э. Фрагменты см.: FGrH 3 B 334. 556 I Tim. 4: 1—3. 557 Col. 2: 18.23; I Cor. 7: 27. 2—3. 558 I Reg. 17: 6; I Sam. 9: 24. 559 Mt. 11: 18—19. Петр действительно был женат (Mk 1: 30; I Cor. 9: 5), однако в Новом завете ничего не говорится о детях и семейном положении Филиппа. 560 Phil. 4: 3. Место неоднозначное и толкование Климента спорно. Здесь действительно упоминается некая сотрудница (или сотрудник по имени Сизигос). 561 В действительности, имеется в виду первое послание (I Tim. 5: 9—15). 562 Mt. 25: 35.40; Prov. 19: 17; 3: 27. 563 Prov. 3: 3; 10: 4; Ps. 14: 5; Prov. 13: 8. 564 Mt. 19: 19—21; Lev. 19: 18 et. al. 565 Prov. 13: 11; 11: 24; Ps. 111: 9. 566 Mt. 6: 19; Hag. 1: 6. 567 Cf. Mt. 11:19. Заметим, что из фрагмента непосредственно не следует, что Иисус имел тело психической или духовной природы. Все сказанное вполне укладывается в схему, предложенную в Евангелии от Матфея. Контекст высказывания показывает, что Климент цитирует здесь Валентина скорее в подтверждение своих мыслей, нежели в целях полемики. 568 Mt. 19: 12; Heb. 9: 14. 569 FGrH 3 A 99, fr. 18. 570 Возможно, лакуна в тексте. 571 Вероятно имеются в виду буддийские «ступы» — священные сооружения где обычно замуровываются различные священные предметы, от текстов мантр до останков святых. Однако обнаженными буддисты обычно не ходили. Источником Климента здесь скорее всего также является Александр Полигистор. Упоминание о Будде см. в первой книге Стромат (Strom. I 21). 572 II Cor. 5: 10.17; 6: 14—16; 7: 1. 573 Ср. трехчастное деление души у Платона (Rep. IV 435 b — 441 c). 574 II Cor. 6: 16. 575 Cf. Mt. 5: 27—28. 576 II Cor. 6: 16—18. 577 II Cor. 7: 1; 11: 2. 578 II Cor. 11: 3. 579 I Pet. 2: 11—12; 15—16. |
| But do we see this in actuality? How few of us read their epistles, and how few of us strive to understand them! How often and with what indifference do we abandon the word of God, which is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Heb. 4:12), and turn to earthly wisdom, the rudiments of the world (Gal. 4:9; Col. 2:8), which does not in the least reveal to us the divine wisdom hidden throughout the world and in the life of mankind! Doesn " t it also happen that these words of the Apostles are even laughed at amongst us, just as they were amongst the sophists and philosophers of Athens, from whom the Apostle Paul departed with a heavy spirit, to preach in other cities (Act. 17:18, 32–33; 18:1 1 Col. 3:1–7)? Aren " t the preachers of these words of the Apostles also subjected even now to persecutions, even unto bonds, like the great Apostle of Christ, Paul (2 Tim. 2:9)? Isn " t the reason why unbelief is increasing in our time: that we do not want to hear and know about that living, fiery faith, which comes not from opinion or the logic of flesh and blood, but from heavenly, divine revelation (Mt. 16:17), as did the rock, Simon Peter? Is the reason why Christian love is becoming more and more scarce among people that we have completely forgotten Paul, whose mouth was always opened unto the people, and whose heart was enlarged (cf. 2 Cor. 6:11), in order to embrace with tender love all those whom he begot in the Gospels through Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 4:15)? As long as the earth stands, it will stand only on twelve foundations, which are the Apostles of Christ (Rev. 21:14; Eph. 2:20). But if instead of approaching Christ, the Chief Cornerstone, and as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood (1 Pet. 2:5), we build upon a foundation other than Jesus Christ, then each one " s work will be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man " s work of what sort it is (1 Cor. 3:11-13), and the fire from which the present world shall perish (cf. 2 Pet 3:7-12) will destroy it more and more, so that new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness (2 Pet. 3:13) might appear. |
| Ecumenism and catholicity of the Church could only be true and correct for St. Justin if it was a theanthropic viewpoint, placing the God-man in the center of all things. “God-manhood is the fundamental catholicity of the Church (=ecumenicity, as the atom is to the planet): up to Triadicity: but through the God-man who both leads into and unites with the Holy Trinity: as the ideal and reality of perfect Catholicity (=ecumenicity) (…) Therefore the Church [is]: the most perfect workshop for the creation of perfect man. Everything else apart from the God-man: pseudo society and pseudo personalities—an unfeasible humanistic hodgepodge. Only: Christ [is] all and everything. By her very nature the Church is ecumenical, for she is catholic” 9 9.4 Humanism and Ecumenism Now that it is made clear what St. Justin means when using the words “ecumenism” and “catholic”, it is safe to move forward into his criticism of the ecumenical movement and of the whole of Western European society. This is important to do because St. view on ecumenism is colored by his criticism of his contemporary world and the ecumenical movement of his time. “Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb 13:8)—this is something that must be the core of the Orthodox understanding of ecumenism, according to St. Justin. In other words, we (humans) can’t change Christ, we can’t decide what he thinks about x or y. We can only put the God-man in center of everything and especially of ecumenism, and work from there. That is the only way for St. Justin, and a theme seen throughout his writings. The God-man solves all the eternal problems of man and mankind—no human can do that. Hence his critique of Western humanism. If the Church can’t solve the eternal problems (with the God-man Christ in the center) of mankind, “She sinks into petty humanistic and hoministic problems” 10 . This leads to the Church becoming earthy only. She kills people (St. Justin uses crusades and inquisitions as examples 11 ), solving all earthy problems with earthly measures, namely with fire and the sword. This in turn, according to St. Justin, kills the God-man, it kills Christ who is the Church. The Church must follow the first two commandments of God: Love of God first and then humans, “From God to man: from the God-man to man” 12 . Humanism, however, always takes the reverse order according to St. Justin. This is something he calls “papal humanism” 13 , as he sees the Pope as the leader, cause and head of humanism (something we will get back to later). This “pan heresy,” 14 as he calls it, leads to constant shedding of human blood in the world and the slaughter of human souls as a result. |
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