What Is Orthodoxy

Thanks to Maxim.

On the first Sunday of Great Lent we celebrate the Triumph of Orthodoxy, a feast that was established in the year 842 to mark the final defeat of the Iconoclast heresy. In issuing a decree to celebrate the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the Synod of Constantinople wished to specifically commit the restoration of holy icons and the triumph of Orthodox Christology to the memory of the Church. During the eleven centuries that have followed since that day, the feast has come to be celebrated as the triumph of Orthodoxy over all heresies that have troubled the Church. Within the solemn proclamation of the Anathema which is heard on this day in every Orthodox cathedral, the Church in its fullness confirms the faith of the Fathers and rejects all heresies of the past and present. But the meaning of this feast is not in the rejection of false teaching from our midst, but in the true triumph of Orthodoxy in our hearts.

What is Orthodoxy? All too often we are more familiar with the heresies of old-Iconoclasm, Arianism, Monophisitism-or of the modern day-Ecumenism, Modernism, Sergianism-than we are with our own faith. We can eloquently argue the fallacies of Roman Catholicism or Protestantism, but can we tell what makes us Orthodox? What is Orthodoxy, and how can we strive for its triumph in our lives?

As we begin our search for the meaning of Orthodoxy, we must first look at the definitions given by the Fathers in the profession of faith or the Creed. From its very beginning, the Christian faith had to be defined, set apart, called out, and elected. Several redactions of the Creed-from that of the Apostles to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed-stand witness to this laborious task of defining Orthodoxy. The word "Orthodox" is not in the Creed; the Fathers of the Nicene Council (A.D. 325) called it simply "the Symbol of Faith" ( ). But it is this profession of faith that continues to serve as the foundation of our belief today, and that is why we rightfully call it "the Symbol of the Orthodox Faith."

The Holy Church uses the Creed to instruct us in our faith throughout our entire earthly life. We recite the Creed before we are baptized into the Church, we hear it during services, we solemnly proclaim it together during every Divine Liturgy, we recite it every day as part of our daily prayer rule, and when partaking of our last Communion on the bed of illness and infirmity, we once again proclaim the Symbol of Orthodox Faith. This profession of faith which we make ours is an unbroken link that ties us to the faith of the Apostles and the martyrs, the Fathers and the holy hierarchs-it is the profession of every Orthodox saint for over two millennia. Those who so often "speed-chant" right over the Creed, and especially those who do not know the Creed, should remember that this profession of faith is made by the whole choir of the saints of the Church, and we should try to join in this choir-"with one mouth and one heart."Is knowing the basic truths contained in the profession of our faith enough to be Orthodox? The holy apostle James says:

"You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe-and tremble!" (James 2:19) Knowing the truth is not the same as making it your own. Each one of the ancient and modern heretics knew the Creed very well, and most of them did not even try to change it, take anything away or add anything to it. Instead, they corrupted the understanding of the faith, and spread their corrupt teachings among people. This is why it is so important to be familiar with the works of the Fathers of the Church.

Through a life of prayer, fasting and study of the Scripture, the Fathers acquired the mind of Christ, and the Holy Spirit guided their understanding of divine truths. To them, the words of the Symbol of Faith were not abstract concepts, but the very foundations of their lives.

We no longer read the works of Saint John Chrysostom or other Fathers in most parish churches. Even our divine services, full of the wisdom and the spirit of patristic theology, have become abbreviated and less attended. As piety among us declines, we are not willing to sacrifice much time from our busy lives to be in church and to hear the beautiful and profoundly meaningful words of the services. Yet, in spite of this, the services do not become less beautiful and meaningful, nor do they become less important for us. Even though our piety is declining, our literacy is not. Most of us can read, and the texts which were once hand-copied and kept in monastery libraries are now widely available both in print and in electronic format. In order to acquire the Orthodox mindset and the worldview of the Fathers, we must become familiar with their thought and with their heritage. Both the theological and the liturgical heritage of the Fathers are indispensible to our formation as Orthodox Christians.

Some may complain that the language of the services is archaic and that the writings of the Fathers are too complicated and difficult to understand. This is true. Those who do not put forth effort to become familiar with the spiritual texts will indeed find them difficult. This is true, however, of any area of knowledge. People who do not practice reading have difficulty getting through a page, those who do not cook cannot easily follow a recipe, one who is not familiar with economics does not know the difference between the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Dow Jones Composite Average or what their significance is, and if you do not watch many films you can hardly understand the talk about movie stars. Similarly, if we do not spend time and effort becoming familiar with the heritage of the Church, we will continue to feel like strangers who do not understand Orthodoxy, cannot relate to it, and can barely comprehend the language of divine services. Everything worth pursuing takes time and effort. We have the time. It is our choice what we do with it and toward which things we apply our efforts.

Finally, even this is not enough. If Christ willed for us to be saved through knowledge and understanding, He would have published a book and opened a school. Instead, He founded the Church. Knowing the texts and languages makes a good academician, but it does not protect a man from the river of fire, unless he is inside the Arc of Salvation-the Church. And to be in the Church, we must live the life of the Church-with its fasts and feasts, its services and sacraments-all has been established for our benefit. Every time we disobey the Church, every time we choose not to attend a service, every time we give up the fast to please the demands of our bellies-we continue to cut the very fabric that connects us to the Church. To be God's children, we must become part of God's family.

Our salvation is in the Body of Christ, and being in this Body and in communion with this Body is what truly makes us Orthodox. Orthodoxy is not merely a teaching, a philosophy, or even a worldview; it is the sacrament of salvation. Therefore, it is not enough to know or to have; it is necessary to "be". Orthodoxy is not primarily a body of knowledge, but first and foremost it is life-life in the Church and the life of the Church. And just as human life consists of very small and seemingly insignificant steps that together make up our journey from the cradle to the grave, life in the Church also consists of small steps that lead from death to resurrection. Each one of these steps, no matter how small, is very important, and we must strive on our spiritual path as the merchant, who having found a pearl of great price, gave up everything else to own it (Matt. 13:45-46)..

You cannot find ten minutes in a day to pray to God?-Seek diligently and find five! You cannot find time to read the works of the Fathers?-Start by reading the Gospel and do not forsake it! You cannot be in church for every service?-Begin by making a real effort to come at least for every festal service! You cannot give a lot of money to those in need?-Give what you can, even if it is only two mites (Mk. 12:42), or call your elderly neighbor and ask if you could be of any help. Do something about your spiritual life! The kingdom of heaven is not reached by "couch potatoes," but by those who force themselves out of their comfort ("cf".. Matt. 11:12); Christ is not calling to Himself the lazy who refuse to walk, but those who labor (Matt. 11:28) and who "strive to enter through the narrow gate" (Lk. 13:24). Not every one of us will walk in the footsteps of Saint Seraphim of Sarov and fast as he did, but every one of us knows when it is a Wednesday or a Friday. Not everyone will pray for two hours as did Saint Martyr Polycarp, but everyone knows the simple words that have been repeated by multitudes of saints: "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!"

And so it is in the life of the Church, in the life exemplified by our saints, that we find the true meaning of what it is to be Orthodox. And this life is not a biography or a memoir. It is not found in ancient scrolls or on the pages of history books. It must be found in the mirror. You, who were so wondrously fashioned in the divine image of the Creator (Gen. 1:27), take courage to become His likeness, and your faith will make you well ("cf". Matt. 9:22)!

As we celebrate this Sunday of Orthodoxy, let us remember that the triumph of Orthodoxy cannot be marked on the calendar-it is marked in our lives and in our hearts. Let us rejoice today with the whole Church, and let us sing the restoration of holy icons in the temples of God. But this restoration did not end in the ninth century; it is to be completed by us, as we co-labor with God to restore His holy images in the temples of our own souls.

"Fr. Sergei Sveshnikov, 2009"

Source: spellscasting.blogspot.com

The Bible And The Early Church On Salvation

Salvation

Gods Word [The Bible]

Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. (Romans 3:21-31)

Ignatius [Salvation]

Let no man deceive himself. Both the things which are in heaven, and the glorious angels,36 and rulers, both visible and invisible, if they believe not in the blood of Christ, shall, in consequence, incur condemnation.37 "He that is able to receive it, let him receive it."38

Let not [high] place puff any one up: for that which is worth all is39 faith and love, to which nothing is to be preferred. But consider those who are of a different opinion with respect to the grace of Christ which has come unto us, how opposed they are to the will of God. They have no regard for love; no care for the widow, or the orphan, or the oppressed; of the bond, or of the free; of the hungry, or of the thirsty. (Shorter Version)

Let no man deceive himself. Unless he believes that Christ Jesus has lived in the flesh, and shall confess His cross and passion, and the blood which He shed for the salvation of the world, he shall not obtain eternal life, whether he be a king, or a priest, or a ruler, or a private person, a master or a servant, a man or a woman. "He that is able to receive it, let him receive it." Let no man's place, or dignity, or riches, puff him up; and let no man's low condition or poverty abase him.

For the chief points are faith towards God, hope towards Christ, the enjoyment of those good things for which we look, and love towards God and our neighbour(Portion of the Longer Version) (The Epistle of Ignatius to the Symraens, Chapter 6)

Polycarp [Salvation]

Chapter I.-Praise of the Philippians.

I have greatly rejoiced with you in our Lord Jesus Christ, because ye have followed the example of true love [as displayed by God], and have accompanied, as became you, those who were bound in chains, the fitting ornaments of saints, and which are indeed the diadems of the true elect of God and our Lord;

and because the strong root of your faith, spoken of in days long gone by, endureth even until now, and bringeth forth fruit to our Lord Jesus Christ, who for our sins suffered even unto death, [but] "whom God raised froth the dead, having loosed the bands of the grave. "In whom, though now ye see Him not, ye believe, and believing, rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; " into which joy many desire to enter, knowing that "by grace ye are saved, not of works," but by the will of God through Jesus Christ. (The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians, Chapter 1)

Clement of Rome [Salvation]

Whosoever will candidly consider each particular, will recognise the greatness of the gifts which were given by him. For from him have sprung the priests and all the Levites who minister at the altar of God. From him also [was descended] our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh. From him [arose] kings, princes, and rulers of the race of Judah. Nor are his other tribes in small glory, inasmuch as God had promised,

"Thy seed shall be as the stars of heaven." All these, therefore, were highly honoured, and made great, not for their own sake, or for their own works, or for the righteousness which they wrought, but through the operation of His will.

And we, too, being called by His will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, nor by our own wisdom, or understanding, or godliness, or works which we have wrought in holiness of heart; but by that faith through which, from the beginning, Almighty God has justified all men; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, Chapter 32)

These things, beloved, we write unto you, not merely to admonish you of your duty, but also to remind ourselves. For we are struggling on the same arena, and the same conflict is assigned to both of us. Wherefore let us give up vain and fruitless cares, and approach to the glorious and venerable rule of our holy calling. Let us attend to what is good, pleasing, and acceptable in the sight of Him who formed us.

Let us look stedfastly to the blood of Christ, and see how precious that blood is to God, which, having been shed for our salvation, has set the grace of repentance before the whole world. Let us turn to every age that has passed, and learn that, from generation to generation, the Lord has granted a place of repentance to all such as would be converted unto Him.

Noah preached repentance, and as many as listened to him were saved. Jonah proclaimed destruction to the Ninevites; but they, repenting of their sins, propitiated God by prayer, and obtained salvation, although they were aliens [to the covenant] of God. (The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, Chapter 7)

Justin Marytr [Salvation]

. And this indeed you can see for yourselves, and be convinced of by fact. For of all races of men there are some who look for Him who was crucified in Judaea, and after whose crucifixion the land was straightway surrendered to you as spoil of war.

And the prophecy, "binding His foal to the vine, and washing His robe in the blood of the grape," was a significant symbol of the things that were to happen to Christ, and of what He was to do. For the foal of an ass stood bound to a vine at the entrance of a village, and He ordered His acquaintances to bring it to Him then; and when it was brought, He mounted and sat upon it, and entered Jerusalem, where was the vast temple of the Jews which was afterwards destroyed by you.

And after this He was crucified, that the rest of the prophecy might be fulfilled. For this "washing His robe in the blood of the grape" was predictive of the passion He was to endure, cleansing by His blood those who believe on Him. For what is called by the Divine Spirit through the prophet "His robe," are those men who believe in Him in whom abideth the seed61 of God, the Word (First Apology, Chapter XXXII)

Now this took place in the case of both those holy men and prophets of God, that you may perceive how one of them could not bear up both the mysteries: I mean, the type of the cross and the type of the name. For this is, was, and shall be the strength of Him alone, whose name every power dreads, being very much tormented because they shall be destroyed by Him.

Therefore our suffering and crucified Christ was not cursed by the law, but made it manifest that He alone would save those who do not depart from His faith. And the blood of the passover, sprinkled on each man's door-posts and lintel, delivered those who were saved in Egypt, when the first-born of the Egyptians were destroyed.

For the passover was Christ, who was afterwards sacrificed, as also Isaiah said, `He was led as a sheep to the slaughter.'423 And it is written, that on the day of the passover you seized Him, and that also during the passover you crucified Him. And as the blood of the passover saved those who were in Egypt, so also the blood of Christ will deliver from death those who have believed. Would God, then, have been deceived if this sign had not been above the doors? I do not say that; but I affirm that He announced beforehand the future salvation for the human race through the blood of Christ(Dialogue with Typho, Chapter CXI)

Clement of Alexandria [Salvation]

And now we must look also at this, that if ever those who know not how to do well, live well;81 for they have lighted on well-doing. Some, too, have aimed well at the word of truth through understanding. "But Abraham was not justified by works, but by faith."82

It is therefore of no advantage to them after the end of life, even if they do good works now, if they have not faith. Wherefore also the Scriptures were translated into the language of the Greeks, in order that they might never be able to allege the excuse of ignorance, in as much as they are able to hear also what we have in our hands, if they only wish.

One speaks in one way of the truth, in another way the truth interprets itself. The guessing at truth is one thing, and truth itself is another. Resemblance is one thing, the thing itself is another.

And the one results from learning and practice, the other from power and faith. For the teaching of piety is a gift, but faith is grace. "For by doing the will of God we know the will of God. Open, then," says the Scripture, "the gates of righteousness; and I will enter in, and confess to the Lord(The Stromata, Book I, Chapter VII)

Cyprian [Salvation]

For if Abraham believed in God, and it was accounted unto him for righteousness, assuredly whosoever believes in God and lives in faith is found righteous, and already is blessed in faithful Abraham, and is set forth as justified; as the blessed Apostle Paul proves, when he says,

"Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Ye know, then, that they which are of faith, these are the children of Abraham. But the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles through faith, pronounced before to Abraham that all nations should be blessed in him; therefore they who are of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham(Epistle LXII, v. 4)

Martin Luther [Salvation]

Martin Luther: Because an eternal, unchangeable sentence of condemnation has passed upon sinfor God cannot and will not regard sin with favor, but his wrath abides upon it eternally and irrevocablyredemption was not possible without a ransom of such precious worth as to atone for sin, to assume the guilt, pay the price of wrath and thus abolish sin. This no creature was able to do.

There was no remedy except for Gods only Son to step into our distress and himself become man, to take upon himself the load of awful and eternal wrath and make his own body and blood a sacrifice for sin. And so he did, out of the immeasurably great mercy and love towards us, giving himself up and bearing the sentence of unending wrath and death.

So infinitely precious to God is this sacrifice and atonement of his only begotten Son who is one with him in divinity and majesty, that God is reconciled thereby and receives into grace and forgiveness of sins all who believe in his Son. Only by believing may we enjoy the precious atonement of Christ, the forgiveness obtained for us and given us out of profound, inexpressible love.

We have nothing to boast of for ourselves, but must ever joyfully thank and praise him who at such priceless cost redeemed us condemned and lost sinners (Martin Luther, Epistle Sermon, Twentyfourth Sunday After Trinity (Lenker Edition, Vol. IX, #4345. Found in A Compend of Luthers Theology, Hugh Kerr, Ed., (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1966), pp. 5253).

John Calvin [Salvation]

John Calvin: Let us explain what these expressions mean: that man is justified in Gods sight, and that he is justified by faith or works. He is said to be justified in Gods sight who is both reckoned righteous in Gods judgment and has been accepted on account of his righteousness. Indeed as iniquity is abominable to God, so no sinner can find favor in his eyes in so far as he is a sinner and so long as he is reckoned as such. Accordingly wherever there is sin, there also the wrath and vengeance of God show themselves.

Now he is justified who is reckoned in the condition not of a sinner, but of a righteous man; and for that reason, he stands firm before Gods judgment seat while all sinners fall. If an innocent accused person be summoned before the judgment seat of a fair judge, where he will be judged according to his innocence, he is said to be justified before the judge.

Thus, justified before God is the man who, freed from the company of sinners, has God to witness and affirm his righteousness. In the same way, therefore, he in whose life that purity and holiness will be found which deserves a testimony of righteousness before Gods throne will be said to be justified by works, or else he who, by the wholeness of his works, can meet and satisfy Gods judgment.

On the contrary, justified by faith is he who, excluded from the righteousness of works, grasps the righteousness of Christ through faith, and clothed in it, appears in Gods sight not as a sinner but as a righteous man.

Therefore we explain justification simply as the acceptance with which God receives us into his favor as righteous men. And we say that it consists in the remission of sins and the imputation of Christs righteousness.

Therefore, to justify means nothing else than to acquit of guilt him who was accused, as if his innocence were confirmed. Therefore, since God justifies us by the intercession of Christ, he absolves us not by the confirmation of our innocence but by the imputation of righteousness, so that we who are not righteous in ourselves may be reckoned as such in Christ (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion. Found in The Library of Christian Classics (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1960), Volume XIX, Book III, Chapter XI.23, pp. 726728).

Thomas Crammer [Salvation]

Thomas Cranmer: It is our part and duty ever to remember the great mercy of God; how that, all the world being wrapped in sin by breaking of the law, God sent his only Son our Saviour Christ into this world to fulfil the law for us; and by shedding his most precious blood, to make a sacrifice and satisfaction, or (as it may be called) amends,

to his Father for our sins, to asuage his wrath and indignation conceived against us for the same...In our justification is not only Gods mercy and grace, but also his justice, which the apostle calls the justice of God; and it consisteth in paying our ransom and fulfilling the law.

And so the grace of God doth not exclude the justice of God in our justification, but only excludeth the justice of man, that is to say, the justice of our works, as to be merits deserving of our justification...It pleased our heavenly Father, of his infinite mercy, without any our desert or deserving, to prepare for us the most precious jewels of Christs body and blood, whereby our ransom might be fully paid, the law fulfilled, and his justice fully satisfied. So that Christ is now the righteousness of them that truly do believe in him.

He for them paid their ransom by his death. He for them fulfilled the law in his life. So that now in him and by him every true Christian man may be called a fulfiller of the law; forasmuch as that which their infirmity lacketh, Christs justice hath supplied (Thomas Cranmer, An Homily of the Salvation of Mankind by Only Christ Our Saviour from Sin and Death Everlasting. Found in The Library of Christian Classics (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1966), Volume XXVI, pp. 262, 264).

Theodore Beza, disciple of the infamous John Calvin [Salvation]

The object and power of true faith

Since Jesus Christ is the object of faith, and indeed Jesus Christ as He is held forth to us in the Word of God, there follow two points which should be noted well.

On the one side, where there is no Word of God but only the word of man, whoever he be, there is no faith there, but only a dream or an opinion which cannot fail to deceive us (Rom 10:2-4; Mark 16:15,16; Rom 1:28; Gal 1:8-9).

On the other side, faith embraces and appropriates Jesus Christ and all that is in Him, since He has been given to us on the condition of believing in Him (John 17:20,21; Rom 8:9). There follows one of two things: either all that is necessary for our salvation is not in Jesus Christ, or if all is indeed there, he who has Jesus Christ by faith has everything. Now, to say that all which is necessary for our salvation is not in Jesus Christ is a very horrible blasphemy, for this would only make Him a Saviour in part (Matt 1:21).

There remains therefore the other part: in having Jesus Christ, by faith, we have in Him all that is required for our salvation (Rom 5:1).

This is what the Apostle says, "There is no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ." (Rom 8:1). (THE CHRISTIAN FAITH by THEODORE BEZA, page 17)

Cyril Lucaris ca. 1572-1638 [Salvation]

Chapter 9. We believe that without faith no man can be saved. And we call faith that which justifies in Christ Jesus, which the life and death of our Lord Jesus Christ procured, the Gospel published, and without which no man can please God. (The Confession of Cyril Lucarius, Chapter I)

John Wesley [Salvation]

9. This, therefore, is the general ground of the whole doctrine of justification. By the sin of the first Adam, who was not only the father, but likewise the representative, of us all, we all fell short of the favour of God; we all became children of wrath; or, as the Apostle expresses it, "judgment came upon all men to condemnation."

Even so, by the sacrifice for sin made by the Second Adam, as the Representative of us all, God is so far reconciled to all the world, that he hath given them a new covenant; the plain condition wher being once fulfilled, "there is no more condemnation" for us, but "we are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ." ( Sermon 5, Justification by Faith, 1872 edition from gbgm-umc.org/umhistory/we...005.stm#I)

www.caic.org.au/biblebase/rci/salvn2.htm

St Maximus The Confessor

COMMEMORATED ON JANUARY 21Saint Maximus the Confessor was instinctive in Constantinople on all sides 580 and raised in a dutiful Christian people. He expected an advanced coaching, studying philosophy, grammar, and rhetoric. He was cultured in the authors of antiquity and he too mastered philosophy and theology. Having the status of St Maximus entered all the rage ruling service, he became opening secretary (asekretis) and fundamental fall to the queen Heraclius (611-641), who was stamped by his knowledge and expert life. St Maximus candidly realized that the queen and many others had been corrupted by the Monothelite heresy, which was circulation firmly among the East. He prepared to accept from his duties at law court, and went to the Chrysopolis monastery (at Skutari on the stubborn water's edge of the Bosphorus), anywhere he expected monastic tonsure. The same as of his diffidence and wisdom, he candidly won the love of the brethren and was special igumen of the monastery in the past a few soul. Incessant in this locate, he remained a simple holy woman. In 638, the queen Heraclius and Patriarch Sergius tried to illness the hint of differences in belief, and they issued an instruction, the "Ekthesis" ("Ekthesis tes pisteos" or "Bright of Conviction), which decreed that a person destitution swallow the teaching of one character in the two natures of the Champion. In defensive Conventionality versus the "Ekthesis," St Maximus spoke to tribe in varied occupations and positions, and these conversations were dominant. Not decently the clergy and the bishops, but too the tribe and the whatsoever officials felt some description of unnoticeable attraction to him, as we read in his Essence. Having the status of St Maximus saw what utter this heresy caused in Constantinople and in the East, he contracted to proceed his monstery and seek burrow in the West, anywhere Monothelitism had been only rejected. On the way, he visited the bishops of Africa, intensification them in Conventionality, and conclusive them not to be deceived by the cunning arguments of the heretics. The Fourth Ecumenical Ruling body had condemned the Monophysite heresy, which by corrupt means qualified that in the Lady Jesus Christ display was decently one disposition (the divine). Persuaded by this wound position, the Monothelite heretics designed that in Christ display was decently one divine character ("thelema") and decently one divine energy ("energia"). Adherents of Monothelitism sought to return by out of the ordinary path to the repudiated Monophysite heresy. Monothelitism found hang around adherents in Armenia, Syria, Egypt. The heresy, fanned too by nationalistic animosities, became a harsh warning to Cathedral unity in the East. The twist of Conventionality with heresy was superfluous unmanageable while in the day 630, three of the patriarchal thrones in the Consecutive East were extensive by Monothelites: Constantinople by Sergius, Antioch by Athanasius, and Alexandria by Cyrus. St Maximus traveled from Alexandria to Crete, anywhere he began his preaching gain. He clashed display with a bishop, who adhered to the dissenting opinions of Severus and Nestorius. The saint passed away six soul in Alexandria and the present zone. Patriarch Sergius died at the end of 638, and the queen Heraclius too died in 641. The government throne was in due course extensive by his grandson Constans II (642-668), an open scholar of the Monothelite heresy. The assaults of the heretics versus Conventionality intensified. St Maximus went to Carthage and he preached display for about five soul. Having the status of the Monothelite Pyrrhus, the child of Patriarch Sergius, dressed in display in the past fleeing from Constantinople while of law court maneuverings, he and St Maximus passed away many hours in disagreement. As a outcome, Pyrrhus publicly conventional his misapprehend, and was legalized to grip the title of "Patriarch." He even wrote a book confessing the Consecutive Conviction. St Maximus and Pyrrhus traveled to Rome to make out Pope Theodore, who expected Pyrrhus as the Patriarch of Constantinople. In the day 647 St Maximus returned to Africa. Communicate, at a senate of bishops Monotheletism was condemned as a heresy. In 648, a new instruction was issued, commissioned by Constans and compiled by Patriarch Paul of Constantinople: the "Typos" ("Typos tes pisteos" or "Prototype of the Conviction"), which forbade any get well disputes about one character or two wills in the Lady Jesus Christ. St Maximus hence asked St Martin the Confessor (April 14), the child of Pope Theodore, to put to the test the slipup of Monothelitism at a Cathedral Ruling body. The Lateran Ruling body was convened in October of 649. One hundred and fifty Western bishops and thirty-seven get-together from the Consecutive East were elect, along with them St Maximus the Confessor. The Ruling body condemned Monothelitism and the Typos. The ruse teachings of Patriarchs Sergius, Paul and Pyrrhus of Constantinople were too anathematized. Having the status of Constans II expected the decisions of the Ruling body, he gave tips to convulsion what's more Pope Martin and St Maximus. The emperor's order was whole decently in the day 654. St Maximus was accused of troublemaking and sheltered up in send down. In 656 he was sent to Thrace, and was later brought back to a Constantinople send down. The saint and two of his disciples were subjected to the cruelest torments. Each one one's communication was cut out, and his factual hand was cut off. Subsequently they were exiled to Skemarum in Scythia, secure many sufferings and difficulties on the chief. Whilst three soul, the Lady revaled to St Maximus the time of his death (Majestic 13, 662). Three candles appeared senior the sad of St Maximus and burned remarkably. This was a sign that St Maximus was a beacon of Conventionality participating in his lifetime, and continues to intensity forth as an member of holiness for all. Spend time at healings occurred at his weighty. In the Greek Presentation, Majestic 13 commemorates the Understand of the Residue of St Maximus to Constantinople, but it could too be the appointment of the saint's death. It may be that his cushion is prominent on January 21 while Majestic 13 is the Leavetaking of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lady. St Maximus has consumed to the Cathedral a entrenched theological bequest. His exegetical works clinch explanations of unmanageable passages of Holy Scripture, and jacket a Footnote on the Lord's Favor and on Psalm 59, varied "scholia" or "marginalia" (commentaries in print in the side of manuscripts), on treatises of the Hieromartyr Dionysius the Areopagite (October 3) and St Gregory the Theologian (January 25). Sandwiched between the exegetical works of St Maximus are his marking out of divine services, entitled "Mystagogia" ("Opening About the Powerful"). The fixed works of St Maximus jacket the Bright of his contest with Pyrrhus, and several tracts and inscription to varied tribe. In them are buried explanations of the Consecutive teaching on the Spiritual Spirit and the Live in of the Holy Trinity, on the Quintessence of the Guarantee of God, and on "theosis" ("exaltation") of worldly disposition. "Nil in theosis is the product of worldly disposition," St Maximus writes in a murder to his friend Thalassius, "for disposition cannot grasp God. It is decently the compassion of God that has the quantity to supply theosis unto the grant... In theosis man (the image of God) becomes likened to God, he rejoices in all the plenitude that does not belong to him by disposition, while the care of the Underlying triumphs within him, and while God acts in him" (Notice 22). St Maximus too wrote anthropological works (i.e. involving man). He deliberates on the disposition of the individual and its conscious being in the past death. Sandwiched between his moral compositions, if truth be told highly praised is his "Chapters on Soft spot." St Maximus the Confessor too wrote three hymns in the preeminent traditions of church hymnography, following the member of St Gregory the Theologian. The theology of St Maximus the Confessor, based on the spiritual identify of the knowledge of the entrenched Wilderness Fathers, and utilizing the useful art of dialectics worked out by pre-Christian philosophy, was continued and full-size in the works of St Simeon the New Theologian (Demonstration 12), and St Gregory Palamas (November 14).TROPARION-TONE 8Defender of Conventionality, instructor of purity and of true honor,enlightener of the manufacture and cut of hierarchs:all-wise launch Maximus, your teachings carry gleamed with light upon all bits and pieces.Referee in Christ God to cut down our souls.TROPARION-TONE 8Let us the culminate precisely cloud the fan of the Trinity,the entrenched Maximus who qualified the God-inspired look-in,that Christ is to be overvalued in His two natures, wills, and energies;and let us cry to him: "Wallow, mean of the look-in."SOURCE:"SAINT OR Feast POSTED THIS Guarantee 2012(with 2011's unite concerning too and get well, 2010, 2009 and even 2008!):"

Please Forgive This Post Im

" amuse absolve this post Im about to post... I still bother that you may possibly use your thoughtfulness drive and emotions to bequeath yourself to anything you on a par but definite the divine may possibly ember you happening a spiritual path... no point how grueling you work study and drive yourself to be on a utter path if the divine (IN ANYTHING FORM YOU SEE FIT) doesnt whimper you to it or resolve you to move it drive never work. Allege it what you drive but I mull over you pass on to be called to a path then bequeath yourself to it. I tried for animation to be christian was a supporter of a church and a advocate as well but in the end that path did not resolve me it was a grueling lesson but in the end I am improved for it. you can not be what you where never believed to be does that make since? even if the kinfolk violently you "EMBER" you happening acquaint with path. rod. religion belief or anything.... it wont work with out the blessing of the divine who called you to it. :D

Another time absolve this post I didnt decipher this very well.

Source: spellscasting.blogspot.com

Idolatry The Eucharist And Our Lady

I. Idolatry

I know I've quoted this dialogue before, but it's just too good to pass up right now. Mark Shea wrote an imaginary conversation between an Evangelical and a Catholic which I just love:

Evangelical: You "must" not worship Mary!

Catholic: Relax. I don't worship Mary.

Evangelical: Oh, but you do!

Catholic: Actually, I think I'm the only one qualified to make that call, aren't I?

Evangelical: But it "looks to me" like you worship her! You pray to her and ask her to intercede for you, don't you?

Catholic: Yes, I do like to talk to my mother about things. But I don't worship her and I don't think she's God. She's a creature, a fellow Christian (albeit the great one). How would you feel if I said, "You worship your barber! I know you do, because you sometimes ask him to pray for you?"

Evangelical: That's totally different!

Catholic: Actually, it's exactly the same. Which is why Scripture says don't judge by appearances. If you'd just ask me rather than telling me, I'd be happy to tell you what I worship. I worship Jesus Christ fully present in the Holy Eucharist-body, blood, soul, and divinity.

Evangelical: I don't think the Eucharist is Jesus' body and blood, but simply a symbol. But let's not argue over such fine points of theology as "transubstantiation". We both celebrate Communion in our own ways. And that's the important thing.

Catholic: Did you hear me? I said I fall down in worship and adoration before something that looks just like a piece of bread and a cup of wine. I say "Hosanna" to it. I adore it as the very God of the Universe! The Eucharist is my Lord and my God, my salvation, my life, the very source of my being!

Evangelical: Yes. I think that's a bit overboard, but let's not argue about it. You have your version of Communion and I have mine. Now: "about Mary worship"--don't you "see" how incredibly dangerous it is for you to commit the grave sin of idolizing Mary....

Non-Catholics might think that this dialogue is hyperbolic. Let me point you to a conversation with Catz206, the same Blogger who presented what she felt was a Protestant answer to Ignatius earlier. In a recent post, she's argued against the veneration of images because it's too close to idolatry. My first response was "I don't see how you can think that the use of icons in the Church (which we don't worship) is too close to idolatry, but our worship of the Eucharist is simply a 'minor misunderstanding' that John turned a blind eye to when it caught on even amongst his student Ignatius of Antioch?"

The conversation got more surreal after that. She was initially confused by my comment; after I explained, she responded, "As for the Eucharist, I think I see what you are saying now. Do Catholics actually worship the Eucharist? If they do, this may be something important for me to consider." What makes this all the more bizarre is that she's studying Greek, reading the Early Church Fathers, responding to St. Ignatius of Antioch's comments that the Eucharist is the Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ, and somehow not realizing that we're worshiping the Eucharist. Catholics today and Catholics then: if you think that the Eucharist is Jesus Christ, how can you not worship?

When I clarified this, she responded:

"Yes, you are right in this and I think I will have to take back my earlier comment. I don't like saying this but I think this really could be considered a form of idolatry. Still, I know that I am not immune to this charge as a protestant and am very well aware that I often elevate things I shouldn't and am condemned in my own thoughts."

I suppose that I appreciate that she's trying to be nice about telling me I'm an idolater, but she's making the same mistake that's got her convinced that venerating images might come close to idolatry. Idolatry is used in two senses in the Bible. The first is the literal, intentional worship of an image; and the second is a metaphoric use to describe serving something or someone more than you serve God. A third form of "idolatry" is now used, not found in the Bible, where Protestants call anything given more esteem than what they think it's worth "idolatry." This third form is a cheapening of the metaphor that Christ uses - He says that you can't have two "masters," not that you can't think two things are important.

Someone who spends more of their time obsessed with money than interested in what God has planned for them may be guilty of committing the second form. But there's a mile of difference between that and worshiping a 100 bill. If Catholics are wrong about the Eucharist, they're not just guilty of spending more time thinking about bread and wine than about God. If we're wrong, we're literally worshiping bread and wine. That's virtually nothing like elevating the importance of unimportant things.

Protestants of an earlier age outright suspected that Catholics did the first, intentional blatant form of saint-worship or Mary-worship. Protestants today tend to hint that Catholics do this, but just because they elevate things beyond their import. In a few cases, Protestants will believe and argue that Catholics love Mary and the Saints to the extent that we place them above God in practice, even if we don't intend to worship them. Usually, they don't even go that far these days: just that we love Mary and the Saints too much, and that it's probably dangerous somehow - it's the watered-down, non-Biblical third form of "idolatry." And she's right on one part: if this is all that Protestants are saying, then they're just pointing out a speck that they think is in the Catholic eye, without having a whole lot of understanding about Catholic liturgy, worship, history, etc., while they have their own things blown out of proportion.

II. The Eucharist

This isn't even possibly a case of the second or third form of "idolatry." We aren't torn between our allegiance to the Eucharist and our allegiance to Christ. We believe that they're One and the Same. If they're not, we're committing the first form of idolatry. Which brings me back to the question that I posed regarding St. John and his student, Ignatius. If Ignatius was committing idolatry, worshiping the Eucharist, and thinking it was literally Christ when it was really just a metaphor for Christ, could John possibly have let this rank heresy continue? He would have to know that as the last living Apostle, his student would carry a lot of weight for the future of Christianity. Anyone wanting to understand the Gospel of John would do well to listen to what his students taught. Can we really imagine that John had such poor teaching skills, poor judgment, and/or so little backbone to either correct this heresy or expose it, particularly given its obvious consequences? Can we imagine the Holy Spirit permitting Christianity to become this permanently distorted within a half-generation? After all, while Christians may squabble about their own view of how to read John 6 (as obviously Eucharistic or confusingly symbolic), I don't know of anyone who argues for another view of Ignatius - he's so blatantly and baldly Eucharistic that if he's merely symbolic, everyone is.

So sure, I'll accept that the stakes of this are the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ or rank idolatry. But we Catholics and Orthodox have a compelling reason to believe that the Apostles taught it was the former, in addition to the Biblical evidence. What reasonable Protestant response accounts for this evidence from the Fathers?

III. Why Catholics Honor Mary, Our Mother

As it stands, the same Ten Commandments which forbid (actual) idolatry also command us to honor our father and mother: which means that the Ten Commandments explicitly don't contemplate that third form of "idolatry" as being a violation (otherwise honoring anyone besides God would be a potential sin). We authentically believe that God is our Father through Baptism, and that we should honor Him not only as God (the First Commandment), we also honor Him as Father (the Fourth Commandment / Fifth, if you're Protestant). Likewise, we believe that Jesus gave Mary to us on the Cross (John 19:27). The Beloved Disciple is there with his biological mother, and receives Mary as his mother, just as she receives him as her son. In a literal sense, this applied specifically to John - he took Mary into his home from that hour - but we believe that it applies to all of His "Beloved Disciples." Revelation 11:19-12:17 supports this conclusion. There, we see the Ark of the Covenant appear, immediately followed by a woman who gives birth to Christ [an obvious parallel to the Ark, and who we think represents Mary as well as Israel/the Church]. In Revelation 12:17, all of those who follow Christ are called the offspring of this woman. So within the family of the New Covenant, we believe that God chose to make Mary mother to all of us, just as He made Christ (Mary's biological Son) our Brother (Hebrews 2:11).

We don't think that Mary is more important than Christ, be we do believe that Christ, who fulfilled the Law, honored Her, just as the Ten Commandments command, and continues to do so even in Heaven. She served, serves, worshiped, and worships Him as Her God and Savior (Luke 1:46-48); but He honors Her as His Mother, who raised Him and taught Him from infancy, almost certainly even teaching Him the Faith (Luke 2:51-52). If entering into the New Covenant enters us into relationship with Christ as our Lord and Brother, God the Father as our Father, and grafts us into the entire genealogy of Israel, it's not exactly unreasonable to conclude (particularly with the Biblical support cited above) then Mary's part of that list, and is our mother in a particularly special way.

So perhaps the better question is why aren't Protestants honoring Our Lady more?

Pre Millennialism And The Early Church Fathers

Scholarly Resources Subscribe to CIC A Biblically based commentary on current issues that impact "you" "PRE-MILLENNIALISM AND THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS" BY BOB DEWAAY In this paper, I will show that the earliest fathers of the church (before 300 AD) primarily believed in a literal millennium. This will be accomplished by consulting the primary sources, the fathers themselves, and other writings about the views of the early fathers. Those early fathers who wrote about this issue will be dealt with one at a time.PAPIAS The fourth century church historian Eusebius considered Papias to be a primary source for the millennial views of early fathers. He wrote:In these [Papias' accounts] he says there would be a certain millennium after the resurrection, and that there would be a corporeal reign of Christ on this very earth; which things he appears to have imagined, as if they were authorized by the apostolic narrations, not understanding correctly those matters which they propounded mystically in their representations.... yet he was the cause why most of the ecclesiastical writers, urging the antiquity of the man, were carried away by a similar opinion; as, for instance Irenaeus, or any other that adopted such sentiments.1 All we have of Papias' writings are fragments taken from other ancient writers. He was evidently associated with Polycarp and John the apostle. Irenaeus said, "And these things [a futuristic, restored, Jewish kingdom] are borne witness to in writing by Papias, the hearer of John, and companion of Polycarp, in his fourth book." 2It is debated whether or not Papias was actually a personal acquaintance of the Apostle John, but that he taught a literal millennium is not. Larry Crutchfield provides a thorough discussion of Papias' millennial view and his possible association with John and concludes: "When all of the evidence is weighed in the balance it seems that the scales must be tipped in favor of Papias' discipleship under the aged author of the Apocalypse." 3 Papias was born anywhere from 61 to 71 AD4 so could very well have known John. Since Eusebius who disagreed with Papias' millennial view and Irenaeus who agreed with Papias both considered him a proponent of a literal millennium, it is quite certain that he was.THE EPISTLE OF BARNABAS The writer of the "Epistle of Barnabas" (cir. 117/132 AD )5 held to the idea that after six thousand years of history that would correspond to six days of creation, there would be a seventh day "sabbath" rest which would last one thousand years. The following is from the "Epistle of Barnabas": Attend, my children, to the meaning of this expression, "He finished in six days." This implieth that the Lord will finish all things in six thousand years, for a day is with Him a thousand years. And He Himself testifieth, saying, "Behold, to-day will be as a thousand years." Therefore, my children, in six days, that is, in six thousand years, all things will be finished. "And He rested on the seventh day." This meaneth: when His Son, coming again, shall destroy the time of the wicked man, and judge the ungodly, and change the sun, and the moon, and the stars, then shall He truly rest on the seventh day. 6 Hans Bietenhard sees possible Jewish influences such as the Book of Enoch at work here and comments: "On the universal Sabbath all things are brought to rest and a new world begins. From the time of Barnabas onwards millennial expectation was always within the framework of a universal week of 7000 years." 7JUSTIN MARTYR Justin in his "Dialogue with Trypho" (written cir. 155) describes the belief in a literal millennium as the orthodox doctrine, though admitting that some denied it. He sees the millennium centered in Jerusalem and predicted by Old Testament prophets. Justin wrote, "But I and others, who are right-minded Christians on all points, are assured that there will be a resurrection of the dead, and a thousand years in Jerusalem, which will then be built, adorned, and enlarged, as the prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah and others declare."8 Justin did mention that, "many who belong to pure and pious faith, and are true Christians, think otherwise." 9 Evidently there were already others who did not believe in a literal millennium at that point in history, but Justin does not supply their names. Since the actual debate with Trypho likely took place at Ephesus shortly after 135 AD, Larry Crutchfield sees a possible connection to the teachings of the Apostle John: "If Eusebius was correct, [about Dialogue taking place at Ephesus] the earliest extant Christian defense of the millenarian doctrine took place at Ephesus, not far from Patmos where John's revelation was received."10 Crutchfield speculates about the possibility that Justin had contact with Polycarp or Papias which may have influenced his teaching: "In any case, whether Justin made contact with either man or not, a sojourn in Ephesus would have thoroughly exposed him to the teachings of the apostle John and the venerable Asiatic bishops [Polycarp but shall have a table at hand prepared for them by God, supplying them with all sorts of dishes."13 Irenaeus considered the promise that Jesus made to His disciples at the last supper to one day drink the fruit of the vine again with them "in my Father's kingdom" to be proof of a future, earthly kingdom to be established after the resurrection. Interestingly, Irenaeus also mentioned the promise of land that God gave to Abraham in this connection: "If, then, God promised him the inheritance of the land, yet he did not receive it during all the time of his sojourn there, it must be, that together with his seed, that is, those who fear God and believe in Him, he shall receive it at the resurrection of the just."14Irenaeus firmly believed that Jesus would literally reign in a rebuilt Jerusalem.15 He also anticipated the allegorizing of Biblical prophecy: "If, however, any shall endeavor to allegorize prophecies of this kind, they shall not be found consistent with themselves in all points." 16 Shirley Jackson Case summarizes Irenaeus' millennial view: This period of millennial bliss corresponds to the seventh day of rest following the six days of creation described in Genesis. During this time the earth is marvelously fruitful. Jerusalem is magnificently rebuilt, and the righteous joyfully become accustomed to the new life of incorruption. After this preliminary regime of bliss has passed, a final judgment of all the world is instituted, and the new heaven and the new earth are revealed. In this final state of blessedness the redeemed shall live in the presence of God, world without end. 17 It is notable how closely Irenaeus' understanding is to that of many pre-millennialists today.TERTULLIAN We learn of Tertullian's pre-millennialism through his debate against the heretic Marcion (cir. 207-212 AD). Obviously, a physical, rebuilt Jerusalem could have no validity for Marcion since he considered anything physical to have been created by a lesser "demiurge," the God of the Jews. Hans Beitenhard explains Marcion's view, "A little later [after Irenaeus] Tertullian found it necessary to defend the millennial hope against Marcion, who denied that the Christian can have any hope for a world created by the Demiurge. The Demiurge as the God of the Jews would restore the Jews to Palestine, and there they could set up their own Messianic kingdom." 18 Tertullian rejects Marcion's version of the millennium, but not a literal millennium itself: But we do confess that a kingdom is promised to us upon the earth, although before heaven, only in another state of existence; inasmuch as it will be after the resurrection for a thousand years in the divinely-built city of Jerusalem, 'let down from heaven,' which the apostle also calls 'our mother from above;' and, while declaring that our "politeuma", or citizenship, is in heaven, he predicates of it that it is really a city in heaven. This both Ezekiel had knowledge of and the Apostle John beheld. 19 Tertullian's idea takes an odd twist when he goes on to claim the heavenly city had been seen suspended over Judea for forty days.20 Also, Tertullian evidently joined the Montanists whose eschatological views were rather bizarre. Beitenhard thinks that, "unwittingly and against his will [i.e. he did not intend to discredit pre-millennialism] Tertullian helped to discredit the millennial hope by joining the Montanists."21 Nevertheless, Tertullian was a pre-millennialist. HIPPOLYTUS OF ROME Hippolytus (cir. 170-236) wrote extensively about the end times, including, "Commentary of Daniel". Hippolytus took up the idea of a day being one thousand years and applied it to history. He reasoned:For the first appearance of our Lord in the flesh took place in Bethlehem, under Augustus, in the year 5500; and He suffered in the thirty-third year. And 6,000 years must needs be accomplished, in order that the Sabbath may come, the rest, the holy day "on which God rested from all His works." For the Sabbath is the type and emblem of the future kingdom of the saints, when they "shall reign with Christ," when He comes from heaven, as John says in his Apocalypse: for "a day with the Lord is as a thousand years." Since, then, in six days God made all things, it follows that 6,000 years must be fulfilled. And they are not yet fulfilled, as John says: "five are fallen; one is," that is, the sixth; "the other is not yet come."22 David G Dunbar comments on Hippolytus' view, "Christians ought not to think that the present sufferings of the church are the eschatological woes signaling Christ's return, for that return is not imminent. In support of this argument Hippolytus employs the creation-week typology widely accepted in the west until Augustine."23 Dunbar goes on to explain how Hippolytus sets the time of Christ's return in 500 AD. 24 Though this date setting is obviously problematic, Hippolytus asserted the idea that there would be a "Sabbath" rest which will be a time when the saints will reign with Christ. Though he does not use the term "millennium," clearly his schema of a day being one thousand years would make the Sabbath rest last for a millennia. Bietenhard considers Hippolytus a chiliast: "Hippolytus places the millennial hope within the schema of a universal week of 7000 years."25Interestingly, in another article Dunbar states, "Only in his "Chapters Against Gaius" does he present a forthright attack on amillennialism, and even here his own position is so muted as to be unclear." 26 It seems to me that Hippolytus' position is clear enough in the above quoted Commentary on Daniel. LACTANTIUS Lactantius (cir. 250 - 317 AD) also wrote of a literal millennium. His views are based, however, partially on quotations from the Sibylline books. He writes, "But He, when He shall have destroyed unrighteousness, and executed His great judgment, and shall have recalled to life the righteous, who have lived from the beginning, will be engaged among men a thousand years, and will rule them with most just command."27 An interesting thing about Lactantius is that he supplies more details about the Millennium: "Then they who shall be alive in their bodies shall not die, but during those thousand years shall produce an infinite multitude, and their offspring shall be holy, and beloved by God; but they who shall be raised from the dead shall preside over the living as judges."28According to Lactantius, resurrected saints shall coexist with mortals. He also includes the idea of Satan being bound for the thousand year period and the existence of pagan nations to be ruled over by the righteous. COMMODIANUS Commodianus of North-Africa wrote about 240 AD. He also spoke of a literal Millennium. He writes, "They shall come also who overcame cruel martyrdom under Antichrist, and they themselves live for the whole time, and receive blessings because they have suffered evil things; and they themselves marrying, beget for a thousand years." 29WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MILLENNIUM? Since most of the earliest Fathers either taught a literal millennium (though clearly differing on details) or were silent on the matter, how did amillennialism become the predominant view of the Church from the fourth century on? Evidently Origen was the first to publically break with this tradition. Thomas D. Lea comments, "Before the time of Origen it was reasonably common to find the fathers expressing their belief in a personal second coming of Christ together with a millennial reign of the saints with Christ after their resurrection from the dead. Origen denounced millennialism perhaps because of his view that it overemphasized the sensual and the material." 30It is beyond the scope of this paper to address amillennialism among the fathers. 31 Though adducing different sources and theories as to details, the earliest church fathers clearly taught pre-millennialism.
END NOTES * Eusebius Pamphilus, Ecclesiastical History, 3.39.13; trans. Christian Frederick Cruse (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1993) 126. * Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 5.33.4; in "The Ante-Nicene Fathers" Alexander Roberts ed. vol. 1, 563. * Larry V. Crutchfield, "The Apostle John and Asia Minor as a Source of Premillennialism in the Early Church Fathers," in Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, vol 31 #4 (December 1988) 421. * ibid. 420. * see W.A. Jurgens, The Faith of the Early Fathers, (The Liturgical Press: Collegeville, MN, 1970) 14. * The Epistle of Barnabas 15.4 in op. cit. "The Ante-Nicene Fathers" vol. 1 146. * Hans Bietenhard, "The Millennial Hope in the Early Church," The Scottish Journal of Theology, Vol. 6 (1953) 13. * Justin "Dialogue" 80; op. cit. "The Ante-Nicene Fathers", vol 1, 239. * Ibid. * Op. Cit. Crutchfield, 423. * ibid. * Op. cit. Jurgens, 84. * Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 5.33.2, op. cit. "The Ante-Nicene Fathers, 562." * ibid. 5.32.2; 561. * ibid. 5.34.4; 564. * ibid. 5.35.1; 565. * Shirley Jackson Case, The Millennial Hope, (University of Chicago Press: Chicago, 1918) 164, 165. * Bietenhard, 15. * Tertullian, Against Marcion, 3.25; op. cit., "The Ante-Nicene Fathers" vol. III, 342. * ibid. 342,343. * Bietenhard, 16. * Hippolytus, Commentary on Daniel 2.4; "The Ante-Nicene Fathers", vol 5, 179. * David G. Dunbar, "The Delay of the Parousia in Hippolytus," Vigiliae Christianae, vol 37, no. 4 (Dec. 1983) 315. * ibid. 315,316. * Bietenhard, 19. * David G. Dunbar, "Hippolytus of Rome and the Eschatological Exegesis of the Early Church" The Westminster Theological Journal, vol 45 no. 2 (Fall, 1983) 337. * Lactantius, The Divine Institutes, 7.24, "The Ante-Nicene Fathers", vol. VII, 219. * ibid. * Commodianus, The Instructions of Commodianus, chapt 54., "The Ante-Nicene Fathers", vol. IV, 212. * Thomas D. Lea, "A Survey of the Doctrine of the Return of Christ in the Ante-Nicene Fathers," The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, vol. 29 no. 2 (June 1986) 176. * See Bob DeWaay, "The Millennial Hope and the Church," Critical Issues Commentary, Issue #27 (March/April, 1995) where I present the theory that allegorization of Scripture, anti-semitism, and a realized eschatology that came with the Christianization of the Roman Empire starting with Constantine were causes of amillennialism's ascendance as the position of the Roman Catholic Church. www.cicministryorg/commentary/issue27.htm
Published by Twin City FellowshipCritical Issues CommentaryP.O. Box 26127St. Louis Park, MN 55426952-935-3100 pastorbob@twincityfellowship.comUnless otherwise noted, all Scriptures taken from the New American Standard Bible, (c) Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1988, 1995 The Lockman Foundation. Top of PageArticles

Appendix Part 7

I appreciated to declare this quote in the book segment about Mormonism, regarding the Mormon church's creed re contemporary types of band (including neurodiversity), but it was too late to add to the deed. From LDS Be foremost Dieter F. Uchtdorf:But at what time the Penitence is expected to help us all become expert twin Christ, it is not expected to make us all the extraordinarily. Sometimes we pitch differences in qualities with sin. We can even make the break of doctrine that ever since someone is contemporary from us, it condition mean they are not captivating to God. This line of doctrine leads some to use that the Place of worship requests to bring about every associate from a sole mold-that each one obligation glance over, finger, umpire, and occasion twin every other. This would contradict the expert of God, who produced every man contemporary from his brother, every son contemporary from his commence. Match one and the same twins are not one and the same in their personalities and spiritual identities.It furthermore contradicts the spellbound and plan of the Place of worship of Jesus Christ, which acknowledges and protects the well brought-up agency-with all its finalize consequences-of each and every one of God's children. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are united in our testimony of the restored gospel and our dependability to stay God's commandments. But we are at large in our cultural, unreserved, and embassy preferences.The Place of worship thrives such as we burst well brought-up of this scale and risk each other to move on and use our talents to lift and strengthen our man disciples.

Fathers Of The First Six Councils

COMMEMORATED ON JULY 17The Celebration of the Holy Fathers of the Basic Six Ecumenical Councils. In the Ninth Individual of the Nicea-Constantinople Emblem of Believe proclaimed by the holy Fathers of the Basic and Time Ecumenical Councils, we deposit with our confide in "One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Religious." By honesty of the catholic form of the Religious, an Ecumenical Compilation is the Church's supreme reign, and possesses the talent to strength of character main questions of church life. An Ecumenical Compilation is comprised of archpastors and pastors of the Religious, and building of all the dwelling Churches, from every land of the "oikumene" (i.e. from all the whole built-up world). The Usual Religious acknowledges Seven Holy Ecumenical Councils: The Basic Ecumenical Compilation (Nicea I) (May 29, and correspondingly on seventh Sunday in the past Pascha) was convened in the court 325 against the heresy of Arius, in the metropolis of Nicea in Bithynia under St. Constantine the Brawny, Blow up of the Apostles. The Time Ecumenical Compilation (Constantinople I) (May 22) was convened in the court 381 against the heresy of Macedonias, by the emperor Theodosius the Brawny. The Third Ecumenical Compilation (Ephesus) (September 9) was convened in the court 431 against the heresy of Nestorius, in the metropolis of Ephesus by the emperor Theodosius the Younger. The Fourth Ecumenical Compilation (Chalcedon) (July 16) was convened in the court 451, against the Monophysite heresy, in the metropolis of Chalcedon under the emperor Marcian. The Fifth Ecumenical Compilation (Constnatinople II) (July 25) "Within the Three Chapters," was convened in the court 553, under the emperor Justinian the Brawny. The Sixth Ecumenical Compilation (Constantinople III) (January 23) met clothed in the lifetime 680-681, to fight the Monothelite heresy, under the emperor Constantine Pogonatos. The fact that the Seventh Ecumenical Compilation (Nicea II) is not commemorated today testifies to the antiquity of today's celebration. The Seventh Compilation, commemorated on the Sunday nearby to October 11, was convened at Nicea in the court 787 against the Iconoclast heresy, under the emperor Constantine and his mother Irene. The Religious venerates the Holy Fathers of the Ecumenical Councils when Christ has appoint them as "lights upon the earth," guiding us to the true Believe. "Garlanded with the robe of truth," the main beliefs of the Fathers, based upon the preaching of the Apostles, has appoint one confide for the Religious. The Ecumenical Councils are the excel reign in the Religious. Such Councils, guided by the volatility of the Holy Company, and much-admired by the Religious, are faultless. The Usual Church's conciliar definitions of assumption scoff the excel reign, and such definitions ad infinitum begin with the Apostolic formula: "It seemed good to the Holy Company and to us..." (Acts 15: 28). The Ecumenical Councils were ad infinitum convened for a acknowledge reason: to struggle disloyal opinions and heresies, and to decide the Usual Church's teaching. But the Holy Company has that's why seen fit, that the dogmas, the truths of confide, unalterable in their delighted and extend, permanently and consequently are revealed by the conciliar sympathy of the Religious, and are certain fussiness by the holy Fathers within theological concepts and vocabulary in due such debit as is required by the Religious itself for its penny-pinching of liberator. The Religious, in instructive its dogmas, is thing with the concerns of a certain forgotten while, "not snitch everything in hasten and instinctively, nor sure thing, in the end rout something" (St Gregory the Theologian). A to the point sand of the formal theology of the Basic Six Ecumenical Councils is formulated and confined to a small area in the Basic Declare of the Compilation of Trullo (correspondingly known as Quinisext), thought in the court 692. The 318 Holy Fathers of the Basic Ecumenical Compilation are understood of in this Declare I of Trullo as having: "with agreement of confide revealed and confirmed to us the consubstantiality of the three Group of the Foretell form and,... instructing the unfaltering to idolize the Father, Son, and Holy Company with one venerate, they cast down and dispelled the disloyal teaching about unusual degrees of Divinity." The 150 Holy Fathers of the Time Ecumenical Compilation disappeared their drum in on the theology of the Religious hip the Holy Company, "repudiating the teaching of Macedonius, as one who wished to go your separate ways the undividable Empathy, so that donate intensity be no practice mystery of our believe." The 200 God-bearing Fathers of the Third Ecumenical Compilation expounded the teaching that "Christ, the Show Son of God is One." They correspondingly confessed that "she who disgust Him in need marble was the flawless Ever-Virgin, glorifying her as deeply the Close relative of God. The 630 Holy Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Compilation decreed that "the One Christ, the Son of God... indigence be hyped in two natures." The 165 God-bearing Holy Fathers of the Fifth Ecumenical Compilation "in synod anathematized and repudiated Theodore of Mopsuestia (the studious of Nestorius), and Origen, and Didymus, and Evagrius, renovators of the Hellenic teaching about the transmigration of souls and the transmutation of bodies and the impieties they raised against the resurrection of the dead." The 170 Holy Fathers of the Sixth Ecumenical Compilation "taught that we could do with to deposit with two natural volitions, or two wills [trans. note: one divine, and the other possible], and two natural operations (energies) in Him Who was embody for our liberator, Jesus Christ, our true God." In determined moments of Religious history, the holy Ecumenical Councils promulgated their formal definitions, as frequent delimitations in the spiritual engagement for the holiness of Conformity, which heart podium until such time, as "all shall come during the unity of confide, and of the knowledge of the Son of God" (Eph. 4: 13). In the brawl with new heresies, the Religious does not leftover its erstwhile formal concepts nor proceeds them with some congregate of new formulations. The formal formulae of the Holy Ecumenical Councils succeed never be superseded, they stay ad infinitum here to the living Practice of the Religious. In consequence the Religious proclaims: "The confide of all in the Religious of God hath been hyped by men, which were luminaries in the world, cleaving to the Scoop of Life, so that it be observed sturdily, and that it delay unshakably until the end of the ages, conjointly with their God-bestown writings and dogmas. We renounce and we anathematize all whom they scoff rejected and anathematized, as existence enemies of Complexity. And if qualities does not slit to nor realize the aforementioned angelic dogmas, and does not teach or preach hence, let him be unthinkable" (Declare I of the Compilation of Trullo). In shot to their formal definitions, the Holy Fathers of the Ecumenical Councils exerted robust hard work towards the development of church castigate. Inn Councils promulgated their corrective canons according to the job of the time and place, smoothly perverse amid themselves in out of the ordinary workings. The universal unity of the Usual Religious enforced unity correspondingly in canonical practice, i.e. a conciliar thought and go-ahead of the highest remarkable canonical norms by the Fathers of the Ecumenical Councils. By this means, according to conciliar stretch, the Religious has accepted: 20 Canons from the Basic, 7 Canons from the Time, 8 Canons from the Third, and 30 Canons from the Fourth Ecumenical Synods. The Fifth and the Sixth Councils drawn in themselves precisely with resolving formal questions, and did not research taking into account any corrective canons. The succeed to resolute in codified form the prearranged practices clothed in the lifetime 451-680, and in the end to calm down a canonical codex for the Usual Religious, occasioned the convening of a special Compilation, which was from tip to toe reliable to the familiar statement of churchly set of laws. This was convened in the court 692. The Compilation "in the Imperial Palace" or "Underneath the Arches" (in Greek "en trullo"), came to be called the Compilation in Trullo. It is correspondingly called the "Quinisext" [meaning the "fifth and sixth"], when it is deliberate to scoff polished the comings and goings of the Fifth and Sixth Councils, or somewhat that it was just a orders maintenance of the Sixth Ecumenical Compilation itself, at odds by fair to middling a few lifetime. The Compilation in Trullo, with its 102 Canons (excellent than of all the Ecumenical Synods major), had a tremendous character in the history of the canonical theology of the Usual Religious. It intensity be rumored that the Fathers of this Compilation shaped a chubby album of the basic codex from the textile sources for the Usual Church's canons. Ramshackle train in activist order, and having been much-admired by the Religious the Canons of the Holy Apostles, and the Canons of the Holy Ecumenical and the Inn Councils and of the holy Fathers, the Trullo Compilation declared: "Let no one be accepted to alter or to revoke the aforementioned canons, nor in place of these put forth, or to ratify others, through of sham script" (2nd Declare of the Compilation in Trullo). Religious canons, sacred by the reign of the leader Six Ecumenical Councils (by means of the set of laws of the Seventh Ecumenical Compilation in 787, and the Constantinople Councils of 861 and 879, which were supplementary subsequently under the holy Patriarch Photius), form the task of THE Controls, or KORMCHAYA KNIGA (a view law codex known as "Syntagma" or "Nomokanon" in 14 titles). In its depository of volatility is articulated a canonical average, a relationship to every era, and a guide for all the dwelling Usual Churches in churchly practice. New forgotten experience can lead to the assume of some assiduous exotic aspect of the life of the Religious. This makes creative canonical draw your attention need in the conciliar way of the Religious, in order to unite the exotic norms of churchly life with forgotten job. The keep information of canonical charge are not pretty modern for the out of the ordinary eras of churchly organization all at when. Together with every gang to either disown the straight meaning of a view, or to go on and employ it, the Religious anew and anew turns for way and road to the eternal inheritance of the Holy Ecumenical Councils, to the boundless treasury of formal and canonical truths. TROPARION Timbre 8You are highest victorious, O Christ our God!You scoff appoint the Holy Fathers as lights on the earth!Preside over them you scoff guided us to the true faith!O to cut a long story short Considerately One, testify to You!KONTAKION Timbre 8 The Apostles' preaching and the Fathers' doctrines scoff appoint one confide for the Religious. Garlanded with the robe of truth, woven from heavenly theology, It defines and glorifies the robust mystery of Orthodoxy!SOURCE:"SAINT OR Celebration POSTED THIS Investigate 2010(with 2009's join wearing correspondingly and addition, 2008's):"

Almandine Garnet Alchemist Tree Ritual Oil Protection Shielding Negativity Success Love Healing Faerie Workings By Whitemagickalchemy

6,00 USD

Almandine Garnet is the stone of romance, passion and protection. Almandine is also known as a powerful healing stone. Its power helps to shield and release negative energies sending negative energies back to where they originated from. In historic times, Garnets were set into shields, swords, armor and jewelry as the Garnet was revered as the "Stone of Protection". The Garnet is also a favorite of Faeries~!

The Almandine Garnet is also a protective energy stone which is especially effective for protection from evil. It is also often used for spiritual healing. The Garnet is commonly known as the stone for a successful business. If your business is not as good as it should be, place garnets on your desk, and improvement should be forthcoming. It also aids in a higher spiritual awareness and mental clarity helping to improve mental focus and strength.

White Magick Alchemys "Alchemist Tree" Ritual Oils are made in the old Pagan tradition and can be used to anoint candles during spell and ritual workings, to anoint the body, for anointing tools for use in your oil burner and even used as a perfume.

Sacred oils, blessed herbs and magickal crystals, White Magick Alchemy uses only the finest and purest ingredients to create all of our magickal offerings. With sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, aromatic pure essential oils of Violet, Rose, Birch and Sandalwood with all-natural organic herbs of Heather and Hibiscus, this unique and exclusive blend is then charged with Garnets, magically charged and witch blessed, created under the moon to lend power and strength to your workings. Garnets contain aluminum which may be toxic which is why I choose to charge the herbs with Garnet and not contain the stone within the oil.

This little bottle contains approx 3 ml of Almandine Garnet Oil and is good for several uses. A little goes a long way so use sparingly. Can be used as personal anointing oil. I don't have any problems wearing it, but test a bit first and do not use if you have a reaction to it.

If you wish a larger size, please feel free to convo me for a listing!~

(c) WHITE MAGICK ALCHEMYTM, A Division of Purple Sun Candle Company, Inc.TM 1996-2013. Almandine Garnet Alchemist TreeTM No part of the content, designs, images, product trade name(s), trade product design(s) and product(s) can be used without prior express written permission. All rights reserved.

Origin: wiccalessons.blogspot.com

Synaxarion For The Sunday Of The Holy Fathers

By Nikephoros Kallistos Xanthopoulos

SUNDAY of THE Holy Fathers

On this day, the seventh Sunday of Pascha, we celebrate the First Ecumenical Synod, of the three hundred and eighteen God-bearing Fathers, which took place in Nicaea.

Verses

O ye light-bearing stars of the spiritual firmament,

Enlighten my mind with your rays.

Verses Against Arius

Calling the Son a stranger to the Father's essence,

Arius proved to be a stranger to God's glory.

Synaxarion

We celebrate the present Feast for the following reason. When our Lord Jesus Christ, Who wore our flesh, had ineffably accomplished His entire Economy, and had been restored to His Father's Throne, the Saints, wishing to show that the Son of God became truly man and that God became perfect man, ascended, and sat at the right hand of the majesty on high, and that this Synod of the Holy Fathers thus proclaimed and confessed Him to be one in essence and honor with the Father, decreed for this reason that the present Feast should fall after the glorious Ascension, exalting this assembly of so many Fathers, as it were, for proclaiming that He Who ascended in the flesh was true God and perfect man in the flesh.

This Synod took place under St. Constantine the Great, in the twentieth year of his reign. For, after the persecution of Christians had come to an end, he first ruled in Rome; but subsequently, he founded the all-blessed city that was named after him, in the year 5838 from the creation of the world; it was then that the Arian controversy began. Arius, who hailed from Libya, went to Alexandria, where he was ordained a Deacon by the Holy Hieromartyr Peter of Alexandria. Thereafter, he began to blaspheme against the Son of God, proclaiming that He was a creature, who had come into being from non-existence and was far removed from the Divine dignity, and that He was called the Wisdom and Word of God by a misuse of language. Arius was, as he pretended, opposing the impious Sabellios, who said that the Godhead was one Person and one Hypostasis, being the Father at one time, the Son at another time, and the Holy Spirit at yet another time. When Arius uttered these blasphemies, the great Peter deposed him from the Priesthood, after beholding Christ as an infant on the Holy Table, clad in a torn garment and saying that Arius had rent it. Achillas, who succeeded Peter as Archbishop of Alexandria, reinstated Arius, in fulfillment of a promise; in addition, he ordained him a Presbyter and put him in charge of the School of Alexandria. After the repose of Achillas, Alexander become Archbishop. Finding that Arius was again uttering the same blasphemies and worse, he drove him from the Church, deposing him through a synod. As Theodoretos says, Arius taught that Christ's nature was mutable, and he was the first to vomit forth the idea that the Lord assumed inanimate and soulless flesh. Arius, having brought many over to his impiety, he writes, co"opted Eusebios of Nicomedia, Paulinos of Tyre, Eusebios of Caesarea, and others, and proceeded against Alexander. But Alexander, sending word of his blasphemies and his deposition throughout the world, raised up many to defend himself.

Since the Church was in confusion and there appeared no remedy for this dogmatic strife, St. Constantine the Great transported the Fathers in question from every region of the inhabited earth, at public expense, to Nicaea and arrived there himself. After all the Fathers had taken their seats, only when bidden did he sit down, and not on a royal throne, but on a seat that was lower than his dignity dictated. When the charges against Arius had been read out, both Arius and those of like mind with him were placed under anathema. The Holy Fathers declared the Word of God to be one in essence, one in honor, and co-unoriginate with the Father. They also set forth the Holy Symbol of the Faith, taking it as far as the clause: "And in the Holy Spirit." The ensuing clauses were completed by the Second Ecumenical Synod. In addition to this, the First Synod determined when and how we should celebrate the Feast of Pascha, and not with the Jews, as had previously been the custom. They promulgated twenty Canons pertaining to ecclesiastical order. The Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine the Great, after everyone else, signed the Holy Symbol of Faith in red letters.

Of these holy Fathers, two hundred and thirty-two were Hierarchs, while eighty-six were Priests, Deacons, or monks; altogether three hundred and eighteen Fathers were present. The most illustrious were the following: St. Sylvester, Pope of Rome and St. Metrophanes, Patriarch of Constantinople were both ill and were present through their representatives; St. Alexander of Alexandria, together with St. Athanasios the Great, who at that time was an Archdeacon; St. Evstathios of Antioch and Patriarch Macarios of Jerusalem; St. Hosius of Cordova; St. Paphnoutios the Confessor; St. Nicholas the Myrrh-Gusher and St. Spyridon of Trimythous, who baptized a philosopher that was there, after refuting his arguments and proving to him the threefold nature of the Godhead. Since two of the Fathers-both of them Hierarchs-had passed on to God during the course of the Synod, St. Constantine the Great, after placing copies of the definition of the Holy Synod in their respective coffins and enclosing them securely therein, found the documents confirmed and signed by them, through the ineffable command of God.

Upon the conclusion of the Synod, since the rebuilding of the Imperial City was now complete, St. Constantine summoned all of those holy men; they all came and, after praying for some time, confirmed that it was the Queen of cities and dedicated it to the Mother of the Word, by order of the Emperor. And thus each of the Saints returned home.

Since the Great Emperor Constantine had not yet departed to God, but was reigning together with his son, Constantios, Arius approached him, saying that he had abandoned all of his heresies and wished to be reunited to the Church of God. Having written down his blasphemies and hung them round his neck, pretending that he believed in the decrees of the Synod, and striking his own writings with his hand, he said that this was what he believed. At all events, the Emperor ordered the Patriarch of Constantinople to receive Arius into communion. The Patriarch at that time was Alexander, the successor of Metrophanes, who, knowing the evil of this man's ways, hesitated and besought God to show him whether it was His will that he should commune with Arius. Since the time was approaching when he would have to liturgize with him, he became more fervent in his prayer. But when Arius came to the Church, somewhere near the Column of Porphyry he felt stabbing pains in his stomach and went into a public convenience; there he burst open, and disgorged all his entrails, undergoing the same fate as Judas for his betrayal of the Word. Having sundered the Son of God from the essence of the Father, he himself was torn asunder and was found dead; and thus was the Church of God delivered from his corruption.

By the intercessions of the three hundred and eighteen God-bearing Fathers, O Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Source

APOLYTIKION IN THE PLAGAL OF THE FOURTH TONE

Most glorified art Thou, O Christ our God, Who hast established our Fathers as luminous stars upon the earth, and through them didst guide us all to the true Faith. O Most Merciful One, glory be to Thee.

KONTAKION IN THE PLAGAL OF THE FOURTH TONE

The Preaching of the Apostles and the doctrines of the Fathers confirmed the one Faith in the Church. And wearing the garment of truth woven from the theology on high, she rightly divideth and glorifieth the great mystery of piety.