Preaching Another Christ
by St. Theophan the Recluse
With great pleasure I undertake to reply to your noteworthy letter or, better,
to discuss with you what you mention in it. Something had reached my ears too,
before the arrival of your letter, but I did not give it due attention at that
time. Now, however, I see that a fire is starting up in your area and I hasten
to write to you whatever God enlightens me.
1. You write: "A preacher of the faith showed up in our area. He looks very
kind, visits the homes of the rich and poor alike, reads from the Gospel,
preaches faith in Christ, and urges everyone to repent. A poor bookbinder lives
near my home. The preacher uses his house as a meeting place and gathers quite a
few people. I also have been there twice so far. It is reported that this
preacher visits other places too, and that his audience is quite large."
Let us stop right at this point. It is quite obvious here that this new preacher
of the faith is not a preacher of the Church. How can he go about preaching
faith in Christ without having been first appointed a preacher by the Church?
This is unheard of! You should have thought that something suspicious is going
on here and been on your guard. Did you act so? Did you use any discernment to
examine whether what you heard is correct or beneficial? This is what you should
have done in the first place.
You go on to say that he teaches faith in Christ and speaks constantly from the
Gospels. This is exactly what should have made you cautious all the more. Why
does he preach faith in Christ to you? Are you perhaps a Tarter or a Mongol? You
have believed in Christ since your childhood and you have always lived within
the bosom of the Holy Orthodox Church, following the example of all the saints
who have been glorified by God. So, when he started preaching faith in Christ to
you, who already believe, you should have thought that perhaps his faith is
different from yours, that is, from the faith of our Church.
When he began exhorting you to believe in Christ, you should have asked him:
"Why are you saying this to us? Are we perhaps unbaptized pagans?" However, none
of you protested. In fact, by telling you to believe in Christ, he equated you
with pagans. And you passively accepted that, as if you really were pagans.
If, as it may actually turn out, he preaches a different faith and you keep
listening to him, then you deny your former faith and condemn our holy Church,
along with all those who have found salvation in her bosom. That is your second
mistake - bigger than the first!
While you were living in peace and quiet, taking care of the things of your
salvation, someone came up and started preaching to you: "You know something?
Christ died for our salvation. Believe in Him, repent, and you will be saved."
And you, as though you just heard something astounding, associate closely with
him and are ready to abandon your Church, your shepherds, and everything you
previously considered a means of sanctification.
This is very strange indeed! Are you not baptized and striving for your
salvation in the name of Jesus Christ? Are you not receiving remission of your
sins through the Holy Mystery of Confession? Are you not receiving the most pure
Body and precious Blood of the Lord in Holy Communion? Do you not turn to Christ
in your prayers and place your hope and salvation only in Him? This being so,
what special or new thing not already existing in your mind and heart does this
unknown stranger proclaim to you?
He is telling you: "Christ was crucified for you. You must believe in Him to be
saved." But do you not confess exactly the same thing every day when you recite
the Creed? "I believe in one God?and in One Lord, Jesus Christ?who for us men
and for our salvation came down from heavens, and was incarnated of the Holy
Spirit and of the Virgin Mary, and became man. Crucified for us?" You confess
the same thing when chanting in Church: "O only-begotten Son and Word of
God?crucified Christ our God?save us"; or "Come let us bow and fall down before
Christ our God and King"; or "Joyful light of the holy glory?Son of God, giver
of life"; or "Now let Your servant depart?for my eyes have seen your salvation?"
What else is the Divine Liturgy itself, other than a remembrance or repetition -
by means of the bloodless sacrifice - of the bloody Sacrifice that took place on
Golgotha for our salvation?
If you agree with all the above, then what new thing do you find in the words of
this stranger and why are you ready to abandon all previous things and go after
him, not quite knowing where he is leading you, but being quite sure that the
road you choose is the correct one?
This is absurd! You resemble a member of a choir that was chanting a hymn
harmoniously, and suddenly stops chanting to pay attention to the voice of an
unknown man, who just joined the choir uninvited. You do not seem to worry at
all whether it was right for that stranger to start chanting in the first place,
or whether you did well to stop yourself. Expert chanters say that it is
inappropriate for a single voice to stand out in a choir. And everyone who
admires that voice proves himself to be devoid of any artistic feeling. You look
now like such a one concerning your salvation.
Up until now you were taking care of your salvation diligently in peace and
quite, along with the rest of the brethren. Suddenly this stranger showed up and
began repeating just one of the many teachings of our Church. And you turned
your attention to him. You were impressed and you seem ready to abandon
everything and follow him. It never crossed your mind to wonder whether his
behavior, as well as yours, is right. Anyone with an appreciation for the work
of salvation will consider you to be completely foreign to spiritual life.
As soon as you heard his first words you should have distanced yourself from
him; yet, you have become attached to him and you continue all the more.
Preaching Another Christ
by St. Theophan the Recluse - Part 2
2. You write: "He constantly speaks about our Lord Jesus Christ and His saving
Sacrifice. He speaks with enthusiasm. He is pleasant to listen to and attracts
us all the more."
Have you perhaps examined whether he is orthodox or heterodox? Or did you think
to yourselves that since he speaks Russian, he is definitely Russian? And since
he speaks about Christ the Savior and, moreover, does so with enthusiasm, he
certainly must be one of our own, walking in truth and preaching the truth. You
were attracted by all this and fell into the hoax.
He may well be Russian, but he does not have the Russian Faith! He used to be
Orthodox, but he fell away from Orthodoxy. He is a heretic. He may well by
preaching about salvation in Christ, but not in the way Christ himself and the
holy Apostles taught us. He may well be speaking with enthusiasm, but this does
not mean that his words are the truth. Rather, it reveals that he is completely
given over to his deception and fights for it as though it were the only truth,
while it is in fact, a mix of heretical and erroneous beliefs.
Is all this unknown to you? Do you not know whose disciple he is? Judge the
disciple by his teacher? Certainly, you know that some Anglican came once and
went about from house to house deceiving some of our own people - men and women
who were not walking steadily on the path of the truth - with his preaching.
It is from these deceived people that this present preacher of yours sprang
forth, continuing the work of the deception of that Anglican. He goes everywhere
trying to lead more and more people to deception. Whatever that Anglican
believed, this one does also! They have both fallen from the crystal-clear truth
of God and find themselves in the fourth degree of the fall into falsehood and
darkness, into fallacy and heresy.
I will not elaborate now on the nature of this fall. Nevertheless, I will
briefly outline its historical course for you.
In the beginning, there was one Church with one, true faith. But temptation set
in. The pope of Rome, through sophistries of his own invention, fell away from
the Church and the Faith. This continues the first degree of the fall into
falsehood and darkness.
From the Roman Catholics, the Protestants sprang forth, who, through more
sophistries of their own invention, fell into deception and broke away from
Roman Catholicism. This constitutes the second degree of the fall into falsehood
and darkness.
Finally, this man sprang forth from the Anglican sophistry. It was he who led
this preacher of yours, along with several others, astray and carried them into
deception.
This is the degree in which this heretical preacher of yours finds himself,
going as he does from house to house deceiving the Orthodox. He is a genuine
disciple of the Anglican who came previously, provided, of course, that he has
added no sophistries of his own, in which case he would belong to the fifth
degree of the fall into falsehood and darkness. This is the preacher you
appreciate so much! Be proud of him!
The truth of God, the whole, pure, and saving truth, is to be found neither in
the Roman Catholics, nor in the Protestants, nor in the Anglicans, nor in this
preacher of yours. It is to be found only in the One True Church, the Orthodox
Church. The others may well believe that they possess the truth. In reality,
however, they are far from it.
The Roman Catholics, who were the first to split from the Church, consider the
truth to be with their side. The Protestants, who protested against the Roman
Catholics' failure on a score of points, failed themselves to return to the
truth and, in fact, strayed from it even further than the former. They did not
establish their new faith upon God's truth, but upon heretical sophistries of
their own invention. No matter how much they claim to be right, they are very
far from the truth.
The English did not like the German version of Protestantism and came up with
their own, tailored to their own measurements and came up with their own views,
but not according to the eternal truths that God Himself revealed. They veered
even further from the correct faith in their attempt to approach it by human
means alone.
Later, many offshoots sprang forth from Anglicanism and Protestantism. Schisms
and heresies multiplied. Every new offshoot boasted of having found - at last -
the truth. In fact, though, each one was only sinking deeper into falsehood and
darkness. Everyone looked for the truth, not where the true God placed it, but
where their own devices suggested. This is why they did not find the truth.
Really, their confession of faith and their beliefs are founded upon shadows.
And it is among such shadows that the contents of the preaching, which - as you
say - attracts you now, lies.
Nevertheless, while in the West heresy was multiplying and various fallacies
were continuously springing forth, in the East, Orthodoxy, the true Church,
which contains the divine truth as in a treasury, remained unchanged in her
faith. The truth which God Himself proclaimed and His Apostles planted - that is
what Orthodoxy holds and guards. We, Orthodox Christians, the children of the
true Church, preserve the God-given and only truth, and remain unshakable in our
faith. So many centuries passed, but the truth was kept whole and unaltered in
the bosom of Orthodoxy, and delivered down to us as God and His Apostles
proclaimed it. Our holy Church stands in the truth, and that is the reason why
we also stand in it. We owe gratitude to God for having provided for us to be
born in the bosom of the true, the Orthodox, Church.
While you have been nourished with the eternal truth since your childhood, this
false preacher of yours was taught his deception only recently. All the same, he
does not hesitate to proclaim his fallacy, whereas, you turn to him with no
discernment and are in danger of cutting yourself off from the Holy Church and
the truth of God. This truth lived in the faith of our fathers, grandfathers,
and great-grandfathers - of all Russians since the day they were baptized by the
equal-to-the-Apostles Saint Vladimir, nearly one thousand years ago. How many
saints our Church has shown forth, who intercede for us before the Lord! How
many men and women have pleased God and were filled with Divine Grace, as is
revealed by their incorruptible relics, which are found throughout the Russian
land! And all of a sudden, here comes this false preacher of yours, who just
recently fell into deception, and tries to break you off from this holy company?
But let us continue. The same confession of faith and the same path of salvation
are followed by the Greeks, from whom we received the light of Orthodoxy. Study
their history throughout the centuries and you will come to the Ecumenical
Synods, which bolstered and confirmed the dogmas of our faith, the universal
truth. Study the history of the Synods, starting with Constantine the Great, and
everywhere you will see the same truth being embraced by countless multitudes of
believers and reigning till the ends of the earth.
Let us go even further. Study the centuries of the persecutions back to the
times of the Holy Apostles. You will also find there the same confession of the
faith and the same path of salvation that we now follow. The teaching of the
Holy Apostles was handed down to them by the Lord. And whatever the Son said and
did was in accordance with the command of the Father, in the mystery of the Holy
Trinity. That is where our faith starts from! That is where its source is! That
is how it gushed forth from the depths of Divinity! That is how it flowed
through the centuries and reached down to us! And it is this age-old divine
faith that you are now ready to abandon and replace with the fallacy of this
false prophet of yours, who only recently fell into his delusion! Is there any
logic in this?
Preaching Another Christ
by St. Theophan the Recluse - Part 3
3. I can imagine your reactions, as well as those of your companions. "Why, what
wrong is there in his preaching? He only proclaims the truth, teaches salvation
in Christ, preaches the Gospel!" Just a minute. Do not hurry in your reactions.
Let us get things straight: Is it allowed to speak about Jesus Christ in an
unclear and insidious manner? Is it allowed to preach about the path of
salvation and lead the listeners to destruction? Is this not what the heretics
have always done? How many teachers perverting the truth appeared before the
heresiarch Arius and - mainly - after him? They were all rejected and
anathematized by the Church. Countless heresies appeared in the West but they
were all rejected by Orthodoxy despite the fact that they preached Christ the
Savior! Therefore, we must not rush to the conclusion that just because someone
preaches Christ, he must necessarily be trustworthy, but we need to ascertain
whether or not he preaches the truth about Christ.
No one, though, among you went to the trouble of making this inquiry, but as
soon as you heard from his lips the most sweet name of the Lord, you suspected
that the deceived one was using this most venerable name as bait, to deceive you
and lead your simplistic souls into destruction.
Did you not read the warning words of the Lord in the Gospel: "Beware of
false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous
wolves" (Mat. 7:15)? Do not think that the Lord refers here to those who do
not know His name. No. He means exactly those who use His name as a cover for
deception. This becomes obvious by His following words: "On that day many
will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?" (Mat.
7:22). You see? They preach Christ, but Christ Himself urges us to guard
ourselves from them. And on the Day of Judgement He will tell them: "I never
knew you; depart from Me, you evildoers" (Mat. 7:23).
By these words the Lord wants to show us that in no way does He recognize them
as His genuine preachers, no matter how much they claim to be such. In their
preaching, the Lord does not see Himself, but some other Christ, different from
the true one who was sacrificed here on earth for our salvation.
Do you realize now how it is possible for Christ not to be preached under the
name of Christ? How then, without any discernment, do you cling to that false
teacher of yours, who covers up his deception under Christ's name? Do you have
any doubt that the words, "For many will come in My name?and they will lead
many astray" (Mat. 2:45) apply to him as well?
Your attitude gives me the right to address to you the censuring words that the
Apostle Paul addressed to the Corinthians: "I have betrothed you to one
husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest
somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be
corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches
another Jesus whom we have not preached?you may well put up with it!" (2
Cor. 11:2-4). What the Apostle feared would happen to the Corinthians actually
happened to you. The false teacher came, began preaching another Christ, and you
followed him.
You will tell me: "No, he does not preach 'another' Christ. Whatever he
preaches, he takes from the Gospel, and he uses the words of the Gospel. He
constantly repeats that Christ died for us and that if we believe, we will be
saved. What falsehood and deceit can exist in this?
It is true that these words contain a joyous message. What soul who searches for
Christ cannot pay attention to them? But it is equally true that falsehood and
deceit can be grafted onto these evangelical words.
Let us pay attention to the Apostle Paul, who wrote to the Galatians: "I
marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of
Christ, to a different gospel" (Gal. 1:6).
The Galatians sincerely believed in Christ the Savior and wholeheartedly
accepted the joyous news of salvation. In fact, they were so grateful to the
Apostle Paul that they were even ready to tear out their eyes for him. However,
when he departed, some phony philosophers came and they too started to preach
the Gospel, the joyous news of the salvation in Christ, not pure though, but
mixed with falsehood. The Galatians did not pay due attention to the matter,
they were attracted by their preaching of the Gospel, considered them to be true
preachers, and fell into the nets of deceit. The words of those preachers were
attractive - they were preaching the Gospel - but their effect was disastrous.
Falsehood is so insidious that it can hide under holy and most sweet names.
When the Apostle Paul was informed of the situation, he wrote the following, as
an unshakable law for all ages: "Even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach
any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed"
(Gal. 1:8). And so that it might better be imprinted into them, he
repeated: "As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches
any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed"
(Gal. 1:9).
Do you see then that there can be such a gospel and such an evangelism, whose
preachers are anathematized, even by the Apostle Paul himself!
But you forgot all about this as soon as some teacher appeared with the Gospel
in his hand. You trusted him, without thinking that your faith is orthodox and
that you correctly strive for your salvation. You imitated those Galatians
exactly. It is only fair then that the apostolic censure be addressed to you
too: "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey
the truth?" (Gal. 3:1)
Preaching Another Christ
by St. Theophan the Recluse - Part 4
4. You write, "He reads and teaches from the Gospel." Certainly the Holy Gospel
and the whole of the New Testament is the most trustworthy guide, the real guide
of the Christian life, the safe beacon of the right path to salvation. All those
who want to be saved obtain the knowledge on how to strive for their salvation
from the New Testament.
But it is not easy for everyone who reads the Gospel to understand it fully and
thus walk safely on the path of salvation. Someone may read the Gospel, but
interpret it incorrectly. For him the Gospel becomes an instrument of
destruction! And is he not acquitted from the censure and condemnation of
ignoring the truth by the fact that he holds the Gospel and studies it.
I will give you an example: We have a piece of costly fabric. A tailor of fine
craftsmanship and good taste comes along, cuts it, and makes a fine dress.
However, an inept tailor with bad taste may also come along and make a
monstrosity out of it so that it can neither cover the body nor protect it from
the weather, with the final result being that he destroyed the costly fabric.
The same thing happens with the various preachers of the Gospel. Someone may
study and interpret it in such a way that he desecrates the invaluable treasure.
He may preach it in such a way that this guide of salvation leads to
destruction.
And all this for what reason? Because he himself does not know the path of
salvation. He is unaware of some preconditions for salvation or rather some
landmarks on the path of the spiritual journey, such as faith, keeping of the
commandments, acquisition of Divine Grace, etc. These points are not mentioned
in the Gospel all in one place, but are recorded in different passages. To walk
safely on the path of salvation, one has to know all these points.
This is where many stumble. Someone begins collecting various passages from the
Holy Scripture that pertain directly to salvation and constitute basic
preconditions of it; then he turns his attention to one or two of them, isolates
them from the body of the Holy Scripture, and exclaims: "Behold, I found the
path to salvation!"
In this way, we hear one preaching: "Believe and be saved." Another one
proclaims: "Acquire Divine Grace and you need nothing else." Still another
admonishes: "Love, and you will go to heaven." And many others speak likewise.
All of these admonitions are of course true and are based on the Holy Scripture.
But none of them in isolation covers the whole subject of salvation. One has to
collect and put together all of them in order to have a full knowledge of the
true form of salvation.
Here we find your false teacher too, among those who have gone astray. Surely he
reads the Gospel, as you write, and teaches how to be saved. However, does he
present the entire breadth of the struggle that is required, or only part of the
effort? Notice his words, and you will see what is lacking: His preaching
contains only "Repent and believe." But does this contain all the effort for
salvation? Certainly not.
But even these elements, repentance and faith, are they taught fully? He says
for instance, "Repent." Ask him, "That is, do we also have confession?" And if
we do not go to confession, how are we going to receive remission of our sins?"
He will not be able to respond to this. He will glibly evade it. According to
his fallacy, confession is not needed, although it is mentioned in the Holy
Scripture,
No one, of course, will try to prove him wrong when he preaches, "Repent and
believe," because repentance and faith are necessary for salvation and
constitute commandments of the Lord. Someone could, however, prove to him that
he is deceived when he proclaims that only these - repentance and faith - secure
salvation. Because, many other things are also needed.
Imagine, for a moment, a pharmacist who receives a prescription from a doctor
containing many medicines. He chooses only two or three of them, gives them to
the patient, and says: "Here, take the medication prescribed by the doctor." Is
not this pharmacist a liar and a crook?"
The same thing happens in your case. Our Lord, Who came to heal us from
passions, gave us in His Gospels a complete therapeutic method for the salvation
of our souls. This therapy is set fourth in various passages. Your new teacher
grabbed two or three of those passages and set about shouting: "Behold the
saving medicine for you! Take it and you will be saved!" Consequently, he is a
liar and a crook, exactly as the pharmacist we mentioned. And you had nothing to
say upon hearing this, thus giving him courage to go around preaching freely:
"Believe in Christ the Savior and you will be saved."
Preaching Another Christ
by St. Theophan the Recluse - Part 5
5. Actually, that is true! "For there is no other name under heaven given
among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). "Great is the mystery of
godliness: God was manifested in the flesh" (1 Tim. 3:16) Christ "bent the
heavens" and came down to lead men to heaven.
You should rejoice and be grateful to the Lord for this. You should give thanks
to the Savior, Who went up to heaven and placed human nature at the right hand
of the Father.
So, we definitely need to believe in Christ in order to be saved. But this
element alone is not sufficient for the work of our salvation. More elements
were added by Christ Himself that are likewise necessary for this work. We will
talk about those later. Now I will point out to you that this very belief in
Christ must be accepted in such a way as to be integrated with the belief in the
Holy Trinity. For when one constantly hears "salvation in Christ," it is
possible that this truth may be impressed in him to such a degree, that the
importance of the Holy Trinity in the work of our salvation becomes secondary,
and the Holy Trinity is overshadowed be the person of Christ the Savior. But
this is a deviation from the established path of salvation. And it is not right
for one to accept the Christian faith and then to distort it.
Here is what I want to stress with all this: As the Son's incarnation and
sacrifice on the Cross did not take place without the Father and the Holy
Spirit, so also the salvation of each one of us is not worked out without the
cooperation of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, that is, of the
entire Holy Trinity. The Incarnate Dispensation and the salvation of each soul
are the work of the One Triune God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. One must
plant this deep in his mind and heart. All the saints had realized this truth
concerning our salvation.
See how the Lord's baptism is done! We have a manifest participation of the
entire Holy Trinity. The voice of the Father, the baptism of the Son, the
appearance of the Holy Spirit "in the form of a dove." This is why the
celebration of this event is called Epiphany of Theophany. The Son of God, "who
became man," is baptized, but God the Father rests "upon Him and in Him" in His
good pleasure, while the Holy Spirit participates and acts.
This reveals that our salvation is accomplished by our Lord Jesus Christ with
the good pleasure of the Father and the energy of the Holy Spirit. The Son did
nothing apart from the Father and the Holy Spirit. Even though He also became
perfect man, He was never away from the bosom of the Father.
Do you see how the salvation of mankind was accomplished by cooperation of the
Holy Trinity? See now how the salvation of each individual soul is accomplished
through the same cooperation.
Our life depends on a living relationship and communion with God. With the fall
of the first-created man we lost this communion. Therefore, the only-begotten
Son of God was incarnated, and He united the separated and fallen human nature
with God. The faithful unite with Christ and, through Christ, with the Father.
The Lord himself revealed this when He said to His apostles: "I am in My
Father, and you in Me, and I in you" (John 14:20).
What applies here to the Apostles, applies also to all the faithful. It is the
golden chain of our reconnection with God. This is also what the Lord pointed
out elsewhere: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the
Father except though Me" (John 14:6)
So, the faithful come to the Father through the Son. But how do they come to the
Son? They come through the Father, as the Lord himself reveals: "No one can
come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him" (John 6:44). If without
this attraction to the Son it is impossible for the work of our salvation to
begin, and if this attraction is effected by the Father, then it is quite
obvious that the first principle of salvation of each soul is God the Father.
You should remember this scriptural truth and confess it. You were drawn to the
Lord, who is eternally at the right hand of the Father, by the Father Himself.
But how does the Father draw us to the Son? He does so through the Holy Spirit.
Everything necessary for salvation is effected by the Holy Spirit in the minds
and hearts of those that are being saved. The Lord, who suffered, died on the
Cross, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sat at the right hand of
the Father, sent the Holy Spirit from the Father, and the Holy Spirit dwells in
the true Church and works out the salvation of each of her members.
The Holy Spirit came down to the Apostles. He directed them to the ends of the
earth, He graced them with life-giving speech, He strengthened them in the
faith. He sanctified and assisted the Christians in every good work. Without the
Holy Spirit, no one is saved, or is it possible to be saved. This is why the
Lord said: "It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away,
the Comforter will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you"
(John 16:7). It is as if saying: "If the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, does
not come, I became man in vain. You will not find salvation, because without the
Holy Spirit, you cannot be transformed, you cannot acquire the attributes of the
saved."
When thinking of your salvation then, you, should remember that you also owe it
to the Holy Spirit, Who through the Divine Mysteries of the Orthodox Church is
offered to you and guides and strengthens you on the path of salvation.
Do you see, now, how we are saved? We are saved in Christ Jesus by the good
pleasure of the Father and the grace of the Holy Spirit. You should confess this
and always keep it in your mind and heart.
Whoever insists on saying only, "Believe in the Lord, believe in the Lord," and
does not proceed to the teaching of the participation of the Father and the Holy
Spirit in the work of salvation, shows that he does not posses the whole truth.
The holy Apostles had understood this deeply, and this is how they expressed it
in their benedictions for the salvation of the faithful: "Elect according to
the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, unto
obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace be to you" (1
Pet. 1:2); and, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Cor. 13:14). The
latter words of the Apostle Paul are repeated in the Divine Liturgy after the
recitation of the Creed, and before the beginning of the Mystery of the Divine
Eucharist.
All of our holy Fathers, in their teaching on salvation, also referred to it as
a work not of Christ alone, but of the entire Holy Trinity. They referred to it
as a work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, with the three persons of
the Godhead constituting the one source of salvation.
It is in this way that you should understand the work of your salvation, and you
should use these criteria to test the truth of the confession of this and any
other new teacher.
Preaching Another Christ
by St. Theophan the Recluse - Part 6
6. I will now tell you what is most important for everyone's salvation. It can
be briefly stated as follows: "Have faith and receive the Divine Grace who
guides us in the Christian life through the Divine Mysteries. Live according to
the commandments of God and the guidance of the God-sent shepherds. Be in a
living relationship with the Church."
So that you may better understand how very necessary this is, compare the
journey of salvation to a regular road trip. In order for the traveler to walk
easily and safely, he needs to have light, clear direction, and himself be
healthy and strong. Furthermore, there must be a guide to help and point in the
right direction in case of difficulty, as for example before a fork in the road
or at an intersection. In a similar manner, for the journey of salvation, there
must be light, that is, correct faith; there must be clear directions, that is,
the divine commandments; one must have spiritual health and vigor, that is the
powers of the Divine Grace obtained through the Divine Mysteries; there must
also be those who know the way and can provide guidance, that is, the shepherds
of the Church.
All this takes place within the bosom of our holy Church. Everyone who works
well for his salvation is united with the Church. All those who have been saved
followed this path, and all those who are being saved walk on this path. There
is no other way to salvation.
I do not think I had to mention all these things to you, but, nevertheless, I
will add one more. It is needless to speak about faith being necessary for
salvation. The unbeliever does not even want to think about salvation. The
Apostle Paul writes: "Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he
who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who
diligently seek Him" (Heb. 11:6).
We must believe all that God, in His good pleasure, has revealed to us, without
adding or removing anything, just as it is preserved in Holy Orthodoxy.
Specifically:
God is one in substance, but three distinct persons. The Father, through the
Son, made the world and provides for it. He created man in His image to live in
Paradise. By the disobedience of the first-created man, we lost Paradise and it
became impossible for us to be saved. The Son of God took pity on us, undertook
the work of redemption and restitution, came to earth, assumed flesh, suffered,
died on the Cross, rose from the dead, ascended to heaven, and sat as God-Man at
the right hand of the Father, Who thus showed that He accepts the sacrifice of
the Son and the power of His meditation for the salvation of the faithful.
The Son Himself sent the Holy Spirit Who proceeds from the Father, and the Holy
Spirit came down to the Apostles, filling them with divine wisdom and power.
Then they, full of the Holy Spirit, planted the Christian faith and established
the Church from all the faithful and with Christ being the head. The same
Apostles, according to the commandment of God, performed the Divine Mysteries,
which provide Divine Grace to the faithful, and left bishops and priests as
their successors on the apostolic work and as caretakers of the heavenly,
spiritual treasures that the Holy Spirit entrusted to the Church.
Through the special grace of ordination, the successors of the Apostles
continued the work of salvation throughout the centuries, and so this work
continues uninterrupted till our days. The faithful, who receive Divine Grace
through the Divine Mysteries, are saved in the bosom of the Church, not alone,
but all joined together in the true, living faith, and under the guidance of
shepherds. The salvation of each soul is worked out mystically, and every
believer anticipates another life full of light, for the sake of which he
endures voluntary and involuntary deprivations. He also believes that those who
have fallen asleep do not cease to be in the body of the Church, but they
communicate with us, not visibly, of course, but invisibly.
You must believe in all this wholeheartedly. We confess this faith by studying
the Creed often. These are truths of our faith and it cannot be otherwise.
Preaching Another Christ
by St. Theophan the Recluse - Part 7
7. Faith alone does not suffice for salvation. It must be accompanied both by
good works and by a holy life, according to the Lord's commandments: "Not
everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he
who does the will of My Father in heaven" (Mat. 7:21). And the will of the
heavenly Father is expressed in His commandments.
Study the Gospel often, and you will be taught the conditions for salvation. You
will receive lessons on what is a holy and God-pleasing lifestyle, that is, on
how always to carry out the commandments of the Lord honestly and precisely, and
so to be saved. You will please God. "He who has My commandments and keeps
them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and
I will love him?If a man loves Me he will keep My word, and My Father will love
him, and We will come and make Our home in him" (John 14:21.23).
In the apostolic epistles, too, many things are written about the necessity of
faith to attain salvation, but many more things are written about the necessity
of a holy life. The Apostle Paul put the two together and succinctly expressed
it as follows: "Faith working through love" (Gal. 5:6). By "love" he
means fulfillment of all commandments and estrangement from the passions.
In all his epistles, the Apostle Paul directs the attention of Christians to a
holy and God-pleasing life: "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever
is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report,
whatever is of virtue and worthy if praise - meditate on these things?and the
God of peace will be with you" (Philip. 4:8-9). "For the grace of God that
brings salvation has appeared to all men, training us so that by denying
ungodliness and worldly lusts, we may live soberly, righteously, and godly in
the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our
great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Tit. 2:11-13).
James, the brother of the Lord, also writes: "What does it profit, my
brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?" (Jam.
2:14) "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith
alone" (Jam. 2:24).
Do you see how necessary the fulfillment of the Lord's commandments is for
salvation? This is why I elaborated on this point. Those who drew your new
teacher into deception do not think correctly. They attribute the entire work of
salvation to faith alone. Works are almost entirely rejected by them. It is not
unlikely that he too thinks this way.
But according to the word of God, faith and works are of equal importance.
Neither one is given precedence over the other. Faith without works and works
without faith are pointless. Only the two joined together build up our
salvation. In their unbreakable union, they acquire true merit, power, and
significance.
Preaching Another Christ
by St. Theophan the Recluse - Part 8
8. Divine grace is necessary for faith to be correct and works to be holy.
Without Divine Grace, not only are we unable to believe, but we are unable even
to think about good. And even if we could think about good, we would be unable
to do it, as the Apostle Paul says: For to will is present within me, but
how to perform what is good I do not find" (Rom. 7:18).
Had the Lord taught us only what we must believe and how we must live, and then
left us with that knowledge alone, we would be like someone who is given light
and sees the path he has to travel, but is unable to walk, because he is
crippled and infirm. If that were the case, it would be better if he had known
or seen nothing.
But the loving Lord did not leave us only with the knowledge of the way to
salvation.
In His good pleasure, He sent the Holy Spirit to assist us in attaining
salvation. The Holy Spirit came down to the Apostles and, through them,
afterwards to all the faithful. The Holy Spirit inspired faith in all those who
wanted to believe. The Holy Spirit gave the ability to fulfill the commandments
to all those who through faith made the decision to lead a holy life. What took
place with the Apostles, occurred also afterwards, and is still taking place
today through their successors, according to the order that the Holy Spirit
established. So, Divine Grace constantly resides within our Holy Church, in the
multitude of the faithful. It enlightens all, strengthens all, sanctifies all.
By Divine Grace the faithful were saved and are being saved. "By grace you
have been saved" (Eph. 2:8), writes the Apostle Paul. Divine Grace dwells
in the faithful: "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that
the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1 Cor. 3:16), he continues with
unshakeable certainty about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The same Apostle
confesses himself: "But by the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Cor.
15:10). The Apostle Peter too reveals about himself and all people: "His
divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness"
(2 Pet. 1:3).
This is why in many places in the apostolic epistles, particularly in the
beginning and the end, there is a benediction that Divine Grace may remain and
grow in each believer. Regarding its necessity for the work of our salvation,
there is no doubt. But regarding the way it is received and operates, there are
opposing views.
I touch upon this subject on purpose, because I have the suspicion that your
deceived teacher belongs to those who do not understand its work correctly.
There are also some who proclaim that one has only to believe and automatically
Divine Grace will come and dwell in him.
Learn, then, and believe deeply that Divine Grace is offered and received in no
other way than through the Divine Mysteries that are performed by the Apostles
and their successors, as the Lord Himself ordained in the Church. And so that
you may be more assured of this, I will bring to you some examples from Holy
Scripture. Our Lord Himself, talking to Nicodemus, said: "You must be born
from above" (John 3:7), meaning the spiritual rebirth by Divine Grace. But
by what means would it come and operate? Did He say perhaps, "Believe, open your
mouth, and Divine Grace will come into you and give you new birth?" Of course
not. He did not say anything like that. What did He say? "Unless one is born
of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:5).
What else is this birth "by water and the Spirit," other than holy baptism, the
first Christian Mystery?
This rebirth enables our nature to receive and contain Divine Grace. Divine
Grace, however, is given through the Divine Mysteries, and more specifically,
with the laying on of hands," that is, the laying of the hands of the Apostles
or their successors on the faithful.
An incident that happened in Ephesus during a journey of the Apostle Paul
verifies this point. When the Apostle came to Ephesus, he met twelve believers
and asked them:
"When you believed, did you receive the Holy Spirit?"
And they answered, "We have heard nothing about the Holy Spirit."
"How then were you baptized?" the Apostle asked.
"In John's baptism," they replied.
Then the Apostle explained to them that the baptism of St. John the Forerunner
was only a preparation for the faith in Christ. And after he completed the
evangelical teaching to them, he baptized them with the Christian baptism. After
the baptism, he laid his hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Do you see that baptism is one thing and the "laying on of hands" another?
Divine Grace us given to the believer only through the "laying on of hands." The
Apostles later replaced this visible action with Chrismation and thus
Chrismation was established as one of the Divine Mysteries of our Church.
These two incidents, with St. Nicodemus and with the faithful in Ephesus, are
enough to assure you that Divine Grace is given through visible means, through
the Divine Mysteries, and not through mental means, or by mental belief alone.
This is how Christ Himself established things. I will mention here the other
Divine Mysteries:
The forgiveness of sins, into which one falls after baptism, is not done with a
simple, mental confession to God, but with confession that takes place before a
spiritual father, in deep contrition and determination not to repeat the same
sins.
The Mystery of Divine Eucharist creates a living union of the believer with our
Lord Jesus Christ.
The power of the Divine Grace for the continuation of the sanctifying work of
the Church is delivered through the Mystery of Ordination.
Two persons unite in one and create a blessed Christian family through the
Mystery of Marriage.
The sick are cured through the Mystery of Holy Unction.
The Divine Mysteries are rivers of Divine Grace that provide life-giving water
to the faithful. There is no other way, no other means for one to receive Divine
Grace. Whoever proclaims another way is in error and deception.
Preaching Another Christ
By St. Theophan the Recluse - Part 9
9. So far, we have presented three elements that are necessary for the work of
salvation: faith, life according to the divine commandments, and Divine Grace
that is given through the Divine Mysteries. These three require a fourth: the
holy Priesthood that was established by the Lord.
People must believe. "And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have
not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach
unless they are sent?" (Rom. 10: 14-15) It is necessary that we receive
Divine Grace through the mysteries. But how can this be done without
"ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God?" (1 Cor. 4:1) It
is necessary that we live according to the divine commandments, but this is
impossible to do without the guidance of the appropriate agents of God, who will
counsel us, bring us to attention, correct our mistakes, raise up the fallen,
and bring back to the straight path those who have gone astray.
To build up our salvation, then, it is necessary to have persons who will act
according to the divine will, who teach us the faith, sanctify us by Divine
Grace through the Divine Mysteries, and guide us on the path of salvation. It is
necessary to have shepherds who are charismatic and who have been called by God.
These are the ones that the Lord sends. And here is the apostolic confirmation:
"And He gave some to be Apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some
pastors and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ" (Eph. 4:11-12).
The actual fact also proves this. The Lord sent out His disciples saying,
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all
things that I have commanded you" (Mat. 28:19-20).
And the Apostles obeyed. But since they were not eternal, whereas their work had
to be continued throughout the ages, they left everywhere as their successors,
shepherds and teachers, who would perform the Divine Mysteries and serve the
work of salvation, according to the commandment of God.
So we read in the Acts of the Apostles that the Apostles Peter and Barnabas
preached the faith in Lystra, Derve, Iconium, Antioch and Pisidia. Eventually
they had to return to where they started. Then what? Did they abandon the newly
enlightened to live only by faith? No. They passed again through all the cities,
and laid down the way they should live a Christian life. And they ordained and
appointed presbyters for the supervision and fulfillment of the religious
obligations of the faithful (Acts 14:22-23).
The Apostle Paul did the same in Ephesus and in every city of Asia Minor.
Everywhere he went, he ordained and appointed shepherds and teaches. In fact,
later he called all the shepherds of Ephesus to Miletus, since he did not have
time to visit them himself, and he bade them farewell, giving them the following
counsel concerning the shepherding of their flock: "Therefore take heed to
yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you
overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood"
(Acts 20:28).
Later, too, on his way back from Rome after his first imprisonment and release,
he came to Crete and spread the faith in Christ. But as he did not have time to
appoint shepherds himself, he left the Apostle Titus to "set on order the
things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city" (Tit. 1:5).
Certainly he did this everywhere. And just as he ordained shepherds, so did the
other Apostles as well. For they did not act on their own, but according to the
Lord's commandment. No Christian community was left without ordained priests.
The very same thing happens today. And the faithful have received the
commandment, "Obey your leaders and submit to them; for they are keeping
watch over your souls" (Heb. 13:17). Whereas for the Priests, what the Lord
said to His Apostles applies: "He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you
rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me" (Luke 10:16).
Preaching Another Christ
by St. Theophan the Recluse - Part 10
10. I presented to you the four necessary elements for our salvation. But there
is one more: to belong to the body of the Church in a living union with the
congregation of the faithful.
The Lord called His Church a "vine," a climbing vine. He is the vine and the
faithful are its branches. The congregation of the faithful constitutes an
indivisible whole, in living union with the Lord. As a branch that is cut off
withers and dies, so also every believer who in any way is cut off from the
Church, and consequently from the Lord, dies spiritually (John 15:1-6).
The Apostle Paul says this more clearly by calling the Church "the body of
Christ." Christ is the head and the faithful are the rest of the body. And as in
the body every member lives by being joined to the rest of the members, so also
no believer can live alone, but only by participating in the common life of all
the members, of all the faithful of the Church. Whereas if he is cut off, he
dies spiritually and perishes (1 Cor. 12:12-27).
This is why true Christians, throughout the centuries till today, always felt
that they were alive by being united with the rest of the faithful, with the
Church. We consider the Church to be our mother. And the saying is true, that he
who does not have the Church as his mother, does not have God as his father. But
if God is not his father, then who is?
The Lord, through the Apostles, established the Church and endowed it with every
salvific means for preservation and expansion on earth. The Church preserves all
the mysteries of the faith and the entire truth. In it are found Divine Grace,
the Divine Mysteries, and the priesthood that guides us on the path of
salvation. In it rests the benevolence of God, Who hears the prayer of the
Church and of her children.
In order to participate in the life of the Church and to work out his salvation
within her bosom, every believer has the following obligations:
(1) He ought to believe as the whole Church has always believed. To examine his
every thought using the criteria of the Church, and never to allow himself to
disagree even slightly with her teaching, since she is "the pillar and
foundation of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15). Whoever does not observe this is
like the "gentile and the publican," according to the words of the Lord
(Mat. 18:17)
(2) He should differ in nothing from the other believers in the order of the
ecclesiastical life. He should fast when everyone fasts. He should prepare for
the Holy Communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord as is established in the
Church. He should participate in all liturgical and sanctifying events of the
Church, according to the Apostle Paul's command that no one desert the
"assembly" (Heb. 10:25).
(3) He should believe deeply that the members of the Church in heaven are in a
living and direct communion with the members of the Church on earth. The prayers
of the former for the latter are heard and fulfilled according to the will of
God. We, here on earth, are familiar with the angels and all the saints of every
age, since we have come to "the city of the living God, the heavenly
Jerusalem, to thousands of angels, to the joyful assembly and church of the
firstborn, whose names are written in heaven" (Heb. 12:22-23)
Let us summarize here all things necessary to attain salvation, and let us point
out the following:
Do you want to be saved? Believe in the whole truth, as God has revealed it.
Accept the strengthening power of Divine Grace that is offered through the
Divine Mysteries. Always live by the commandments of God, under the guidance of
the God-sent shepherds of the Church. Do all this with the mindset of the
Church, within the framework of her laws and ordinances, united in a living and
unbreakable manner with her. This is how you will by saved.
To the above description of the path of salvation we can surely add the
following admonition of Saint John the Theologian: "Whoever transgresses and
does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the
doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and
does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him;
for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds" (2 John 9-11).
Preaching Another Christ
by St. Theophan the Recluse - Part 11
11. After all we have said, you yourself can judge how much truth exists in all
the words of your new teacher.
You continue in your letter: "He insisted very much that we confess Jesus Christ
with our lips, and he affirmed that whoever confess Him with the lips receives
Him immediately and is filled with Divine Grace. In fact, he was very insistent
that a particular person confess the Lord. But that person did not accept,
saying that this is a matter of conscience."
He did very well not to accept! He judged correctly, because such a confession,
when done in vain, is contrary to the will of God. Evidently, that Christian had
a good conscience that did not permit him to confess in that situation. That
would simply have been boasting or shamming.
To confess Jesus Christ is a great feat, and the Lord promised that He will
glorify, in front of the heavenly Father, those who confess Him (Mat. 10:32).
But when does the Lord esteem such a confession? When it is done in an
environment that is hostile to the faith and when the one who makes such a
confession is in danger of suffering persecution and tribulation because of it.
When one confesses Christ under such circumstances, he shows that he is ready to
suffer martyrdom for Him. This is why his confession has such a value. In the
Church of God, the Confessors stand side-by-side with the Martyrs. Martyrs are
those who were tortured to death because they confessed Christ. Whereas
Confessors are those who were tortured because they confessed Christ, but for
some reason were not killed. This is the confession that the Lord speaks about!
The confession which if not made would mean denial of Him! In consequence of
which, the following applies: "But whoever denies Me before men, him I will
also deny before My Father who is in heaven" (Mat. 10:33).
In your situation, do the circumstances demand that you either confess Christ
and be persecuted, or deny Christ and live a comfortable life? Certainly not.
So, this is not an appropriate occasion for a confession that has a value before
God. While for boasting and shamming, any occasion is appropriate!
Go out on the street and shout: "I believe in Christ and confess my faith!" This
confession, that is, a confession taking place under such circumstances, is
foolish. It was exactly the confession that your new teacher demanded.
But the poor one goes on and combines that confession with a promise: "As soon
as you confess Christ with your lips, you receive Him in you." Where did he get
that from? The Lord and the Apostles taught us who are the ones who receive
Christ in them and in what manner. The Apostle Paul writes: "As many of you
as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Gal. 3:27).
Those who "put on" Christ receive Him in them. That is, those who are baptized
receive Christ. Before being baptized, they confess Christ by reciting the
Creed. In this way, though, Christ has not yet come into them. It is only
through baptism that they receive Him. This is what the Apostle Paul teaches,
whereas what your new teacher says comes out of his own mind and has no basis.
And there is something more: The Lord says: "He who eats My flesh and drinks
My blood abides in Me, and I in him" (John 6:56). That is, every Christian
who communes the most pure Body and precious Blood of the Lord receives Him in
him. Before Holy Communion, by reciting the preparation prayer "I believe, O
Lord, and I confess that you are truly the Christ, the Son of the living God,"
he confesses his faith, but with this confession he does not yet receive Christ
in himself. It is by partaking of His most pure Body and His precious Blood that
he receives Him. The confession simply opens the way for us to receive Him.
So, you see that it is through Holy Baptism and Holy Communion that we receive
Christ, and not through a simple confession of our faith. This is the teaching
of our Orthodox Church, but your heretical teacher invented another way for our
union with Christ - certainly through his own thinking and in his own deception.
There is an additional way in Orthodoxy to unite with Christ. It is the one that
the Lord indicates: "He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who
loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him
and manifest Myself to him?If a man loves Me he will keep My word, and My Father
will love him, and We will come and make Our home with him" (John
14:21-23).
Do not think, however, that the fulfillment of the commandments secures the
coming of the Lord into our souls independently from Holy Baptism and Holy
Communion. The sanctifying energy of these Mysteries gives us the power to
observe the commandments faithfully. The one who fulfills the commandments
adorns his soul with various virtues and makes his heart a temple worthy to
receive the Lord. The Lord comes and stays in him. More precisely, He has
already come with the Mystery of the Baptism, and is in him with the Mystery of
the Holy Eucharist.
But in as much as a man has not been purified of the passions and is not adorned
with the virtues, the Lord is not pleased and does not find rest in him. The
commotion of the passions and the smell of sin displeases Him. It is as if He
does not yet trust him, but is simply preparing a "house" within him. But when
the soul is illumined by the virtues, then He enters it with assurance, as one
enters a familiar house and stay there in peace, away from movements of sins and
passions.
Our faith attracts the Lord. The Divine Mysteries make us worthy to receive Him.
But it is only when, with His help, we fulfill His commandments and are purified
of the passions, that He definitely comes and remains within us. This is the way
and the manner to receive the Lord, as the Church teaches. There are specific
stages: beginning, middle, and end, that is perfection.
But the root of all this work is the coming of the Lord through the Mysteries.
Without the Divine Mysteries, neither faith nor works can attract the Lord.
Their value lies in the fact that they are preconditions for the reception of
the Divine Mysteries. It is through the Mysteries that the Lord will come to
dwell within the faithful. Confession of faith in the Lord has its place too,
but only as a part of the preparation, and not as a means sufficient in itself
to bring Christ into us.
Confession of faith with the lips alone, without any consequence in our life, is
of no value. When we are asked what our religion is and we confess that we are
Christians, it means that we have the correct faith and live a holy life, that
we receive Divine Grace through the Mysteries, that we follow the admonitions of
the spiritual fathers, that we belong to the Orthodox Church of God and
scrupulously observe all that she orders.
In other words, one sincerely confesses the Lord only when he believes in Him,
is sanctified and strengthened by the Divine Mysteries, and leads a holy life
according to the commandments of God, under the guidance of the spiritual
fathers and in the spirit of the holy Orthodox Church. Such a one is a real
confessor, not one who confesses the Lord only with his lips! Saint John the
Theologian, writing about the true confession in his first universal epistle,
means exactly such a confession though deeds. (1 John 2:3-6).
Furthermore, the heretical teacher considers Divine Grace as a fruit of verbal
confession. If this confession were capable of bringing the Lord, it would also
bring Divine Grace. For Divine Grace is communion with the Lord. But, as we
explained above, the Lord comes into us through the Divine Mysteries and through
confession. That is, the Divine Mysteries, not verbal confession, fill us with
Divine Grace. There is no case in the history of the Church of God that someone
received Divine Grace in a way other than through Divine Mysteries.
So we may not think through a simple, verbal confession we can receive Divine
Grace. This would be like telling someone: "Open your mouth and you will be
filled with Divine Grace." Therefore, it is fitting to characterize the heretic
as foolish for believing that he can receive it through a verbal confession.
Preaching Another Christ
by St. Theophan the Recluse - Part 12
12. You write that your heretical teacher "prays with his own prayers," and that
"when he prays, he does not make the sign of the Cross nor does he do
prostrations."
You see what a modernist he is. All Orthodox Christians, even most of the
heretics, make the sign of the Cross. But he is ashamed. And yet this is also a
way to confess Jesus Christ, Who for our sake endured the Cross and redeemed us.
So, the next time he urges you, "Confess, confess Christ with your lips," you go
near him and urge him, "You too confess, confess Christ with the sign of the
Cross." The former is a confession, the latter as well. The former only through
words. The latter through works. But the works are more important than words.
And when he told the one who refused to confess Christ with the lips, "It looks
like you are ashamed of the people," you should have told him, "Since you refuse
to make the sign of the Cross, which is also a confession, it appears that you
too are ashamed to confess Christ in front of the people."
Saint Basil the Great confirms that the sign of the Cross that we do was
established by the Apostles, and that when done in faith, it repels the
invisible enemies, thwarts their dark plans, and protects the Christian from
their attacks.
Though the Cross the Lord vanquished the power of the enemies. The enemies
remember this and avoid any recollection of it. Whoever does not seal himself
with the sign of the Cross gives full scope to the enemies. A Christian without
the sign of the Cross is like a soldier without a weapon. He is at the enemy's
disposal. The Cross sanctifies every man and every object. This is what the
Church received from the Apostles, this is what the Christians believe.
Therefore, there is a good reason to ask yourself: Is someone who refuses to
make the sign of the Cross a Christian?
By bowing the head, we usually show respect and obedience. Hence, it is
appropriate for one who prays to show his reverence and submission to God by
bowing the head. All Christians worship the Lord bodily as well, as sign of
their internal reverence and submission to His holy will. It is doubtful whether
one who does not bow is governed by such feelings. And if he is not, them what
kind of prayer does he make?
We use the phrase "He is stiff-necked" to indicate the insubordinate, the
egoist, one who does not recognize authority. Does this not often apply also to
one who refuses to bow down before God during prayer? What is he afraid of?
Crumpling his clothes perhaps?
Preaching Another Christ
by St. Theophan the Recluse - Part 13
13. You write: "Our new teacher and his faithful followers do not come to
church, and in their prayers, they do not call upon the saints, not upon the
Mother of God, nor the angels, apostles, prophets, and holy fathers. Moreover,
they do not fast, they do not go to Confession, they do not receive Holy
Communion, and they do not recognize the feasts."
Do you see what kind of Christians they are? They consider themselves to be
spiritual, God-pleasing and holy, and yet they think that ecclesiastical order,
spiritual exercises, sanctifying sacraments, holy services are unnecessary for
them.
I therefore do not see why you keep going after him. Why should he fill your
ears with empty words? From what you write to me, it is crystal clear that he
has fallen away from the holy Orthodox Church.
He strives to draw you away from it too, so as to form a new heretical group
that is detestable to the God of truth. And you keep sliding towards him, as
foolish flies towards poisonous baits.
I recommend to you the book The Rock of Faith, by Stephan Yavorsky*.
Read it carefully and embrace its content, because with that rock you will be
able to easily silence the heretics and crush the teeth of the false teachers,
who hate truth and light.
*Not available in English
Preaching Another Christ
by St. Theophan the Recluse - Conclusion
14. You write: "Confusion was created among us, because our spiritual fathers
keeps silent. While this preacher runs everywhere, exerts himself, teaches and
speaks with enthusiasm, our own shepherds keep silent. Even in church there is
hardly any preaching. They confine themselves to the divine services. We need a
living word and they do not offer it to us."
I will ask you something: Did you ever talk to your priests about this? Did you
tell them that a stranger goes about in your area gathering people and preaching
to them? Did you ask their opinion about his teachings? Of course you did not!
You write to me from so far away without ever asking the help of your pastors on
this matter. You never wrote that you talked with you parish priests, who are
near you and see every Sunday and feast day!
How, then, can your spiritual fathers know what is going on? The priests come to
the church, see the parishioners gathered and praying, and they are assured that
they have no problem.
In any case, you know the doctrines, you remember the commandments, and you are
obedient to the Church of God. What else do you need? Do you perhaps want
sometimes that some theological doctrine, some commandment, a Divine Mystery be
explained to you? But this, as you say, is being done. Besides, the very
services of the Church remind the attentive believer about the doctrines and the
commandments of God. They also teach how we can be united with Him. Being in
church is enough to revive religious fervor, as many admit from experience.
I agree with you that the priests must speak with the faithful more often and
converse with them both inside and outside the church. I do not agree, though,
that, if this does not happen, the parishioners lack spiritual food. But even in
that case, if I had to blame someone, I would blame the flock more than the
pastors! For, which priest would overlook his parishioners' quest for additional
and more specialized teaching? You yourselves avoid the priests and, if you
happen to meet one, you do not address such subjects and avoid teaching you in
church, lest they become burdensome and alienate you.
I am not justifying the priests who do not teach and preach. It is their duty to
be burning with divine aspirations and talk to the faithful, while the duty of
the faithful is to eagerly embrace the teaching. I am only pointing out that you
also beat responsibility for the scarcity of preaching.
You write: "Our priests are silent, but he goes and preaches everywhere." He
preaches, because he has to gather followers and disciples around him. Once he
does that, he will also turn silent, for his followers will know everything he
has to say. You must know, however, that too many cases, excessive activity, and
loud voices do not characterize a sound state of things.
Look at the body: When it is healthy, all its internal functions work quietly.
The pulse is calm, respiration is normal, nerves and movements are normal. But
as soon as there is some anomaly, the harmony of the whole is destroyed and the
body becomes ill.
The same happens in the work of faith and salvation. You and the whole parish
constitute a miniature of the body of the Church. All the salvific functions of
that body work quietly. You have the Orthodox faith, you strive to live in a
Christian way, you are sanctified by the Divine Mysteries, you follow the whole
order of the Church and are obedient to your priests. The work of salvation,
corporately and personally, proceeds normally. As the healthy body lives and
grows imperceptibly, so also you grow spiritually, although you cannot see it.
Your quiet, then, which contrasts with the extraordinary activity of the false
teacher, does not mean that you are at a disadvantage. On the contrary, the
noiseless and normal progress in the work of salvation means that you are in a
sound state, whereas he is in an abnormal one.
Of course, if during this calm course of the spiritual life, someone falls into
negligence and indifference, this constitutes a fault. But if everyone else
fulfills all his obligations according to his strength and his Christian
conscience, then the work of salvation is in order and there is no reason to
worry about it - let alone run after a stranger who offers something different.
Recall what I said in the beginning with the example of the choir and the bad
impression made by the voice that stands out. The same example also illustrates
what I am writing you now.
I told you all the above because of your letter. Nothing remains but the
conclusion and some advice.
Distance yourself from the heretical false teacher and attach yourself more
firmly to our Orthodox Church. This is what you should also advise the other
Christians to do. You heard enough of his erroneous teaching and troubled your
ears enough with his mushy words. Enough is enough! No good will come out of it.
And in order to detoxify yourself more quickly from what you have heard, study
the book The Rock of Faith, that I mentioned to you. It would be
better, however, if all of you who were contaminated by the poisonous words of
the heretical teacher, meet together and study the book carefully, with each one
noting for himself what he finds most useful in the fight against the attacks of
the enemy.