Several hundred postings ago, Dmitry said:
> Jesus Christ did not come to found new religion, or to establish new
> teaching…
>
> The sole reason some people did not accept him, was their lack of
> their original Orthodox faith – not an intellectual uncertainty in a
> “new one”.
>
> Yes, we speak of New Testament or “New Covenant” – which means,
> literally, ‘new treaty [of God with man]’. That was predicted by
> Prophet Jeremia – 31:31-34. This is read in the Church on the Great
> Saturday Liturgy – second last, 14th parimia. And we have the feast
> of “birthday of Christian Church” – that is, the day of Pentecost,
> the Descention of the Holy Spirit.
>
> But that’s not ‘another Church’ – that’s new way of revelation, new
> life in God, “new treaty” – but in the same Church.
I just received the Jul 3 edition of “Orthodox Christian Witness” (out of HOCNA in Seattle). On the topic of Pentecost I quote the following about the age of the One true church [founded by Christ and alone remaining faithful to God’s ordering – what we call the Orthodox Church] still extant even though founded before the creation of the world.
+ + +
“Some erroneously hold that Pentecost is the “birthday of the Church.” But this is not true, for the teaching of the holy Fathers is that the Church existed before all other things.
“In the second vision of the “Shepherd of Hermas” we read: “Now brethren, a revelation was made unto me in my sleep by a youth of exceeding fair form, who said to me, ‘Whom thinkest thou the aged woman, from whom thou receivest the book to be?’ I say, ‘The Sibyl.’ ‘Thou art wrong,’ saith he, ‘she is not.’ ‘Who then is she? I say. ‘The Church,’ saith he. I said unto him, ‘Wherefore then is she aged?’ ‘Because she was created before all things; therefore is she aged, and for her sake the world was framed.’
“Saint Gregory the Theologian also speaks of “the Church of Christ … both before Christ and after Christ”.
“Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus writes, “the Catholic Church, which exists from the ages, is revealed most clearly in the incarnate advent of Christ,”
“Saint John Damascene observes, “The Holy Catholic Church of God, therefore, is the assembly of the holy Fathers, Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Evangelists, Martyrs who have been from the very beginning, to whom were added all the nations who believed with one accord.”
“According to Saint Gregory the Theologian, “The prophets established the Church, the Apostles conjoined it, and the Evangelists set it in order.”
“The Church existed from the creation of the Angels, for the Angels came into existance before the creation of the world, and they have always been members of the Church. Saint Clement, Bishop of Rome, says in his second epistle to the Corinthians, the Church “was created before the sun and moon”; and a little further on, “The Church existeth not now for the first time, but hath been from the beginning.”
“That which came to pass at Pentecost was the ordination of the Apostles, the commencement of the apostolic preaching to the nations, and the inauguration of the priesthood of the new Israel….according to Saint John Chrysostom the Apostles were also appointed and raised to the high priestly rank.
“The feast of holy Pentecost, therefore, determined the beginning of the priesthood of grace, not the beginning of the Church.”
+ + +
I have always found discussions with protestants to proceed well when the history of the New Testament Church is presented. I see now that I’ve limited myself in this realm. The historical majesty of the existing true church is far more impressive when you consider its pre-ancient origin.
As I’ve continued in the Faith, and hopefully grown some, I’ve developed a greater and greater sense of the closeness of the Church Triumphant to those who struggle here on earth. Usually this closeness is felt during divine services when the concelebration between heaven and earth is a reality that has consequences. But more specifically otherwise, this connection has been the result of prayer to St Vladyka of San Francisco and in the presence of the Myrrh-streaming (not as tears) Portaitissa Icon of Montreal. This latter connection was overwhelmingly sensible, including a fragrance like that which St Dionysius the Aeropagite described in the presence of the Theotokos herself, but also including the miraculous co-operation of nature and weather in obedience to the order of the Church’s divine services (“for whose sake the world was framed”). Any wall separating us seems diaphanous, by God’s great mercy, at times like this.
How close then, are all those who from ages past are members of our same Church and whose memories we commemorate daily – among whom today (written yesterday) is Martyr Parasceve of Rome, whose helmet of salvation took on the form of a white hot martyr’s crown. Close also is Melchisedek, King of Salem (=Jerusalem?), a priest-king of the True God who blessed our forefather Abraham almost 40 centuries ago; before the Hebrew nation
existed; before the Old Covenant; before the “founding” of the priesthood by Aaron.
But just as close or closer are those from before the ages themselves, before the creation of this world described in Genesis. These are the Archangels and all the armies of the hosts who are prepared to engage the enemies of God on our behalf, and all the others of the nine angelic orders we know about through St Dionysius.
Closer still is God when we call out to him. His answer may not be obvious, for so often we are looking in the wrong direction, but within the Church is found the foundation for our life. It is the foundation for the world. It has always been there – organizing created beings, angels first, then man as well, in the praise and glory of God Who is the source of our Life; this glory being the highest purpose of our Life.
The Church is always ready to be discovered once we turn away from our self-willed existence, and it is always right there for you to find as soon as you begin looking. You who are here on the ORTHODOX list have begun that search looking for the right glory (ortho-doxology) in the “many lighted heaven that doth shine a guiding light upon all them that do believe”; looking for the true dwelling place of God with men, as St Vladimir’s emissaries found, uniquely, in the Orthodox temples.
You’ve taken the first steps, now run towards this Church that has always existed, and which has been there to guide the steps of man since his creation, and before that, guided the glory of the angelic hosts on high who did not reject His authority.
So often we define ortho – dox as “correct doctrine”, but the doctrine flows only from the Life in Christ. Doctrine is simply a result. It is the understanding that comes from the practice of giving correct glory to God. Separated from that practice, doctrine is as dry leaves easily blown asunder and easily consumed in flames. The angels in heaven give glory. They are our forebears in Christ and we may emulate them and gain the knowledge of experience. The practice and purpose of “going to church” is to live this Life in Christ; to arrange our lives to the glory of God, not to arrange the affairs of the parish to the convenience of man. Simply pray, and give glory to God, and all the rest – parish councils in particular – will appear as they are – mostly frivolous affairs of fallen man.
Satan, who was apostate even before the world began, continues today – with increased fervor, because his time is short – to draw away as many as he can. Don’t join him in his apostasy. Don’t believe his lies about the Orthodox Church, for it _is_ the same Church from which he bolted. He hates her as he hates you. All manner of deception is now directed against her, and you.
Start with the prayer: “I believe Lord; help Thou my unbelief.”
The saints of the Church knew the same temptations.
All ye saints of Christ’s Church, both “before Christ and after Christ”, and “before the sun and moon”, pray unto God for us all. May we truly join ourselves to the One Church before the time of our repentance is past. Bring us to the original Orthodox faith handed down to us from time immemorial. Overcome our intellectual uncertainty that this is somehow a
new faith of the latter times – one among many – and not the One Faith followed “with one accord” by God’s created beings from before the ages.
Forgive my long-windedness. I’ll shut up for a while now.
Glory to God!
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Deacon Mark Gilstrap — ADDRESS: 500 West 13th Street, Bloomington, IN
47404
EMAIL:gilstrap@indiana.edu WORK:812/855-2493 HOME:812/332-8508