3/10/2017
Priest Nikolai Konyukhov
When a person comes to the faith, he must ask himself the simple question: “What does my family gain from me being a Christian?”
Sergei Komarov
The Biblical image of love is different. This love is tough, it’s honest, lively, fervent, sincere—such is the zealous love of God.
See how the Church reacts to persecutions. It doesn’t say: “Lord, make them to disintegrate, yea, and even more,” as in the Old Testament. Here they react in a truly Christian way.
The Bible is an extreme book in this regard. Here it says: Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. That is, it’s only through the Son that we can come to know the Father. This is a Biblical word.
The Apostle Peter calls the Jews to repentance and uses complex constructions that were very clear to the Jews then.
Thus, Christ is the Prince of life, the Source of Life, the Captain of life, the Guide, the Leader of salvation.
When people change, when they begin to love God, they begin to fight for their salvation, it means that Christ has come into their lives, and that they let Him in.
It seems to me that we don’t have enough fellowship as such in the Church today—just brotherhood.
What did Christians in the first Church do when there wasn’t yet such a developed cycle of services like we have today?
What do you think—why doesn’t it say “He is risen,” but rather “God raised Him up?”
There are two words used for Christ in the New Testament: “Nazoreos” and “Nazarinos.” “Nazarinos” means Nazarene, that is, a resident of the city of Nazarus. We understand that Christ really lived and grew up there. But “Nazareos” means “Nazarite.”
Joel as if ties time up in a knot: He speaks of the coming judgment over sinners and the salvation of those who believe in God. The beginning and end of Church history are connected. This is a common example of a multi-layered prophetic utterance.
The Law was given on the day of the Jewish Pentecost, and in order to fulfill the essence of the Law spiritually, in a Christian manner, the grace of the Holy Spirit was necessary.
The Church, in fact, continues the path of Christ on Earth.
Christ already glorified human nature by His Resurrection. What’s particular about the Ascension in the history of our salvation?
Christ did and taught, and that’s what the Church should do. And the Church is us.
The Apostol occupies a special place in the New Testament cycle of books.
Christianity clothes men, robing them in virtues and holiness. Sin disrobes. Removing the clothing of virtues from a man, sin leaves him naked, weak, ugly.
This story could well be called archetypal. In all the details of this Biblical story, a deep psychological truth shines through. Everything is exactly the same as it happens in our life; for example, mistaking the urges of lust for love.
All of our hope and our thoughts should strive to go there, “to the Heavenly… to the Heavenly… to the light…,” as said the dying St. Gregory Palamas. There God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away (Rev. 21:4). Let us turn our hope there and let us believe: It will not put us to shame, for the promises of God are immutable.
From ancient times, these passages have been understood as prophecies of the Messiah. The Israelite people will “pierce” their Messiah, but on the Day of the Lord, the Anointed One will appear as Judge, and those who pierced Him will “mourn.”
Thus, Christ has made us “kings.” What does that mean? Let’s talk about our royal status and its fulfillment in the Church.
Let’s examine the name of Christ, “Prince of the kings of the earth.”
Holy Week is the hardest week of the year. Wherein lies its burden? It’s probably not just in the strict fasting and the daily services—this can all be sweet and light for the faithful Christian.
The beholder of mysteries emphasizes the most important thing in the Person and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ: His sufferings and death (the faithful witness), Resurrection (the first begotten of the dead), and glory (the prince of the kings of the earth). We will briefly discuss each of these designations.
In this article, we will try to examine the meaning of the complex formula that St. John the Theologian uses to denote God Himself.
Today we will examine the greeting of St. John the Theologian.
Today we are looking at the words that praise the book of Revelation.
It’s worth noting that, according to the opening phrase of the first verse, we are looking at the revelation of Jesus Christ, not St. John. The apostle simply has to pass on what Christ revealed to him.
For modern man, the term “apocalypse” has a sinister meaning. In antiquity, it meant to remove the covering from something hidden, to reveal that which was concealed. It was like removing the sheet from a new painting or opening the curtain on a stage. Over time, the concept began to be used to indicate the genre of those Jewish writings that appeared two centuries before Christ and continued into the first century after Christ.
We are beginning a study of the book of Revelation by St. John the Theologian. Perhaps it would be useful to ask ourselves: Why should we read and analyze this book?
True, Christianity is not limited to “being good.” We are saved by our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and not by our righteousness. But where faith has not helped you at least become “good” there is no Christianity.
There was no doubt that the trap had worked and the robbers were ensnared. It was difficult to say how long this had lasted. He put his ear to the door and strained. There was complete silence.
Rating: 9.7|Votes: 39
It seems that the massive manipulation of consciousness is the purchase and sale of human souls in our days. I purpose to test this thought, by looking at the portrait of one of these types of modern merchants.
Rating: 9.2|Votes: 10
The fall and uprisings of the characters of this book are my falls and uprisings. The commandments given to these characters are given to me.
Rating: 9.8|Votes: 18
The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how (Mark 4:26–27).
Rating: 9.6|Votes: 19
Brothers and sisters, this fact proclaims the great and delightful truth that God pours out His grace upon everybody! How often we, Orthodox Christians, forget it and claim the monopoly on God’s help! In truth very many believe that the Creator doesn’t take care of people outside the Orthodox Church.
Rating: 9.5|Votes: 17
Apostle Paul told us about the ability of the Church to form itself. What does he mean?
Rating: 8.6|Votes: 36
All of us have heard about “the seal of the antichrist” many times, albeit it cannot be found in the Bible. Meanwhile, almost nobody talks about “the seal of the Creator” which is mentioned in the Bible.
Rating: 9.4|Votes: 23
Solitude shows us who we are and gives us an opportunity to fill the “yawning abyss” of the human soul. Whether this vacuum is to be filled by God, or the “babble and rattle” of TV, or the escape from ourselves into the labyrinths of social media—the choice is in our hands. Our history knows examples that help us make a right decision.
Rating: 8.1|Votes: 9
Just what the Last Judgment is, every person knows to some extent—even if he has not read the Gospels or heard a Christian sermon; even if he has no faith at all. He knows because every person has a conscience.
