Церковь и Писание

As noted earlier, by this time the direction of Vladimir Troitsky’s theological interests had been firmly determined, and almost any topic, any subject, especially a church topic, was considered by him, first of all, in terms of its relationship to the Church. In a trial lecture on the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament on the topic “Gnosticism and the Church in relation to the New Testament,” the novice teacher does not deviate from this rule. The Holy Scriptures remain a closed book for non-church people, a book with seven seals (see Rev. 5:1). In fact, outside the Church no one can open this book, neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor under the earth, nor look into it (Rev. 5:3) with an open face (2 Cor. 3:18). This opinion is clearly revealed by the fathers and teachers of the Church. “The Scriptures belong only to the Church,” says Tertullian, “and heretics should not be allowed to compete about the Scriptures; they are not Christians and have no right to the Christian Scriptures" 101. Heretics do not possess the “key” for understanding the Holy Scriptures; the life of the Church, enlightened and instructed by the Holy Spirit, is alien to them, and therefore their interpretations, while claiming to be scientific, are established on shaky, dreamy foundations, while “church writers... did not consider the scientific study of the Holy Scriptures... to be the highest, much less the only way to comprehend Christ’s truth” 102. Therefore, a dispute with heretics can have neither meaning nor hope of agreement, but leads to disastrous results: “If you argue from Scripture, you will damage your brain and stomach, you will lose your voice and you will go mad from the blasphemy of heretics” (Tertullian) 103. “Scripture is only for those who are involved in church life. And outside the Church and without the Church there is no Holy Scripture,” the young theologian concludes his lecture 104. Hilarion, (Archbishop of Vereisky), schmch. Without the Church there is no salvation. pp. 392–393.