New Testament teaching about the Church

It was the greatest and solemn moment in the history of mankind, when the Lord Jesus Christ in His High Priestly Prayer exclaimed: Holy Father! keep them in Your name, those whom You have given Me, so that they may be one, just as We are... I pray not only for them, but also for those who believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us (John 17:11, 20-21). In these words of Christ’s prayer the essence of the Church is already clearly defined. Christ came to earth to save the world 1, and therefore Christianity is not only a teaching that is accepted by the mind and contained by everyone separately. No, Christianity is a life in which individual personalities are so united with each other that their unity can be likened to the essential unity of the Persons of the Holy Trinity. The Lord Jesus Christ prayed to His Heavenly Father about the creation of such and such unity, the Church, from people. Christ places love at the basis of the unity of people in the Church. Having indicated the ideal of the Church in the consubstantiality of the Persons of the Holy Trinity, He said in the same prayer: let the love with which You loved Me be in them, and I in them (John 17:26) 2. The Lord Jesus Christ convinced His disciples in their farewell conversation to imitate this incomparable mutual love of the Persons of the Holy Trinity: A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, let you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:34–35; see: John 15:12, 14, 17). But in order for people to be able to enter into such a union of love, so that they unite into the Church, this required the re-creation of human nature itself, infected with sin, which always opposes any unity of people. In a conversation with Nicodemus, the Lord Jesus Christ speaks about the new birth of man 3. For this very revival of human nature, for this re-creation of it, the incarnation of the Son of God, His death on the cross 4 was required. In the person of Christ, humanity became a participant in the Divine nature, and without the incarnation of the Son of God the unification of people in the Church would have been impossible. The Church has as its foundation the incarnate Son of God, the God-man Christ. When the Apostle Peter confessed Jesus Christ as the Son of the Living God, then Jesus answered him: on this rock I will build My Church (Matthew 16:18). Only through the incarnate Only Begotten Son of God do people receive true life, eternal life, and therefore he who does not believe in the Only Begotten Son of God is already condemned (John 3:18): true life is impossible for him 5 . In order to be a living member of regenerated humanity, it is necessary to be in real connection with the God-man Christ. That is why Christ said: Abide in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it is in the vine, so neither can you unless you are in Me. I am the vine, and you are the branches; He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in Me will be cast out like a branch and wither; and such branches are gathered and thrown into the fire, and they are burned (John 15:4-6). So that the latter does not happen, Christ promised to be with His Church all the days until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). The life of reborn humanity is the life of the Church and is supported by its constant connection with God; the life of the Church is supernatural life. To join the Church, you need to be born again, born of water and the Spirit (see: John 3:3, 5), you need to be born of the Spirit 6. For a natural person, this rebirth is so incomprehensible that it seems as impossible as it is impossible to enter another time into one’s mother’s womb and be born (John 3:4). While Jesus was not yet glorified, His followers did not have the Spirit, but even then He secretly, pointing to Old Testament prophecies, spoke about the Spirit, which those who believed in Him were about to receive (περὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος, οὗ ἔμελλον λαμβάνειν οἱ πιστεύοντες εἰς αὐτόν) (John 7:39). But the Lord Jesus Christ spoke especially about the Holy Spirit and about rebirth from Him throughout His farewell conversation. Here the Lord’s speech is completely clear and definite: I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever... But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you everything and remind you of everything that I have told you (John 14:16, 26). He, the Spirit of truth... will guide you into all truth (ὁδηγήσει ὑμᾶς εἰς πᾶσαν τῆν ἀλήθειαν) (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit, therefore, will lead (ὁδηγήσει) all Christians, the entire Church along the path of complete truth, that is, not only theoretical, but also moral. Πᾶσα ἡ ἀλήθεια, this is the whole life of a regenerated person, 7 and this life is from the Holy Spirit. Before His ascension, Christ told the disciples that in a few days they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5), which would invest them with power from above (Luke 24:49) 8. Thus, first of all, according to the teaching of Jesus Christ Himself, His Church is a supernatural, grace-filled union of people reborn by the God-Man into a union of love. In its historical manifestation, this blessed society, of course, must differ significantly from all other natural connections of people into societies. This is the Kingdom of God, it is not of the world (John 18:36) 9, its character is not worldly, it is not like political kingdoms, which are based on power and coercion. When some of Christ's disciples, not understanding the nature of the new unity of people preached by Him, asked for ordinary earthly power in His Kingdom, He answered them: you do not know what you are asking... you know that the princes of the nations rule over them, and the nobles rule over them; but among you... it will not be so... and whoever wants to be among you... first, let him be your slave (Matthew 20:22, 25–27, see: Mark 10:38, 42–44; Luke 22:25–26). In Christ the prophecy about the meek king was fulfilled: He entered Jerusalem not on a horse, but on a donkey, 10 and entered to suffer for the people. Christ in the desert rejected the temptation of the devil to convert all people by force 11. The Lord did not send His apostles as formidable conquerors, but only as humble and having nothing but words, preachers who could only conquer human hearts. Only he enters the Church who responds to the word of the sermon with free faith 12, and therefore to bring down fire from heaven on unbelievers would be a betrayal of the new Spirit of Christ 13. There can be no external authority in the Church itself 14 . However, a new source and a new fertile basis of unity create a society in which the members are connected much more closely than in any natural society. Jesus Christ himself represented this society under the image of a tree, 15 that is, he spoke about the organic unity of all believers, so that the very life of a regenerated person is unthinkable outside of this organic unity. This opposition of the Church to the worldly kingdoms leads to the fact that its members are, as it were, separated from the world and no longer belong to it; for this the world hates them and persecutes them in every way 16, but the Church overcomes the world only with the spirit of meekness (1 Cor. 4:21) 17. Having such a character, the Church can only be united. Two separately growing trees are not connected to each other in any way: only the branches of one tree are organically connected to each other. The existence of two separate Churches would contradict the very essence of church unity. Yes, and Christ Himself spoke of one flock and one Shepherd 18. On the stone of Peter's confession, Christ created the Church (τῆν ἐκκλησίαν), not Churches. All believers are brothers (Matthew 23:8). The Lord spoke about the same unity in the high priestly prayer: that they may all be one (see: John 17:21). Being one, the Church of Christ embraces the whole world: there are no spatial or national boundaries for it. The Old Testament, which was limited to one Jewish nationality, has come to an end. Representatives of the Jewish people, after the Lord’s parable about the vineyard, said themselves that the Lord should give the vineyard to other winegrowers, and thereby pronounced a fair judgment on themselves 19 . Instead of the limited Old Testament Church, Christ created His Church, into which many will come from the east and west and lie down in it with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Matt. 8:11). Christ was sent to the “world”, and not to just the Jewish people, He came to save the whole “world” and was the light of the “world” (see: John 8:12). And therefore, the worship of God the Father is not associated with a specific place: true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth (John 4:23). Explaining the parable of the “good sower,” Christ said: the field is peace, and he who sows good seed in this field is the Son of Man (Matthew 13:38, 37). When the apostles were first sent to preach, the Lord Jesus Christ limited the place of their preaching to Palestine: they were to preach only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (see: Matt. 10:6). He said the same thing on another occasion about Himself 20. But this does not mean that before His suffering Christ actually limited all His work to the national borders of Israel. Elsewhere the universalism of the gospel is made quite clear. Christ predicted to His disciples that they would be hated by all nations (ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν) (Matthew 24:9). The eschatological speech says: this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations ἔθνεσι) (Matthew 24:14). Before the end, the Gospel must be preached to all nations (εἰς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη) (Mark 13:10). When in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, a woman anointed His head with precious ointment, the Lord said: wherever this Gospel is preached in the whole world (εἰς ὅλον τὸν κόσμον) it will be said in her memory... about what she did (Mark 14:9) 21. Finally, appearing to His disciples after the resurrection from the dead and sending them to preach, the Lord Jesus Christ quite clearly and definitely told them: go, teach all nations (πάντα τὰ ἔθνη) m (Matthew 28:19), go to the whole world (εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἅπαντα)... preach the Gospel to every creature (πάσῃ τῇ κτίσει) (Mark 16:15). You... will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and even to the ends of the earth (ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς) (Acts 1:8). Thus, the special unity in love of all humanity, reaching the point of unity, must be realized in the Church of Christ. It must also be added that this unity, that is, the Church itself, does not seem to be something desired and only expected. The Church is not a mere conceivable quantity: it is a real, historically tangible phenomenon. Christ said that His followers are in the world, although not of the world. I do not pray, He said to God the Father, that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from evil (John 17:11, 14-15). The Church, therefore, by its nature is not a worldly phenomenon, not ordinary in the natural order of things, but its members in the world and in the world must implement the teaching of Christ. In the natural world, Christ laid the foundation for a special supernatural society, which will exist along with natural phenomena 22. Finally, those who join the Church do not experience any magical transformation into beings of a higher, supermundane order. In their earthly life, members of the Church must overcome their sinful nature with the help of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will guide believers into all truth (John 16:13). Therefore, in the Gospel there is no trace of the idea that the Church is a society of the morally perfect, the finally saved: no, it is a saving society, a society that the Holy Spirit leads to perfection (ὁδηγήσει εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν) 23 . The seeds of new spiritual life gradually grow in the members of the Church, and all the differences in individual personalities are reflected: the same seed produces different shoots 24 . That is why, along with pure wheat, there are also tares, which remain growing together until their destruction is possible without harm to the wheat 25. At the end of the world, in the Kingdom of the Son of Man there will be temptations and those who practice iniquity (Matthew 13:41). The Lord Jesus Christ likened His kingdom to a feast to which the poor, crippled, lame and blind were brought, to which both the evil and the good were gathered 26 . For each individual member, the Church is the highest authority and final judge. He who disobeys the Church falls away from it, becomes alien to it, like a pagan and a tax collector, and, consequently, is deprived of the grace-filled help necessary for true life. We have briefly noted the main features of the Church, defined in the words of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. As you can see, in the Gospel there is no developed teaching about the Church in any detail, 27 and it is possible, on the basis of clear evidence from the Gospel, to give only the most general definition of the Church. The Church is a society of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, people reborn by Him and the Holy Spirit, united in love and under the constant influence of the Holy Spirit achieving perfection. If we turn to the earliest facts of Christian history, we will clearly see how the idea of ​​the Church was internalized by believers from the very beginning. A small flock of Christ's followers, according to His command, stayed in Jerusalem 28. The beginning of the new human society was not laid as it should be for any natural human society. A few days later, Christ's followers were baptized with the Holy Spirit, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, in which then St. ap. Peter saw the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy 29. Having received the Holy Spirit, believers formed the Church, and Christianity has never existed without the Church. Already from the very first pages of history, believers appear before us in the form of a like-minded and unanimous community 30, which has adopted the name “Church” (ἐκκλησία) 31. Let the word ἐκκλησία be used only twice in the Gospel; Much before the writing of the Gospels themselves, it was the Church that already existed. Very few years passed after the Ascension of the Lord, and already the zealot of the Jewish law, Saul, as he himself later repeatedly recalled, persecuted the Church of God (Gal. 1:13) 32. Consequently, the Church existed for those who themselves were still outside the Church. There were no Christians outside of this community; to believe in Christ meant to join the Church, as it is expressed repeatedly in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, where it is said: the Lord added daily those who were being saved to the Church (Acts 2:47). Every believer, according to the word of the apostles, was like a branch grafted onto the tree of church life. The need for every believer to join the church community is especially clear in the story of Saul’s conversion. Saul, on the way to Damascus, miraculously turns from a persecutor into a follower of Christ; however, in Damascus the Lord sends Ananias to him, who baptized him, after which Saul was in Damascus with his disciples for several days; then Saul, having arrived in Jerusalem, tries to join the disciples, and after Barnabas informs the apostles about him, he stays with them 33. Thus, even the one who later became a great apostle, whom even in the vision of Ananias the Lord calls the chosen vessel 34, immediately after his conversion joins the Church as a visible and definite society. And to the extent that the original Church was defined in the sense of society, this is beautifully stated in the book of the Acts of the Apostles: Of the outsiders (λοιπῶν) ... no one dared to pester (κολλᾶσθαι) to them (Acts 5:13). This saying only needs to be combined with the one given above: the Lord... added those who were being saved to the Church (Acts 2:47) - and it will be clear what a definite and sharply limited size the Church was in the very first days of its existence. The society of followers of Christ grew more and more 35. After the persecution of believers in Jerusalem, Christians scattered everywhere went and preached the word (Acts 8:4). The idea of ​​a supranational Church was clearly understood by everyone, and therefore, at the very first, Samaritans were accepted into the Church 36, Philip baptized an Ethiopian 37. The Lord revealed to the Apostle Peter in a special vision that he should not consider a single person filthy and unclean, and Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he who fears Him and does what is right is accepted by Him (Acts 10:34-35). True, soon some of the Jewish Christians changed this idea, and when Peter came to Jerusalem, the circumcision reproached him, saying: you went to uncircumcised people and ate with them (Acts 11: 2-3) But this misunderstanding was quickly resolved. When ap. Peter conveyed to them everything that had happened, then, having heard this, they calmed down and glorified God, saying: it is clear that God also gave to the Gentiles repentance that leads to life (Acts 11:18). The ministry of the great “Apostle of Languages” begins, and the supra-nationality of the Church of Christ is clearly, definitely and generally obligatory expressed in the resolution of the Apostolic Council, which declared the non-binding nature of the Mosaic Law for pagan Christians 38 . After this, the Apostles of Christ spread the faith everywhere, even to the last of the earth, and it was the Apostles who spread the Church and created an organized religious society 39 . At the same time, theoretical discussions about the Church are also found in the apostolic epistles. First of all, we must note that to express the idea of ​​the Church, the apostles use Old Testament terminology. The very term ἐκκλησία can be placed in close connection with the philologically completely corresponding Hebrew קׇהׇל (kāhāl. – Ed.). The Hebrew קׇהׇל is a solemn designation for a religious assembly; - this is a society in its relation to God, and therefore this name is primarily applied to the Jewish people as a whole (the expression הַקַּהַל כֺּל (kol-hakkahal - literally - all (this) society. - Ed.) is often found. LXX and translate קׇהׇל mainly with the word ἐκκλησία 40. In the Gospel, as noted above, the word ἐκκλησία occurs only twice and both times in the Gospel of Matthew, which was written for Jews and therefore clearly reflects the Old Testament worldview. The Gospel only says that Christ will create His Church, and not the Church in general. When it is said about the excommunication of a disobedient person from the Church, then the expressions are directly Old Testament or generally Jewish: may he be to you as a pagan and a tax collector (Matthew 18:17) 41. The combination often found in the New Testament ἡ ἐκκλησία τοῦ Θεοῦ or ἐκκλησία – τοῦ Χριστοῦ 42 also fully corresponds to the Old Testament יְהֺרׇה קְהְל (qehal YHWH. – Ed.) 43 . The fact that from the very beginning the term ἐκκλησία, which has a close connection with the Old Testament terminology, was taken to designate the Christian Church, speaks of the consciousness of unity that permeated the primal Church. In the Old Testament there was a single יְהֺרׇה קְהְל, and in the New Testament ἡ ἐκκλησία τοῦ Θεοῦ is also one, and this is all the more so since in the synagogue literature the corresponding קְהׇלׇא is used primarily to designate all of Israel 44 . The Old Testament basis of the term ἐκκλησία gives it, first of all, a universal meaning: ἐκκλησία denotes the entire one visible earthly Church, and only then this name is applied to a separate community 45. True, in the New Testament, out of 110 uses of the word ἐκκλησία, 90 times it does not designate the universal Church, but a local, usually urban Christian community 46. But this fact is easily explained by the fact that the authors of the sacred books wrote either to individual Christian communities, or about individual Christian communities, and therefore the relatively more common use of ἐκκλησία in the sense of the local Church cannot contradict the fact that the main and original meaning of the word ἐκκλησία is precisely the entirety of the Christian Church 47 . Another frequently used name for Christians in the New Testament apostolic writings, ἅγιοι 48, also has an Old Testament basis; it corresponds to the Hebrew קׇדֺושׁ. In the Old Testament, קׇדֺושׁ is usually applied to God, and it is applied to objects or people only when they stand in close connection with God and are dedicated to God. Therefore, the idea of ​​holiness in the Old Testament stands in the most direct connection with the idea of ​​God's chosenness of the Jewish people 49 . In the sense of being chosen by God, the Jewish people are called holy 50, and sometimes Jews are called saints - 51 קְדוֹשִׁים. It is remarkable that in the New Testament ἅγιοι sometimes stands together with κλητοί, ἐκλεκτοί and ἠγαπημενοι 52. Especially in this case, the expression of the Apostle Peter attracts attention: you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people taken as an inheritance ἅγιον, λαὸς εἰς περιποίησιν) (1 Pet. 2:9) 53. Here Christian society is characterized by terms taken entirely from the Old Testament, 54 and the last expression - people taken as an inheritance - is especially characteristic. The Jewish people in the books of the Old Testament are called the inheritance of Jehovah יְהוׇֹה תֶבֻל (hebel YHWH. - Ed.) 55 , and the very term תֶבֻל (inheritance) contains the idea of ​​strict certainty and isolation 56 . All these Old Testament designations for Christians tell us that the Church at first thought of itself as a definite and real unity like the Old Testament Jewish people. The New Testament writers, Jews themselves, found it possible to call the new society, the Church, by the Jewish terms familiar to them. And therefore we can say that the Old Testament terminology, as applied to the New Testament Church, testifies to the clear consciousness of the unity of the Church that prevailed at the very first time, not only in the dogmatic sense, but also in the factual sense. The Church is, as it were, God’s only destiny measured with a rope. Having indicated the Old Testament basis of those terms with which the New Testament Church called itself from the very first times of its existence, we will move on to presenting the teachings about the Church of the Apostle Paul. Other New Testament writers say very little about the Church, so we will not discuss them separately, but will mention them incidentally when presenting the teachings of the Apostle Paul 57 . The Apostle Paul speaks about the Church in many of his epistles, and sometimes speaks in some detail. The Apostle, as it were, constantly carries within himself the idea of ​​the Church and, as needed, as circumstances require, he expresses it in his epistles. The apostle’s very speech is sometimes not entirely clear, but his general idea of ​​the Church is always clear. It is in vain to look for the gradual development of the idea of ​​the Church from the Apostle himself; this idea in all his epistles, wherever there is talk about the Church, is so imbued with integrity and unity that any possibility of speaking about the gradual development of the idea of ​​the Church among the apostle himself is excluded. Only the external form of speech changes depending on the circumstances and the various needs of the readers of the apostolic epistles, but the essence of the teaching about the Church remains unchanged 58. Most often ap. Paul calls the Church a body (σῶμα) 59 . From the very name of the Church “Body” one can derive two of its main properties. First of all, the body is an organism. All members in the body are inextricably linked into one. The same blood flows throughout the body; all members of the body are connected to each other by their very being. An individual member of the body does not live and develop on its own, but only in organic connection with the whole body. The body is not a random mechanical collection of members, each of which is closed in itself in its life, but precisely one organism, where there is one inseparable life. On the other hand, the body is not something original. The body is characterized by organic life, but this is still far from sufficient for the body to live. There is a need for a spirit to animate the body. In the Holy Scriptures the body is considered as an organ of the spirit. The spirit of man lives in the bodily church (2 Peter 1:13) and leaves it. Both of these signs: the organic connection of individual members and the need for a quickening Spirit are revealed by the Apostle Paul in his application to the Church. In the Letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul defines who becomes a member of the Church. He writes to the Gentiles: You who were once Gentiles according to the flesh, who were called uncircumcised by the so-called circumcision of the flesh made with hands... you were at that time without Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and being godless in the world. And now in Christ Jesus you, who were once far away, have become close through the Blood of Christ. For He is our peace, having made both one and destroyed the barrier that stood in the middle, abolishing enmity by His flesh, and the law of commandments by teaching, in order to create from the two in Himself one new man, establishing peace, and in one body to reconcile both with God through the cross, killing the enmity thereon. And when he came, he preached peace to you who were far and near, because through Him we both have access to the Father in one Spirit (Eph. 2:11–18). In these words of the Apostle Paul we note the following thoughts. Before the coming of Christ into the world, the Jews were the chosen people - πολιτεία τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. The Jews enjoyed great advantages 60 that the pagans, from whom they were removed 61, did not have. The promises were made in the Jewish people, who received a theocratic structure 62, and the pagans were atheists, serving the creation (see: Rom. 1:25) 63. The law was given to the Jews alone (νόμος τῶν ἐντολῶν); this law was the subject of enmity between them and the pagans: it stood between the pagans and the Jews like a wall (τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ) 64 . This was the case before the coming of Christ. But Christ abolishes with His dogmas and ideals the Old Testament νόμος ἐντολῶν, the law that determined everything and punished everything, which revealed only human weakness and led Old Testament people only to the consciousness of the need for a different way of justification. In place of the law, the commandments of which were inscribed on tablets of stone, comes the law written on the tablets of the heart (2 Cor. 3:3), the law of faith... the law of the spirit of life (Rom. 3:27, 8:2). Christ's death on the cross opened up a new way of salvation 65. On this path, the difference between Jews and pagans is destroyed, and Jews and pagans become one - τὰ ἀμφότερα ἐν; from Jews and Gentiles a new man is created (τοῦς δύο εἰς ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον), so that the Gentiles became joint heirs with the Jews, partakers of the promises and together with them constitute one body 66 . We find a deep and completely exhaustive interpretation of the last words of the Apostle in St. John Chrysostom. “What do you mean both are one? The Apostle does not show by this that God gave us and the Jews the same nobility; but that he also elevated us to a better (state). The Israelites received the promises, but found themselves unworthy of them; nothing was promised to us, we were strangers to the promises; We had nothing in common with them, and He united us together, not, however, so that he joined us to them, but he united us and them together” 67. “The pagan did not become a Jew, but both came to a new state. He (Christ) attracts the Jew with one hand, and the Greek with the other, and having mixed them and destroyed everything that alienated them from each other, he transformed them from above with fire and water, not with water and earth, but with water and fire. He transformed both the Jew, who was circumcised and under a curse, and the Greek, who was outside the law, into one new man, superior to both - both Jew and Greek. If Jews remained Jews and Greeks remained Greeks, they would never have united with each other; without leaving their own position, how could each of them come to a better state? A Jew only draws closer to a Greek when he becomes faithful. It’s like if two people occupy two separate rooms below and have one thing in common above, beautiful and vast: they cannot see each other until they go upstairs” 68. The Apostle Paul briefly repeats the same thought as in the Epistle to the Ephesians in other places when he says that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation (καινὴ κτίσις) (2 Cor. 5:17), which in Christ Jesus means nothing (οὔτε ἰσχύει) circumcision, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation (καινὴ κτίσις) (Gal.6:15). There is no longer Jew and Gentile; there is neither slave nor free; there is neither male nor female: for all are one in Christ (Gal.3:28). In the new man there are neither national nor social differences in the ordinary life of the old man 69 . For the Apostle, the Church of God is a single new society, outside of which Jews and Greeks stand in their isolation 70 . Finally, in this same new being, that is, in the Church, the Apostle Paul includes the triumphant council of the church of the firstborn, written in heaven, and the spirits of the righteous who have reached perfection (Heb. 12:23). Christ has possession of the living and the dead 71, and by His Cross He reconciled both earthly and heavenly things (Col. 1:20) 72. It is this new existence of humanity that the apostle calls the Church and characterizes it as a Body 73 . The apostle himself reveals this comparison of the Church with the body in more detail several times 74. The many, that is, all who enter into the Church, constitute one body in Christ, and individually members of one another (Rom. 12:5). The body is one, but has many members, and all the members of one body, although there are many of them, make up one body... The body... is not made up of one member, but from many. If the leg says: I do not belong to the body because I am not a hand, then does it really not belong to the body? And if the ear says: I do not belong to the body, because I am not an eye, then does it really not belong to the body?.. God arranged the members, each one in the body, as He pleased (1 Cor. 12:12, 14-16, 18). In one body we have many members, but not all the members have the same work (Rom. 12:4) 75. The eye cannot tell the hand: I don’t need you; or also the head to the feet: I don’t need you... God proportioned the body, instilling greater care for the less perfect, so that there would be no division in the body, and all members would equally care for each other. Therefore, if one member suffers, all members suffer with it; if one member is glorified, all members rejoice with it... And God appointed others in the Church, firstly, apostles, secondly, prophets, thirdly, teachers; further, to others he gave miraculous powers, also gifts of healing, help, government, and different languages ​​(1 Cor. 12:21, 24–26, 28) 76. Such close unity of people in one Body of the Church, according to the Apostle, is possible because a new principle of life has been given. This is not Jewish law, not civil laws that unite only externally. For life and piety, Divine power 77 is given, this is the Holy Spirit. Both Gentiles and Jews have access to God the Father through one Spirit (Eph. 2:18). In the Epistle to the Ephesians, the apostle compares the Church, among other things, to a building. This building, being harmoniously put together, is built into a habitation of God by the Spirit (Eph. 2:21–22) 78, that is, through the action of the Holy Spirit. Just as individual members in the body each have their own special meaning and their own special activity, so in the church body each member has its own talent. The very name “gift” suggests that it is not of natural origin, does not flow from the natural powers and abilities of a person, but is something higher. The Apostle Paul considers all Christian virtues as a manifestation of one Holy Spirit. The gifts are different, but the Spirit is the same... Everyone is given the manifestation of the Spirit for their benefit. To one is given the word of wisdom by the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit... to others gifts of healings by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another divers tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these things are produced by one and the same Spirit, dividing each one individually as He pleases (1 Cor. 12:4, 7-11). In the Epistle to the Romans, the apostle calls ministry, leadership, and charity 79 the gifts of the Spirit. According to the apostle, there are no gifts in the Church that would serve everyone in their isolation, but all gifts serve for the common benefit of the entire Church 80. In relation to the Source they are gifts, in relation to the Church they are ministries 81. Each ministry is a “manifestation of the Spirit” (ἡ φανέρωσης τοῦ πνεύματος) (See: 1 Cor. 12:7) 82. This is the source of the unity of everyone in the Church. All... were baptized into one body... by one Spirit... and all were given one Spirit to drink (εἰς ἓν πνεύμα) (1 Cor. 12:13) 83. The Apostle seems to especially want to draw attention to the unity of the Source of all good deeds performed for the common benefit of the Church. Listing the spiritual gifts, the apostle, after each of them, as we have seen, indicates the Source of the gift - the Holy Spirit. Each gift is given precisely by one, the same Spirit - ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ πνεύματι. “The Apostle everywhere added the words: about the same Spirit, by the same Spirit, teaching this that the streams are different, but the Source is undoubtedly one” 84. And having finished enumerating the gifts, the apostle repeats again: All... these things are produced by one and the same Spirit - 1 Corinthians 12:11) 85. In other places, the Apostle Paul, defining the Church, says that it is not only one Body, but also one Spirit. The Apostle Paul writes to the Ephesians to try to maintain the unity of the Spirit, and the Church calls it one Body and one Spirit 86 . Here the holy fathers see not unanimity or unanimity and unity of religious convictions, as some Western exegetes want to interpret it 87, but the one Spirit of God penetrating the Body of the Church, which corresponds to the text 88. “What is the unity of the Spirit? Just as in the body the spirit embraces everything and imparts some kind of unity to the diversity that comes from the diversity of bodily members, so it is here. But the Spirit was also given in order to unite people who are not identical in origin and way of life” 89. “With these words (one Spirit) the apostle wanted to encourage mutual agreement, as if saying: since you received one Spirit and drank from one Source, there should be no discord between you” 90 . In a clearer form the same idea is expressed by the blj. Theophylact of Bulgaria: “Just as in the body the spirit is the beginning that connects and unites everything, although the members are different, so in believers there is the Holy Spirit, which unites everyone, although we differ from each other in gender, morals, and occupations” 91. “You have all been granted the same grace; a single Source pours out various streams. One received the Spirit, one makes up the Body" 92. “One Body in the sense of the Body of Christ, which is the Church; and one Holy Spirit is precisely the Distributor and Sanctifier of all” 93 . This understanding of this place is shared by Prof. D. I. Bogdashevsky: “The unity of the Spirit is the unity that makes the Spirit or produces it. Ἡ ἑνότης τοῦ Πνεύματος - this is the unity that dwells in the Church, from the Spirit of God" 94 . The Spirit of God, penetrating the entire Body of the Church, giving all members of this Body various gifts, makes new life possible for humanity. He works in us both to will and to do (Phil. 2:13). It is he who unites everyone into one Body, and unites precisely by the fact that he pours love into the hearts, which in the natural state of a person cannot be the principle of his life and his relationships with other people. Love is from God (1 John 4:7) 95 - this word of the Apostle John can be the theme of a whole series of apostolic thoughts. God gave us love (1 John 3:1), and therefore love is often called God’s (ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ) 96. The love of Christ embraces the members of the Church (2 Cor. 5:14), and the Lord directs the hearts of all into the love of God ἀγάπην τοῦ Θεοῦ) (2 Thess. 3:5). Finally, the Apostle Paul says: the fruit of the Spirit is love (Gal.5:22) 97. The love of God has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Rom.5:5) 98. God saved us by the renewal of the Holy Spirit, which He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior (Tit.3:5-6). “Just as no one puts a support under a rotten house or nails anything to the old building, but, having destroyed it to the ground, erects it again and renews it, so He did the same: He did not correct us, but rebuilt us anew. This means the words: and the renewal of the Holy Spirit. He has made us completely new. How? Through the Holy Spirit" 100. The Spirit of God lives in Christians, which is why they can live not according to the flesh... but according to the Spirit (Rom. 8:9) 101; they are led by the Spirit of God (Πνεύματι Θεοῦ ἄγονται) 102 . Consequently, in the Church, the living Holy Spirit gives a member of the Church the strength to be a new creature, to be guided by love in his life. The teaching of the Apostle Paul about the Church, as an organic unity of individuals reborn by the Holy Spirit, in this case comes close to his teaching about love, as the main principle of Christian life. This contact is little noticed by modern exegetes, but the holy fathers of the Church point to it. Yes, darling. Theodoret says about comparing the Church with the body: “This likening is fitting for the teaching of love” 103. And St. John Chrysostom, interpreting the words about the “one Body,” says: “Paul demands from us such love that would bind us together, making us inseparable from each other, and such perfect unity, as if we were members of one Body, because only such love produces great good” 104. Indeed, reading the letters of the Apostle Paul, one can notice that his teaching about love is inextricably linked with his teaching about the Church. The entire Christian morality of the apostle is based on the dogmatic teaching about the Church. Thus, in the Epistle to the Romans, the apostle precedes his lengthy speeches on Christian morality 105 with a brief teaching about the Church as a Body 106. In the First Epistle to the Corinthians, the doctrine of the Church 107 is followed by the “New Testament song of love” 108. In the Epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians, the Apostle Paul combines three thoughts: 1) the pagans lived an ungodly life 109; 2) in the Church they, together with the Jews, become a new creation and 3) in the Church they already live out of love 110. Thus, the Apostle Paul calls the Church a new creation that lives according to the love of Christ, but he places this new creation in a close relationship with Christ Himself. The Apostle calls the Church the Body, and this very name reminds us of the Head. Christ is the Head of the Church (Eph.5:23). In the Epistle to the Ephesians, the apostle gives a solemn speech in which he depicts the greatness of Christ. God raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavens, far above all Principality and Authority and Power and Dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come, and put all things in subjection under His feet, and set Him above all things, the head of the Church, which is His Body (Eph. 1:20-23) 111. God gave such a Head to the Church! “Oh, and where He has built the Church! Having lifted her, as if by some kind of machine, He raised her to a great height and seated her on the same throne, because where the Head is, there is the Body” 112. The new being, constituting, as it were, one organism, is headed by Christ. Here in the teachings of St. Paul's soteriology comes into contact with ecclesiology. Christ is the New Adam of saved humanity 113, constituting the Church, the Savior of the body – Σωτὴρ τοῦ σώματος (Eph.5:23). This new humanity, or Church, stands in especially close connection with its Head, which the Apostle repeats, as it were, twice in a row. He said that Christ is the Head of the Church, but he also adds that the Church is the Body of Christ. The same idea about the close connection between Christ and the Church is expressed in different forms 114 . This closeness of the Church to Christ is depicted by the apostle in the same Epistle to the Ephesians: the apostle not only likens the relationship of the Church to Christ to the relationship of the body to the head, but also adds to the words: which is His Body - the fullness of Him who fills everything in everything - τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ πάντα ἐν πᾶσι πληρουμένου ( Eph. 1:23 ). “These words for all interpreters constitute a kind of exegetical crux” 115. It is clear that with these words the apostle strengthens his speech about the closeness of Christ to the Church, but the question is how to understand πλήρωμα. Just before these words the apostle called the Church, and therefore it is natural to see in τὸ πλήρωμα - the Church. But in what sense should we understand the word τὸ πλήρωμα? Does it mean active or passive here? If the word τὸ πλήρωμα is given an active meaning, then we get the idea that the Church complements Christ, the Church is the completion of Christ, τοῦ πάντα ἐν πᾶσι πληρουμένου. This interpretation of this passage is accepted by St. John Chrysostom, who writes: “The Church is the fulfillment of Christ, just as the head is complemented by the body and the body is complemented by the head. We see how the apostle represents that for Christ, as the Head, all members are needed, because if many of us were not - one with a hand, another with a foot, the third with some other member, then His Body would not be complete. So, His Body is made up of all members. And that means: only then will the Head be fulfilled, then the perfect Body will be built, when we will all be united and fastened in the most durable way” 116. The interpretation of Chrysostom is repeated by Ikumenius 117 and Bl. Theophylact, who explains the thought of Chrysostom as follows: “Christ is completed and, as it were, completed by all members in the person of all believers: it is replenished, as it were, by a hand in the person of a merciful person and in another way helping the weak, as it were, by a foot in the person of a person who undertakes a journey for the sake of preaching and watches over his brothers, and by another member is completed in another believer” 118. At the blzh. Jerome, the same thought receives a cruder expression - of course, a quantitative increase in the Church - the Body of Christ 119. The idea of ​​the replenishment of Christ by the Church is clearly and distinctly expressed by Rev. Theophan: “The Church is the fulfillment of Christ, perhaps, just as a tree is the fulfillment of the seed. What is combined briefly in the seed appears in full development in the tree... In Himself He is complete and all-perfect, but has not yet attracted humanity to Himself in its entirety. It gradually communicates more and more with Him and through this, as it were, replenishes Him, allowing His work to come through this to the fullness of fulfillment” 120. But philologists differ in determining the meaning of πλήρωμα: some assume an active meaning 121, others understand πλήρωμα exclusively in a passive sense 122. With the passive meaning of πλήρωμα, the meaning of the place will be that the Church is filled with Christ. “The apostle calls the church the assembly of believers: he called it the Body of Christ and the fulfillment of the Father, because the Father filled it with all gifts and in it, according to the prophetic word, he lives and walks” 123. “Everything is filled with Him, and He is in everything” 124. “All believers make up the Church and, having been filled with God, they make it filled with Him” 125. This interpretation, according to Prof. Bogdashevsky, and is the simplest and most natural. The Church is completeness, τὸ πεπληρωμένον, or, according to the derived meaning from here: perfection, unconditional perfection. In the name of the Church πλήρωμα one must see an indication of its essence: it is fulfilled, or perfect; she is the fullness of the powers of Christ 126. But if we accept the second understanding of our place, then we can still add here the thought of Chrysostom, which does not conclude anything contradictory to the teaching of the Apostle Paul. Professor Bogdashevsky discusses this matter excellently and quite rightly. “The interpretation (of Chrysostom) is very profound in thought, and it cannot be completely ignored as clearly untenable. It strongly indicates the closest connection between Christ and the Church, for the head is not separated from the body, but is inextricably united with it, and the life of the body is not indifferent to the head. Replenishment, of course, concerns not the essence of Christ, Who is complete and all-perfect, but the body of Christ, which is fully realized only through the Church; just as the head is conceivable only with the existence of the body, so the Savior, the Redeemer is conceivable with those being saved and redeemed” 127 . The Apostle Paul also depicts the relationship of Christ to the Church under the guise of the relationship of a husband to his wife. This image was already familiar to Pavel and even seemed familiar. The relationship between God and the Jewish people in the books of the Old Testament was very often depicted as the relationship of husband and wife, and God's covenant with His people was like a marriage union 128. The same image is adopted in the New Testament 129. The Apostle Paul reveals this image in especially detail when he talks about marriage. The marriage union, according to the apostle, is as holy as it is a reflection of the union of Christ with the Church. Therefore, the apostle confirms every advice regarding marriage with reference to Christ and the Church. The husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the Church, and He is the Savior of the body. But just as the Church obeys Christ, so do wives obey their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for her in order to sanctify her, cleansing her with the washing of water through the word; that he might present her to Himself as a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that she might be holy and without blemish... No one has ever hated his own flesh, but he nourishes and warms it, just like the Lord Church, because we are members of His body, from His flesh and from His bones... This mystery is great; I speak in relation to Christ and to the Church (Eph. 5:27, 29–30, 32). Here Christ is presented as the renewer of the life of humanity; He sanctified and cleansed the Church, He gave Himself up for it, so that it would be pure and immaculate. When interpreting this passage, the Holy Fathers pay even more attention to the relationship of Christ to the Church than to the husband to his wife. Here the Apostle Paul quotes Genesis 2:24: a man leaves his father... and mother... and cleaves to his wife; and the two will become one flesh. Many ancient interpreters understand these words allegorically as applied to the union between Christ and the Church, so that by the mystery of verse 32 they mean the mysterious relationship of Christ and the Church 130. “I say,” he says, “in Christ, since He, having left the Father, descended and came to the bride and became one spirit with her” 131. By man, therefore, is meant the God-man, and by “the abandonment of father and mother” is His incarnation. “Christ Himself, leaving the High Father, united with the Church. But he left it only apparently, according to the concept of incarnation” 132. “Just as the Church left idols and devotion to her former life like her father and mother, so Christ Himself left the Father in Heaven and the Mother on earth and died for the Church, so that the Church, which He loved, might be revived by His death and, exalted, bring it into His Kingdom” 133. This allegorical interpretation of Genesis 2:24 is especially clearly expressed by the bl. Jerome, who regards this passage as a prophecy of Adam 134. Of course, such an interpretation is only a more or less consistently developed allegory that does not have sufficient grounds in the text. Some new exegetes want to see in these same words an indication of the only expected unity of Christ and the Church at the Parousia 135. But besides the obvious unnaturalness of this interpretation, the entire teaching of the Apostle Paul about the Church speaks against it, since the apostle considers the unity of Christ and the Church as real, and not just expected. And in this place of the Epistle to the Ephesians, the reference to the future unity of Christ with the Church would not have any persuasiveness in relation to husbands and wives. Thus, by the mystery spoken of in verse 32, it is more natural to understand the marriage of husband and wife, which was the entire previous speech of the apostle 136; nevertheless, the mystery of marriage, according to the apostle, is based on the mystery of unity between Christ and the Church. To what the apostle said earlier about the relationship of Christ to the Church, characterizing it as the relationship of the Head to the Body, here the apostle adds an image of Christ’s constant care for the Church, so that this care can serve as an example for a husband in his relationship with his wife. So far we have outlined the teaching of the Apostle Paul about the Church as a universal human organic unity of a redeemed and reborn new creation, headed by Christ. The Apostle definitely indicates the purpose of the existence of the Church. When the apostle speaks about the various gifts and ministries in the Church, he briefly defines the general purpose of the existence of the Church. Gifts and ministries, according to the Apostle, exist for the perfection of the saints... for the building up of the Body of Christ - οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ (Eph.4:12) 137 The construction of the Body of Christ, that is, the Church, is being completed, and this construction consists in the completion of the saints. By saints here we must mean all Christians who are called ἅγιοι in the sense of being distinguished or as sanctified. The Church with all its gifts serves to perfect them - πρὸς τὸν καταρτισμόν. The New Testament ἅπαξ λεγόμενον – καταρτισμός can have two meanings: 1) restore to its proper state, correct 138 and 2) make generally perfect. The second meaning also corresponds to the most frequently used meaning of the verb καταρτίζω 139. Consequently, the thought is this: the gifts that exist in the Church and serve her benefit have the goal of making Christians morally perfect. Here we can also add 2 Cor. 13:9, where the related word κατάρτισις is used. The Apostle says that he prays for the perfection of the Corinthians (τὴν ὑμῶν κατάρτισιν). Here, of course, is their moral improvement. Exegetes predominantly understand καταρτισμός in its second meaning 140. But it seems that both meanings are not mutually exclusive, if we take into account the general theological views of St. Pavel. The moral improvement of man is at the same time the restoration of the primitive state of man. In Christ man again receives what he lost in Adam 141. The primitive state of man is the only one characteristic of him, for the sake of which he was created. Salvation is liberation from sin, which distorted human nature, and thus can be called the restoration of the state of human nature in which it was before the fall of Adam, and therefore the concept of moral perfection (καταρτισμός in the second meaning) must coincide with the concept of restoration of the true property of human nature (the first meaning καταρτισμός). The apostle characterizes this in more detail in further words: until we all come into the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, into a perfect man, to the measure of the full stature of Christ; so that... by true love all may grow into Him who is the head Christ (Eph.4:13–15) 142. We are talking about the Church, and therefore by “all” we should mean Christians, and not all people in general 143. All Christians in the Church must achieve unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God. More than one theoretical agreement or religious-dogmatic unanimity should be understood 144. “One faith” is a necessary condition for belonging to the Church, but here faith and knowledge (ἐπίγνωσις) of the Son of God are taken by the Apostle in a deeper sense, as can be seen from the addition: into a perfect man, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. Everyone must become ἀνὴρ τέλειος, perfect in faith and life 145, which is inseparable from faith 146. The words εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας τοῦ πληρώματος Χριστοῦ can be understood in two ways: ἡλικία can mean 1) height, height and 2) age (aetas). If we take the first meaning, then the limit of perfection is the height of the fullness of Christ; in the second understanding, it is the age at which the fullness of Christ can be perceived. In the first case, τοῦ πληρώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ – genetivus possesionis, in the second – genetivus qualitatis. In the context we are talking about ages, so it is better to accept the second interpretation. In the Church, Christians must reach the age when they perceive the fullness of Christ. Here the thought is the same as in the words of the Apostle about Christ being imagined in Christians 147, so that every person would be perfect (τέλειος) in Christ Jesus (Col. 1:28). In Christ dwells... the fullness of the Divinity (Col. 2:9), and whoever loves Christ and keeps His commandments, the Father will love him and will come to him and make his abode with him 148. Christians can have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16), they should have the same feelings (τοῦτο φρονείσθω ἐν ἡμῖν) that were in Christ Jesus (Phil. 2:5). In this sense, verse 13 is complemented by verse 15: having true love (ἀληθεύοντες ἐν ἀγάπῃ) 149 let us grow into Him all things, of which Christ is the head. “He commands to have true love and with it to increase the wealth of virtue in the Lord Himself” 150. “Our Lord has become our banner of perfection” 151, He is, as it were, an ideal type whom we should imitate, so that through Him the measure of the age of our inner man will be achieved 152. Without Christ we cannot create anything 153. All aspects of the life of believers (τὰ πάντα) must be imbued with Christ, His spirit; to Him, so to speak, they must be raised, animated by Him 154. In the Church, Christians must improve themselves until “having imagined a dwelling worthy of God, they have Him dwelling within them. This is the measure of the age of the fulfillment of Christ” 155. The Apostle Paul also depicts the process by which regenerated humanity becomes like Christ. The places where this process is depicted are almost the most incomprehensible in the New Testament, especially in the Slavic text, and therefore we will present them in Greek: ?? ἐν μέτρῳ ἑνὸς ἐκάστον μέρους τὴν αὔξησιν τοῦ σώματος (Eph.4:16) 156. Οὐ κρατῶν τὴν κεφαλὴν, ἐξ οὗ πᾶν τὸ σῶμα διὰ τῶν ἁφῶν καὶ ????? τοῦ Θεοῦ ( Col. 2:19 ) 157 . We can say in the words of St. John Chrysostom: he (the apostle) expressed his thoughts rather unclearly - because he wanted to express everything suddenly 158. First of all, in both passages cited, the apostle notes the connection of the Church with Christ (ἐξ οὗ, οὐ κρατῶν). Christ laid the foundation for church life, and the entire process of this life is guided by Him 159. The whole Body is in process; it is composed and copulates, which is why the forms of the present tense are set - συναρμολογούμενον καὶ συμβιβαζόμενον, indicating an ongoing action. The first usually refers to things, the second to persons, and here it reinforces the first. The Church, therefore, is a perfecting unity of living individuals 160. This unity is improved by διὰ πάσης ἁφῆς τῆς ἐπιχορηγίας. Of the numerous interpretations of these words, two are the most typical: the first can be attached to the Russian translation of these words 161, the other to the Slavic 162. First of all, it is necessary to establish what is meant by ἐπιχορηγία 163. In the New Testament this word is found in the following expressions: by alms (διὰ ἐπιχορηγίας) of the Spirit of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:19). He who gives you the Spirit and performs miracles among you - ἐν ὑμῖν (Gal.3:5). He who gives (ἐπιχορηγῶν) seed to the sower (2 Cor. 9:10). This usage gives reason to understand by ἐπιχορηγία the donation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as indeed many holy fathers 164 and some exegetes 165 understand this passage. The previous words - διὰ πάσης ἁφῆς - are translated by many: “through all kinds of connections” 166, and either by connection is meant the very alms of the Holy Spirit, or the connection is thought of as a condition of alms. But with such a translation of the words διὰ πάσης ἁφῆς, in addition to its philological shortcomings 167, the established meaning of the term ἐπιχορηγία is usually lost. So the Russian translation - through all sorts of mutually consolidating connections - completely misses the thought expressed by the word ἐπιχορηγία. There is no mention of any giving of the Spirit. In I. Mansvetov’s book, although the established meaning of ἐπιχορηγία is recognized, the author also gives an apology for the Russian translation, so that the shade of thought conveyed to the entire verse by the word ἐπιχορηγία is completely lost 168 . Therefore, the word ἁφή must be understood in a different sense. Ἁφή comes from the verb ἅπτω, and therefore can first of all mean contact, touch, and then feeling in general. Saint John Chrysostom and replaces it with the word αἴσθησις 169. Opponents of this understanding point to Col. 2:19, where, in their opinion, ἁφή cannot in any way mean feelings, but rather indicates a connection, cohesion 170. But it seems that in Col. 2:19 ἁφαί can designate the perception of the Holy Spirit (ἐπιχορηγούμενον), through which, as through external connections (συνδέσμων), the Body of the Church grows 171 . But what needs to be noted is the close connection in the apostle’s speech between the growth of the Church and the gracious actions of the Holy Spirit. This thought permeates the entire verse under discussion. In Eph.4:16, in addition to the disassembled ἐπιχορηγία, we find the words: κατ’ ἐνέργειαν ἐν μέτρῳ, ἑνὸς ἐκάστου μέρους. In these words we should see a repetition of the idea already known to us about the distribution of the gifts of the Holy Spirit among believers, 172 especially since the apostle spoke about the distribution of gifts only a few verses above: to each... Among us grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ (Eph. 4:7). Thus far, in the words of the Apostle Paul, the life of the Body of the Church is depicted in this way: the entire Body is constantly more and more harmoniously united through the reception of the gracious gifts of the Holy Spirit 173 . These grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit act in each member of the Church in one way or another in accordance with his strengths and abilities, 174 and so the Body of the Church οἰκοδομὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἐν ἀγάπῃ 175 . The form ποιεῖται indicates the internal process of growth 176 . Ἐν ἀγάπῃ should not be attributed to εἰς οἰκοδομήν, as some do 177, and love is thought of as the goal of development, but to αὔξησιν ποιεῖται. Love is the new principle of life for reborn humanity, 178 and all improvement and growth of the church body is determined by the participation of individual members in the law of love. This entire process of growth is a matter of God’s grace 179, but the perception of this grace (ἁφῆς τῆς ἐπιχορηγίας), of course, is possible only with love. Without love, the gifts received by a certain member would be useless for the life of the whole Body, for this member would withdraw into itself, would not know other members and would be isolated 180 . Yes, without love the very reception of the gifts of the Holy Spirit would be impossible. “Why did he add the word “in love”? - asks St. John Chrysostom. – Because this spirit cannot communicate otherwise. In fact, if the hand happened to separate from the body, the spirit (flowing) from the brain, looking for a continuation and not finding it there, does not break away from the body and does not transfer to the removed hand, but if it does not find it there, then it is not communicated to it. The same thing happens here if we are not connected by love” 181. Receiving in common love the gifts of the Spirit for the common benefit, the Church in all its members achieves its creation (εἰς οἰκοδομὴν ἑαυτοῦ), that is, its perfection 182 . The stated understanding of Eph.4:16 is fully consistent with the general structure of the views of the Apostle Paul, 183 and this is exactly how the holy fathers understand this place. St. John Chrysostom, in explanation of the interpreted verse, writes: “Since our souls are as dependent on Him (Christ) as members (on the spirit), His providence and distribution of gifts, in accordance with the measure of one or another member, produce the return of each. This spirit, distributed among the members from the head, touches each of them, thus producing its effect on them. One can say this: the body, perceiving this influence (of the spirit) in proportion to its members, grows in this way. Or in other words: the members, receiving an influence (of the spirit) commensurate with themselves, increase. Or also: the spirit, pouring out abundantly from above, touching all members and being distributed among them, as much as each of them can take into itself, thus increases” 184. Chrysostom’s thoughts are repeated by the blessed one. Theophylact 185. The darlings say the same thing. Theodoret 186 and St. John of Damascus 187. Ep. Theophan expresses thoughts that are quite patristic 188 . Taking a general glance at the briefly outlined teaching of the Apostle Paul about the Church, one cannot help but notice that in all the analyzed passages of his epistles he has in mind the one Church of Christ. He depicts the Church under the guise of the Body of Christ. Of course, there can be no thought here that by the Church the apostle means a private Christian community. Both Jews and pagans were recreated by Christ into one body, into one new man. Two worlds merge into one in the Church. It is clear that the ecclesiological thought of the apostle covers a wider scope than the individual community. The same concept of a single Church is also indicated by the likening of the marriage union of husband and wife to the union of Christ with the Church. By this image of Christ's bride can only be understood as the united Church of Christ 189. It must be thought that the Apostle always introduced this idea of ​​a single Church into the consciousness of those numerous Christian communities, which he founded in large numbers, spreading the gospel of God from Jerusalem... to Illyricum (Rom. 15:19). By assimilating the ecclesiological ideas of the Apostle of Languages, a Christian must necessarily think of himself as a member of the one Church of Christ 190. The eye cannot tell the hand: I don’t need you. A member of the Church of Corinth could not understand these words of the apostle in the sense that only to a member of his local Church he cannot say: I don’t need you. A member of the Body of Christ is every believer, wherever he is: [and therefore] the Corinthian to every Ephesian or Roman, according to the apostle, could not say: I do not need you 191. The idea of ​​the unity of the Church was to prevail in all Christian communities 192. But was this idea of ​​the unity of the Church only an idea that was only believed in, or was it somehow expressed externally? One can, of course, agree with those research scientists who say that the idea of ​​a single religious society has not yet been realized in reality. “If we,” says Harnack, “compare the Church of the middle of the 3rd century with the state in which Christianity was 150-200 years earlier, then we will find that now there really is a religious society, while previously there were only communities that believed in the Heavenly Church, the earthly image of which they were, sought to give it some expression by some means (mit den einfachsten Mitteln) and how wanderers and strangers on earth lived in future" 193. Neither in the first nor even until the end of the second century did there exist any forms of church-wide legal organization, there were no Councils or primacy that would be binding on individual Churches. All private Churches were independent of each other and represented completely independent legal units 194. However, the above opinions, especially Harnack's, can only be accepted with significant reservations. It is, of course, true that Christianity did not begin with legal norms. The apostles, when founding a new Christian community, did not first of all propose a project of organization and a charter that would define the relations of the communities among themselves. The work of Christ Himself was incomparably deeper: He brought new life for people, the re-creation of human nature. That is why in His teaching it is difficult to find any instructions for the practical organization of life. In the apostolic epistles, although there are some indications of the everyday affairs of believers, these indications are random, fragmentary and do not constitute the main subject of apostolic concerns. And the holy apostles dealt with the teaching of believers, with the rebirth of Jews and Greeks into a new man 195. But any new life that appears on earth, no matter what principles lie at its basis, will certainly take on one or another external form. Anarchism has always and everywhere been just a dream. Christianity is “in the world,” and it would be some kind of completely incomprehensible miracle if it immediately brought Heaven to earth 196 . But since Christianity began not with forms, but with internal content, it is quite understandable that at first the external organization was little noticeable. The above applies to the entirety of the Christian Church. The individual communities, of course, had to have an external structure from the very beginning. However, the idea of ​​a single Church was expressed externally. There was a lack of external legal unity, but there was internal moral unity, and the united Church was not just an idea, but a very real fact. After all, when the Apostle Paul said that he was persecuting the Church of God (Gal. 1:13), he meant, of course, the whole Church, and this one Church was presented before him as a living reality, so that he put it on a par with such realities as the Greeks or Jews 197. In some forms this reality was expressed externally. The apostles themselves, of course, did not have any legal powers, but they had moral authority as the apostles of the Lord. They were witnesses to the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ 198, Who Himself called them Apostles (Luke 6:13). Hence their authority in the Church. He who rejects the apostles rejects Christ, and therefore Christians had to remain in the teaching of the Apostles (Acts 2:42). We see that the apostles sometimes act together 199 and generally maintain unity among themselves 200 . The twelve apostles (δώδεκα) enjoyed special authority and were the first body to unite the Church 201. And subsequently, the charismatics, about whom we learn from the “Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,” were also, as it were, a nerve that connected individual communities 202. The activity of the Apostle Paul clearly shows that the apostle not only preached orally and in writing the idea of ​​a single Church, but also tried to unite separate communities with each other. All the Churches founded by the Apostle Paul were united by the fact that they were founded by one person. The Apostle Paul was, so to speak, a kind of connecting center of different Churches: on behalf of one Church in his epistles, he usually sends greetings to others, adding greetings from individuals 203. We find similar greetings in the conciliar messages 204. The letters of the Apostle Paul also provide information that there was an exchange of apostolic letters between the communities; in some cases the apostle seemed to legitimize this exchange 205, so that each of his messages was, as it were, circular and was known in different Churches 206. The same is evidenced by the letter of the Apostle Peter, written to strangers scattered in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia (1 Pet. 1:1). In the letters of the Apostle Paul we find the following expressions: thus I command in all churches (1 Cor. 7:17), so it happens in all the churches of the saints (1 Cor. 14:33). He sends Timothy to the Corinthians to remind them of the ways in Christ, as he (Paul) teaches everywhere, in every church (1 Cor. 4:17). The apostle calls the Phesunites imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus located in Judea (1 Thess. 2:14), and about the Romans he writes that their faith is proclaimed throughout the world (Rom. 1:8). The entire history of the Apostle Paul shows how persistently he strove to unite the individual Churches scattered throughout the universe. He is always inspired by the idea of ​​a single Church, which he wants to see realized 207. The apostle sees the newly founded Churches as closely connected not only with each other, but also primarily with the ancient Church of Jerusalem. If the pagans united with the Jews in the spiritual, then they must... serve them in the physical (Rom. 15:27) 208. But especially remarkable are those passages in the letters of the Apostle Paul where they even talk about the existence of material assistance between Christian communities. Such material communication (κοινωνία) was, as it were, some kind of establishment; the question of ο κοινωνία arose at the very foundation of new communities, as can be seen from (Gal. 2: 9-10): James and Cephas and John, revered as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the hand of fellowship, so that we could go to the pagans, and them to the circumcision, only so that we would remember the poor, which I tried to do exactly. And indeed, we encounter the fact of charity and help between the Churches many times 209. In the Apostle we even find instructions on the ordering of alms collection: he establishes the same rules for alms collection in different Churches 210. The Apostle Paul constantly desires recognition of his missionary activity from the side of the Jerusalem Church 211 and tries to collect donations for it at various places of his evangelization, and the apostle even considers donations for the benefit of the Jerusalem community from pagan Christians as a duty (ὀφειλέται εἰσὶν αὐτῶν) 212 . Finally, we must note that in the very first stages of Christian life, the so-called Apostolic Council takes place. Paul and Barnabas, together with some others, go from Antioch to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem to resolve the perplexities raised by some who came from Judea. The apostles and elders with the whole church decided, having chosen men from among themselves, to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely: Judas, called Barsabas, and Silas, men in charge among the brethren, writing and handing over to them the following: “Apostles and elders and brethren - to the brethren who are in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia Gentiles" (Acts 15:22–23). How to look at this fact? Did the Apostolic Council have any legal authority? Did it meet according to any previously drawn up charter? Obviously not. However, the Council resolves the issue that arose in Antioch and sends a message to the Christians of Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. Relations between the Churches were not regulated, but these relations existed, and they expressed the idea of ​​​​the conciliar unity of the Church of Christ. It is quite understandable that relations were especially frequent and even regular in the neighboring Churches, so that groups of Churches, as it were, were outlined. This can already be seen from the greetings of the Apostle Paul. In the Epistles to the Corinthians he sends greetings and blessings with all the saints throughout Achaia (2 Cor. 1:1) and from all the Churches of Asia 213. The apostle speaks about the brethren throughout Macedonia (1 Thess. 4:10) and about the churches of Galatia (1 Cor. 16: 1) 214. Protestant scholar-researchers especially emphasize the isolation and complete independence of individual Christian communities, but is it necessary to talk about independence where no one has put this independence at the forefront of their religious hopes. The religious hope was the idea of ​​a single Catholic Church of Christ, a single Church Body. When the community was founded, the question of the independence of the community, its relationship to other communities, the order of governance, etc. was hardly raised. On the contrary, from the very beginning, every new Christian community entered into the closest relations with other, previously founded communities. The Apostle of the Languages ​​did not care about the independence of communities, but about their inextricable connection with the Church of Jerusalem. The apostle considered the gap between pagan Christians and Jewish Christians to be the greatest misfortune, which he tried in every possible way to prevent 215. It was not an organization that entered into life, but a new principle of spiritual life, the principle of love. And with this principle, everyone considers each other higher. This is how we need to imagine mutual relations between Christian communities. Protestant academic researchers, in our opinion, care much more about the independence of Christian communities than they themselves cared about it. And in the initial period of the apostolic men, communication between the Churches never ceased. Let's note some facts. Clement, Bishop of Rome, writes on behalf of the entire Roman Church to Corinth, where there was some unrest. Of course, he had no legal basis for this, but Christian life never follows the legal path. The Epistle of Clement, as Eusebius reports, was held in great esteem not only in Corinth, but also in the neighboring Churches; it was even read publicly 216. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, writes a letter to Philippi. Ignatius of Antioch, on the way from Syria to Rome, with his oral conversations and instructions, strengthened the faith and protected the Christians of those cities through which he traveled from heretics 217. It would be necessary to copy out a significant part of the letters of St. Ignatius if we wanted to characterize the relations of Christian communities of that time. In his letter to the Philadelphians, Smyrneans and Polycarp, Saint Ignatius advises them to send, for example, an ambassador to Antioch regarding the end of the persecution, in order to rejoice in the general assembly 218, so that he glorifies there the unflagging love for the glory of God 219 and congratulates them with the joy that peace has been established among them, their greatness has returned and their small body has been restored (τὸ ἴδιον σωματεῖον) 220 . And Ignatius writes to Polycarp: “Since I... could not write to all the Churches, then you will write to the nearest Churches, as someone who knows the will of God, so that they do the same. Those who can would send messengers (πεζούς), and others would send letters through those sent by you” 221. And the exchange of scriptures is clearly evidenced by the message of Polycarp. “You and Ignatius,” says Polycarp, “wrote to me so that if anyone goes to Syria, he would carry your messages, which I will do if the time is convenient, either myself or whomever I send. The letters of Ignatius sent to us, and others in our possession, we have sent to you, as you demanded: they are attached to this message; You can get a lot of benefit from them, for they contain faith, patience and all edification about our Lord" 222. It is quite clear that the facts of all these messages were determined by the moral authority that their authors possessed, but, obviously, common moral connections were sufficient if the Church did not need artificial legal norms to express the idea of ​​​​its unity. It was not because there was no unity of the external organization that it was supposedly contrary to the Christian idea of ​​the Church, as Protestant scholars tend to present the matter, 223 but only because in reality there was a deeper and closer unity. Those forms of communication between Churches that can be noted in the early times of the Church’s existence testify more to the permeation of Christians with the idea of ​​a single Church than the later forms of communication, purely formal, legal, paper. It is not for nothing that Tertullian, even in his time, when there was a full church organization, said: “The unity of the Church is proven by the communication of the world, the name of brotherhood and the provision (contesseratio) of hospitality” 224. Obviously, in his eyes, church unity was more proven by the actual unity of Churches than by different organizations 225. The unity of Christian “brotherhood” was not some kind of ideal, 226 but very real. Common beliefs and common hopes prompted Christians to external unity, as expressed in Διδαχή 227. In the same Διδαχή there is a Eucharistic prayer, in which the prayer is twice expressed in poetic form that the Lord God would gather His Church from all corners of the world, from the four winds, into His Kingdom 228. This place of the Eucharistic prayer in Διδαχή is usually overrated. It is precisely the conclusion that is made that, according to the thoughts of Christians of that time, the essence of the Church requires unity only in βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ 229. But if we take into account that at that time Christianity was actually scattered in small communities from one end to the other, then this form of prayer will be quite understandable. Christians of that time could not even imagine that the time might come when the Christian faith would conquer the world and there would be a single, outwardly organized Church. This unity was, of course, very desirable: as far as they could, Christians strove for it. But the complete realization of outwardly organized unity seemed something very remote. In this same prayer, attention is drawn to the fact that, although it speaks about the dispersion of the Church, it speaks specifically about the Church, and not about the Churches. It is clear that the author represents all communities scattered to the ends of the universe as one Church. Finally, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that in the same prayer, next to the above words, the aspiration characteristic of early Christianity for the speedy Coming of Christ and the end of the world is sharply expressed 230. If the end of the world was to come so soon, then, of course, the idea of ​​​​organizing a single Church should have been relegated to the background in the minds of Christians. In general, the prayer Διδαχή testifies, in our opinion, only to the fact that Christians of the 1st century could not yet imagine the entire world historical mission of Christianity, but according to their beliefs, the Church, although scattered, was united 231. The unity of the Church as a “brotherhood” is also expressed in another monument from the end of the 1st century, in the “Epistle of Clement of Rome to the Corinthians.” This letter ends with a prayer not only for the Corinthians, but for all who are called by God everywhere. Clement asks to report on the desired and desired peace and harmony, so that the Roman Church can rejoice at the improvement of the Corinthian Church 232. All these briefly indicated evidence and facts from ancient times, in our opinion, prove for the history of the dogma of the Church the truth that from the very beginning the idea of ​​a single Church as a visible, historically existing society of Christ’s followers was not alien to Christians. From the very first time, the One Church for Christians was not some intelligible object of faith, but a very real fact 233. The holy apostles preached about the one visible Church, they themselves founded the one Church, and from the very beginning the same one Church existed. See: John 15:10: You will remain in My love, just as I... abide in His love. Vgl.: Paul Wolff. Die Entwickelung der einen christlichen Kirche durch Athanasius, Augustin, Luther. Eine Kirchen-und dogmengeschichtliche Studie. Berlin, 1889. S. 2–6. See: Acts 1:8: “Λήψεσθε δύναμιν ἐπελθόντος τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς". See: John 14:27, 15:19, 17:14, 16. See: Matthew 21:5–7; Mark 11:2, 7; Luke 19:30, 35. See: Luke 4:6; Matthew 4:6, 9. See: John 15:16, 18–21, 16:2–4, 20, 33, 17:14, 16. See: Matthew 26:13: “Ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ.” See: Iv. Mansvetov. New Testament teaching about the Church. pp. 6, 74–75. In general, see: Ch. 1: “The life of the Church on earth, viewed from the outside.” pp. 74–124. Cfr.: Alfred Loisy. L'évangile et l'eglise. 4-me ed. Ceffonds, 1908, p. 153: On a vue que I'Évangile de Jésus avait déjà un rudiment d'organization sociale, et que le royaume aussi devait avoir forme de société. Vgl.: P. Wolff, op. cit., S. 3–4. See: Luke 14:21 and Matthew 22:10. “In the matter of the Church, it is important to understand as clearly as possible both what the Gospel teaches and what it does not teach.” Prof. M. M. Tareev. Fundamentals of Christianity. T. 2. Sergiev Posad, 1908. P. 345, approx. See: Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8, 12. The very name “ἐκκλησία” also defines some properties of the named society. Not every “society”, not every “assembly” can be called ἐκκλησία, but only a collection of people united by something. In classical usage, ἐκκλησία meant a meeting of citizens: ἐκκλησία = οἱ ἔκκλητοι, which were gathered by a special κῆρυξ. Ἐκκλησία - a meeting constituted according to the law. Therefore, Ἐκκλησία contains two characteristics: ordered unity and vocation (κλῆσις, ἐκκαλεῖν). A philological analysis of the word ἐκκλησία is given by Dr. Hermann Cremer (Biblisch-theologisches Wörterbuch der Neutestamentlichen Gräcität, 9-te Auflage. Gotha, 1902. S. 548–551), as well as Smirnov S. K. (Philological remarks on the New Testament language in comparison with the classical one when reading the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians. M., 1873. pp. 83–85), Rud. Zom. (Church structure in the first centuries of Christianity. Translated by A. Petrovsky and P. Florensky. M., 1906. P. 33–38). It is very remarkable that the word ἐκκλησία was not translated into Latin, but was only transcribed - ecclesia, although in Latin there are several words to denote society. Obviously, not one of the Latin words was recognized as completely and accurately conveying the meaning of the Greek ἐκκλησία, which expresses the idea that God singled out His part of the people and called them into a special society. See: Prof. Adolf Deissmann. Licht vom Osten. Das Neue Testament und die neuentdeckte Texte der hellenistisch-römischen Welt. 2-te und 3-te Aufl. Tübingen, 1909. S. 79–80. Vgl.: Prof. Dr. Schanz. Der Begriff der Kirche. Theologische Quarterschrift. 1893. S. 535; Carl Weizsäcker. Das apostolische Zeitalter der christlichen Kirche. 3-te Aufl. Tübingen und Leipzig, 1902. S. 597; Pierre Batiffol. L'église naissante et le catholicisme. 3-me ed., Paris, 1909, p. 90–91. Vgl.: A. Loisy. L'évangile et l'église4, p. 134–138. Sometimes קׇהׇל is translated by the word συναγωγή, but rarely, usually the word συναγωγή is translated by the Hebrew word עֵדׇה, meaning an ordinary meeting, עֵדׇה is always translated συναγωγή and never ἐκκλησία. (Cremer. Bibl. theol. Wörterbuch9. S. 548–549. Vgl.: Harnack A. Entstehung und Entwickelung der Kirchenverfassung und des Kirchenrechts in den zwei ersten Jahrhunderten. Leipzig, 1910. S. 12.) Cp.: John 9:2. See: Prof. M.M. Tareev. Fundamentals of Christianity. T. 2. pp. 346–347. Friedrich Loofs. Leitfaden zum Studium der Dogmengeschichte, 4-te Aufl. Halle, 1906. § 6, 2 b. S. 38; Gustav Hoennicke. Das Judenchristentum im ersten und zweiten Jahrhundert. Berlin, 1908. S. 346–347, 248–249. However, Cremer, in choosing the term ἐκκλησία, in addition to the connection with Old Testament terminology, notes the opposition of the Jewish synagogue. See: Bibl.-Theol. Worterbuch. S. 549. Acts 20:28. Rom.16:16; 1 Cor.1:2, 10, 32, 11:16, 22, 15:9; Gal.1:22; 1 Thessalonians 2:14; 1 Timothy 3:5, 15, etc. Numbers 16:3, 20:4; Deut.23:2–4, 9; 1 Chronicles 28:2 ; Micah 2:5. See: הׇאְׇלֺהׇים קְהׇל. 13, 1. Vgl.: J. Meritan. L'ecclésiologie de l'épitre aux Éphésiens Revue biblique internationale. 1898. T. 7. P. 346–347. Ioseph Knabenbauer. Cursus Scripturae Sacrae 1, 2. Evangelium secundum s. Matthaeum, pars altera. Parisiis, 1893. p. 54. Cremer. Bibl.-theol. Wörterbuch9. S. 550. “The fact that Christ called the society founded by Him ἐκκλησία has a special polemical significance against Protestants. Protestants are running around with the “invisible” Church. But the concept of ἐκκλησία contains a strong moment of visibility. Therefore, the expression “invisible Church” contains a contradictio in adjecto. There can be no invisible Church. One can participate in the invisible only spiritually, in the ἐκκλησία only with the body.” Prof. V.V. Bolotov. Lectures on the history of the ancient Church, vol. 1. Introduction. St. Petersburg, 1907. P. 13. Ἐκκλησία in units. number and with a member usually means: 1) the original Church of Jerusalem and Judea, when there were no other Churches - Acts 5, 8:1, 3; Gal.1:13; 1 Corinthians 15:9; Phil.3:6; 2) the sum of the Churches in Judea, Samaria and Galilee - Acts 9:31; 3) the local Church in Jerusalem – Acts 11:22, 12:1, 5, 15:4. In Thessalonica - 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1. In Corinth - 1 Cor. 1:2, 6:4, 14:12, 23; 2 Cor.1:1; Rom.16:23. In Cenchrea - Rom.16 ch. In Laodicea - Col.4:16. In Antioch - Acts 13:1, 15:2. Seven Churches in Asia – Rev. 2–3 ch. In Ephesus - Acts 11:21, 14:27, 20:17; 1 Timothy 5:16. In Caesarea - Acts 18:22, in a similar sense James 5:14; 3 John 1:9–10; 4) meeting of the local Church - Acts 15:22; 1 Corinthians 14:33; 5) home church in Ephesus - 1 Cor. 16:19. In Rome - Rom.16:9. In Colossae - Col.4:15; Philm.1:2. The word ἐκκλησία in singular. number without a member means: 1) every local Church in a known district - Acts 12:23; 2) in general, every local Church - 1 Cor. 14:4, 4:17; Phil.4:15; 3) meeting of the local Church - 1 Cor. 14:29, 36, 11:18; 3 John 1:3, 6, 9. Ἐκκλησία in the plural means: 1) the sum of local Churches of a certain district with indicated or implied names: in Judea - 1 Thess. 2:14; Gal.1:22. In Galatia 1 Corinthians 16:1; Gal.1:2. In Syria and Cilicia Acts 15:41. In Derbe and Lystra - Acts 16:5. In Macedonia - 2 Cor.8:1, 19. In Asia - 1 Cor. 16:19; Rev. 1:4, 11, 20, 2:7, 11, 17, 29, 3:6, 13, 22, 22:16; 2) an indefinite number of local Churches – 2 Cor. 11:8, 28, 8:23, 24; Rom.16:4, 10; 3) the sum of all local Churches – 2 Thess. 1:4; 2 Cor.7:17, 11:16, 14:32; 2 Corinthians 12:13; 4) a meeting of all local Churches - 1 Cor. 15:24. Ἐκκλησία in units. number means: 1) one universal Church, which is a local individual Church - 1 Cor. 10:32, 11:22 and, probably, 1 Cor. 12:28. Acts 20:28; 1 Timothy 3:5, 15; 2) one universal Church absolutely – Col. 1:18, 24; Eph.1:22, 3:10, 21, 5:23–25, 27, 29, 42; Matthew 16:18. V. N. Myshtsyn. The structure of the Christian Church in the first two centuries. Sergiev Posad, 1909. P. 432, approx. Vgl.: A concordance of the Greek Testament, edited by Rev. W. F. Moulton and Rev. A. S. Geden. 2 ed. Edinburgh, 1899, pp. 316–317. In this case, Cremer’s opinion is very remarkable, which we consider it worth citing. “That ἐκκλησία initially means the whole society (die Gesammtgemeinde) and only then - a separate community, this is clear from the Old Testament basis, as well as from the fundamental word of Christ (Matthew 16:18), which is affirmed on the basis of the Old Testament concept of יהֺרׇה קהַל. There is a well-known opposite opinion that ἐκκλησία originally designated a separate community and from here only the later designation of the whole society was formed, through which later the word of Christ (Matthew 16:18) should be declared inauthentic; this opinion is based on ignorance or neglect of the Old Testament basis of word usage and is characteristic of the value of this “historical-critical” operation” (Bibl.-theol. Wörterbuch 9. S. 550). Rud. Zom argues that in the New Testament ἐκκλησία means only the universal Church, and the private community is called ἐκκλησία only as a reflection of the one universal community. “There is only one ecclesia, the collection of all Christianity as a whole, but this one ecclesia has countless forms of phenomena... There is no local or home congregation meeting as such. What we can actually call a meeting of a local community, namely a general meeting of Christians in a certain city, is what it is, not as a meeting of a local community, but as a form of the phenomenon of ecclesia, a meeting of the entire people of Christians. A gathering of Christians in one locality is called an ecclesia, because it represents a gathering not of this local community, but of all Christianity” (“Church system in the first centuries of Christianity.” pp. 40–41). But, of course, Zom proceeds in this case from his dogmatically biased views. According to Zom, the word ἐκκλησία in the New Testament does not mean a phenomenon, but only an abstract concept. To designate Christians it is used ἅγιοι· Acts 9:13, 32; 1 Pet.2:1; Rom.1:7; 15:25–27; 1 Cor.6:2, 7:14; 2 Cor.1:1, 2:13, 12, 8:4, 9:1, 16:15; Col. 1:2, 4, 26, 3:12; Eph.1:1, 4, 15, 2:29, 3:18, 5:3; Phil.4:21, 22; 1 Thessalonians 5:27; 1 Timothy 5:10; Titus 2:3; Phil.1:5; Hebrews 3:1, 6:10. Cremer. Bibl.-theolog. Wörterbuch9. S. 44 ff. esp. S. 54. Deut.7:6, 14:2, 21; Exodus 19:6. Deut.26:19, 28:9, etc. Deut.33:3; Ps.15:3, 33:10; Jer.2:3, etc. Col. 3:12; Rom.1:7; 2 Cor.1:2; 1 Peter 1:1. “Since believers are taken out of the sinful world and taken into fellowship with God the Redeemer through the Holy Spirit, the epithet ἅγιοι is also attached to them.” (S. M. Zarin. Asceticism according to Orthodox Christian teaching. T. 1. Book 2. St. Petersburg, 1907. P. 19, note) “The Apostle Paul gives the original meaning of “dedicated” to the words ἅγιοι and κλητοί ἅγιοι and separated, without the perfection of life being in complete harmony with the height of the calling. This is the sense in which most Old Testament writers use the Hebrew קׇדוֹשׁ.” J. Meritan Revue biblique. 1898. T. 7. P. 348. See also: Schanz. Der Begriff der Kirche. – Theologische Quarterschrift. 1893. S. 547–548. However, Cremer denies the meaning of chosenness behind the Hebrew קׇדוֹשׁ. The idea of chosenness, in his opinion, is predominantly shaded by the Old Testament term חִסידים (hasidim. Ed.), which LXX is usually conveyed by the word ὅσιοι, but this translation did not pass into the New Testament, and therefore the New Testament ἅγιοι, replacing קׇדוֹשׁ and חִסידים, retains the idea of election in its meaning. See Bibl.-theol. Wb9. S. 57. See: 2 Peter 1:10: “Ὑμῶν τῆν κλῆσιν καὶ ἐκλογὴν.” Isa.43:20, 21; Exodus 19:5. Deut.32:9; Ex.19:5; Deut.4:20, 9:26, 29. The Hebrew word תֵבל denotes a rope (Josh. 2:15), in particular, a surveying rope (חֶבֶל מִדָּה Mic. 2:5; Zech. 2:5). Hence the meaning is a measured part of the earth, land enclosed within certain boundaries (Josh. 19:9; Deut. 3:4; Josh. 18:5; Num. 18:20, 24, 32:19; Ruth. 4, 6; Zeph. 2:5 and many others) Individual expressions. Paul, for their correct understanding, they need a more detailed interpretation, and therefore their presentation of the teachings of St. We will accompany Paul on the Church with some exegetical remarks. Cfr.: judgments of J. Meritan. Revue biblique 1898. Vol. 7. pp. 343–344, 353. Rom.12:4, 5; 1 Cor.6:15, 10:17, 12:13, 27; Eph.1:23, 4:4, 12, 16, 25, 5:23, 30; Col. 1:18, 21, 2:19, 3:15. "Χωρὶς Χριστοῦ." “Χωρίς” indicates the deprivation of something through removal from the object. The Apostle does not mean only pagan readers of the epistles, but paganism in general as a whole. Prof. D. I. Bogdashevsky. Message of St. ap. Paul to the Ephesians. Kiev, 1904. P. 383. See: Bogdashevsky, op. Op. P. 385. Prof. D. I. Bogdashevsky. Message of St. ap. Paul to the Ephesians. Kyiv, 1904. pp. 388–389. See the interpretation of Eph.2:14–15 by Prof. Bogdashevsky, cit. Op. pp. 391–404. See: Bishop Feofan. Interpretation of the Epistle of St. Apostle Paul to Ephesians. 2nd ed. M., 1893. P. 173: “The fence of the people of God was the law, according to which they served and treated God and by which they were justified before Him in their sins and approached Him. But this same law served as a wall that fenced off the people of God from all other nations, so that neither one nor the other could mix in any way.” See: Rom.10:4; Col.2:14. Prof. Bogdashevsky, cit. Op. pp. 402–407. Ep. Feofan, op. Op. pp. 173–174, 178. See: Rom.9:21–26. In Eph.2:16 there is an expression: in one body he will reconcile both - “καὶ ἀποκαταλλάξη τοὺς ἀμφοτέρους ἐν ἐνὶ σώματι.” Some exegetes by ἐν σῶμα mean the Church, thus connecting ἐν σῶμα of verse 16 with εἰς καινὸς ἄνθρωπος of verse 15. See about this in Prof. Bogdashevsky, cit. Op. P. 407 pp. But in New Testament usage, nouns with the preposition ἐν are very often put in the meaning dativus instrumentalis (See: Friedrich Blass. Grammatik des Neutestamentliche Griechisch. Göttingen 1896. § 38, 1. t. g. 41, 1. S. 114–115:127). Based on Col. 1:20, 22 and 1 Pet. 2:24, one should understand by ἐν σῶμα the Body of Christ, which served to reconcile pagans and Jews. Ancient church interpreters understood this expression this way. (See, for example: St. John Chrysostom. In the Epistle to Ephesians, conversation 5, 3: “In one body, he says, His God. How did He do this? Himself, he says, having suffered due punishment on the Cross.” - Creations, ed. SPbDA T. 11. P. 46; St. Ephraim the Syrian: “And he made friends both in one body (one body), which was killed for both. "MDA Ch. 7, 1895. St. John of Damascus. But, of course, the idea that Jews and pagans united into one Body, in the sense of a single Church, is not at all alien to the apostle. In Ephesians 3:6 the apostle calls the Gentiles σύσσωμα. “Because,” says the blessed one. Theodoret, who called the faithful one Body, then says that the pagans have become stewards.” - Creations. Part 7, M., 1861. P. 430. See: and prof. Bogdashevsky, cit. Op. pp. 441–442. Blzh. Theodoret, when interpreting Eph. 2:16, combines both thoughts: “He reconciled both, that is, those who believed from the pagans and from the Jews, in one Body, offered for all, so that they constituted one Body. And the apostle called all believers one person because everyone has one Head - the Lord Christ, while the Body is made up of those who have been worthy of salvation.” Creations. Part 7. pp. 427–428. Ikumenius also states the same: “Ἐν τῇ σαρκί· τουτέστι, διὰ τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ. PG. Τ. 118. Col. 1197Α. ἐν ἑνὶ σώματι τῷ Θεῷ. "(PG. Τ. 118. Col. 1197C). Both thoughts are also combined in Mansvetov (New Testament teaching on the Church. pp. 70–71), although the author does not provide any exegesis. Blzh. Theophylact follows Chrysostom, but cites the opinion of some [other interpreters]: “Both, who became, as it were, a single Body, of which He is the Head, reconciled with God.” Plot. on the last to Gal., Eph. and Phil. Kazan, 1884. P. 107. On the last to Eph. conversation 5, 2. Creations. Τ. 11. P. 43. And further: “Let’s imagine an example: imagine two statues - one silver, the other tin; these two statues were melted, and from them two golden ones were formed: these two statues became identical. Or another example: let one be a slave, the other an adopted child; both of them were supposed to serve Him (that is, God); but one was declared disinherited, the other ran away and did not know the Father, and then both were made heirs and legitimate children. Both received the same honor, the two became one, with the only difference being that one came from afar, the other from close, and that the closest one came to the Father first.” pp. 43–44. On the last to Eph. conversation 5, 3. Creations. Τ. 11. pp. 45–46. See: Col. 3:9–11. Speaking about the catholicity of the Church according to the teachings of St. Paul, J. Meritan notes: “It is clear that Paul does not consider catholicity as merely a simple equality between Jews and pagans converted into the bowels of Christian society. Perfect equality begins to be valid after the death of Christ, and the ancient promises, since they contained inequality of conditions, henceforth have no meaning of existence. In the Divine plan, the apostle sees all nations equally called and only one humanity in Christ and through Christ.” Revue biblique. T. 7.1893. R. 357. Cfr.: r. 355–356. But St. John Chrysostom, speaking about the elevation of all humanity to a new higher state, penetrates deeper into the thought of the apostle. 1 Corinthians 10:32: Give no offense either to the Jews or to the Greeks, or to the church of God. “What is one Body? Faithful in all places of the universe, living, having lived and having to live.” St. John Chrysostom. On the Post. to Eph. conversation 10, 1. Creations. T. 11. P. 90. For a detailed disclosure of the concept of the Body, see Aquilonov (“Church”. pp. 229–239), but this disclosure is made here independently of the text of the Epistles of St. Pavel. At ap. Paul compares the Church to a tree, see: Rom.11:17–24. “Just as the functions of the members of the body are divided, so the grace-filled gifts of the Spirit are different and divided.” – St. Ephraim the Syrian. Creations. Part 7. P. 50. “The example of the body and members brings down the great exaltation of arrogance.” - Blzh. Theophylact. Plot. on Last to Rome Kazan, 1866. P. 168. See: Rom.12:6: By this... grace we have diversified gifts... according to the measure of faith. “In order to humble those who boast, he says that this is given by God, and calls it gifts; and in order to excite the lazy, he shows, on the other hand, that in order to receive gifts we also bring something, and says: if there is prophecy, according to the measure of faith. Although this is grace, it is not poured out simply, but sheds as much as the vessel of faith presented to it can hold.” Blzh. Theophylact. Plot. on Last to Rome P. 169. Theophylact repeats John Chrysostom. See: Creations. T. 9. pp. 754–755, 758. On the division of spiritual gifts among the ap. Paul [more] in 1 Corinthians 12:1–11. See: 2 Pet.1:3: “Πάντα ἡμῖν τῆς θεῖας δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ τὰ πρὸς ζωὶν καὶ εὐσέβειαν δεδωρημένης.” Prof. D. I. Bogdashevsky. Message of St. ap. Paul to the Ephesians. Kyiv, 1904. P. 425. “Although we have the grace of various gifts, they are all given for the service of the Church.” – St. Ephraim the Syrian. Creations. Part 7. P. 50. “Why did one receive more and the other less? This, he says, has no meaning, but the matter is indifferent: each of those who receive contributes to creation. And therefore it shows that it was not for the sake of his own dignity that one received more and the other less, but for the sake of others.” – St. John Chrysostom. On the last to Eph. conversation 11, 2. T. 11. P. 97. See: Blzh. Theodorite. Creations. Part 7. P. 256. This idea was especially beautifully expressed by the ap. Peter: “Ἕκαστος καθὸς ἔλαβε χάρισμα, εἰς ἑαυτοὺς αὐτὸ διακονούντες, ὡς καλοὶ οἰκονόμοι ποικίλης χάριτος” (1 Peter 4:10). See: Rom.12:7. Here ministry is taken in a general sense: apostleship is called ministry, and every good spiritual work is called ministry. Of course, this name is also used to mean private activity, but it is said here in general. (See: St. John Chrysostom. On the Epistle to Romans, conversation 21. Vol. 9. P. 758.) “He does not call virtues, but gifts. What you received, he says, is a gift from God, and not your work; This was given to you by grace... Under the name of service, understand any spiritual work in general.” - Blzh. Theophylact. Plot. on Last to Rome pp. 169–170. “He spoke about services in order to more comfort the mourner. For, having heard the name of the gift and received less, he could grieve that he was deprived of the gift. But hearing about service is not so, for it indicates labor and sweat. Why are you grieving when He commanded others to work harder, but spared you?” Blzh. Theophylact. Plot. on Last to Cor. P. 153. “Giving, action and service are one and the same; The difference is only in words, but the things are the same. As is the giving, so is the service, and as is the service, so is the action.” Saint John of Damascus. In epist. ad Corinth. I.PG. T. 95. Col. 664D–665A. “Teaches why we who believe are all called one Body.” - Blzh. Theodorite. Creations. Part 7. P. 257. Blzh. Theodorite. Creations. Part 7. P. 256. “He did not simply say: Spirit, but: one and the same Spirit, teaching that not one has one, and another has different gifts, but both are of one Spirit.” - Blzh. Theodorite. Creations. Part 7. pp. 256–257. Prof. D. I. Bogdashevsky. Message of St. ap. Paul to the Ephesians. Kyiv, 1904. P. 504, approx. 5. Cfr.: J. Meritan: here we are talking, probably, not about the soul of each member individually, but rather about the vital spirit of the Church, ο πνεύμα, which is the source of common life. In whom this spirit exists and operates, he will certainly unite with his brothers, at least in spirit. “Ἓν σῶμα καὶ ἓν πνεύμα,” according to Paul’s thought, are two correlative things. This is because only one πνεύμα animates all the members, so that the Body is one. - Revue biblique. T. 7. R. 363. Greek text: “Σπουδάζοντες τηρεῖν τῆν ἐνότητα τοῦ πνεύματος” – text, recipe. reads precisely Πνεύματος, with a capital letter. The Apostle Paul does not use πνεύμα to denote unanimity; he denotes unanimity with words derived from ψυχή. The σύμψυχοι are unanimous (Phil.2:2), the μιᾷ ψυχή are unanimous (Phil.1:27). Wed: one soul – ψυχῇ μιᾷ (Acts 4:34). The word ὁμοθυμαδόν is often used in the New Testament: Acts 1:14, 2:46, 4:24, 5:12, 7:57, 8:6, 12:20, 15:25, 18:19; Rom.15:6. St. John Chrysostom. On the Post. to Eph., conversation 9, 3. T. 11. P. 86. In the Russian translation, “spirit” is replaced by “soul,” although in the Greek text it is πνεύμα. PG. T. 62, col. 72. St. John Chrysostom. On the Post. to Eph., conversation 11, 1. T. 11. P. 96. As can be seen, Chrysostom combines both interpretations, but according to his interpretation, unanimity is based on the one Spirit of God. Patriarch Photius clearly expresses this thought of Chrysostom when he writes: καὶ ἓν πνεῦμα κατὰ τῆν ἐνότητα τοῦ πνεύματος, καθῶς ἡμᾶς τὸ ἅγιον ἥνωσε πνεῦμα, καθὼς καὶ ἐκκλήτητε.” PG. Τ. 118. Col. 1213 C. Β the same connection is made by like-mindedness with the unity of the Holy Spirit and the blessed. Jerome: “It is rightly said to the Ephesians, who have already followed the unity of the Holy Spirit: taking care to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; after all, he receives instructions to take care of preserving something who has something.” Creations. Book 17. P. 296. Rev. Theophanes also combines both interpretations. (Commentary on Epistle to Eph. pp. 266–269.) But on p. 270 he writes: “Such is the essence of Christianity, that those who profess it are one, that all believers constitute one living and life-combined Body, in which dwells one Spirit.” Blzh. Theophylact. Interpretation on the Last. to the Ephesians. Kazan, 1881. P. 123. Almost literally the same [we find] in Photius (PG. T. 118. Col. 1213). Blzh. Theodorite. Creations. Part 7. P. 431. Blzh. Jerome. Creations. Book 17. P. 297. Prof. D. I. Bogdashevsky. Message of St. ap. Paul to the Ephesians. Kiev, 1904. P. 505. See: 1 John 5:1, 19, 4:4: “Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστε.” 3 John 1:11: Whoever does good is of God. John 5:42; 1 John 2:5, 3:17, 5:3; Jude 21; Rom.5:5. See: 2 Cor.13:13; 2 Thessalonians 3:5. Here, of course, it is not God’s love for people, but people’s love for each other, and this love is called God’s love. See: Rom.15:30: “Διὰ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ πνεύματος.” Col.1:8: “Τὴν ὑμῶν ἀγάπην ἐν πνεύματι.” "Ἡ ἁγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκκέχυται ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου τοῦ δοθέντος ἡμῖν.” See: 1 Thessalonians 4:8. Cp.: 1 John 3:24, 4:13; Rom.8:11: “Ζοποιήσει καὶ τὰ θνητά σώματα ὑμῶν διὰ τοῦ ἐνοικοῦντος αὐτοῦ πνεύματος ἐν ὑμῖν.” St. John Chrysostom. Ha Last to Titus, conversation 5, 3. – Creations. T. 11. P. 872. See: Blessed Theodoret. Creations. Part 7. P. 742. See: 2 Thessalonians 2:13: “Εἰς σωτηρίαν ἐν ἀγιασμῷ πνεύματος.” See: Rom.8:14. See: John 16:13. Ha Last to Eph. conversation 11, 1. – Creations. T. 11. P. 96. See: Eph.4:17–19, 5:8, 11–14; Col.2:13, 3:5–7. See: 1 Pet.4:3–5. See: Eph.4:20–6:8; Col. 3:1–5, 7–17. See especially Colossians 3:14: « Colossians 3:14 σύνδεσμος τῆς τελειότητος.” Wed. also: 1 Peter 4:8–11. The Apostle Peter also has Christian life, which is based on love, in contrast to pagan life, but he has no intermediary teaching about the Church. For a philological analysis of verse 22 (“καὶ αὐτὸν ἔδωκε κεφαλήν ὐπὲρ πάντα τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ”) see: Prof. D. I. Bogdashevsky. Message of St. ap. Paul to the Ephesians. Kyiv, 1904. pp. 325–326. See: Eph.5:30: we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. St. John Chrysostom. On the Post. to Eph. conversation 3, 2. T. 11. P. 26. “What does it mean - above all? - Zlatoust asks further. “Or - that Christ is above everything visible and contemplated by the mind, or that the highest of all the benefits shown by Him is that He made His Son the Head.” St. Isidore Pelusiot: “In addition to all other gifts (ὑπὲρ τὰ ἀλλα πάντα χαρίσματα), he also granted her that Christ is her Head.” (Lib. 3, epist. 195. PG. T. 78. Col. 880D. Russian translation, ed. MDA M., 1860. Part 2. Pis. 185. P. 228.) Rev. Theophanes also says: “God has exalted humanity in the person of the Savior; but above all this, that He gave Him to be the Head of the Church” (Commentary on the Epistle to Eph. p. 122). Rev. Theophanes also presents another interpretation of the words ὑπὲρ πάντα. “By πάντα we mean all classes of beings, one can [say] that everything is subjugated to Him, but He is the Head only of the Church. Bypassing all other creatures, God made Him the Head only of the Church, brought Him into a living union only with the Church.” (Ibid.) But, notes Prof. Bogdashevsky, the preposition ὑπὲρ cannot have such a meaning. Quote Op. P. 326, approx. 5. See: 1 Cor. 15:22, 45. See: Rom.5:14, 17–19, 21. “God honored us not only with the advantage that He raised up a mountain from us, but also with the fact that He prepared for the entire human race to follow Him, have the same as He, and inherit His glory.” – St. John Chrysostom. On the Post. to Eph. conversation 3, 2. Creations. Τ. 11. P. 26. The same with Rev. Feofana: “We have fallen away. God the Word will accept humanity in order to reunite it with God again.” Quote Op. C. 123. St. John Chrysostom notes on this matter: “So that you, having heard the word “Head”, do not accept Him in the sense of only power, but in the proper sense, do not consider Him only a leader, but see in Him as if a bodily (real) Head, (the apostle) adds: the fulfillment of all things in everyone. He considers (the title of the “Chapter” insufficient) to show the kinship and closeness (of the Church to Christ).” - On the Post. to Eph. conversation 3, 2. Creations. Τ. 11. P. 26. Ikumenius also repeats this with the addition: “σωματικῶς, φησίν, ἡμῶν ἐστι κεφαλή.” PG. Τ. 118. Col. 1185C. Prof. DI. Bogdashevsky. Quote Op. C. 33. Ha Last to Eph. conversation 3, 2. – Creations. Τ. 11. pp. 26–27. Plot. on Last to Eph. pp. 93–94. “He did not say: “Who fulfills all things in all,” but said: “Who fulfills all things in all.” After all, one thing means to perform, and another means to be fulfilled, because in one case it denotes the actor, and in the other, the one being acted upon. Indeed, just as a general is completed when his troops multiply daily, new regions appear and the population increases, so our Lord Jesus Christ Himself is fulfilled in everyone in the sense that everyone believes in Him and daily comes to faith in Him; however, in such a way that He is fulfilled by all in all, that is, that all who believe in Him are filled with all virtues and, according to the word of the Gospel, allow Him (faciunt eum) to be perfected in age, wisdom and grace, not only with God, but also with people.” Creations. Part 17. P. 250. Plot. on Last to Eph. pp. 126,127. By the way, this thought also creeps into Mansvetov’s mind. Quote Op. P. 245. Garless, Oltramar and others. See prof. Bogdashevsky. Quote Op. pp. 333–334, approx. 4. See: Dr. S.Ch. Schirlitz. Griechisch-Deutsches Wörterbuch zum Neuen Testamente. 5-te Auflage, neu bearbeitet von Dr. Th. Eger. Giessen, 1893. S. 339–340: 1) das, womit etwas erfüllt wird. 2) das, was erfüllt, voll, ganz ist. Cremer. Bibl.-theol. Worterb9. S. 878: “Stets im passiven Sinne, nur verschieden, je nachdem es auf das relative oder auf das absolute πληροῦν zurückzuführen ist.” Franciscus Zorell. Novi Testamenti lexicon graecum. Parisiis, 1911. P. 464: “Πλήρωμα sec. etymologiam significat "id quod τῷ πληροῦν producitur", i. e. τὸ πληρωμένον.” Prof. also expresses the same thing. Bogdashevsky: “Like all words ending in μα and meaning abstract or concrete concepts, it has a passive meaning.” - Quote Op. P. 333. Blzh. Theodorite. Part 7. P. 422. Thus, blzh. Theodoret by “τὰ τοῦ πάντα πληρωμένου” means God the Father. A similar interpretation of Erasmus, Wetstein, Meir is refuted by Prof. Bogdashevsky. Quote Op. P. 330 and approx. 3. St. Ephraim the Syrian. Creations. Part 7. P. 182. Ep. Feofan. Quote Op. P. 124. Ep. Theophan admits the possibility of a third interpretation of the word “πλήρωμα”, relating it not to the Church, but to the Lord. The result is a thought that has a parallel in Col. 2:9: in Him lives all the fulfillment (πλήρωμα) of the bodily Divinity. “God gave such a Head to the Church who is above all; for it itself is the fullness of the Divine, the fullness of Him who fills everything with Himself” (ibid.). With “τὰ τοῦ πάντα πληρωμένου” the subject here is God the Father. Quote Op. P. 336. The passive meaning of “πλήρωμα”, however, without any analysis of the text, is also accepted by I. Mansvetov (“New Novoz. teaching on the Church.” pp. 90–91): “The Apostle wants, as it were, to strengthen his thought about the inner closest communion of Christ with the Church, presenting it under the image of filling (πλήρωμα) the latter with the first.” It should be noted that the thought of the filling of the Church by Christ is very close to the early thought of the apostle about the filling of the Church by the Holy Spirit, as is especially clearly expressed in the words of the Apostle John: That we abide (μένομεν) in Him and He in us, we learn from what He has given us from His Spirit (ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ δέδωκεν ἡμῖν) . – 1 John 4:13. Cp.: 1 John 3:24. Quote Op. P. 333. See the above words of Rev. Feofan. The first understanding of Eph. 1:23 allows for Fr. Zorell (Novi Testamenti lexicon graecum. P. 464). Deut.32:19; Jer.2:2, 3:20; Ezek.16:32; Os.2:2; Mal.2:14. See: Ex.20:5, 34:14; 1 Samuel 10:6, 19:31; Ps.77:58, 78:5; Isaiah 9:7 etc. See: 2 Cor.11:2. The image of the bride is especially often attached to the Church in the Apocalypse: Rev. 19:7, 8, 21:2, etc. This interpretation was especially widespread where the allegorical method of interpreting the Holy Scriptures dominated, that is, mainly in Alexandria. According to the testimony of Anastasius Sinaita (PG. T. 89. Col. 860), many of the most ancient exegetes interpreted the entire history of the six-day creation of the world as applied to Christ and the Church. See fragment 6 of Papias in Die apostolischen Väter, herausgeg. von F. X. Funk, 2-te, verbesserte Aufl. Tübingen, 1906. S. 130. St. John Chrysostom. On the Post. to Eph. conversation 20, 4. T. 11. P. 172. See: in Ikumenius: “Τῷ Χριστῷ ἐξὸν μένειν ἐπὶ τῆς ἰδίας δόξης, ἐταπείνωσεν ἐαυτὸν ἐνανθρωπήσας ἵνα προσκολληθῇ τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ " PG. Τ. 118. Col. 1245Α Blzh. Theodorite. Creations. Part 7. P. 447. St. Ephraim the Syrian. Creations. Part 7. P. 196. “Not the whole, as many believe, of the history of Adam and Eve, written in the book of Genesis, can easily be attributed to Christ and the Church, but only what is put in the present place... Indeed, the first man and the first prophet Adam predicted this about Christ and the Church, namely, that our Lord and Savior would leave His Father, God, and His mother, Heavenly Jerusalem, and would come to earth for the sake of His Body, the Church. He created her from His side and for her sake the Word was made flesh.” - Creations. Book 17. P. 360. See prof. Bogdashevsky. Quote Op. pp. 640–641. We connect these two expressions as two parallel thoughts, and the “εἰς ἔργον διακονίας” standing between them, together with the majority of exegetes, are attributed to “ἐδωκεν” of the 11th verse. See: Cremer. Bibl.-theol. Wörterbuch9. S. 187; Bogdashevsky. Quote Op. pp. 541–543. See: Gal.6:1, where the verb “καταρτίζετε” is used. 1 Corinthians 1:10; 2 Corinthians 13:11. For the meaning of the verb “καταρτίζω” and related words, see Cremer (Biblisch-theolog. Wörterbuch9. S. 185–187); Fr. Zorell. Novi Testamenti lexicon graecum. P. 293. This verb has an application to the moral sphere, and therefore by the accomplishment of saints one cannot mean their numerical increase, as Mansvetov does (see: “The New Testament Teaching on the Church.” P. 102). The idea of ​​the numerical growth of the Church can rather be seen in the words for the creation of the Body of Christ, where the word οἰκοδομή appears. See: Rev. Feofan. Plot. on Last to Eph. pp. 295–296, which also talks about the missionary society. Cremer. Bibl.-theol. Wb. 9. S. 187; Prof. D. I. Bogdashevsky. Message of St. ap. Paul to the Ephesians. Kiev, 1904. P. 540. We consider it unnecessary to make a detailed philological analysis of the quoted words of the apostle from the Epistle to the Ephesians, because this was done in the work of Prof. D. I. Bogdashevsky. “It seems to me that he is talking about all people.” - Blzh. Jerome. Creations. Book 17. P. 307. “Apply them more and more until there is not a single unbeliever left... One faith - so that there are no more Christians left.” Ep. Feofan. Quote Op. P. 297. “One knowledge of the Son of God, so that there is no difference of opinion among Christians, but everyone equally understands that there is the Son of God and that the work of salvation accomplished by Him on earth, and how everyone can and should assimilate it.” - Ep. Feofan. Quote Op. P. 297. Mansvetov sees in the words of the Apostle Paul an indication of the purpose of the Church in the field of knowledge. - Quote Op. pp. 234–239. Cremer here "τέλειος" translates ausgewachsen. – Bibl.-theol. Wörterbuch 9, S. 990. “Unity of faith means when we will all be one, when we will all understand this union in the same way.” – St. John Chrysostom. On the Post. to Eph. conversation 11, 3. – Creations. T. 11. P. 99. “So that we are united together in faith and the sovereignty of God.” St. Ephraim the Syrian. Creations. Part 7. P. 191. See: Gal.4:19. Compare: Eph.3:19. See: John 14:23. Wed: Rev. 3:20–21. Bogdashevsky, cit. Op. pp. 553–556. Blzh. Theodorite. Creations. Part 7. P. 437. St. Ephraim the Syrian. Creations. Part 7. P. 192. Bogdashevsky. Quote Op. pp. 556–557; “we will increase (αὐξήσωμεν)” here is understood in a transitional sense. Ep. Feofan. Quote Op. P. 298. For the interpretation of this verse, see Mansvetov, op. Op. pp. 143–160 and in Bogdashevsky, op. Op. pp. 557–565. On the Post. to Eph. conversation 11, 3. – Creations. T. 11. P. 100. “Only a mind illuminated by the gift of wisdom and revelation of the Holy Spirit, raptured into the contemplation of Divine and human affairs, into premium spheres, only such a luminous mind of the apostle could see into the mystery of the wonderful structure of the Church. But then, when this mind, which soared into the heavens, wanted to put its soaring contemplations into verbal form in order to tell them to the centuries, the word turned out to be powerless to contain all the richness and completeness of their content.” - Mansvetov. New Testament teaching about the Church. P. 161. The apostle especially expresses this thought in Epistle. to Col. 2:18. Bogdashevsky. Quote Op. P. 560. “With one (συναρμολογούμενον) the apostle characterizes the actual image of the body as an articulated organism, with the other (συμβιβάζειν) he expresses that the members that make up this organism are independent free individuals.” - Mansvetov, cit. Op. P. 145. From whom the whole body, composed and joined together through all kinds of mutually fastening bonds, with the action of each member in its own measure, receives growth for the building of itself in love (Eph. 4:16). From Him the whole Body is composed and put together decently by every touch of alms according to the action in the measure of a single part, the return of the Body creates into the creation of itself through love (Eph. 4:16). In classical Greek, the word χορηγεῖν (=χόρος + ἄγειν) means to supply a choir for festivals. “Distributing gifts” - “ἡ χορηγία τῶν χαρισμάτων.” St. John Chrysostom. Ha Last to Eph. conversation 11, 3. – PG. T. 62. Col. 84. Creations. T. 11. P. 100. “Gifts of the Spirit”: St. Ephraim the Syrian. Creations. Part 7. P. 192. “Shares spiritual gifts”: Bl. Theodorite. Creations. Part 7. P. 438. Blzh. Theophylact: “The words: alms through all the touches show that the Spirit poured out by the Head touches everyone tangibly.” - Quote Op. P. 132. “Alms are the bestowal of the grace of the Holy Spirit.” - Ep. Feofan. Quote Op. P. 308. “Subjugens diversa dona dedisse sanctis suis Filium Dei, scilicet in aedificationem Ecclesiae.” – M. Aurel. Cassiodori. Complexiones in epistulas apostolorum. P.L. T. 70. Col. 1347B. Prof. D. I. Bogdashevsky. Message of St. ap. Paul to the Ephesians. Kyiv, 1904. P. 560. See: 561, note. 3 and 4; Mansvetov. Quote Op. P. 152. This understanding of ἐπιχορηγία excludes the interpretation of some, according to which it means mutual assistance, support. See Bogdashevsky, op. Op. P. 560, approx. 3. And in ed. creativity Ephraim the Syrian. Part 7. P. 192. Note. 3. See: Fr. Zorell. Novi Testamenti lexicon graecum. P. 85.216. sub w. ἁφή, ἐπιχορηγία. For philological shortcomings, see prof. Bogdashevsky, cit. Op. pp. 561–562. "New Testament teaching about the Church." pp. 152–153. Cp.: From 150–151, where the following literal translation is given: “through any connection of supply or communication,” then the following paraphrase is given: “through any connection of supply or communication of vital force, or: through any connection that supplies or communicates vital force.” And then the author reasons like this: “But since the vital force is supplied through the nerves by which all the individual and smallest organs and parts of the body are connected to each other and to the central organ, then these nerves can be called connections that hold the body together both by the very method of connection, and also by supplying vital elements to all its parts.” Thus, we come to a new definition of connections - as mutually fastening ones - and therefore we can retain the following translation of the expression: “διὰ πάσης ἁφῆς τῆς ἐπιχορηγίας” - “through any mutually (or each other) fastening connections.” It is clearly visible how in these rather inconsistent reasoning, the word τῆς ἐπιχορηγίας is gradually displaced more and more, until the author comes to the text of the Russian translation, where there is not the slightest hint of this word. On the Post. to Eph. conversation 11, 3. – Creations. T. 11. P. 100: “But what is the touch of alms? That is, through sensation (διὰ τῆς αἰσθήσεως).” PG. Τ. 62. Col. 84. “The apostle called the sense touch, because it is one of the five senses, and he called the whole part.” Blzh. Theodorite. Creations. Part 7. P. 438. “Through all perception.” – St. Ephraim the Syrian. Creations. Part 7. P. 192. Mansvetov. New Testament teaching about the Church. P. 147. De Wette calls this interpretation: “die einseitige Erklärung” and also refutes it with reference to Col. 2:19. "Kurze Erklärung der Briefe". 2-te Aufl. Leipzig, 1847. S. 144. This is how the saint interprets Col. 2:19. Theodoret: “The body of the Church receives from the Lord Christ both the sources of teaching and the beginnings of salvation. And what is in the body of the joints, then in the composition of the Church are the apostles, prophets and teachers.” - Creations. Part 7. pp. 503–504. Wed. at Prof. Bogdashevsky, cit. Op. P. 563. See: Rom.12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:4–11. These same words, in our opinion, confirm the understanding we accepted above of the word “ἐπιχορηγία” in the sense of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the Slavic translation “διὰ πάσης ἁφῆς τῆς ἐπιχορηγίας” with all the touch of alms - despite all its incomprehensibility, more accurately conveys the meaning of the Greek original. Many Old Slavic translations of διὰ πάσης ἁφῆς τῆς ἐπιχορηγίας convey this: “with all the reproof of giving” (Tolstovsky, Alex., Pogodinsky No. 27, etc. see: Prof. G. A. Voskresensky . Ancient Slavic Apostle, issue 5, Sergiev Posad, 1908. pp. 288–289). This translation, in our opinion, very successfully highlights the idea that the perception of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is at the same time the discovery of this gift in church service. The translation of Eph.4:16 by A. S. Khomyakov is completely unsuccessful: “from which the whole Body, agreeing and harmonizing in every abiding connection, by the activity of a force commensurate with each member, produces the growth of a body self-created in love.” Little corresponds to the Greek text, although it partly expresses the thought contained in it, the translation by K. P. Pobedonostsev: “And the whole Body, in the composition and union of mutually acting members, each in its own measure, from It receives the power of growth, to create itself in love.” The words: “κατ’ ἐνέργειαν ἐν μέτρῳ ἑνὸς ἑκάστου μέρους” are more often attributed to the further “τὴν αὔξησιν ποιεῖται", but the perception of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and moral growth are closely related to each other, and therefore the thought will not change at all in essence if the words “κατ’ ἐνέργειαν ἐν μέτρῳ ἑνὸς ἑκάστου μέρους" also refers to the previous "διὰ πάσης ἁφῆ τῆς ἐπιχορηγίας", as does the blzh. Theophylact: “Christ distributes His gifts of grace to our souls, which are His members, not simply, but in the measure of a single part, that is, as much as each is able to contain.” - Quote Op. P. 131. Compare: St. John Chrysostom. On the Post. to Eph. conversation 11, 3. – Creations. T. 11. P. 100. Here “τοῦ σώματος” is placed instead of the necessary “ἕαυτοῦ” in view of the fact that the subject “πᾶν τὸ σῶμα” is significantly removed. Nevertheless, Mansvetov also speaks of external growth as a constant, unceasing entry into the Church of more and more new members, the spread of its boundaries from one area to another, from country to country, the acquisition of more and more followers. - Quote Op. P. 158. Prof. D. I. Bogdashevsky. Message of St. ap. Paul to the Ephesians. Kyiv, 1904. P. 564, approx. 2. Cp.: De Wette, op. cit., S. 150. Apparently, the blessed one is inclined to this understanding. Jerome, who writes: “This whole building, through which the Body of the Church is increased in parts, will be filled with mutual love.” - Creations. Part 17. P. 310. See Eph.3:18: rooted and grounded in love. See Eph.3:16: to be strengthened by His Spirit in the inner man. Bogdashevsky. Quote Op. P. 564. St. John Chrysostom. On the Post. to Eph. conversation 11, 3. Creations. T. 11. P. 101. “Love recreates, unites, brings us together and interfaces us with each other. So, if we want to receive the Spirit from the Head, we will be in union with each other. There are two kinds of separation from the Church: one is when we grow cold in love, and the other is when we dare to do something unworthy in relation to this Body of the Church. In both cases we are separated from the whole.” - Right there. P. 102. Wed. Icumenius. "Ἄνευ γὰρ ταύτης (ἀγάπης) οὐκ ἄν εἰς τινα καταβαίῃ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον." – PG. Τ. 118. Col. 1224D. St. Ephraim the Syrian expresses the following thought: “The mutual need of the members of the Church for each other instills great love between them.” - Creations. Part 7. P. 192. The process of improving the Church of the Blessed. Jerome likens the growth of the body of a child, in which “all the members grow in their parts, but in such a way that they seem to grow not for themselves, but for the body.” Perfection is blzh. Jerome understands that each member will be perfect according to its measure and service; for example, an apostate angel will be what he was created to be, and a man expelled from Paradise will be restored again as a cultivator of Paradise. - Creations. Part 17. pp. 310, 311. See: prof. N. N. Glubokovsky. The Gospel of the Holy Apostle Paul according to its origin and essence. Book 2. St. Petersburg, 1910. P. 670 et seq. On the Post. to Eph. conversation 11, 3. – Creations. T. 11. pp. 100–101. “The body grows and is built up through the fact that the gift of the Spirit touches the members and that He acts in them, or that it gives them the power to act.” Plot. on Last to Eph. P. 132. “The Lord Christ, constituting the Head, divides the spiritual gifts, combining the members of the Body into a single harmonious whole.” Creations. Part 7. P. 438. In epist. ad Ephesios. “Σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἡ ἐκκλησία κατὰ τῆν μετάληψιν τοῦ ἀγίου Πνεύματος. Ἡ ἐκκλησία ἐστίν, ἡ δεκτική, φησί, τοῦ διήκοντος, τῶν οὐρανίων μὲν πάλαι, νῦν δὲ καὶ ἐπιγείων.” PG. Τ. 95. Col. 828D, 829Α. “Ὥσπερ ἐν σώματος αὐξήσει, φθάσωμεν εἰς τοσοῦτον ὕψος ἅπαντες, ὡς πρὸς τῆν κεφαλὴν ἡμῶν συναρμοσθῆναι τὸν Χριστόν. Ὅς ἐφεστῶς ἡμῖν κατὰ τὴν θεϊκὴν ἐξοχὴν, μεταδίδωσιν ἡμῖν All rights reserved. ἀλλήλοις, καθ’ ἥν ἔχομεν πρὸς ἀλλὴλους ὥσπερ ἐν οἰκοδομῇ συναρμογὴν, καὶ καθὸ τὴν ἐπιχορηγίαν τοῦ πνεύματος ἕκαστος δύναται δέχεσθαι, τῆς ἐπὶ τῇ αὐξήσει τελειώσεως εἰς ἀγάπην συνκεφαλαιουμένης.” PG. Τ. 95. Col. 844Α. Plot. on Last to Eph. P. 307: “The Christian faith unites the faithful with Christ and thus from all forms one harmonious Body. Christ creates this Body, communicating Himself to everyone and giving him the Spirit of grace effectively and tangibly, so that this Spirit of grace, descending on everyone, makes him what he should be in the Body of the Church of Christ. The Body of Christ, harmoniously combined with such a gift of the Spirit, then grows within itself to the extent that each member meets its purpose or acts for the good of the Church with the fullness of the gift of grace received.” Regarding Eph.5:32: εἰς Χριστὸν καὶ εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν - J. Meritan observes: “It is very difficult to mean a private Church by what the apostle seems to refer to the Christian society considered in totality." Revue biblique internationale. Τ. 7, 1898. P. 354. See also: P. 356, 357, 361–362, 368. In concluding his analysis of the ecclesiological views of the Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Ephesians, Meritan says: “Catholicity and unity are the two great ecclesiological principles of the Epistle to the Ephesians.” – Ibidem. R. 369. G. Hoennicke argues that Paul's theology was understandable to few. Often they only slavishly accepted the words of the apostle, which they did not understand correctly. Therefore, the ideas of the Apostle Paul in subsequent times had little influence on the religious consciousness of Christian communities. (“Das Judenchristentum.” S. 242.) But for ecclesiological views, in any case, an exception should be made: at least the idea of ​​a single all-embracing Church could be quite accessible to everyone. St. Isidore Pelusiot [thus] interprets 1 Cor. 12:27: (καὶ μέλη ἐκ μέρους) “The Church that you have is a member of the everywhere (Church), and therefore it would be fair for you to be like-minded not only among yourself (they had disagreements, after all), but also with everyone throughout the entire universe of the same faith, eradicating all differences of opinion." – Lib. 4, epist. 103.PG. Τ. 89. Col. 1169C–D. Creations. Part 3, writing. 6. P. 8. “The One Church was one of the first and fundamental concepts of Christianity.” – V. N. Myshtsyn. The structure of the Christian Church. P. 429. "Lehrbuch der Dogmengeschichte". 4-te Aufl. 1-er Bd. Tübingen, 1909. S. 52. Dr. says almost the same thing. Julius Köstlin: “Each individual community had to imagine itself spiritually united with all Christianity and strive to present this unity expressed outwardly.” – “Das Wesen der Kirche nach Lehre und Geschichte des Neuen Testamentes mit vornehmlicher Rücksicht auf die Streitfrage zwischen Protestantismus und Katholizismus.” 2-te Afl. Gotha, 1872. S. 90. “The union that united the individual Christian communities with each other was, after the death of the apostles, only a union of a common faith, a consciousness of common unity (des Zusammengefasst seins) under a single Head and free and living communication between them; there was no natural organization that would connect them and unite them outwardly.” – D. Thomasius. Die Dogmengeschichte der Alten Kirche. 2-te Aufl Erlangen, 1886. S. 28. Vgl. S. 103. B. N. Myshtsyn. Quote Op. P. 430. Harnack A. Entstehung und Entwickelung der Kirchenverfassung und des Kirchenrechts. S. 35; Friedrich Loofs Leitfaden zum Studium der Dogmengeschichte4. § 12.1. S. 79–80. See Acts 6:2: It is not good for us to leave the word of God and to worry about tables. “Extreme Protestants have always wanted and want to see a Christianity alien to all forms. But does this kind of Christianity exist, and can it even exist? Without a doubt, this will be Christianity in Heavenly Paradise.” – Prof. A. P. Lebedev. "The Essence of Christianity" as depicted by church historian Adolf Harnack. Theological Bulletin. 1901. T. 3. P. 437. Cfr.: A. Loisy. L'évangile et l'église. P. 136–137, 146. 1 Corinthians 11:32. Cfr.: P. Batiffol: L'église naissante et le catholicisme3. P. 90–91. “The unity of the individual Churches was expressed even more clearly in the unquestioning obedience of all to one common mentor - the apostles. However, this was not the result of any violence or coercion, but the action of a meek spirit and their undoubted confidence in the Divine purpose of their ministry. What was there to force when he punished himself, made him unhappy and worthy of regret and tears, whoever shied away from this unity or was excommunicated as punishment for sins.” – Gorsky A.V. History of the Gospel and the Apostolic Church. 2nd ed. Holy Trinity Lavra of Sergius, 1902. P. 438. “In the ecumenical magisterium, the Christian communities fragmented [and scattered] over a vast space had the only strong connection and basis of union. These apostles and prophets, who moved from place to place and were received everywhere with deep honor, are the only ones who can explain to us why the development of communities in different provinces, despite the local peculiarities of conditions, still reveals a certain degree of monotony in its process.” – Harnack A. Die Mission und Ausbreitung des Christentums in den ersten drei Jahrhunderten. 2-te Aufl. Leipzig, 1906. S. 286. Thomasius also sees in the apostles (in the broad sense of the word) the office of the entire Church. Op. cit., S. 28. Vgl. Harnack's "Prolegomena" for the edition of Διδαχή in the text "Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der altchristlichen Literatur", herausgegeben von Oscar von Gebhardt und Adolf Harnack. II, 1. Leipzig, 1884. “Apostles, prophets and teachers were the link of dispersed Christianity” (S. 103–105:112). See: Rom.16:16, 21–23; 1 Corinthians 16:19–20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; Phil.4:22; Col. 4:10–12, 14–15. See: 1 Pet.5:13; 3 John 1:15. “Sein Gedanke ist die eine Kirche, welcher gerade die Einteilung der Gemeinden in Provinzen zum Bewusstsein der Einheit und zum gemeinsamen Handeln verhelfen muss.”Weizsäcker C. Das apostolische Zeitalter. S. 598. Vgl.: Hoennicke G. Das Judenchristentum. S. 251. The Russian translation “ἐκοινώνησαν” – became participants – does not quite accurately convey the idea of the original. See: 2 Cor.8:1–4, 19–21, 9:1–5, 12; Phil.4:10–12, 18; Rom.15:25–28; Acts 11:27–30. See: 1 Cor.16:1–4; 2 Corinthians 8:11–19. Wed: Apocalypse, which is written to the seven Churches located in Asia (Rev. 1:4). Vgl.: Weizsäcker. Das apostolische Zeitalter. 3 S. 597–599. Eusebius. History Ecclesias. III. 16, 2. Grch. Sch. 9.1. S. 230.1–5. Idem. Ad Polyc. 7, 2: “You, most blessed Polycarp, need to convene the most divine council and choose some especially kind and zealous person who could be called God’s ambassador.” Cfr.: Ad Smyrn. 11:2: “to choose a man most glorious to God.” Idem. Ad Smyrn. 11, 2. Cfr.: 11, 3. Ep. Polyc. ad Philipp. 13, 1–2. "Die apostolischen Väter", herausgeg. von F. X. Funk. S. 114–115. At the same time it is added: “Et de ipso Ignatio et de his qui cum eo sunt, quod certius agnoventis, significate.” We consider it of little use to write in detail about the mutual relations of the Christian Churches during the period of the apostolic men. Tertullianus. De praescr. c. 20.PL. T. 2. Col. 37B. Cfr.: "κοινὸν ὄνομα καὶ ἐλπίς". Ignat. Ad Ephes. 1, 2. Vgl.: Harnack. Prolegomena zu Διδαχή, TU II, 1. S. 103–110. Vgl.: Loofs. Leitfaden der Dogmengeschichte4, § 14, 2. S. 88–89. "Εἰ γὰρ ἐν τῷ ἀθανάτῳ κοινωνοί ἐστε, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἐν τοῖς θνητοῖς"; IV, 8. "Ὥσπερ ἧν τοῦτο τὸ κλάσμα διεσκορπισμένον ἐπάνω τῶν ὀρέων καὶ συναχθὲν ἐγένετο ἕν, οὕτω συναχθήτω σου ἡ ἐκκλησία ἀπὸ "" IX, 4. “Μνήσθητι, κύριε, τῆς ἐκκλησίας σου τοῦ ῥύσασθαι αὐτὴν ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ καὶ τελειῶσαι αὐτην ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ σοῦ, καὶ σύναξον αὐτὴν ἀπὸ τεσσάρων ἀνέμων τῆν ἀγιασθεῖσαν εἰς τὴν σὴν αὐτῇ IX, 5. Harnack. Prolegomena. TU II, 1, S. 88. “Ἐλθέτω χάρις καὶ παρελθέτω ό κόσμος οὗτος. Ὡσαννὰ τῷ Θεῷ Δαυίδ, εἴ τις ἅγιός ἐστιν, ἐρχέσθω εἴ τις οὐκ ἔστι, μετανοείτω μαρὰν ἀθά. ἀμήν". X, 6. For more details on the unity of the Church (or Christianity) according to Διδαχή, see Harnack in the prolegomena to the edition of Διδαχή. TU II, 1. 65, 1–2. Vgl.: Harnack A. Der erste Klemensbrief. Berlin, 1909. S. 53. Dr. Schanz. Der Begriff der Kirche. Theologische Quarterschrift. 1893. S. 552: “An eine abstrakte, ideale, unsichtbare Kirche dachte man in Altertum überhaupt nicht.” Cp. Loofs' opposite opinion. Leitfaden der Dogmengeschichte, 3-te Aufl. Halle, 1893, § 12, 5, 55: “The unity of the whole Church, in which they believed, had neither external signs nor visible guarantees” (this phrase is not in the 4th edition. See S. 79–80). Vgl. § 19, 1. S. 130.