Беседа 6

Col.2:6–7. Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, being rooted and established in Him and established in the faith as you were taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Superstitious observations of days. - About the destroyed manuscript. 1. Again he prefaces them with his own testimony, saying: “Therefore, just as you received.” We, he says, are not introducing anything alien; therefore you should not enter either. “Walk in Him” because He is the way that leads to the Father. This path is not for angels - this one does not lead there. “Rooted”, that is, established; without being carried away one way or the other, but “rooted”; but what is rooted never moves. You see what precise expressions (Paul) uses! “And established,” he says, that is, ascending to Him with the mind. “And strengthened” in Him, that is, holding on to Him, as if built on a foundation. It shows that they have fallen, this is evident from the word: “taught.” Faith, indeed, is a building that requires a strong foundation and solid construction. It shakes if someone does not build it on a strong foundation; and even if he builds on something strong, but does not establish it, he will not stand. "As You Are Taught". The word “how” again shows that he is not saying anything new. “Prospering,” he says, “in it with thanksgiving.” This is what right-thinking people do: I don’t just say “thanks,” but with great abundance, more than they have been taught, if possible, and with great competition. “Be careful, brethren, that no one deceives you” (Col. 2:8). You see how he showed Taty, alien and quietly entering! He imagined him already entering. And he said well: “he carried away” (συλαγωγων, he will rob). Just as someone, digging up an embankment from below, does not allow himself to be noticed, and the embankment weakens, so he does. So, beware: he always does this - he doesn’t even allow himself to be noticed as “philosophy”. But since philosophizing seems to be a commendable thing, he added: “and empty deception.” Flattery (deception) can also be kind; Many were deceived by this, and it should not be called flattery; Jeremiah speaks about her: “You drew me, O Lord, and I was drawn” (Jer. 20:7). This should not be called flattery. Thus, when Jacob deceived his father, it was not flattery, but (God’s) dispensation. “Philosophy,” he says, “and empty deception, according to human tradition, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ” (Col. 2:8). Now he begins his denunciation in observing the days, calling the elements of the world the sun and the moon, just as he said in the Epistle to the Galatians: “Why do you return again to the weak and poor material principles” (Gal. 4:9)? And he did not say: in observing the days, but: the whole real “world” - to show its insignificance. Indeed, if the world is nothing, then its elements are even more insignificant. So, having first shown how great the benefits they received, what great blessings they enjoyed, then he begins the accusation in order to give him more power and touch the listeners. This is what prophets always do. They first show the benefits (of God), and thereby increase the power of the accusation, as Isaiah says: “I raised and exalted sons, and they rebelled against Me” (Is. 1:2); and again: “My people! What have I done to you and how have I burdened you?” (Mic. 6:3); and David says: “From the midst of the thunder I heard you,” and again: “Open your mouth, and I will fill it” (Ps. 80:8, 11). And you will find this everywhere. So, whatever they (the seducers) say, you should not believe; Nowadays, even without (reminders) of good deeds, spontaneous wisdom must be avoided). “But not according to Christ,” he says. Even if it were so that you could serve half and half of both, this should not be the case; now that which is “according to Christ” does not allow you to do this; it keeps you from them (superstitions). Having first shaken Hellenic superstitions, he then destroys Jewish ones. The Hellenes and Jews had many superstitions, the former coming from philosophy, and the latter from law. (Paul) addresses first those who are subject to greater condemnation. How is it “not according to Christ; For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power” (Col. 2:9–10). 2. Look how, while denouncing them, he refutes what was said (misconception): first he offered a solution, and then an objection. This solution eliminates suspicion, and the listener is more likely to agree when the speaker is not concerned about refuting the objection. In the latter case, the listener tries not to be defeated; but here it doesn’t happen. “For he dwells in Him,” that is, since God lives in Him. But lest you think that God is contained in Him as in a body, He says: “All the fullness of the Divinity is bodily, and you are complete in Him.” Some say that (the apostle) here calls the church full of His divinity, as in another place he says: “The fullness of Him that fills all in all” (Eph. 1:23), and the word “bodily” means here: as in the head there is a body. Why, in this case, did he not add: there is already a church? Others think that he is speaking here about the Father, that the fullness of the Divinity lives in Him. But this is unfair: firstly, because the word “live” is not spoken about God in the proper sense; secondly, because fullness is not something, it is accepted: “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness of it” (Ps. 23:1), and the apostle says: “Until the full number of the Gentiles come in” (Rom. 11:25); here the whole is called performance. Then, what does the word “bodily” mean? Like in the chapter. Why does he say the same thing again: “And you are complete in Him”? What do these words mean? That you have as much as He has; as he lived in Him, so he lives in you. Paul constantly tries to bring us closer to Christ, for example, when he says: “Having raised Him from the dead and seated us” (Eph. 1:20), and “If we endure, we will also reign with Him” (2 Tim. 2:12), and “How can He not also freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32), and calls (us) “joint heir with us” (Rom. 8:17). Then (speaks) about dignity: “Who is the head of all principality and power” (Col. 2:10). Is it possible that He who is above all, the cause of everything, is not consubstantial (with the Father)? Then he beautifully added here about good deeds, even better than in the letter to the Romans: there he says: “circumcision, which is in the heart, is in the Spirit, and not in the letter” (Rom. 2:29); and here - in Christ. “In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of sin of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ” (Col. 2:11). Watch him get to the point. “Withdrawal,” he says, he didn’t say “withdrawal.” “Sinful body,” speaks of his former life. He constantly and variously expresses this, as he said above: “He who delivered us from the power of darkness” (Col. 1:13), “And those who were once alienated... reconciled... to present us holy and blameless” (Col. 1:21–22). Now, he says, circumcision is not from a knife, but from Christ himself; It is not the hand, as there (in the Old Testament), that performs this circumcision, but the spirit; It is not a part that is circumcised, but the whole person. Body and this, body and that; But this is circumcised in the flesh, and this is spiritual, not as the Jews (circumcised), because you have not put off the flesh, but sins. When and where? In baptism. What (Paul) calls circumcision, he also calls the tomb. Look how he goes back to justifying himself. “The sinful body,” he says, “the body of the flesh,” that is, sins committed in the flesh; speaks more than about circumcision, since (the Jews) did not reject what was circumcised, but lost and damaged it. “Having been buried with Him,” he says, “in baptism, in Him you were also raised again through faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead” (Col. 2:12). But (baptism) is not only a tomb: look, in fact, at what it says: “in Him you were also raised up by faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.” Well said, because everything comes from faith. You believed that God could resurrect, and through this you were resurrected. Then (adds) the reliable one: “He raised Him up,” he says, “from the dead.” The resurrection is already showing. “And you, who were dead in sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made alive together with Him” (Col. 2:13). You were guilty of death. But even if you died, it was not in vain - death was useful to you. See how he again shows what they were worthy of in the words that he adds: “Having forgiven us all our sins, having destroyed by teaching the handwriting that was against us, which was against us, and He took it out of the way and nailed it to the cross; having taken away the strength of the principalities and powers, he powerfully put them to shame, having triumphed over them with himself” (Col. 2:13–15). “Forgiving us,” he says, “all our sins.” Which? Those who brought about death. So what? Let them stay? No; destroyed them; not only bestowed them, but completely destroyed them so that they would never appear. “Teaching,” he says. What teachings? By faith. Therefore, (for salvation) faith is sufficient; (Paul) did not add works to works, but works to faith. What then? The extermination (of sins) is again added to remission. “And He,” he says, “took it out of the way”; but he did not save it, but tore it, “and nailed it to the cross; having taken away the strength of the principalities and authorities, he imperiously subjected them to shame, having triumphed over them with Himself.” He never spoke so strongly! 3. Do you see how he took care of the destruction of the manuscript? Since we were all under sin and punishment, He, having endured punishment, freed us from both sin and punishment. He suffered punishment on the cross. He nailed it (the handwriting) to it, and then, as if he had the power, he tore it completely apart. What kind of handwriting? (Paul) speaks of the handwriting that (the Israelites) gave to Moses, saying: “All that the Lord hath spoken we will do [and be obedient]” (Ex. 24:3). If not about this, then about the fact that we are obliged to obey God. If not about this, then about that handwriting that the devil held, which God spoke to Adam in the words: “For in the day that you eat from the tree, you will surely die” (Gen. 2:17). The devil had this handwriting. And Christ did not give it to us; but he tore it apart, as is characteristic of one who forgives with joy. "Taking away the strength of the principalities and authorities". (The Apostle) says this about the powers of the devil, either because they were clothed with human nature, or because (Christ) held them like the hilt of a sword, and, having become a man, drew them. This means: “Putting them to shame.” And this is well said, because the devil has never behaved like this. He hoped to take possession of Him (Christ), but lost even those whom he had; at the time when the body (of Christ) was nailed, the dead were raised. Then the devil was defeated, receiving a fatal blow from the dead body. Just as a fighter who considers his opponent to be defeated himself receives a mortal wound from him, so He showed that to die with a calm spirit means to shame the devil. If he could, the devil would do everything to assure people that (Christ) did not die. But since all the time that followed served as proof of the resurrection, and there was no other time to prove death besides this, He died openly, in the sight of everyone, but was not resurrected openly, knowing that the time that followed would testify to the truth. That in front of the whole world, on high, on a tree, the serpent was killed is worthy of surprise. And what did the devil not do so that only (Christ) would die secretly? Listen to what Pilate says: “Take Him and crucify Him; for I find no guilt in Him” (John 19:6); and then the Jews said to Him: “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross” (Matthew 27:40). But He had already received the mortal blow; but he came down (from the cross), and therefore was given over to the tomb. He could be resurrected immediately; but (he did not do this) so that they would be sure of His death. And in the death of ordinary people, cowardice is reprehensible; It's not here. Even the soldiers “did not break His legs” (John 19:33), as they did others, so that it would be obvious that He had died. Those who buried His body are also known; therefore, the Jews themselves, together with the soldiers, seal the stone. Here they mainly tried to ensure that (His death) was not hidden. The witnesses are from the enemies, from the Jews. Listen to what they say to Pilate: “That deceiver, while still alive, said: After three days I will rise again; So command the soldiers to guard the tomb” (Matthew 27:63–64). This was done; they still sealed the coffin. Listen to how they later say this to the apostles: “You want to bring the blood of that man upon us” (Acts 5:28). He did not allow the image of His cross to be disgraced. And the angels would not have endured anything like that. He fulfills everything on the cross, showing that a great work has been accomplished by death. It was like a single combat: death struck Christ; and Christ, struck by her, then killed her. The one who seemed immortal was put to death with a dead body. The universe saw it. And, surprisingly, he did not entrust this to another; a new manuscript was given, not the same as before. 4. Be careful that this handwriting does not accuse us after we have said: we deny Satan and unite ourselves with You, Christ! But it’s better not to call it a handwriting, but a contract. Handwriting is given when someone recognizes himself as a debtor; and this is a contract. He does not give punishments; it does not say: if this, or: if not that. Thus spoke Moses, sprinkling the blood of the covenant, and God promised eternal life. And this is all an agreement. There the slave is with the master, here with each other; there: “For on the day that you eat of it,” it says, “you will surely die” (Gen. 2:17), is an immediate threat; but here there is nothing like that. Here is nakedness and there is nakedness; but there (the sinner) was naked because he had sinned; and here he is naked in order to be freed (from sin). Then he put off the glory that he had; but now he puts off the old man, and before he comes out (from the font), he puts him off as easily as a garment. He is anointed like wrestlers in the field; at the same time it is born - and not little by little, like the first one, but suddenly; his head is not only anointed, like the Old Testament priests, but much more. For those, to encourage obedience and good deeds, the following were anointed: the head, right ear and hand; and he has everything - because he comes not only to learn, but to become a new creature through struggle and exploits. When he confessed eternal life, he also confessed the new creation. “[The] dust from the earth created l... man” (Gen. 2:7); and now it is no longer dust, but the Holy Spirit He creates, He forms (man), as He himself (I. Christ) in the womb of the Virgin. He did not say “in paradise”, but “in heaven”, so that when it is said: earth, you would not think that this is happening on earth. You are transferred there - to heaven; there it is happening, among the angels; God takes your soul to heaven, recreates it there, places you near the royal throne. He is created in the water, and receives a spirit corresponding to the soul. When he creates (a new man), he does not bring animals to him, but demons and their prince, and says: “Tread on snakes and scorpions” (Luke 10:19). but what? - “He gave power to become children of God, who were not of blood... but of God,” he says, “(John 1:12-13). So that you do not listen to the serpent, you now learn to say: “I deny you (Satan),” that is, no matter what you say, I will not listen to you. But so that he does not catch you through others, you say: “and his pride, and his service, and his angels.” He (the reborn) was not appointed to keep heaven, but to live in heaven. Precisely, ascending (from the font), he immediately says the following words: “Our Father who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9–10). Before you is not a child, you see not a tree, not a source, but you suddenly embrace the Lord himself, copulate with a body, unite with a body located on a mountain where the devil cannot ascend. This is not a wife, so that he can come up and seduce as the weakest: “There is neither,” he says, “male nor female” (Gal. 3:28). If you yourself do not descend to him, he will not be able to ascend to where you are; you are in heaven, and heaven is inaccessible to the devil. There is no tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but only the tree of life. The wife is no longer from your side, but we are all one from the side of Christ. If those who are anointed by people do not receive any harm from snakes, then nothing will happen to you, as long as you retain the anointing, which gives you the strength to grab and strangle the serpent, to step on snakes and scorpions. But just as great are the gifts, so great is the punishment: those expelled from paradise cannot live against paradise and cannot return to the place from which they were expelled. What will happen? Gehenna and the undying worm. But let it not be that any of us will be subjected to this punishment. Let us, living virtuously, try to do what is pleasing (to God); Let us please God so that we can avoid punishment and be worthy of eternal blessings, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: