Беседа 9

Hebrews 6:1–3. Therefore, having left the beginnings of the teaching of Christ, let us hasten to perfection; and let us not again lay the foundation for conversion from dead works and faith in God, the doctrine of baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And we will do this, if God allows. 1. Do you hear how Paul reproaches the Jews because they always wanted to learn the same thing? And fair enough. “For, judging by the time,” he says, “you should have been teachers; but you must be taught again the first principles of the word of God” (Heb. 5:12). I am afraid that the same should not be said about you: whereas, judging by the time, you should have been teachers, you do not even hold the title of students, but, constantly hearing the same thing and about the same thing, you are in such a state as if you had not heard anything; whoever asks you (about what you have heard), none of you is able to answer, except for a very few who contradict. And this is where a lot of harm comes from. The inattentiveness of students often does not allow the teacher, even if he wanted, to move on to the future, to touch on more mysterious and lofty subjects. Just as when studying grammar, if a child, constantly hearing about letters, does not retain them in memory, then it is necessary to continuously repeat the same thing to him, and the teacher does not stop (talking about them) until (the student) has mastered them exactly - it would be very unwise to move on with it to the next until he has mastered the previous one well - so it is in church: if you, despite the fact that we constantly tell you the same thing, if you don’t learn any more, then we will never stop telling you about the same thing. If our word were spoken for glory and out of ambition, then we could move from subject to subject and constantly stretch forward, not caring at all about you, but only about your applause; but since we do not care about this, but direct all our efforts to your benefit, we will not stop telling you about the same thing until you apply it to your life. Much could be said about pagan superstition, about the Manichaeans and Marcionites, and with the help of the grace of God defeat them; but such conversations are now untimely. In fact, is it possible to talk about such subjects to those who do not know their own properly, who have not yet been convinced that covetousness is evil - is it possible to prematurely move on with them to something else? Therefore, we will not stop telling you the same thing, even if you listened or not; We are only afraid that, by often repeating the same thing to you, if you do not listen, we may bring great punishment on those who do not listen. I don't say this about everyone; I know many who come here with benefit, and who could rightly blame those who do not listen for the fact that the latter delay them with their ignorance and inattention. However, even the former do not suffer harm from this, because it is also useful for those who know to often hear about the same thing: what we know, we will learn even better if we hear it often. For example, we know that humility is a virtue, and that Christ often spoke about it; but if we listen to His very words and meditate on them, then they will have a greater effect on us, even if we heard them a thousand times. So, now is the time for us to say to you: “having left the beginnings of the teaching of Christ, let us hasten to perfection.” And what does it mean: “the beginnings of the teaching,” (the apostle) himself explains further: “let us not,” he says, “again lay the foundation for conversion from dead works and faith in God, the teaching about baptisms, about the laying on of hands, about the resurrection of the dead and about eternal judgment.” If this is the beginning, then what is our teaching other than repentance from dead works and faith in the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment received from the Spirit? What does “foundation” mean? He calls the basis nothing other than that if there is no righteous life. Just as someone who begins to study literacy needs to know the letters in advance, so a Christian must first of all firmly know these truths and not doubt them at all. And whoever does not have knowledge of them does not yet have a foundation, because one must be firm (in what is known), stand and remain motionless. If someone who had already been catechized and baptized, ten years later, had the need to learn faith again, to learn, for example, that one must believe in the resurrection of the dead; then such a person does not yet have a foundation and is still looking for the beginning of Christianity. And that faith is the foundation, and everything else is the building, about this, listen to how (the apostle) himself says: “I, according to the grace given to me from God, like a wise builder, laid a foundation, and another builds on it; but each one watch how he builds. Will anyone build on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw” (1 Cor. 3:10, 12). That is why he says: “Let us not again lay the foundation for conversion from dead works.” 2. What does it mean: “let’s hasten to perfection”? We will reach, he says, the very top, i.e. Let us lead a virtuous life. Just as in the alphabet everything depends on the letter “a”, and just as the whole building depends on the foundation, so the purity of life depends on the fullness of faith. Without it (full faith) it is impossible to be a Christian, just as there cannot be a building without a foundation, and just as without knowledge of letters it is impossible to know letters. But just as (in these subjects), if someone studies only the letters, or who stays at the foundation, without trying to erect the building itself, then he will never have further success, so with us: if we always remain at the beginning faith, then we will never achieve its perfection. Do not think that faith is humiliated by the fact that it is called the beginning - all the power lies in it. When (the apostle) says: “Whoever is fed with milk is ignorant of the word of truth, because he is a child” (Heb. 5:13), he does not call faith milk, but doubt in its truths is a sign of a weak mind, in need of many proofs; healthy. We call someone perfect who, with faith, leads a right life. If someone, although he has faith, leads a bad life, and still doubts the very truths of faith, thereby offending the teaching, we can rightly call him an infant who has barely entered the beginning, so that we, even if we have remained in the faith for at least a thousand years, are still infants if we do not remain firm in it, if we do not lead a life in accordance with it, if we are still laying the foundation. And the apostle reproaches them (the Jews) not only for life, but also for something else, namely, because they hesitated and had the need to lay down grounds for repentance from dead works. Whoever passes from one to another, leaves one and accepts the other, must renounce the former and leave his disposition towards it, then move on to the new; if he again adheres to the first, then how can he achieve the second? Well, you say, isn’t this about the law? We abandoned it, and are we returning to it again? But this is not a change; after all, even now we have the law. “Do we then abolish the law by faith? No way; but we establish the law” (Rom. 3:31). I'm talking about bad things; whoever intends to turn to virtue must first renounce vices, and then enter (into a virtuous life). Repentance could not make (the believers) pure; Therefore, they were immediately baptized, so that what they could not do on their own, they could achieve through the grace of Christ. Therefore, repentance is not enough for cleansing, but one must be baptized. One must approach baptism by first renouncing one’s sins and condemning them. What does it mean: “the doctrine of baptisms”? There are not many baptisms, but one: why did he say in the plural? Because above he said: “let us not again lay the foundation for conversion from dead works.” If they needed him to baptize them again, again proclaim them, and again teach the baptized from the beginning what they should and should not do, then they would always remain incorrigible. "On the laying on of hands". This is how they received the Spirit (Holy): “And when Paul,” it is said, “laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit descended on them” (Acts 19:6). "On the Resurrection of the Dead". This occurs at baptism and is confirmed in the confession (of faith). "And about eternal judgment". Why is he talking about this? Because they probably either hesitated after they believed, or lived poorly and carelessly. That's why he said: stay awake. Thus he said these words, wanting to correct them from such negligence and make them more attentive. You cannot say: if we now live carelessly, then we will be baptized again, again accept the catechumen and again receive the Spirit; or this way: if we have now fallen from the faith, then again through baptism we will be able to wash away our sins and receive the same things that we were awarded before. You are seduced, he says, if you reason like that. “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the gift of heaven, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come, and those who have fallen away, to renew them again to repentance, when they again crucify the Son of God within themselves and mock Him" (Heb. 6:4-6). Look how he begins his speech accusatory and decisively: “impossible,” he says, i.e., and do not hope for the impossible. He did not say: indecent, inappropriate, impermissible, but: “impossible,” so for you, who were once fully enlightened, there is nothing left but despair. 3. Then he continues: “and have tasted the gift of heaven,” that is, the remission of sins, “become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God,” here he speaks of the teaching, “and the powers of the age to come.” What powers does he mean? Either (the power) to perform miracles, or the pledge of the Spirit. “And those who have fallen away, to renew again with repentance, when they again crucify the Son of God within themselves and curse Him.” “Renew,” he says, “with repentance,” i.e. through repentance. What is this? Is repentance rejected? No, not repentance, not at all, but secondary renewal by the font (of baptism). He, having said: “For it is impossible... to renew through repentance,” did not stop, but after the word: “impossible,” he added: “again they crucify the Son of God within themselves... to renew again,” i.e. to make new, and only the font makes new: “your youth is renewed,” it is said, “like an eagle” (Ps. 102:5). The effect of repentance is that it delivers those who have become new and then, through the sins of those who have become dilapidated, from this dilapidation and returns them to a state of renewal; but he can no longer be elevated to his former lordship, because there (in baptism) everything was a work of grace. “When they again crucify within themselves,” he says, “the Son of God and mock Him.” The meaning of his words is as follows: baptism is a cross, because “our old man is crucified with Him” (Rom. 6:6); and also: “we are united with Him in the likeness of His death”; and again: “we were buried with Him by baptism into death” (Rom. 6:5, 4). Just as it is impossible to be crucified another time. Christ, because this would mean exposing him to reproach, so it is impossible to be baptized a second time. If “death no longer has power over Him” (Rom. 6:9), if He was resurrected, having become the conqueror of death through death, then to crucify Him again means to present all the former things as a fable and a shame. And whoever is baptized a second time actually crucifies Him again. nailing Him to the cross. Just as Christ died on the cross, so we die in baptism, we die not in the flesh, but to sin. Look: there is death, and here is death; He died in the flesh, but we die to sin. In baptism, our old man is buried and a new one is raised, conformed to the likeness of His death. Thus, if it is necessary to be baptized again, then it is necessary that this (new man) die again, because baptism is nothing other than the death of the immersed and the rise of the new. And it is good (the apostle) said: “they crucify themselves again,” because the one who does this acts as if forgetting about the former grace, and disposes his life carelessly, as if hoping for a second baptism. Therefore, you need to be attentive and careful. What does it mean: “those who have tasted the heavenly gift”? This means: those who have received remission of sins, because it is characteristic of God alone to bestow such grace, and this grace is entirely grace. “Shall we remain in sin so that grace may increase? No way” (Rom. 6:1). If we always hope for salvation through grace, we will never become virtuous; where there is only grace, there we can indulge in carelessness. If we knew that our sins could be washed away again (by baptism), would we stop sinning? Don't think. The apostle understands many gifts here; and which ones, listen. You have been honored, he says, with such great forgiveness, you, who sat in darkness, were an enemy, an enemy, an outcast, an apostate, a lost one; being like this, you suddenly became enlightened, were awarded the Spirit, the gift of heaven, adoption, the kingdom of heaven, the unspeakable mysteries and other blessings, and after that you did not become better, and therefore, being worthy of destruction and meanwhile receiving salvation and honor, as if you had accomplished great deeds, how can you be baptized again? He confirms the impossibility of this matter with two proofs, and the strongest of them comes after: the first is that he who has been awarded such benefits and betrayed everything given to him is not worthy to receive renewal again; the second is that it is impossible to crucify (the Son of God) again - because this would mean subjecting Him to reproach. So no, there is by no means a second baptismal font. If there was one, then there would be a third and a fourth, and the next one would always destroy the previous one, and then another one again, and so on ad infinitum. Having said: “and those who have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come,” (the apostle) does not reveal all this, but only hints, and seems to say: to live like the angels, not to need anything here, to be confident that adoption (to God) brings us future benefits, to hope to enter the impregnable sanctuary - the Spirit teaches all this. What does it mean: “and the powers of the age to come”? Means eternal life, angelic state. We have already received the guarantee of this from the Spirit through faith. Tell me: if you were brought into the royal palace and if everything there was entrusted to you, and you then squandered it all, could it be entrusted to you again? 4. So what, no, you say, repentance? There is repentance, but there is no secondary baptism. Repentance has great power; it can, if he wants, free a person who is deeply immersed in sins from the burden of sins and, when he is in danger, place him in safety, even if he has reached the very depths of evil. This can be seen from many places (Scriptures). “Do they not, when they fall, rise up,” says (the prophet), “and when they turn aside from the way, do they not return” (Jer. 8:4)? It can, if we want, again portray Christ in us; Listen, in fact, to what Paul says: “My little children, for whom I am again in the throes of birth, until Christ is formed in you!” (Gal. 4:19); only we must begin to repent. Look at God’s love for mankind: we should have been punished with all kinds of punishment from the very beginning because, having accepted the natural law and received thousands of benefits, we did not know the Lord and led an unclean life; but He not only did not punish us, but also gave us countless benefits, as if we had accomplished great feats. We fell away again, but even after that He does not punish us, but gave us the medicine of repentance, which can destroy and blot out all our sins only if we know what this medicine consists of and how it should be used. What is the medicine of repentance and how is it used? Firstly, (it consists of) awareness of one’s sins and confession of them. “But I revealed my sin to You,” says (the prophet), “and I did not hide my iniquity”; and again: “I said: “I confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and You took away from me the guilt of my sin” (Ps. 31:5); and again: “Remember Me; let's go to court; speak to justify yourself” (Isaiah 43:26); and again: “The righteous accuses himself in his first words” (Proverbs 18:17). Secondly, (repentance consists of) great humility; it is like a golden chain, which, if you take it as the beginning, follows the whole. So, exactly, if you confess your sins as you should confess, then your soul will humble itself, because conscience, tormenting it, makes it humble. Something else must also be combined with humility, so that it will be such as blessed David prayed for when he said: “Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Ps. 50:12); and again: “You will not despise a broken and humble heart, O God” (Ps. 50:19). A contrite heart is not indignant, does not offend, but is always ready to endure suffering, and does not itself rebel. This is what contrition of the heart consists of, when it, although it itself is insulted, although it suffers evil, remains calm and is not incited to revenge. After humility, intense prayers and copious tears are needed day and night. “I wash my bed every night,” says (the prophet), “I wet my bed with my tears” (Ps. 6:7); and again: “I eat ashes like bread, and I dissolve my drink with tears” (Ps. 101:10). And after such intense prayers, great mercy is needed. It especially makes the medicine of repentance strong. Just as in medicinal remedies, although the medicine contains many herbs, but the main one is one, so in repentance mercy is a similar multi-healing herb, and even everything depends on it. Listen to what the divine Scripture says: “Give rather alms from what you have, then everything will be clean for you” (Luke 11:41); and again: “Atone for your sins with righteousness and your iniquities with mercy towards the poor” (Dan. 4:24); and again: “Water will extinguish the flame of fire, and alms will cleanse sins” (Sir. 3:30). Further, (one must) not be angry, not bear grudges and forgive everyone their sins: “Man harbors anger towards man,” says (the Wise), “but asks the Lord for forgiveness” (Sir. 28:3). “For if you forgive people their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matthew 6:14). It is also necessary to turn away the brethren from errors: “having turned,” says (the Lord), “strengthen your brothers,” so that your sins may be forgiven you (Luke 22:32). Also (needed) is a sincere treatment of the priests: “and if he,” it is said, “has committed sins, they will be forgiven him” (James 5:15); (It is necessary) to protect those who are offended, not to get angry, to endure everything meekly. 5. Before you knew that sins are forgiven through repentance, were you not worried and despairing of yourself, knowing that there was no secondary baptismal font? Now that we have learned how repentance and remission of sins are accomplished, and that we can avoid everything if we want to use it as we should, can we receive forgiveness if we do not think about our sins? If we did this, everything would be done. Just as the one who enters the door is already inside, so is the one thinking about his own sins. Whoever thinks about them daily will certainly achieve their healing; and whoever only says: I am a sinner, but does not imagine his sins separately and does not say: I sinned in this and that, will never stop sinning, will often confess, but will never think about his correction. You just need to start, and everything else will certainly follow, if only an attack is made: in everything the beginning and the attack are difficult. So, let's put this (the foundation) and everything will be easy and convenient. Let us begin repentance, I exhort you, one with intense prayers, another with abundant tears, the third with contrition; and the latter, no matter how small, is not useless: “I have seen his ways,” says (the Lord), “and I will heal him, and will guide him and comfort him” (Is. 57:18). Still, in general (let’s start) with mercy, with forgiving our neighbors of their sins, with forgetting offenses, with abstaining from rancor and vindictiveness, thus humbling our souls. If we constantly remembered our sins, then nothing from external objects could arouse pride in us, neither wealth, nor power, nor power, nor glory; even when we sat on the royal seat, and then we would cry bitterly. Blessed David was a king, and yet he said: “Every night I wash my bed, I wet my bed with my tears” (Ps. 6:7); neither the scarlet robe nor the diadem did him any harm or aroused pride in him, because he realized that he was a man; he had a contrite heart, and therefore he cried. What are human affairs? Ash and dust, ashes before the wind, smoke and shadow, leaves and flowers carried away by the wind, sleep, dream and fable, an empty vibration of the air, easily excited, a feather tossed, a fickle current, and everything that can be even more insignificant than this. Why, tell me, do you think so much about yourself? What title do you consider great? Isn't it the consul? Many, indeed, do not know anything higher than this title. But even the one who is not consul is no worse than the one who was in such a brilliant and famous rank; both have the same dignity, both will equally cease to exist after a little time. When was he consul, tell me, for how long? Two days? This also happens in a dream. But here, you might say, it’s a dream. So what? Isn't what happens during the day a dream? Why, tell me, can’t we call this a dream? Just as dreams become invalid when the day comes, so what happens during the day becomes invalid when night comes. Night and day last equally, and equally divide all the time between themselves. Therefore, just as during the day no one admires what happened to him at night, so at night it is impossible to admire what happens during the day. Were you a consul? And I was; only you - during the day, and me - at night. But what's the point? Through this you have nothing more than me, unless you consider the title of consul and the pleasure contained in mere words to be an advantage. Let me express this more clearly: if, for example, I say: such and such a consul, and attribute this name to him, then as soon as it is said, is it not already gone? That's all. The consul appeared, and he was no longer there. But suppose that he was consul for a year, two, three, four years: were there any consuls who served as consuls for ten years? No. Paul is not like that: he was always glorious during his life, not a day, not two, not ten, not twenty, not thirty days, and not ten years, not twenty and not thirty; but four hundred years have already passed since his death, and even now he is still glorious, and even much more glorious than during his life. And this is still on earth; and who can describe the glory of the saints in heaven in words? Therefore, I exhort you, let us seek this glory, strive for it in order to achieve it, because this glory is true glory; and let us withdraw from all things of this life, so that we may receive grace and mercy in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, honor and worship, 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: