To Armonius about what the title “Christian” means

The treatise “To Armonius, on what the title “Christian” means” is addressed to a certain Armonius, with whom St. Gregory of Nyssa was in correspondence, and dates back to the last years of the saint’s life. According to St. Gregory, Christianity consists of “imitation of the Divine nature.” To the objection that human nature is too weak for such a calling, he responds with the doctrine of man as the image of God and of his calling to return to the original blissful state. *The title of the work in Greek is Πρὸς ῾Αρμόνιον περὶ τοῦ τί τοῦ Χριστιανοῦ ἐπάϒϒελμα. *The title of the work in Latin is De professione christiana ad Harmonium. As those who are obliged to pay taxes daily act towards the government if they do not pay the money for many days, so will I do towards your holiness. They, as soon as the opportunity presents itself, pay what they owed in parts, suddenly combining the debt into one amount; and I, being obliged to send you letters continuously (because for Christians, a promise is a duty), I now want to make up for the involuntary omission of correspondence over the past time, spreading the measure of the message so much that if it were divided into letters of ordinary measure, it could be counted instead of many. But so that the length of the letter does not become an empty waste of time, I think that it would be good in this written speech to imitate our personal interview. Of course, you remember that the subject of our constant mutual conversations was concerns about virtue and exercises in worship of God; Moreover, you always persistently proposed questions regarding what was being discussed, and did not accept anything said without research; and I, as the eldest in age, resolved every question that arose during the speech. If it were possible for this to happen even now, so that your understanding would give direction to the word, then that would be the best thing; for for both of us there would be a double benefit, both from mutual contemplation (what is more pleasant for me in life than this?), and from the fact that your prudence, like a musical stick, would set our old zither in motion. Since the circumstances of life mean that we are separated in body, although united in soul, it will be necessary to speak on your behalf, as soon as we speak, an objection to what has been said will arise. It is also good to first propose some spiritually beneficial subject as the purpose of the letter, and then begin to research what is proposed. So, the subject of our research will be the question: what does “Christian” mean? Perhaps it would be useful to research this. If we discovered exactly what “Christian” means, we would receive great assistance in living a virtuous life, trying through a high lifestyle to truly be what we call ourselves. And indeed: if anyone wants to call himself a doctor, or a rhetorician, or a geometer, he will not allow his ignorance to reveal the falsity of the name, if in fact he does not turn out to be what he is called; but anyone who wants to be called one will try to justify the name by knowing the matter itself. We will do the same in the same way: if, by examining, we determine the essence of the name “Christian,” then we will decide not to be what this name itself absorbs, so that the story about the monkey, known among the pagans, cannot be applied to us. They say that in the city of Alexandria, one artist taught a monkey to assume the pose of a dancer with a certain dexterity, and put on it a dancer’s mask and clothes suitable for this occupation. Theatergoers praised the monkey for dancing to the music and for everything he did. While the spectators were captivated by the spectacle, a certain wit, as a joke, showed them that in front of them was just a monkey. When everyone exclaimed and applauded the agility of the monkey, who danced harmoniously to the beat of the music, he threw onto the stage delicacies that these animals were especially keen on. Seeing almonds scattered in front of the stage, the monkey, not paying attention to anything, forgetting the dancing, the applause, and the elegant clothes, ran up to him and began to collect what he found in handfuls; and so that the mask would not interfere with the mouth, she tried to throw it off, tearing it with her claws, so that instead of praise and surprise, she suddenly aroused laughter among the spectators, as soon as an ugly and funny appearance appeared because of the pitiful remains of the mask. So, just as it was not enough for a monkey to have a falsely accepted appearance for it to be considered a human being (greed for delicacies exposed its nature), so those who have not truly formed their nature by faith, through delicacies offered by the devil, are easily exposed as being something other than what they claim to be. For, instead of figs and almonds and the like, vanity, ambition, covetousness, passion for pleasure and other evil provisions of the devil of the same kind, instead of delicacies offered to insatiable people, easily reveal monkey-like souls: through imitation they hypocritically take on the appearance of Christianity, and in times of passion they throw off the mask of chastity, meekness or other virtue. So, it is necessary to judge the meaning of the name “Christianity”. Perhaps we will become what this name requires, so that, having the appearance of “Christians,” by the mere confession and cover of the name we will not turn out to be not what we seem before the One who sees secrets (see: Matt 6:6). So, first, let's look at the meaning of the very name “Christianity.” The wiser, of course, can find some higher and more majestic meaning corresponding to the height of this name; This is what is available to our understanding about this name. The name “Christ,” if replaced by a clearer and more understandable phrase, means “King”: Holy Scripture uses this name primarily to designate royal dignity. But, as the Holy Scripture says, the Divinity is inexpressible and incomprehensible and above all understanding by thought, then we are led to the understanding of the incorruptible Nature by many names and concepts moved by the Holy Spirit by the prophets and apostles. Each of the divine concepts directs us to some thought, so that power over everything is signified by the name of the kingdom, and purity and freedom from all passion and all evil are called by the names of virtues, each of which is understood in the Perfect One and is spoken of Him; so that one and the same Deity is truth and wisdom, and power and truth, and goodness and life, and salvation and incorruptibility, and immutability and immutability; and everything that is understood as lofty through these names is Christ, and is spoken about Him. So, if in the name “Christ” we mean the totality of everything high (for the highest of the meanings also contains others, each of them is mentally represented as a kingdom), then by deducing the consequence from here, we can understand what Christianity means. For if we, united with Him through faith in Him, are also called by a name that surpasses all names that serve to explain the incorruptible nature, then it is necessary that we have a common name for those concepts that are seen in this incorruptible nature. By communion with Christ, we received the name “Christians” - which means it is necessary that this entails our communication with all the high names. Another similar example. Anyone who pulled one outer loop would also pull all the others connected to it. Since other names are connected with the name of Christ, explaining this ineffable and multiform bliss, it is necessary, having accepted one name, along with it, the only one, to attract others. So, if someone takes upon himself the name of Christ, but does not bring to life what is imagined with this name, he falsely bears this name, he is just a soulless mask with the features of a human image superimposed on a monkey. For just as Christ cannot be Christ if He is not truth, and purity, and truth, and alienation from all evil, so one who does not discover in himself anything in common with these names cannot be a Christian (that is, a true Christian). So, if someone needed to interpret the meaning of the word “Christianity,” we would say this: Christianity is an imitation of the Divine nature. And let no one censure this definition as excessive and beyond the humility of our nature; this definition does not go beyond the limits of nature. Whoever thinks about the first state of man will find from the Holy Scriptures that this definition does not go beyond the measure of our nature. For the first dispensation of man was in imitation of the likeness of God (this is how Moses spoke wisely about man: God created man, in the image of God created him (Gen. 1:27)), and the word “Christianity” means the elevation of man to ancient well-being. If in ancient times man was the likeness of God, then perhaps we did not make an accidental definition when we said that Christianity is an imitation of the Divine nature. Now is the time to consider whether it is safe for someone who bears this name to live in a way that does not live up to it? Let us explain what we are asking with an example. Suppose someone declares himself skilled in painting; the boss orders him to draw an image of the king for those living far away. Having drawn some unseemly and ugly appearance on a board and calling it the image of the king, will he not lead to just indignation: a bad image can cause an offensive opinion about the prototype for those who do not know it. After all, as the view appears in the picture, that is how the original image will necessarily be revered. So, if Christianity is an imitation of God, then a person, leading a life in imitation of God (he is sure of this), will honor our Divinity as such. So, if he sees examples of all good things, he will believe that the Divinity we honor is good. If someone is devoted to passions and if in his morals, in accordance with various passions, he reflects the types of different animals (for in the perversions of our nature we should see precisely the images of animals), but at the same time calls himself a Christian, then by his life he gives the infidels a reason to blame the Divinity in whom we believe. It is not without reason that Scripture announces to such a terrible thunderstorm... And it seems to me that, guiding us primarily to this thought, the Lord said to those who could hear: Be... perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48). For, having called the true Father the Father of believers, he wants those born of Him to be likened to the perfection of goods contemplated in Him. You ask me: but how is it possible for human humility to stretch out the desire for the bliss seen in God, when this very command seems to show its inability to fulfill? For how is it possible for someone on earth to become like the One who is in heaven, when the very difference in nature shows the unattainability of imitation? For just as it is impossible to reach with one’s face the greatness of the heavens and the beauties they contain, so it is impossible for an earthly person to become like the Heavenly God. But the word of Scripture about this is clear: it commands not to equate human nature with Divine nature, but to imitate (His) good actions, as far as possible, in life. So, what actions of ours can be similar to the actions of God? To alienate yourself from all evil, as much as possible, by deed, word and thought, trying to be clean from defilement. This is a true imitation of the Divine perfection inherent in the Heavenly God. For I do not think that the Gospel, in the words with which it commands us to be perfect, like the Heavenly Father, speaks of the element of heaven as some kind of separate dwelling of the Divine, because the Divinity is equally present in everything and equally permeates all creation; there is nothing that exists in existence outside of Existence, but the Divine nature comes into contact with every being, containing everything within itself with an all-encompassing power, as the prophet teaches, saying: if I transport myself in thought to heaven, if I explore, descending in thought, what is under the earth, if I extend the rational power of the soul to the limits of what exists - I will see Your all-powerful right hand in everything. His true saying is this: If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to hell, there you are. If I take up my wings early and dwell in the last seas, then Thy hand will guide me, and Thy right hand will hold me (Ps 139:8-10). From these words one can see that the heavenly dwelling place is not primarily set apart for God. But since the heavenly destiny is recognized as pure from evil (the Holy Scripture mysteriously points this out to us in many places), and in this vain, more material life, evil passions are committed, since here, in earthly life, the inventor of evil wriggles and crawls - the serpent, about whom the Holy Scripture speaks in parables, that he walks on the perch and belly and always feeds on earth (see: Gen. 3, 14). This image of movement and the type of food indicates to us that earthly, vain life allows for the encroachment of diverse evil and becomes food for the beast crawling on it; the one who commands to imitate the Heavenly Father commands to be pure from earthly passions, distance from which is accomplished not by changing place, but by one movement of the will. So, if alienation from evil is naturally accomplished by the mere aspiration of the understanding, then the word of the Gospel does not command us to do anything difficult. For the aspiration of understanding is not even associated with labor; without any effort, through desires alone, you can be wherever you want. So, it is possible for anyone who wishes to lead a heavenly way of life on earth, as soon as, according to the guidance of the Gospel, we will philosophize in heaven and store up in these treasuries the wealth of virtue; for: “Do not hide,” says the evangelist, “for yourselves treasures on earth, but hide... treasure in heaven, where neither worms nor aphids corrupt, and where things are not undermined or stolen (Matthew 6:19-20). These words show that in the life above there is no force that is harmful to bliss. Acting in many different ways with its varied malice on the destruction of this life, it penetrates the mind like a moth, making unusable that part (of the soul) into which it penetrates; then, if it is not quickly expelled from one part, by means of a consuming and destroying force creeping to nearby parts, as a sign of its movement this force leaves a trace of damage wherever it approaches. If the inner is unshakable, this force builds evil intentions through external circumstances; it breaks through the wall to the treasury of the heart or with another passion empties the storehouse of the soul, robbing the mind with anger, sadness or another similar passion. So, since in the heavenly treasuries, as the Lord says, there are no moths, no aphids, no predatory malice that teaches what we have mentioned, then our work must transfer there, where the collected treasures, inaccessible to theft and depreciation, not only remain forever, but also, like seeds, produce many different increments. It is necessary that the reward be great, according to the nature of the one who accepted the treasure for safekeeping. Acting in accordance with our nature, we bring little - such is our nature - therefore it is fitting that He who is rich in everything should repay for the little entrusted to Him with what he has by nature. So, let no one become discouraged, contributing to the Divine treasuries according to his strength, but let him remain in the hope of fulfilling the promise of the One who said that He will replace the small with the great, rewarding the heavenly for the earthly, the eternal for the temporary; These same benefits are of such a kind that they cannot be comprehended either by thought or explained in words; The inspired Holy Scripture teaches about them: lower is the sight of the eye, lower is the hearing of the ear, lower is the sigh in the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Cor 2:9). By writing all this to you, O honorable head, we not only filled in the letters we had omitted, but also anticipated possible omissions. Work for the Lord according to your heart; May it always be according to your heart that which is pleasing both to the Lord and to our hearts. You might be interested in: