Messages

The collection “Messages” includes 4 treatises by St. Simeon the New Theologian, translated into Russian from the ancient Greek original by A.G. Dunaev. These texts are significant for understanding the mystical theology of St. Simeon and his teachings about the living, personal experience of meeting God, the conscious presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian, and the importance of true spiritual leadership. The first message reveals the issues of confession and the power to “bind and loose sins.” The author emphasizes that this power belongs not only to ordained priests, but also to monks who have acquired the grace of the Holy Spirit through an immaculate life. The second message is devoted to true repentance, its internal dimension and practical recommendations for newly confessed people, including instructions on fasting, prayer and proper preparation for communion. The third message talks about how to find a spiritual father, about the correct attitude towards him, about obedience and humility. In the fourth letter, the author emphasizes that true spiritual leadership is possible only for one who is himself “born again,” enlightened by the grace of the Holy Spirit and has a living experience of the knowledge of God, and not just an external position. Contents Preface Message 1. Like the saints of our father Simeon the New Theologian, a word about confession, written to a certain child of his, and about those who received the power to bind and absolve sins. Epistle 2. About repentance and what a person who has recently confessed should do. Epistle 3. His own. To one of his disciples about how you can recognize a holy man, how to find him, what to do [for this], and how, having found one, you should treat him. Epistle 4. His own. About teachers who ordained themselves and invested themselves with apostolic dignity without grace from above, and that one cannot lead others or teach at all without first being born of a spiritual father and without being enlightened The translation published below of the four messages of St. Symeon the New Theologian is based on the latest critical edition: The Epistles of St Symeon the New Theologian. Ed. and transl. by H. J. M. Turner on the basis of the Greek text established by Joseph Paramelle, S. J. Oxf., 2009. The text of Epistles 2–4 was previously known only in the modern Greek translation of Dionysius Zagoreus, from which the Russian translation of St. Theophan the Recluse (respectively, words 32, 11, 87; Hesychasm: Annotated bibliography. M., 2014 (hereinafter referred to as IAB). 6. 38). A Russian translation from the ancient Greek original is being published for the first time. Message 1 was published in PG. 95. Col. 284–304 under the name of St. John of Damascus. The first critical edition was carried out by K. Hall (Holl K. Enthusiasmus und Bussgewalt beim griechischen Mönchtum... Lpz., 1898. S. 110–127; CPG. 8113) using manuscripts A, B and G (Y). According to this book, Met. Hilarion (Alfeev) completed the first Russian translation in 1998 (IAB. 6. 37). In the edition of M. Turner for message 1, 10 manuscripts are already taken into account. The main textual problem is which version - Y (Vat. Reginae Suecorum gr. 57, XIV century) or other manuscripts - is the author's, and which is an alteration, possibly made by Nikita Stifat himself, a student of St. Simeon the New Theologian and the first publisher of his works. Readings Y (the most significant discrepancy is observed in the ending) were included by K. Hall in the main text (accordingly, they are reflected in the Russian translation of Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev)), in the edition of M. Turner they are placed in the apparatus. In our translation, following the Oxford edition, the readings of Y are given (in the translation) separately, we have omitted other discrepancies. Quotations from the Holy Scriptures are given according to the Synodal translation using the Slavic version (primarily for the Old Testament). Gaps in quotations are not marked with ellipses. Quotations and allusions to Scripture are given below the page by the first apparatus. The second (lower) critical apparatus (marked with Roman numerals) provides a translation of the main discrepancies in manuscript Y. The ellipsis ... indicates that the discrepancies concern only the words before and after the abbreviation. Commentaries, indicated by Arabic numbering, are placed at the end of the translation. An asterisk * indicates that the allusion was established by the translator. Message 1. Like the saints of our father Simeon the New Theologian, a word about confession, written to a certain child of his, and about those who received the power to bind and absolve sins See also another translation of the message: Epistle on Confession by St. Simeon the New Theologian You ordered our insignificance, father and brother, to answer you whether it is permissible for some monastics who do not have the priesthood to declare their sins, adding the following: “We hear that 1 priests have been given the power to bind and loose” 2 . These are the verbs and soul-searching questions of your God-loving soul, ardent aspiration (π ό θου) and fear. We, for our part, approved of your inclination towards good, for you are trying to learn about things divine and sacred, but, being unable to reason about such things and write, we wanted to remain silent, because “considering the spiritual with the spiritual” 3 is characteristic of dispassionate and holy men, from whom we are extremely far removed in life, reason (λ ό γ ῳ) and virtue. However, since “the Lord is near,” as it is written, “to those who call on Him in truth,” 4 then I, unworthy, having called Him in truth, will tell you this not in my own words, but from the most divine and God-inspired Scripture, not teaching, but bringing you evidence from it about what was asked of me, in order to preserve by the grace of God both myself and my listeners from both abysses - both the one who hid the talent 5 and the one who expounds divine teachings (δ ό γματα) are unworthy and vain, or rather, in darkness. So, where do I start the word? From the beginningless beginning of everything? It is better that the words be firm 6 , for it was not angels who created us 7 and we did not learn from people 8 , but from “wisdom from above” 9 , that is, we were mysteriously taught by grace through the Spirit and are always learning from it every hour. And now, having called her, let’s say, first explaining the method and power of confession. Confession is nothing more than recognition of debts, that is, repentance for sins and condemnation of one’s own madness, as the Lord said in the Gospel parable: “One creditor had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty, but since they did not have anything to pay, he forgave both” 10 . Therefore, every believer is a debtor to his Master and God, and what he took from Him will be demanded at His terrible and trembling judgment, when everyone, kings together and beggars 11, will appear “naked and open” 12. But listen to what He gave us. There are many other [gifts] that no man could count, while the best and most perfect is freedom from condemnation, sanctification from defilement, the path from darkness to ineffable light, becoming His children and sons and heirs through divine Baptism, putting on God Himself 13, becoming members of Him 14 and receiving the Holy Spirit who lives in us 15 and is the royal seal by which The Lord seals his sheep 16. And why the verbosity? To make us like Him, brothers and joint heirs with Him - all this and much more is given to those who are baptized immediately after divine Baptism. And the divine apostle calls this divine wealth and inheritance 17. The Commandments of the Lord are given as guardians of these unspeakable gifts and gifts, which, like a wall, surrounding the faithful from everywhere and preserving undefiled the treasure hidden in the soul, make [him] inaccessible to all enemies and thieves. But we believe that we ourselves keep the commandments of God 18, and we are burdened by this, not knowing that they protect us, for he who keeps the commandments of God does not protect them, but himself, and guards himself from visible and invisible enemies, who are countless and terrible, as Paul pointed out, saying: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the rulers of the darkness of the age.” this, against the spirits of wickedness in high places" 19 - which, obviously, secretly in this air are always in line against us. So, he who keeps the commandments is protected by them and does not destroy the wealth entrusted to him by God. He who despises them is found naked by his enemies 20 and, having squandered all his wealth, becomes a debtor to the King and Master in all that we have spoken about and for which it is impossible for a person to repay [God] 21, since they [these gifts] are heavenly 22 and where can those who received and destroyed them find them again? Indeed, nowhere else could Adam, nor any of his sons, have been able to restore himself or his relatives, if not for the surpassing nature of God and our Lord Jesus Christ, having come, become his son in the flesh and would not have raised him and us from the fall with divine power. The one who thinks that he does not keep all the commandments, but [keeps] some, and betrays some, let him know that if he neglects even one, he will destroy all his wealth. Imagine that the commandments are twelve armed men guarding 23 you naked, who is among them. Imagine other enemy warriors surrounding you from everywhere, attacking and trying to capture you and kill you right away. If one of the twelve fell of his own free will, neglected protection and gave his place to the enemy, like an open door, what good would the other eleven men do when one [enemy] passed through their midst and cut you down mercilessly, since they could not turn to your aid? Even if they want to turn around, they will be exterminated by their opponents. It will be exactly the same with you, who do not keep the commandments: if you are wounded by one enemy and fall, all the commandments will fly away from you and little by little your strength will disappear 24. Or in other words: just as in a vessel filled with wine or oil, even if there are not holes everywhere, but only one side on one side, all the contents will slowly flow out, so he who neglects one commandment gradually falls away from all the others, as Christ says: “To him who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who has not, even what he thinks he has will be taken away” 25, and again: “Whoever breaks one of these commandments 26 and he who taught - obviously by [her] crime - people to do this will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven" 27 ; and Paul: “Whoever is conquered by someone is his slave” 28 . And again: “The sting of death is sin” 29. He did not say: this or that [sin], but whatever the sin, it is the sting of death. He calls sin the sting of death, because those wounded [by it] die. So, every “sin leads to death” 30, for he who has sinned once, as Paul says, has already died, having become guilty of debt 31, and, wounded 32, was left by the robbers to lie [on the road] 33. What else does a dead person want but to be resurrected? And the debtor, who does not have [with what] to repay [the debt], - receive remission of the debt and not be thrown into prison until he repays the debt, for [otherwise], since he has [nothing], he will never come out of the eternal prison, that is, darkness 34? So, the one struck by robbers 35 first of all strives for a compassionate and good-hearted doctor to come to him, for he does not have the ardent fear of God in himself in order to quickly go to the doctor himself, but because of neglect he lies with weakened spiritual strength - a sight that inspires awe and pity well, or rather spiritually, to those who see spiritual sins. So, having become a slave of the devil because of sin (for, says [the apostle], “do you not know that you are slaves of the one whom you obey - either righteousness to righteousness, or lawlessness to lawlessness” 36? 37) was trampled underfoot by enemies 38, stripped of the royal scarlet 39, having become a child of the devil instead of a child of God: what should he do in order to again to take possession of that from which he has fallen? It is obvious that he will seek a mediator and friend of God, who can restore him to his former [state] and reconcile him with God the Father. For if one cleaves to Christ 40 by grace, becomes a member of Him 41 and is adopted by Him, 42 then, leaving [Him], “like a dog returns to his vomit” 43 and cleaves to the prodigal woman. 44 or unite with another body - as one who has dishonored and insulted Christ, he is judged together with the infidels, since, according to the divine apostle, “we are the body of Christ, and separately members” 45 and he who cleaves to a harlot “makes the members of Christ members of the harlot” 46. He who has done this and thereby angered his Master and God cannot otherwise be reconciled with God except through a holy man and friend 47 of Christ and through flight from evil. Therefore, first of all, let us avoid sin. Even if we are wounded by his arrow, we will not hesitate, enjoying his poison like honey, we will not, like a wounded bear, increase the wound with our actions, but we will immediately run to the spiritual doctor and vomit the poison of sin through confession, spitting out this poison and diligently accepting the penitential penances given by him as an antidote, and let us strive with the fear of God in fulfilling them with ardent faith 48. After all, all those who have completely squandered the wealth entrusted to them and squandered their father’s property with harlots and tax collectors, 49 whose conscience, drooping due to great shame, cannot be raised, lacking boldness, rightly seek a man of God who would take on their debts, so that through him they can approach God. For it has never been heard or written in the inspired Scriptures that anyone would accept the sins of another and answer for them, unless the one who sinned first endures labors consistent with the type of sin and discovers worthy fruits of repentance, for the voice of the forerunner of the Word says: “Create worthy fruits of repentance and do not think of saying within yourself: “We have Abraham as our father.”50 After all, our Lord himself said this about the foolish: “Amen I say to you, even if Moses or Daniel 51 [appear] to free their sons and daughters, they will not free them” 52 . So, what should we do, who want to repent, what way can we come up with to leave debt and turn away from the fall? God willing, listen 53. Seek 54 a mediator 55, a doctor and a good adviser, so that, as a good adviser, he will suggest, in accordance with you 56, with good advice, ways of repentance; like a doctor - he gave you 57 medicine suitable for each wound; and as a mediator 58 - he propitiated the Divine for you with prayer and petition to God, appearing before Him “face to face” 59. Just do not seek to find a flattering or belly-slaving adviser and companion, lest he, indulging your desire, teach you what is acceptable to you instead of what is pleasing to God, and lest you again remain a truly implacable enemy [of God]. Do not [look for] an inexperienced doctor, so that with great severity and untimely operations and cauterizations he does not bring you to mortal despair or, on the contrary, with excessive compassion he does not leave you - who imagines himself healthy - in illness, and the most terrible thing - does not betray you to eternal punishment, which is not [included] in your hopes: this is what the local mental illness leads to, dying with us. I do not think that it is so easy to find a “mediator between God and people” 61, for “not all those Israelites who are from Israel” 62, but those who, in accordance with the name, clearly know the very meaning of the name and are the mind that sees God; and not all who are called by the name of Christ are actually Christians: “Not everyone who says to Me: “Lord! Lord!” “, says Christ, “he who does the will of My Father will enter the Kingdom of Heaven,” 63, as he also says: “Many on that day will say to Me: Lord! Was it not in Your name that we cast out demons? And I will say to them: Amen, I say to you, I do not know you, depart from Me, you workers of iniquity." 64 Therefore, all of us, brothers 65: both those who serve as mediators for those who have sinned, and those who themselves want to be reconciled with God, must be careful so that neither the mediators incur wrath instead of a reward, nor those who stumble and strive to be reconciled [with God] do not stumble upon an enemy, a murderer and a crafty adviser instead of a mediator, for such will hear with great threat: “Who made you leaders and judges" over My people?" 66 And again: “Hypocrite! First take the beam out of your eye, and then you will see how to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” 67 (a beam is a single passion or some kind of lust that darkens the eye of the soul). And again: “Doctor! heal yourself" 68. And again: “God said to the sinner: “Why are you preaching My statutes and taking My covenant in your mouth, but you yourself have hated instruction and cast My words for yourself?”" 69 And Paul says: "Who are you, judging another man's servant? Before his Lord he stands or falls. God is able through His servant to raise him up" 71 . It is because of all this that I tremble and tremble, my brothers and fathers, and I ask all of you, strengthening you and myself through exhortation, not to treat these divine and terrible sacraments with contempt, not to play with what cannot be played with, not [to do anything] against our soul because of vanity, love of fame, self-interest or insensitivity (after all, it happens that other people’s thoughts are accepted in order to be called "rabbis" or "fathers" 72). I ask: let us not so shamelessly and recklessly admire the apostolic dignity, learning from earthly example. If someone boldly dares to be like the representative of an earthly king and is caught 73 in having secretly or openly 74 taken possession of what was entrusted to him, then he himself and his accomplices 75 will be subjected to extreme punishments to intimidate others 76 . What [punishment] will those who unworthily admire apostolic dignity suffer in the future? But do not want to become mediators for others before you are filled with the Holy Spirit and know the universal King with the feeling of your soul and become [His] friends. After all, not everyone who is acquainted with the earthly king can be mediators before him for others: very few can do this - those who, through virtue and sweat, that is, through their labors, have acquired boldness before him and do not need a mediator, but talk with the king face to face. So, won’t we, fathers and brothers, maintain this order in relation to God? Let us not honor the heavenly King at least equally with the earthly one, but let us give ourselves the pulpit at His right hand and left, 78 anticipating [it] before we ask and receive? O insolence, what shame will overwhelm us! Even if we are not accused of anything else, for this alone we, as despisers, will be deprived of our place of honor 79 with dishonor, and thrown into “unquenchable fire” 80. But this is enough to admonish those who want to pay attention, for for the sake of this we have deviated in speech from the topic at hand. Now we will tell you what you, child 81, wanted to know. That we can confess to a monk who does not have the priesthood, you will find this has happened with everyone since the time when the penitential robe and vestments were bestowed by God on His inheritance and the monks received their name, as written in the inspired paternal writings, having delved into which, you will find that what is said is true. Before them [the monks], only bishops received, as if from the divine apostles, by succession, the power to knit and decide. But over time, when the bishops became unfit 82, this terrible task passed to the priests who had an immaculate life and were awarded divine grace. Then, when they [all] mixed together, the priests together with the bishops, became like the rest of the people and many - as now - began to fall [under the power of] spirits of seduction 83 and vain idle talk 84 and perish, it, as it is said, passed to the chosen people of Christ - I’m talking about the monks: it was not taken away from the priests or bishops, but they themselves made themselves alien to it. “For every priest, a mediator between God and people, is appointed to serve God,” as Paul says, “and must offer sacrifice both for the people and for himself” 85 . But let's start the story from an earlier [time] and see where, how and to whom this power to perform sacred acts, knit and decide was originally given, and so the solution 86 [of what you asked 87] will gradually become clear, not only to you, but also to all other people. When our Lord and God and Savior said to the one who had a withered hand 88: “Your sins are forgiven you” 89, the Jews 90 heard and said: “This one speaks blasphemy. Who can forgive sins except God alone?” 91. Thus, remission of sins had not yet been given either by the prophets, or by the priests, or by any of the patriarchs of that time. Therefore, the scribes were indignant, as if some new teaching and extraordinary deed were being proclaimed, but the Lord did not reproach them for this, but rather taught [that] which they did not know, revealing Himself to grant the remission of sins as God, and not as a man, for He says to them: “That you may know that the Son of Man has power to forgive sins.”93 He says to “the one who has a withered hand: Stretch out your hand. And he held out, and she became healthy, like anyone else,” 94 - through a visible miracle, assuring her of something greater and invisible. So it [was] with Zacchaeus 95, so with the harlot 96, so with Matthew from the collection of duties 97, so with Peter, who denied three times, so with the paralytic, having healed whom and then found him, He said: “Behold, you have recovered; “Sin no more, lest something worse happen to you.”98 Having said this, He showed that because of sin he fell into this disease, and having gotten rid of it, he received remission of his sins. None of them needed a long time, fasting, sleep on earth, but only conversion, undoubted faith, cutting off vice, sincere repentance and many tears, like the harlot 99 and Peter, “who wept bitterly” 100. Here is the beginning of this great gift, befitting only God, Who alone had it, and then leaves such a gift to His disciples 101 in place of Himself, preparing to ascend to heaven. Let us find out how He gave them such dignity and power, and who [they] were and how many [they were] 102: the eleven chosen 103 when “the doors were shut” 104 and they were gathered together within, for having entered and “standing in the midst of them” 105, He “breathed” and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; on whom you restrain, they will rest on him” 106 - and then he does not command them anything about penances as those who have to learn from the Holy Spirit. So, as it is said, the holy apostles, by succession, transferred this power 107 to those who inherited their throne, 108 since “none of the outsiders dared” 109 even to think of something like that. Thus, the disciples of the Lord strictly preserved the right 111 to this power. But, as we said, over time, the unworthy 112 mixed and merged with the worthy, and one began to strive to surpass the other 113. Since then, the holders of the apostolic thrones turned out to be carnal, voluptuous, vain and deviated into heresy, and divine grace abandoned them, and this power was taken away from them. Since they have abandoned everything else that priests should have, only one thing is required of them: that they have Orthodoxy; however, I think that [they] don’t have that either. After all, it is not the Orthodox who does not introduce a new dogma into the Church of God, but the one who has acquired a life in agreement with the right word. However, the patriarchs and metropolitans of that time either looked for him and did not find him, or, having found him, they preferred him to someone who was rather unworthy, demanding only one thing: to set out the symbol of faith in writing - and accepting only that he was neither a zealot of good nor did he fight the wicked. By doing so, they allegedly maintain peace in the Church, which is worse than any hostility and the cause of great disorder. For this reason, the priests became unfit 114 and became like the people 115, according to the Lord, 116 for, without rebuking, restraining or driving away, 117 but rather excusing and hiding each other’s passions, they themselves became worse than the people, and the people worse than them; some of the people turned out to be much better than the priests, in the pitchless darkness of them shining like coals: if those, according to the word of the Lord, shone with life like stars 118, 119 or the sun 120, then the shine of the coals, eclipsed by a brighter light, would not have been visible. But since in people there was only the guise and vestment of the priesthood, the gift of the Spirit passed on to the monks and through signs made it clear that they were following an active apostolic life. But even there the devil again did what was characteristic of him: seeing that they were again proclaimed in the world as some new disciples of Christ and shone with life and miracles, he mixed false brothers with them - his own tools, so that, little by little, 121 multiplying, the monks, as you see, became unfit and became completely non-monastic 122 . So, neither monks by guise, nor those ordained and ranked as priests, nor those with venerable episcopal dignity, that is, patriarchs, metropolitans and bishops, are given by God simply, thanks to ordination and its dignity, to forgive sins. It won't happen! They are only allowed to officiate 123 - however, I think, and not to most of them, so that, being hay, they would not be burned because of this 124, but only to those priests, bishops and monks who, by virtue of their integrity 125, can be numbered among the disciples of Christ. So, how do those who are counted among those about whom it was said, and those who seek them, accurately recognize them? According to what the Lord taught, saying this: “These signs will follow those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues (and this is the inspired teaching of the Word), they will take up snakes; and if they drink anything deadly, it will not harm them” 126, and again: “My sheep listen to My voice” 127, and again: “By their fruits you will know them” 128. What fruits? Enumerating many of them, Paul says: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, faith, meekness, self-control,” 129 and with them - mercy, brotherly kindness, almsgiving and those that follow; in addition, the word of wisdom 130, the word of knowledge, gifts of miracles 131, 132 and many others, which “all produce one and the same Spirit, dividing to everyone as he wishes” 133. Therefore, those who participate in these gifts - either in all, or in part, as far as it is useful for them - are numbered among the apostles 134, and those who now become such are counted there 135. Such people are recognized not only by these [gifts], but also by their way of life. So those who seek him 136, and each one will know more accurately for himself, whether they considered it shameless, as if by likeness to our Lord Jesus Christ, or rather, the greatest glory is humiliation, humility; whether, like Him, they showed unhypocritical obedience to their fathers and leaders, as well as to those who give spiritual orders; whether they loved with all their hearts dishonor, insults, reproaches and reproaches, and accepted those who inflicted this on them as givers of great blessings and prayed for them with tears from their hearts; did they consider all the glory of the world as nothing, and all 137 that is in it as rubbish 138? And why lengthen the speech with verbosity 139? If someone equally achieves both all the virtues that are read about in the Holy Scriptures 140 and all the doing of good things, and recognizes that he has gradually succeeded 141 I in each of them, risen to the pinnacle of divine glory, then he will also know about himself 142 that he has become a partaker of God and His gifts, and will be recognized not only well, but also by those who see poorly. 143. After all, all such kept the commandments of God until death 144, sold their property and distributed it to the poor, followed Christ 145 in enduring temptations 146, lost their souls for the sake of the love of God in the world and found them for eternal life 147; having found their souls, they found them in the intelligible (νοητῷ) light, and so in this light they saw “the unapproachable light” 148, God Himself, according to what is written: “In Your light we will see light” 149. How can you find the soul you have? The soul of each is 150 drachma, which was lost not by God, but by each of us, plunging ourselves into sinful darkness; Christ, the true Light 151, having come and met those who sought Him, granted them - as He alone knows - to see Himself. This means finding your soul - seeing God, and becoming in His light above all visible creation, and having God as a shepherd and teacher, from Whom he learns, if he wants, [how] to knit and decide, and, having learned exactly, will worship the Giver and could pass [this] on to those in need. I know, child, that it is given to such to knit and decide by God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit - to those who by adoption (θέσει) are His sons and holy servants. And I myself was a disciple of such a father - who did not have ordination from people, but who numbered me among the disciples by the hand of God, or by the Spirit, and ordered 152 me to accept ordination from people correctly, in the usual way 153. Let us pray, brothers, that we too may be like that, that we may become partakers of His grace and receive the power to bind and solve sins in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom is due all glory, honor and worship, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Moved 154 from time immemorial by the Holy Spirit to this strong desire. Therefore, let us first pray to become such, fathers and brothers, and in this way let us speak with others about getting rid of passions and accepting [revelation] of thoughts. Let us look for such a confessor, or better yet, such zealous men, true disciples of Christ, and with heartfelt labor and many tears, literally pray to God for days, so that He will open the eyes of our hearts 155 to the knowledge of whether there is someone like that somewhere in this evil generation, 156 so that, having found him, we will accept through him the remission of our sins, obeying his commands with all our souls and commandments, as he, having heard the commandments of Christ, became a partaker of His grace and gifts and received from Him the power to bind and solve sins, inflamed by the Holy Spirit, to Whom belongs all glory, honor and worship, with the Father and the Only Begotten Son forever and ever. Amen. Message 2. About repentance and what someone who has recently confessed should do We have been taught by the Divine Scriptures, spiritual brother, that we should never despair because of the multitude of sins, nor be courageous because of the observance of penances, so that neither the one who resists should be brave, nor the one who has fallen should despair 157 . But even someone who has sinned a lot should boldly [trust] in repentance, and someone who has sinned a little should not think of getting remission of their offenses only from deeds, but show repentance and repentance, which is not revealed by words, abstaining from food or drinking only water, sleeping on the ground and the like, but occurring in the disposition of the soul, which blessed David also discovered in the midst of the world and worldly worries, for he always remembered and thought within himself, how kind and compassionate the Lord he angered, breaking His commandments and turning out to be ungrateful and not remembering His many and countless gifts and mercies; as he himself wrote, “he always walked weeping and groaning, he suffered,” 158 and he himself – and not someone else – crushed himself and “humbled himself excessively, cried out from the groaning of his heart” 159 and [did] everything else that the psalms teach us, sung daily. And he [did] this, being a king, who was entrusted with the care of the people, taking care of his wife, children and home. What about Manasseh? What about those who were after him, who, I think, are not unknown to you? And Peter himself, I say, is the head of the apostles, a publican, a thief, a harlot - and why the verbosity - a prodigal son, who squandered his father’s property wantonly with fornicators and tax collectors: look, from what deeds did they receive forgiveness for their offenses? Is it from fasting, vigil, sleeping on earth, or spending one's property on the needy, or some other difficult bodily act? No, but from repentance alone, tears from [the whole] soul and condemnation by conscience. Each of them, having felt their sins, condemned themselves and wept from the soul, received forgiveness of stumbling blocks. This is what is happening now with all of us, with genuine and ardent repentance and tears coming to the Lord Christ, and the good and man-loving Lord does not close us and would never close the most pure wombs of His goodness, since “it is not by the works of the law that no one should boast,” 160 but by God’s love for mankind and mercy the remission of sins is given. However, one should strive not for this, but so as not to fall into the same evil again and “not to return, like a dog, to his vomit” 161. It is impossible to save ourselves from this unless we provide ourselves with guardians and helpers in every possible way and with all diligence, unless we ourselves put on spiritual weapons 162 with which we can resist our enemies and adversaries. For as soon as the enemy first took possession of us, as soon as we enslaved ourselves to pleasures and, under the terms of the truce, became tributaries of the enemy, then quite inevitably we were carried away by such passions, pleasures and lusts, followed them and in a pitiful way, by force, like cattle, we are led into the service and slavery of the opposing enemy; we fall away from the work of the Lord Christ and find ourselves transgressing His commandments and agreements with Him. So that this does not happen to us, let us take for ourselves an assistant and comrade-in-arms against each of the enemies attacking us, taught by the God-inspired Scripture: “Therefore I was guided by all Your commandments, I hated every way of unrighteousness” 163, and we will contrast the memory of shameful thoughts with the memory of God, the Last Judgment and those unbearable torments; laziness - zeal and diligence, gluttony - fasting, voluptuousness - abstinence, heavy drinking - little drinking, burning of the flesh - remembrance of the eternal fire and fervent prayer to God with vigil and thirst. If we do this with each passion - so as not to lengthen the word by listing them all - and contrast each passion with the opposite virtue, then, guarded by them, as if by some kind of warriors, we will remain unharmed and invulnerable, since for those who repent for salvation, it is enough to just cut off evil customs and inappropriate actions and deeds, if [only] it is possible to do this without sweat and labor. In addition to this, we have written to you as a small reminder about what you should do and keep, namely the following. When performing the Divine Mystery, when the priest or deacon says: “Catechumens, come out,” you need to be outside the church, not going [anywhere] at that time and not talking to anyone, but, standing in the vestibule of the church in front of the gates, lamenting, remembering your misdeeds; then again, after the ascension of the Divine Mysteries, go inside. In the evening after Compline, being alone, perform the Trisagion, the 50th Psalm, 50 times “Lord, have mercy”, 50 times “Lord, forgive me, a sinner” 164, then the 6th Psalm “Lord, do not rebuke me with Your wrath”, 50 times “Lord, in what I have sinned in deed and word and thought, forgive me.” and 25 bows. On Wednesday and Friday, abstain from meat, cheese, eggs, wine and fish; if this is difficult for you, consume fish and wine in moderation. On the Pentecostals of the Holy Apostles and the Nativity of Christ, refrain from meat, cheese and eggs, and consume the rest in moderation; Do the prayer, that is, the indicated psalms and prostrations, doubly. During Great Pentecost on Wednesday and Friday, do not eat any wine, oil, or fish, but on the remaining days, with moderation and abstinence, “pacify and enslave your body” 165 as far as is permissible for nature, as befits Christians who want to be saved; And fulfill your prayer here in exactly the same doubly manner as was said. You need to abstain from the Divine and Terrible Gifts, that is, the most pure Body and Blood of our Master and Lord God Jesus Christ. I advise you to abstain from the most blessed [bread], the so-called breaking 166 (τῆς εὐλογ ί ας αὐτοῦ, τοῦ λεγομένου κατακλαστοῦ) until You will not have an immutable intention regarding evil sinful deeds and until you acquire a will that is undeviating from goodness and final hatred of sin. When you see yourself having achieved this, then approach, brother, with undoubted faith - not as simple bread and wine, but by partaking of the Body and Blood of God, God Himself, and thus you will become a “participant of the glory” 167 of Him, and thanks to them you will receive cleansing and complete remission of your own sins, and you will have eternal life in yourself, and you will become a son of light and day 168 . If you accept Christ without first becoming one, then the demons, having become even more jealous of you, because they saw someone who despised God and approached [communion] unworthily, will frantically rush at you and, mercilessly throwing you into the mud of excesses, will throw you away again, and you will then become a Christ killer instead of a Christian 169 and will be condemned along with those who crucified Him, as Paul says: “He who eats unworthily and he who drinks the Body and Blood of the Lord will be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord" 170. We do not command you anything more than this for fear of becoming burdensome to you. If you do something extra, you will benefit yourself and acquire future benefits for yourself. After all, I wrote to you to fulfill what was said, not as something that brings purification of the soul and remission of sins, but as something that leads you to the mere remembrance of your sins. If we knew that you would definitely be upset, we would not have written this to your love, but would only have demanded that you cut off bad customs and the most inappropriate deeds and actions, which we ask you to do, and if it is possible for you to maintain this without labor and sweat, then this alone is enough for us. Write to us often about your health, so that we, seeing your faith in us and your disposition, remember you more warmly and diligently when we, unworthy, raise our hands to God. The grace of God be with your spirit. Message 3. His own. To one of his disciples about how one can recognize a holy man, how to find him, what to do [for this], and how, having found one, one should treat him We conceived you through teaching, painfully gave birth to you through repentance, gave birth to you through a lot of patience, suffering, great labors and daily tears, although you knew nothing about what we suffered, and it is not surprising: after all, children in the womb do not feel at all the mother’s torment and pain during childbirth, and after birth they so naturally and hastily clutch at the mother’s breast, are saturated with the outgoing milk and, feeding, little by little grow up and recognize the mother, their the one who gave birth is revered and loved very much, and even if she beats them and punishes them, they quickly resort to her with even greater desire, never thinking that she hates them from the bottom of her heart or turns away from them, but, no matter how she acts, she does it for their upbringing. In the same way, taught by others, they begin to recognize their own father, honor him and obey him not only according to natural law, but also according to the laws laid down by the humane God. In this way, parents show what is characteristic of them in relation to their children, and children, showing obedience and obedience to their parents, grow up, being brought up “in the teaching and admonition of the Lord” 171. But if parents carelessly refrain from diligently admonishing and educating their children, then “their blood will certainly be exacted from their hands” 172. If children, in shamelessness and disobedience, despise their fathers and are arrogant over them, and cannot bear to obey and do what their parents say and do, then although they will not be put to death by a temporary death according to the old law, 174 they will be consigned to eternal fire and darkness. This is clearly proclaimed by “all the inspired Scripture,” 175 unless we voluntarily become deaf and, hearing this, will be as if we were deaf. Therefore, I did not want to say anything at all and did not want to write to those in such a state, especially hearing the words of our Lord and God to His disciples: “If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you too; If they have kept My word, they will also keep yours,” 176 and again: “If the master of the house was called Beelzebub, how much more of his household?” 177. But even when He sent them to us, saying: “Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you,” 178 He adds the words: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; and whoever does not believe will be condemned" 179. For this reason, I wanted to write to your love what the grace of the Holy Spirit puts into my mind, and to remind you of what is useful to you, rather, like a loving father, overwhelmed by love for you and cannot bear to see how you behave, my son in the Lord. Overcome by love for you, I was forced to come to this, not wanting to write something new and extraneous, but what you read every day and what the Divine Scriptures command us to keep. However, perhaps you will say: “If you must say what we know and what the Divine Scriptures teach us, then these are quite enough for us, and why do you want to write and teach the same thing again?” But listen to the reason, or rather, the reasons and circumstances, thanks to which I rushed towards this, moved not by myself, but by the grace of the Holy Spirit. So, know that, first of all, I do this so that I would not be condemned as a wicked slave who hid the master’s talent, and I would not hear when on the day of judgment the Master demands an account from me: “You wicked and lazy slave, you should have handed over my silver to the merchants, and I, having come, would have demanded mine with a profit” 180. Secondly, desiring, like a father to his legitimate and beloved son, to leave this to you as a gift and inheritance, so that you consider it [received] not from other ancestors, grandfathers or great-grandfathers, but passed from them first to us by succession, so that you consider their inheritance to be ours, accept and take it as if it were your father’s, and as a benevolent son have greater and stronger love for us. Thirdly, in order to show you, my true son, the wealth given to me by the great father 181, who gave birth to me in the Holy Spirit through repentance, so that you would not ignorantly despise me, your father, as if a pitiful and rejected beggar, and would not be arrogant over me, thinking that you will not inherit or receive anything great from me. Fourthly (and this is the most important thing), so that because of your rejection of me you will not be considered to have rejected and humiliated Christ 182 and will not be found guilty at this Last Judgment. Fifthly, so that others, having heard [this] now or later, accepting - if they want - the word, like a seed, into their hearts, “bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundred times” 183; otherwise 184 we will be innocent of the blood of their souls, they will see 185 . As it happens in sensual things, so in spiritual things: each of us, having property from our ancestors, leaves some an inheritance, others gifts and bequests, for example, slaves, children and friends, 186 but we also distribute property to those in need, fulfilling, as far as we can, the commandment of God, and everyone who receives will give an account of how he disposed of it. Likewise, all who have received a spiritual gift from God must “teach without envy” 187 first of all to spiritual sons, and then to friends and acquaintances of slaves, both rich and poor. And if they have received the “word of wisdom” or the “word of knowledge,” or have been entrusted with the “gifts of healing,” intercession, the power of “help,” or the understanding of “government,” 188 each of those speaking or hearing knows that he will not receive praise or reward for what he does, but will be tested, judged, and punished for what he omits or disobeys. So, do not accept the devil who comes up and tells you that I am writing this for the sake of external man-pleasing. You know very well that whoever does this not only “receives his reward” 189, but as a seller of Christ and a merchant of Christ 190 will suffer punishment [there] where “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” 191. At the same time, those who condemn them will themselves be condemned with them, for you hear the Lord saying: “Judge not, and you will not be judged, for with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” 192 Keeping this in mind, brother, remembering the apostles, who said: “Obey our teachers and be submissive, for they watch vigilantly for our souls, as those who are obliged to give an account; so that they do this with joy, and not sighing, for this is of no use to you” 193, and about the Lord and our God, who daily cries out: “He who receives you accepts Me, and he who listens to you listens to Me, and he who rejects you rejects Me” 194, - “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” 195, obeying me, do not think of saying within yourself 196 that this is said only the apostles and we must listen to them alone. Listen to what the Savior says to them again: “What I say to you, I say to everyone” 197. Who wants “everyone”? “To those who, according to your word, will believe in Me 198 and keep My commandments, just as you 199.” Listen, I ask. Our Master and God chose His apostles and disciples, entrusted and revealed to them all the secrets of His economy, hidden from centuries and from generations 200, and, having given them the Holy Spirit, sent them, saying: “Go, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you" 201 . Therefore, the apostles went and began to teach, proclaiming the word of God, 202 and many multitudes believed in Christ, and churches of the faithful arose in cities and towns. So, when each of the apostles intended to leave them and go from there to other places, villages and cities, they ordained bishops and elders for them in their place and left them teachers, spiritual fathers and abbots, and they again, before their death, elected others, ordaining those worthy of such service and leaving them in their place. Thus, having reached us by succession, this order and law is observed and preserved through the action of the Holy Spirit. In the same way, through them, the traditions and teachings of the apostles, which they in turn received from our Lord of all and God, came to us. When the flocks of Christ multiplied and His people became countless, 203 the grace of the Holy Spirit arranged it in such a way that monks were added to the bishops and priests, demonstrating through deeds 204 strong faith 205 in our true Christ, and having acquired within themselves the grace of the Holy Spirit, co-shepherding and assisting in the salvation of those who are saved 206 . Now tell me: if someone dared to neglect or despise one 207 of all those whom the Holy Spirit has appointed for us 208 (I’m talking about abbots, shepherds, bishops and teachers who bring and deliver to us as a paternal inheritance the teachings and traditions of the holy apostles), or not accept him into the house 209, or humiliate and reject his words and not accept him with all reverence - then wouldn’t he have expelled Paul himself, Peter and the choir of apostles in general? And he who drove them out did not reject our Lord Himself and God and His Father 210? After all, we honor the apostles not just as people, but because they preached about the Son of God, who descended to earth for the salvation of our race, and because they were sent by Him to make us sons of God, “heirs of eternal life” 211 and - through the Gospels and holy Baptism - partakers of untold blessings. For if the Lord did not give this to [them] to pass on to everyone, then they would not be able to provide it to others and they themselves would be the same as other people. Therefore, we need a lot of diligence, a lot of vigilance, a lot of prayers, so as not to attack some deceiver, deceiver, false brother and false Christ, but to meet a true teacher, God-loving and bearing Christ within himself, who accurately knows and knows the preaching of the apostles, their rules and regulations, the dogmas of the fathers, and better yet, the will and sacraments of the Lord and Teacher of the apostles Himself. We must look for and find such a teacher, who first heard this and was taught in word, and then in deed and experience, truly mysteriously taught by the Comforter Himself in the Spirit, so that he himself was honored to hear from the Master of the Apostles Himself: “My Sacrament is for Me and for Mine” 212, and: “It has been given to you to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven” 213. For, searching, we will certainly find 214, since “God is not unrighteous 215 and does not rejoice in the destruction of the living 216,” but, as it is written, “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life” 217. If He gave His Son to death so that we could be saved through Him, then will He, when we ask that His true and holy servant be sent to us, or rather, recognized and recognized by us, who will guide us on the path to salvation and teach His will, hide him from us and deprive us of a guide? Of course not. And we have to believe this because of the case of the centurion Cornelius. He was “pious and fearful of God with all his household,” and since he “did much alms to the people and always prayed to God,” an angel of God appeared to him “clearly in a vision about the ninth hour of the day, who came to him and said to him: Your prayers and your alms have come as a memorial of you before God. So, send people to Joppa and call Simon, who is called Peter, he is staying with a certain Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”218 Do you see how well I said that we need much vigilance and great diligence to find a true disciple of Christ? Look what the Scripture says: “Cornelius, a godly man and one who feared God with all his house.”219 After all, he made not only himself, but also all his household, fear God, and “this is good and acceptable in the sight of God” 220 when someone cares not about his own benefit, but also about everyone who is with him 221 . He fulfilled the apostolic decrees even before he was taught by the apostles, for [Paul] says: “Seek no one his own, but each one [the benefit] of another.”222 He did a lot of alms, praying to God day and night, clearly fulfilling, before he believed in God, this commandment of our Master and God, which reads: “Watch and pray, so as not to fall into temptation,” 223 and: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" 224. Do you see how an unbeliever, a pagan, who had never heard the word of God, diligently fulfilled the [commandments] of the gospel even before he was taught by another [person]? He asked through piety - and received, demanded through alms - and found, knocked through fasting and prayer - and it was opened to him. “Let us go,” says [the angel], “to Joppa and followed Simon, called Peter. “Oh, a wonderful gift; oh, an extraordinary blessing!” He is staying with a certain Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.” 225 Do you see that the angel told him not only his name, but also [the name] of the one who received him, and the place where he came? The angel acted so that Cornelius would not be deceived and did not call someone else instead of Peter and did not stumble upon a wolf instead of a shepherd 226. So, if you want to prove yourself to be a true, faithful and chosen disciple of Christ, show such a life, perform such deeds, approach like this, ask and implore through alms, fasting and prayer to God, open the “eyes of your heart” 227 - and you too will see such a [mentor], as Cornelius saw an angel. You who call yourself faithful, imitate the unfaithful. You, called a Christian from childhood, brought up in the teachings of the apostles and exalted above ignorant chatter, [imitate] an uninitiated pagan. You, who stand at the head only of your own house, [imitate] the centurion and, with all diligence, correct at least yourself and your subordinates in every possible way. If you despise not only what is in your power and will, but also the commandments that you yourself know, you do not fulfill them, but neglect them, do not correct either yourself or your charges, how, tell me, will God show you a teacher who should tell you more perfect things? And if He does not show you [a mentor], how can you find or recognize him, how can you without a doubt accept him as a saint? How then will you receive the reward of a saint and righteous person from above 228? No way. Therefore, to those who tried, observed themselves, judged their [actions] 229, sought God and did good, God revealed both then and now the apostles, prophets, righteous and saints, and they recognized them, accepted and revered them as masters, as teachers of piety, as messengers of God, and therefore their words were observed as if divine laws and they themselves received the reward given to them, and even now they are, if they are found somewhere, they will receive [the same reward] as these. But despisers who consider themselves wise men 230 , who remain in carelessness and negligence, who do not seek [God], unlike Cornelius and others like him, with all diligence through alms, fasting and prayer 231 , especially now, when almost all of us from childhood are taught by the prophets and apostles the will of God and what is useful to us - [such] He leaves in the delusion that they betrayed themselves, covering themselves in the darkness of their own passions, lusts and desires and walking in it as if in the dead of night, so that they also find, of course, appropriate teachers. After all, the leader of darkness undoubtedly has both his servants and disciples walking in darkness, whom they joyfully accept, finding them like-minded people, and learn from them the same thing that they chose earlier and chose to do to their destruction. Who does not know that initially the devil raised up false prophets against the prophets, against the apostles - false apostles, against the holy teachers - false saints and false teachers, 232 trying to deceive the most careless by intrigues and insinuating words and plunge them into the disastrous abyss? Hinting at them, the apostle says: “I beseech you, brethren, beware of those who cause divisions and temptations, contrary to the teaching which you have learned, and turn away from them; for such people serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and with caresses and eloquence they deceive the hearts of the simple-minded” 233. Therefore, those who want to evade such, according to the admonition of the Apostle, must move away from the “works of darkness” 234, because while they want to be in their power and walk in their darkness, they cannot evade such teachers and are not able to find themselves in the light of true teachers. So, you, our spiritual child in the Lord, hearing how the Divine Scripture says: “Woe to those who are wise in themselves and understanding before themselves” 235, “with fear and trembling” 236 listen to the words, for this is about the salvation of the soul, and if you want to meet a spiritual and holy man and a true teacher, do not think that you will recognize him with yourself, with your understanding, since this is impossible, but first of all, strive, as has already been said, through good deeds, almsgiving, fasting, prayer 237 and diligent supplication, so that God will become your helper and helper in this. If, by God’s favor and grace, you are worthy to find such a [spiritual father], then show greater diligence, greater zeal, much humility, much reverence, extreme respect for him, pure and undoubted faith. For what? So that instead of a reward you do not give yourself punishment and punishment, for it is to such that our Savior and God spoke: “He who receives you accepts Me, and he who rejects you rejects Me” 238 . It is therefore necessary, brothers, to accept such as Christ Himself, since what is done for them passes on to Christ, our Master and God, and He assimilates it to Himself and considers that He Himself experiences it, just as what is done for false teachers passes on to the Antichrist, and those who receive them accept the devil himself. And let no one make the excuse of ignorance, saying: “But how can I recognize such people? I am a man, and no one knows what is in a man except the spirit that lives in him 239.” Let no one put forward this as a plausible excuse, because if it were impossible, then the Lord would not have said: “Beware of false prophets, that is, false teachers, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”240 And He adds: “By their fruits you will know them” 241. If the Lord is not deceitful 242 - and He is truly not deceitful - then it is possible for us to recognize them by what they do and what they say. So, let us first talk about the fruits of the true Holy Spirit, and then describe the fruits of the opposite evil [spirit], and you will know exactly from this how obvious and clear the true righteous and saints are, as well as those who are not, but pretending to be [them]. We will not speak anything from ourselves, but from the words of the Savior and His holy apostles, through which I will try to confirm your love. So, listen to what our Lord [and] God Jesus Christ says: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek” 243. And again: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who use you and persecute you 244. Let no idle word come out of your mouth. Truly I tell you that people will give an account for idle words on the Day of Judgment 245." And again: "Unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven." 246 And in another place: "By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." 247 And again: "How can you believe when you receive glory from one another, but the glory that is from the One Are you not looking for God? 248. “For everyone,” He says, “who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” 249. He will not rise to worldly glory, He says, but promises a mysterious elevation to spiritual change. With these words our Lord and Master calls out to everyone every day. But listen to the Apostle Paul, who says: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, meekness, faith, self-control,” 250 and also: “Love does not boast, is not proud, is not rude, does not seek its own,” 251 but “covers all things, endures all things. Love never fails" 252. Listen to John the Theologian, who says: “Little children 253, do not love the world, nor what is in the world 254. After all, love for the world is enmity against God, so that, my brothers, he who loves the world becomes an enemy of God 255,” and: “He who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has 256 a part in the Kingdom of our Lord and God 257 ", and: “This is how the Children of God and the children of the devil are known” 258 - by hatred and love, because he who loves God also loves those born of Him 259, that is, brothers, and he who hates any of his brothers is born of the devil 260, and the love of God is not in him 261. Thus, the sons of God and the sons of the devil are recognizable and obvious 262 to those who have reason - both they and the fruits of the all-holy and good Spirit. Therefore, it is necessary to tell about the fruits of the opposite, that is, the evil spirit, so that you can distinguish, as it is said, light from darkness, sweet from bitter and good from evil 263. Again, listen to the words of our Master and God: “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit” 264, and again: “A good man brings forth good from the good treasure of his heart, but an evil man brings forth evil from the evil treasure of his heart” 265, and again: “Whoever violates one of the least commandments of these and taught people to do so, he is the least will be called in the Kingdom of Heaven" 266. And what does He say about the scribes and Pharisees? “They bind heavy and unbearable burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they do not want to move them with their finger; yet they do their deeds so that people can see them: they expand their storehouses and increase the length of their clothes; they also love to be presented at feasts and preside over synagogues and greetings in public assemblies, and for people to call them: teacher! teacher!" 267. Therefore, when you see someone doing any of these things, striving for human glory 268 and breaking the commandments of God 269 in order to please people, 270 know that he is a deceiver and not a true [teacher]. And the apostle says: “But if among you there is enmity, and ill will, and envy, and slander, and disagreements, then are you not carnal?” 271. The carnal and “spiritual man does not contain and does not accept what is from the Spirit, because he considers it madness,” 272 and he who does not accept what is from the Spirit, obviously does not have the Spirit in himself; he who does not have the Holy Spirit is not a servant of Christ, as Paul testifies to this: “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he,” he says, “is not His.”273. Have you heard who are Christ’s and who are Antichrist? Now you know for sure that for those who are attentive, good and evil are easily recognized, while those who are inattentive do not know not only other people, but also themselves. Tell me, if someone, like an immortal, cares, thinks and, day and night, deals only with everyday affairs, invents ways to get rich, builds luxurious houses, accumulates a lot of horses, mules and slaves, acquiring silver vessels, valuable clothes, beds and obtaining everything else for the care of the body and carnal pleasure - does such a person know himself? Yes, a spiritual child, truly he does not know himself and what is happening to him, and he knows himself and does not know: he knows about himself that he exists, but by his actions he shows that he does not know himself, because he behaves as if he will never die. He says: “Today we are, but tomorrow we are not,” but he prepares [so much] that it will last him for many years in the future. He testifies that the present is nothing, but he fights with his neighbor for a small and random thing. He philosophizes that he is ashes and dust, but he always dresses up in [luxurious] robes and therefore believes that he is superior to other people. He hears: “Alas, they luxury and luxuriate on soft beds,” 274 - and he himself tries with all his might to make the beds in his house more luxurious and the beds softer, and the meals more expensive and wasteful, moreover, in full view of not only laymen like him, but also the monks who visit him, who not only do not admire this, but also pity the money-grubbers and mourn their foolishness, for what they should be most ashamed of and hide at a time when others - or better yet, Christ - are hungry, they are proud and arrogant about it and do not feel that they are thereby testifying to themselves as self-interested people and ruthless destroyers of the poor. Tell me, how does one behave, what is he like and in what state is he in? In fact, even if it seems to him that he knows, he does not know himself. And he who does not know himself and what is happening to him, how can he see another or his condition? How can a blind person tell a blind person from a sighted person? No way. So, child and brother, as we said, if someone does not first strive to know himself, as well as his weaknesses, through almsgiving, as said above, fasting, vigil, prayer and constant supplication, then he cannot learn that without a father and spiritual teacher it is impossible for a person to keep the commandments of God, to live well and impeccably and to rise above the devil’s snares. He who does not know this behaves as if he has no need for admonition, teaching, advice or help from others, and boasts of what he does not know, whereas he knows nothing, not even knowing that he knows nothing, and, being in the depths of ignorance, or rather destruction, cannot even see that he is “among the perishing” 275. After all, this ignorance usually appears as if a kind of thorn in the intelligent eyes of the soul because of our love for the world and what is in the world 276: the more our mind retreats from the remembrance of God, death, future judgment, the blessings prepared for the righteous, and the punishments awaiting sinners - eternal fire and darkness, “gnashing of teeth” 277 - and spends time in “everyday cares” 278, busy with the illusory [goods] of the world, that is, wealth, fame and luxury, and becomes akin to all other similar [things] of this world that are considered magnificent - the more he acquires the habit of becoming prolific, little by little clouds the entire vision of the soul and produces complete ignorance of the blessings and oblivion of the commandments of God. David, having sinned and experienced this, said to God: “Open my eyes, and I will understand the wonders of Your law” 279. Do you see how his eyes were closed? Do you see how he cried out to God for them to open? Try, child, to do this, and the Lord will not despise the prayer 280 from your soul, but will hear you and open the “eyes of your heart” 281, and then, having received your sight, you will first of all know yourself and your condition, and then everything that I told you about above. Then you will consider not only reverent and virtuous monks, but also any person: small and great, righteous and sinful - and the obvious sinners themselves, from [their] whole heart, to be saints and superior to you. This will be a clear sign to you and to anyone else that you have received remission of your sins when you come to this land, because holy humility dwells in it, and those who arrive in it are given this gift first of all - to consider that of all people there is no one more sinful or more insignificant than themselves, and to feel with all their souls that only they themselves are sinners and only they will have to perish and be given over to punishment. So, try, beloved child and brother, to acquire this humility and do not say: “This is impossible for me,” or: “This is suitable for monks, and not for those living in the world.” After all, Christ established His common commandments for everyone and did not separate the worldly from the monks, but they were fulfilled by those who were before the Law and after. Listen to how Job says: “I am earth and ashes,” 282 and David: “I am a worm, and not a man.” 283 Do you see the words of humility? Do you see a soul that considers itself to be the most despicable of any person - both small and great? Imitate therefore the repentance of David and then you will gain his humility, because thanks to repentance the darkness of ignorance covering [the mind] is destroyed and “the veil is removed” 284. When this happens, then we begin to know ourselves, we see what is with us, we see spiritual wounds and defilements, and so we not only humbly philosophize and humbly speak, but we are ashamed of the sun, stars and all of God’s creation, because they were created for our sake, and we angered God, who created them, as it is said, for us, and sinned, transgressing not one, but all His commandments, and we do not dare to look at or see the creation, and we consider ourselves completely unworthy to eat from the fruits of the earth, but we ourselves pronounce the sentence that it is right for us to die of hunger and thirst. Being vile sinners, we are unable to look and see the images of Christ and His saints: it seems to us that icons are abhorred by us and our deeds, so we do not dare to approach them and kiss them, ashamed to touch pure and holy [images] with profane and unclean lips. When we are about to enter the church of God, we, as those entering unworthily, are held back by fear and trembling 285 , lest the floor open up and cast us “alive into hell” 286 . Holy humility, always and constantly teaching us this and other greater things, transforms, changes and, as it were, creates, fleshes out and perfects the humble, so that from then on we cannot, even if we wished [to do so], think or say anything great about ourselves, but we remain, like statues, dumbfounded and dumb ( ἐστηλωμένους καὶ ἐπιγεγραμμένους ) 287 . This holy humility teaches us that without a teacher we cannot learn anything, and to those who ask us: “Do you understand what you are reading?” 288 – answer: “How could we if someone had not guided us?” 289. It teaches us not to step without a guide on a path that we have never walked; it admonishes us not to approach God without a mediator and representative. If it makes us ashamed of heaven, earth and God’s creatures on them, to experience reverent fear of the icon of the Savior and His holy servants and not dare to look or approach and kiss [them], then how much more [to get closer] to God Himself, the Creator and Ruler of everything? Although He is extremely philanthropic, He rejoices even more in our humility and shame and accepts with greater favor when they consider it unworthy to approach ourselves. However, our Master and God, wanting to teach us that we should approach God through a certain mediator and guarantor, He Himself became for us a model and example both in everything else and in this, being called the first mediator 290 and guarantor of our nature, bringing it to His own Father and God, and then proclaimed His holy apostles as ministers of this mediation and guarantee, and they turned to The Lord Christ of all believers, and these, in turn, others, and those again - others, and so it continues to this day 291, and God wants us not to transgress His commandment and tradition, but to remain within those [limits] that He has established, since He says: “No one comes to Me unless the Father draws him” 292, and again: “No one comes to the Father except through Me” 293 , - so that no one comes to faith in the Holy and Consubstantial Trinity unless he is instructed in the faith by some teacher. And no one is baptized without a priest and without receiving the Divine Mysteries from him. And one who has not partaken of the Mysteries will never be able to obtain eternal life, as the Lord himself said: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; and whoever does not believe will be condemned” 294, and again: “Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you” 295. So, since without Baptism and communion of the Divine Mysteries, none of the faithful will be worthy of eternal life, and they are taught not through the holy apostles or our holy forefathers who came after them, but through those living now who communicate with us, it is quite obvious: those who then lived in the world conveyed to the believers the same thing that they provide to us, and these are equal to those. How? Just as they baptized with water and the Divine Spirit 296, so they do these things now. They taught the Body and Blood of Christ, and these teach us the same; and they had nothing more, and those who teach us today have nothing lacking. They taught faith in Christ and in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 297 the indivisible and one-honourable Trinity, and our fathers teach us the same. This, [said] briefly (we could not write everything so as not to lengthen the speech excessively), shows that the same thing that the apostles did then for the faithful and taught, is now completely and invariably done by our fathers and they teach and admonish us in the same way as those. Since they are in no way inferior to the apostles, being themselves fully sons of the apostles and apostles, and not receiving them and not listening to their words, 298 will hear from the Savior saying to them: “Truly I say to you, it will be more bearable for those who dwell in the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for you,” 299 and when He spoke to those [apostles]: “He who receives you receives Me, and he who listens to you listens to Me, and he who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me” 300 - it is quite obvious that He says the same thing to both the present and future successors (ὁμοτρ ό πους) of them, so that those who do not accept and do not listen, and those who reject them do not accept and do not listen to Christ, but reject Him and through Him the Father who sent Him. You, of course, know, my beloved child, that no one - neither the laity, nor the monks, nor the priests or bishops - reveres, is not afraid, does not accept as an apostle of God and a disciple of Christ only for the sake of Christ, His commandments or the eternal blessings He gives us, but we all despise each other, slander each other, scold: monks - monks, priests - bishops, laity - everyone and each other, and nowhere does anyone think that as the apostle says: “God appointed in the Church, first, apostles, secondly, prophets, thirdly, teachers” 301 and those whom he lists in order, so it is now happening in the Church of God, so that some of the rulers in it are accepted as apostles, others as prophets, and others as teachers. We are all arrogant at each other, completely forgetting about all this. The one who baptized me today, freed me from death and corruption, filled me with the Holy Spirit, delivered me from sins, made me a partaker of the Most Pure Body and the Saving Blood, a communicant of the Holy Eucharist and a son of God (and what more did the apostles and self-seers of the Word 302 do for their disciples?) - I accept him tomorrow, without even saying “hello,” because I consider this shameful for myself and I do not want to meet him who comes to me, to honor and accept, but I say indignantly: “What does he want?”, and: “Apologize to him, Mr. is busy, he doesn’t have time.” (I don’t want to cite much more disrespectful words at the moment.) And this is what they do not only towards monks, but also towards priests and bishops who confess to them and entrust their souls to them, and the one whom they chose today through confession to rightfully have as their father and teacher, almost at the same time when he recognizes himself as his son, begins to exalt himself before his father and, showing himself not to be a son and disciple, but rather his father and teacher, begins to introduce opposite rules, contradict and humiliate him if he says something contrary to his wishes. Over time, he believes that he has no father or teacher at all, unless he himself comes to him and fulfills his wishes. If he does not agree with him, or rather, does not fall and die with him, he leaves him and finds another who indulges his “carnal lusts” 303. So everything with us, as you yourself see and know, has become confused, all order and the divine apostolic tradition have been destroyed, and a rejection of all the commandments of Christ has arisen. All this horror and destruction occur in this generation 304 because it seems to everyone that they are initiated into the divine, know the commandments of God, and can evaluate and judge what is useful to them. And also because they believe and consider, as has been said, everyone to be sinners, but are convinced that the grace of God works through the unworthy, and they think that they receive the [gifts] of the Holy Spirit acting in us, and the guarantees of eternal blessings handed over to us, but they turn away from the priest through whom these [gifts] are transmitted to them as from a sinful and unworthy priesthood. They talk about monastics in a similar way: they themselves accept remission of sins through confession and the forgiveness given to them from those, but, considering that they [monks] do not have any virtue or boldness towards God, they treat them the same as other people. Being in this state, they believe that they are receiving (or rather, stealing) all those spiritual gifts that Christ gave to the apostles, and the apostles again passed on to those who believed in Christ through them, but without the veneration and trust (which the apostles previously showed to the Lord Christ, to the apostles - their disciples, and to the disciples, in turn, those under them) to those who give it to them. They believe that God does not require that this honor be given to them, that is, to bishops, priests, monks and our fathers. They think that, since they were baptized in infancy, they are innocent, that then they do not honor the one who regenerated them and do not feel reverence for him as their father. They imagine that knowledge of the Holy Scriptures from childhood is enough for their piety, 305 and therefore they will not be asked for the fact that they despised the teachers of piety and did not want to learn from them. They hope to be justified only by the fact that they seem pious and live more piously than others. It seems to them that for salvation it is enough to simply name and confess their sins and receive forgiveness from their fathers, without even acquiring faith and without showing honor and respect to their mediators and intercessors, as the apostles of God. So the whole universe was filled with such error and such evil, and the crime and rejection of one commandment turned over and overturned the entire Church of God. It has fallen into such disorder and confusion that its creation is almost completely invisible anywhere, and in us it is impossible to recognize the structure of the body of the Master 306. As if we did not have Christ as our head, as if we were not united with each other and harmonized by the life-giving Spirit 307 and as if we did not perceive the fact that each of us is edified in our rank by the architects of the Church, like soulless scattered matter - thus we, carried away, seduced and seduced by our own desires and carnal lusts, were wasteful and because of hatred and proud thoughts we separated from each other, split and lost the sign of our faith, that is, love, about which the Lord said: “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” 308. Having lost it, we call ourselves Christians in vain. Tell me: if we do not love, do not honor, do not give due glory to our fathers, who became the cause of so many blessings for us, through which God adopts us and reveals us as heirs of His glory and eternal blessings, and if we do not properly honor the man of God sent by God to us, then who will believe us regarding our neighbors and other brothers that we have ever acquired love for any of them? Especially if we, as mediators and intercessors before God, who have received from God the power to grant us forgiveness of sins and reconcile us with God, 309 in full confidence accept as sinners and not as saints, expect for ourselves complete forgiveness of sins, then, since the Lord said: “According to your faith, be it done to you,” 310 you will also have complete remission of sins according to the measure of faith. And if He says: “He who receives you accepts Me, and he who listens to you listens to Me, and he who rejects you rejects Me” 311 - I am surprised, as I said earlier, how in one way or another they will be able to see or acquire Christ in themselves, those to whom it has never even occurred to us that we need to love not only all people and especially the brethren, but also [someone] one of the current saints to accept as an apostle of Christ, so that through him we may receive Christ and fulfill all his words as coming from the mouth of God? Most of us have not seen the One who baptized and regenerated us, and those who have seen, as has already been said, condemn and despise him. We don't even know whether we were baptized. But if we do not know this, how or on what basis will we have faith or be counted among the baptized? I am perplexed: we did not recognize our father, and even if we recognized him as a father, we did not honor him at all; We don’t have a teacher, and even if we wanted to have one, we didn’t do as he taught us, but went where we wanted. Therefore, I don’t even know what to say, because I don’t find why I should call you Christians? Unhappy one, why don’t you honor your spiritual father as an apostle of Christ? I don’t see, he says, that he keeps the commandments of God, and therefore I don’t glorify him. This is a futile excuse. Well, do you really perform them better than him and therefore judge him? However, even if you kept and kept all the commandments, then you should not judge him or reject him because of negligence, slander and blame him, but rather love (ἀγαπ ᾶ ν) him for the sake of the benefits God has given you through him, be grateful and attached (στέργειν καὶ κατασπάζεσθαι) to him and make him a partner in bodily [goods], and also reward him as much as possible, so that you not only preserve what was given, but also increase it with such deeds. Now, as you see, because of distrust, ingratitude and rejection of your father and teacher, you not only destroyed what you received, but, by rejecting the very thing that made you a Christian, you lost Christ. Imagine that the earthly king sent to you one of his least servants, dressed in a simple dress, not riding a horse or a mule, but carrying with him only a written document with the royal seal, signed by the king himself. In the text of this [document], the king proclaims you to be his brother and friend and promises to appoint you a little later as his co-ruler; he desires to place a crown on your head and will clothe you in royal purple. How should you deal with this [servant]? Shouldn't you accept and honor him as a royal servant for the sake of the great promises and radiance of the future glory that awaits you, rejoice with him and benefit him with what you can, and give others later? 312 Or, because he is dressed simply and came on foot, humiliate him and send him back empty-handed and without honor? If you did this to him and the king heard about it, would he approve of your choice or reproach, praise or blame you? But if you yourself were this king, would you not consider the insult of that [servant] your own reproach? Of course, that's exactly it. You would be indignant at him as someone who blames and scolds you for having such servants, and would say: “Who made him judge of my servants? 313 He, undoubtedly, did not think about my servant that he had such clothes because of his negligence, but he accused me as merciless and not paying attention to the dirty rags of my servants. And so, having repented of what you promised to do to him, you would not have accepted him at all when he came to you, since he anticipated your judgment by condemning your servants, whom it is not permissible for him to judge. So, having thought about all this, our beloved spiritual child, and having understood the clear and correct sequence of things, hasten, as much as you have the strength, not only in words, but also in your deeds themselves, to become a Christian. Get a father, get a teacher, get a mediator and intercessor and surety before God. Cling to him, as if to Christ Himself, with love and faith, with fear and desire, so that through him you may be united with Christ Himself and become a partaker and joint heir of His eternal glory and Kingdom, singing and glorifying Him with the Father and His Most Holy Spirit, to the endless ages of ages. Amen. Message 4. His own. About teachers who ordained themselves and invested themselves with apostolic dignity without grace from above, and that one cannot lead others or teach at all without first being born of a spiritual father and without being enlightened I also wanted to be so dead to the whole world, beloved brother, that I would not be known to any of the people on earth, but would spend my life as if truly dead and secretly lived a hidden life in Christ 314 in which those who love God know Him and are known by Him alone, uniting with Him and clinging to Him inseparably, constantly at all times and in all places, both day and night. I desired this life and now I desire it, but since, as Paul says, “we are not our own, for we were bought with a price” 315, we should not pursue only our own [benefit] 316, but each should not please himself, but his neighbor 317 for the good. Therefore, it is in every possible way necessary for me to fulfill with all diligence 318 the commandments of the Master and Lord Jesus Christ who redeemed me. If even slaves bought by people fulfill the commands of their masters as an unquestioning duty, and those who disobey are subjected to scourging and unbearable dangers, then how much more should we, even to the point of death, fulfill the desires of Christ our God, who redeemed us with His blood? Slaves, fulfilling the orders of people, are either often left without remuneration, or, if they receive some kind of payment, it is cheap and insignificant; Moreover, the punishments from the masters to the disobedient, whatever they may be, are still temporary. The commandments of our Lord, which bring immortal life and blessings, which “the eye has not seen and the ear has not heard, and which have not come to the heart of a spiritual man 320,” 321 bring endless reward, just like punishments due to disobedience are eternal and immortal, and therefore more terrible. But why talk to us about slaves? After all, even those proud of wealth and respectable in rank do not live as they would like, and do not do what they desire, but when the ruler commands each of them, then they carry out his orders. So what? Slaves are in every possible subordination and dependence to their masters, and bosses are to kings, but we, having fought against the “King of kings” 322 and “God of gods” 323 and having promised Him labor, will not obey His instructions and fulfill His commands? What kind of leniency will then be given to us, who are careless in this? But woe to me, because, saying this and proclaiming the path of salvation 324, steadily leading to the Kingdom of God, I am judged, condemned and condemned by all people - not only the worldly, but also monks, priests and bishops - and as if unclean, due to one suspicion and diabolical action that occurs because of the “sons of disobedience” 325 for despair and destruction of those who choose to “live piously” 326, I hate in vain 327 and it’s like I’m grinding bread with my teeth 328 them. After all, I say as having learned from my own experience that if demons did not have people as helpers in their “vice and wickedness” 329, then - I dare to say - they could never harm or force any of those reborn by Holy Baptism and who mysteriously became sons of God to deviate from the commandment of God. For I believe that baptized children are sanctified and preserved by the Holy Spirit, and are also completely freed from the power of the devil and, sealed with the sign of the life-giving Cross, are sheep of the spiritual flock of Christ and chosen lambs. And if the devil had not found the instruments of his malice, suitable for his desires, in the persons of parents, nurses, or those raised together with [children], as he once did with the serpent and the wife, he would never have been able to kidnap or rob a single one of them. Reality itself testifies that from the very cradle they have teachers in all “vice and wickedness” 330, obscene language and gluttony, luxury, ridiculousness, foppishness and all other impurity 331, namely, love of money, vanity, love of glory, acquisitiveness, pride and arrogance. They instill in them a habit of these [skills], and therefore, even before they know what is right and what is left, 332 through these vices they, as it were, bind, initiate and lead these [children] to the devil, as if his servants, depriving them, without knowing it, of adoption and sanctification. After all, none of the people of the present age raises and brings up their children “in the teaching and instruction of the Lord” 333 , but in worldly customs and pagan morals, without worrying or worrying about what Job says: “Let my sons never think evil in their hearts” 334 , without trembling and without fear, lest they, having done something inappropriate, fall away from the ministry, dominion and adoption of the One who was slain for our sake, did not again become slaves of the enemy and tyrant - Satan - and did not turn out to be guilty of death and eternal fire. One thing worries them about their children, one thing worries them, one thing worries them - so that they become famous and glorified for everyone, become generally known not for virtue, chastity, ridicule of everything external and contempt for worldly splendor, but for horses with golden bridles, magnificent clothes, slaves walking in front and following behind. Thanks to this, children rush towards vanity, wealth, love of money and arrogance, and are thus led by their parents to every kind of vice, even without demonic attacks, and often, under the violent influence of their parents, they achieve the most vile acts, having themselves settled within themselves the father of anger and the parent of vice through the violation of the vows at Holy Baptism. Therefore, rotating and growing along with such vices, they acquire a skill that is difficult to erase, which receives, as [someone] said 335, natural strength and becomes incurable. So, because of this, some people spend such a life until their death and generally cannot get rid of bodily lusts, passions or pleasures, but die along with them; others, even realizing in one way or another that they are possessed by vices, and trying to get rid of them, if they do not completely reject these crafty teachers (I would not even call them parents), cannot free themselves from the tendency to bad habits that previously took possession of them. That is why God, who foresaw this, testifies in this way, telling us: “Whoever comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and brothers cannot be My disciple.” But otherwise no one can hate them unless they feel mental harm from them. The one who senses this looks at them not as relatives or friends, but as someone plotting against his life and avoids communicating with them. He hurries first to get away from the perpetrators of so many evils that have happened to him, and then to get rid of his previous habits and free his soul from the very lusts, passions and habits, and most importantly, to relieve his conscience from the severity of sins. Now listen with reason, honest father, to what will be said to you. Those of those who renounced [the world] who did not have [spiritual] fathers did not, of course, become anyone’s sons; and not having become sons, it is clear that they were not born, and not having been born, they were not brought into being; and those who are not produced [into being] and in the spiritual (νοητῷ) world do not exist at all, but just as in this life there are no those who were not born bodily, so in the spiritual world, that is, in the “wonderful light” 337 itself, into which God brings those who believe in Him, those who are not spiritually born do not exist or do not enter [into it]. And oh, just as those who were not born bodily did not exist at all, so there would not be those who were not produced spiritually [into being] at all: then they would not be judged, since they do not exist in [this] life. However, for those who are born only physically, but not born spiritually, darkness, fire and eternal punishment await them, according to the saying of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ: “Unless someone,” He says, “is born again, he will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven” 338. He calls birth the gift of the Holy Spirit, as He Himself told the apostles and disciples: “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” 339. This is Baptism from above and it cannot be otherwise. And as for those who have not yet been born by this Baptism, let us examine the reason and establish exactly why they did not know that they were born. What is the reason? Ignorance and blindness of the soul's eyes. Listen diligently. Just as children born according to the flesh are not conceived or born without a father, so it is impossible for one to be born again who does not have a father who is born again. And just as a carnal father gives birth to carnal children, so a spiritual husband makes spiritual those who desire to become his true sons. But how can one who is not yet born or who is still in infancy become the father of others? No way. One who has not become a “son of light” 340 with feeling, knowledge, experience and spiritual contemplation, how can he ever see or recognize the “Father of lights” 341? How, tell me, will he lead others to the light or teach them that there is “the Light that came into the world” 342 in order to enlighten “those sitting in darkness” 343, and which he himself has not yet seen? Being blind, how can he show the way to others? For it is obvious that he who does not see the light walks in darkness 344, stumbles every hour 345 and needs a leader 346, but he himself cannot lead others. Otherwise, he will become the culprit of their destruction, since God says: “The blind leading the blind: both will fall into the pit of ignorance or destruction” 347. So, everyone who sees this sensory light with their bodily eyes only is blind, who should not care about anything else except that the spiritual (νοερούς) eyes of their hearts 348 be opened in order to see the unsetting and unevening light 349. Just as a blind man cannot in any way see anything material: distinguish gold from silver, or recognize whether a vessel is copper or silver, or [identify] counterfeit coins, but does not even see what is placed in front of his face, and often tramples, like clay, precious stones and pearls lying on the floor 350, and does not perceive himself, does not even know about his clothes, whether they are white or black, dirty or clean, so and one who is not spiritually enlightened by the all-holy and life-giving Spirit cannot know himself and his condition, for [this] is impossible. So none of the saints from the ages [who were] recognized God and did not become a holy servant and friend of God until his mind was enlightened, illuminated by the all-holy Spirit of God, and through this received knowledge, power, word and strength, and did not direct him to the understanding of God's desires and commands. He who is not enlightened by the Holy Spirit not only does not know himself and all those close to him, but also tramples on him - alas! - God’s commandments are like pearls, and His commandments are like precious stones, and His life-giving words are like statires 351 and coins, undoubtedly having His most pure image, and considers them supposedly worthless clay and does not feel them at all. For no one can - “let no one deceive you” 352 - see them with the eyes of the soul, without being illuminated and enlightened by the divine Light. Therefore, if the student is the spiritual child of the teacher, then the one who is looking for a father, in any case, must look for someone who was born spiritually, who actually knows God and his Father, so that he would give birth to him spiritually and personally show him to be the son of God. If he seeks such a [teacher] and has a need for such a father (for it is said 353: “Good teachers have good teachings, but bad seeds have bad shoots” 354), and on the path of life there are also good fathers and teachers, to whom the Word pointed 355, and with them those who have not yet been born and have not known themselves, much less God, but simply only themselves boldly set up others as fathers and teachers, making every effort to attract to themselves by all sorts of methods and tricks someone who has recently renounced [the world] and is seeking, as it is said, a spiritual father, and if they notice that he is praising someone from the truly spiritual, then they immediately blaspheme that [ascetic], unfortunate ones, in order to hinder the trust and aspiration of the one who is about to leave for him and seduce the soul of his brother - if he is tempted, he will turn away turns back, runs over to these seducers and loses the benefit that perhaps he should have received from one of the holy men, then who will bear the punishment for this and for all those who were thus deprived of benefit from spiritual fathers and teachers and were seduced by the words of these [false teachers]? Is it not those who misled them and ascribed to themselves paternity over them, distracting them from good teachers and not allowing them to be guided by them and enter the Kingdom of heavenly light? Truly, their blood will be required at their hands, says the Lord, 356 because, possessed by vanity and pride and believing themselves to be “something, being nothing,” 357 they set themselves up as fathers and teachers and become self-ordained apostles, without receiving, like those, the grace of the Holy Spirit, without being enlightened by the “light of knowledge” 358 and without seeing the God preached by [them], so that He would reveal Himself to them according to His true promise, for God promised the Word to all who believe in Him, saying: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My commandments. And I will love him and appear to him Myself” 359, and again: “I and the Father will come and make my abode with him” 360, and again: “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life 361 and will not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life 362”, and again: “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.” 363, and also: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me and drink, 364 for whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst, but it will become in him a fountain of water flowing into eternal life” 365, and again: “Whoever believes in Me, rivers of living water will flow from his belly” 366. So, he who did not see all this, which happened and was in him clearly, actively and truly, is still “blind, short-sighted” 367. After all, he who had not yet seen the appearance of the unlying Son of God and did not keep His commandments, did not love Him, of course, as needed; and who has not consciously and clearly seen in himself the indwelling and presence of the Father and the Son through the Holy Spirit and who does not know this with certainty, suffers from one of two things: either he carries the dwelling of the soul empty and swept away 368 unnoticed by himself and believes that this is enough to save him, or he has accepted into himself a material (ὑλικ ό ν) 369 demon expelled through Holy Baptism, because of sin again returned either before renouncing [the world] or after, and “the latter for a person was worse than the first” 370. He expelled from himself and from his soul the evil spirit through much asceticism, humility, many labors and sufferings, crying and sobbing, but then was robbed by it before he knowingly made an abode for Christ in himself and acquired true (ἐνυπ ό στατον) humility, who accepted him - unknown to him who entered through arrogance and pride - again inward, can no longer achieve a sense of his own vices, since he is not released [by the demon] who holds him and closes the “eyes of the heart” 371 from seeing the pride that has taken possession of him. The demon of pride does not prompt him to carnal pleasures, to satiation of the belly, the love of money and avarice (since these passions somehow force one to humble himself and be ashamed and the conscience of the one captured by them is devoid of boldness, even if he is praised and at the same time glorified by the whole world as a saint), but rather directs him to fasting, vigil and all-night standing, to non-covetousness, sleeping on the ground or on the floor, unwashing and any other evil suffering, which, as the demon knows, will become the best reason for increasing such passion. For such actions, if they are not built on the foundation of Christ-like humility with defeated wisdom, lift the soul to heaven and cast it down to the abyss 372. And, like this water, it seems to her that she is ascending, but as much as she rises, [so] the unfortunate woman is cast down, [she herself] not feeling it. Just as a house cannot stand without a foundation, so virtues cannot be built without deep and strong humility: if it is not laid down or stolen and taken away by evil spirits later, after the foundation, then immediately the entire building of virtues, [built] with much sweat, labor and effort, collapses and perishes. After all, “The Lord opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” 373, and also: “Everyone who is proud in heart is unclean before the Lord” 374. Such a person, having acquired in himself the source and root of all spiritual passions, considers himself higher and more dispassionate than all people and never believes that there is someone superior to him in knowledge, deeds and contemplation, and therefore humiliates everyone, does not believe in the gifts given to them by God and, being envious, slanderes; assures everyone that some [gifts] are false, while others are impossible, and thus he drags others together [with himself] into the same abyss of envy, unbelief and destruction. He who worthily eats the flesh of the Son of God and drinks His blood, 375 if he does not clearly, accurately, tangibly and cognitively know that he “abides in God, and God abides in him,” 376 has not yet fully worthily received communion of these Sacraments. After all, who, even the most insensitive and dead, does not recognize the unity with God that existed in him? And if “whoever eats His flesh and drinks His blood has eternal life” 377 “and will not come to judgment, but has passed from death to life” 378, then it is absolutely clear: he who does not know that he “has eternal life”, and who does not know the transition from death to life, as if he had passed from a dark dwelling to a light-like and sparkling one, has not yet learned the mystery of God’s economy and has not become a partaker of life eternal. If He promised to give the Holy Spirit to those who believe in Him 379 like “a fountain of water flowing into eternal life” 380 and rivers flowing from His belly 381, then how can one who does not daily see in himself such and other things that the Lord, according to His words, will give and do to those who believe in Him, can call himself a perfect believer? Who among those who have knowledge of God and compassion will not weep from the soul for the one who believes that this is befitting only the apostles and ancient fathers, and argues that we, as we strive, should not hope to become similar and equal to them, not to compare our [circumstances] with them and those with ours? If God literally cries: “Be holy, because I am holy” 382, and also: “Be like your Father who is in heaven 383”, and the Apostle: “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” 384 - then the one who introduces opposite laws is obviously an antichrist and a fighter against God, for he says: “One thing is with them, and another with us. Otherwise, God He loved and had mercy on them, worthy of them with the Holy Spirit and great gifts, otherwise he is disposed towards us and will hardly forgive us, - he says, - our sins, those who repent, suffer and cry, because it is impossible for us today to become like them [the apostles] or like our holy fathers. proud and blasphemers, who, according to him, do not even need to listen to them; on the contrary, he orders them to be avoided. Oh misfortune, not to mention insensibility, ignorance and unbelief! Those who think and say this hope to be saved, even if, like the apostles, they do not receive the grace of the Spirit, and consider themselves sons of God, even if they have not cognitively acquired the adoptive Holy Spirit 385 , and call God their Father 386 , although they say that they have never seen Him, and believe that they love Him even without seeing Him 387 . Even listening to the testimony of the Apostle John, who said: “He who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” 388 – they do not hear and do not understand what [state] they are in. They envy their brothers and hate them; to slander them they use convincing words that the father of lies 389 and envy could never have invented. They pretend to say this in secret 390 with a God-loving intention, instilling in all people a crafty suspicion against every saint. However, they do not feel that they are teaching everyone to suspect the same thing primarily about them, because if no one is dispassionate, no one is good, then it is obvious that you, who say this, are not [such], for from the evil treasure of the heart a person endures evil 391 . Therefore, the passionate suspect that everyone is passionate, because they do not know that “the Spirit breathes where it will,” 392 and they do not even know whether there is a Spirit 393, and therefore they do not know that God exists. They sit so mercilessly and arrogantly, slandering and judging the brothers, as if there was no One who said: “Judge not, and you will not be judged” 394 , intending to reward “everyone according to his deeds” 395 . It seems that such people do not know that they are forbidden even to read the Divine Scriptures, for God speaks through David: “Why do you take my covenant in your mouth?” 396 - and, having stated his guilt, he added: “As I sat, I slandered your brother” 397. If such a person is prohibited from reading the Divine Scriptures, how will he ever be worthy of entering the church of the Lord or standing with the faithful? Such a one, boldly arrogant, posing as a teacher of others and arrogantly ascending to the apostolic throne (for, of course, this is apostolic dignity - teaching by the Holy Spirit) - what punishment and punishment is he worthy of? Anyone who has not even been a student as he should, who is trying to assume the rank of teacher and father, will receive a more severe punishment than many thousands of robbers and murderers, because they kill bodies, and this one kills souls 398 . Like someone who takes material - a precious stone or pearl - in order to cut out a royal image on it and, after engraving, use it for a useful purpose, drilling the pearls and attaching them to the king’s diadem or to his vestment, if he does not process that stone or pearl well, but either makes the image different, or spoils the stone by unskillfully cutting it, or drills it poorly, or splits it, or even breaks it, he will not only not receive reward from the king, but will be punished in a shameful and pitiful manner - this is how every teacher should reason about all his students. If, through his carelessness, inability, ignorance, unfitness or inexperience, their thoughts, minds and actions should be even a little corrupted, and if he does not, with great skill, knowledge, wisdom and extreme prudence, make each of them wise and perfect, sculpting in himself, as far as he has the strength, 399 a skillfully depicted and brightly shining Christ 400 and bringing them into “a perfect man, to the measure of full stature.” Christ” 401 - then, since he has made the soul of each of these disciples, which is more priceless than the whole world 402, obscene, turning the good - into the worthless, the valuable - into the worthless, will he not receive not a reward for what he worked on, but punishment and punishment for those who either became bad because of his admonitions, or do not have something necessary, or were left without perfection, the pinnacle of which he would have reached with another teacher? So, spiritual father, you must first not only become a disciple of Christ, but also learn from Him His sacraments and so begin to teach them to others. It is necessary that the one who follows his spiritual father should without looking back take the path leading to Christ and reach Him, or, better to say, be reached by Him 403; so that he accurately notices the directions of the path and signs, without wandering he sees Christ through the Spirit and so guides others to Him; one must first be enlightened by the true light 404 and so lead others to this light; You must first free yourself and thus proclaim freedom to others, for it is a sign of complete insensibility and arrogance when some slave grants freedom to his fellow slaves, having seized the power of the ruler. How can we become disciples of Christ? Let us listen to Him Himself, who says: “Whoever wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” 405. “Following” He calls imitation of works, so that as He walked, like Him we also walked 406, endure temptations and reproaches with joy and become partakers of the Holy Spirit, without Whom neither fasting, nor idleness, nor non-covetousness, nor vigil, nor standing, nor hesychia, nor physical labor, nor anything else, whatever you name, will give us a word of wisdom or a word of knowledge or discernment 407 , for all this is the path leading to the light, and not the light. If I, walking in these [virtues] for a thousand years, do not achieve the light, which is the Holy Spirit, “Which comes from the Father” 408 and through the Son “enlightens every man who comes” 409, but I am found remaining in darkness at the end of my life, “what good is it to me” 410? You will probably say: “None,” because the apostle says: “To one is given the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge, to another the gifts of healing, help, government” 411 and, listing the rest, he said: “All are one and the same Spirit” 412 . Do you see how without the Spirit no one can learn or teach others? The one who himself has not first received the Comforter, “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him and does not know Him,” 413 who is still “of the world” 414 and “in the world,” 415 but boldly tries to take upon himself the office of teacher and become a mediator between others and God, leading them to God and reconciling them with Him, is not worthy of many thousands of lightning strikes and punishments 416? And so that you know that we are not saying something alien to the Divine Scriptures, listen to Paul when he says: “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”417 Do you see how one who does not have the Holy Spirit within himself is not only not allowed to teach, but cannot even be Christ’s? “If anyone,” he says, “does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” After all, unity with Christ is created by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and it is impossible for one who does not have the Holy Spirit and does not realize that He dwells in him to have fellowship with Christ or consciously behold His glory. He also cannot intelligently see the Divine Mysteries as the very same Christ and God, but only what is present and visibly sensually 418. And [this] is fair, since those who are not involved in the deity cannot see him or even understand him. But those who have not gained experience or have not felt this are not relatives to God, for how can our mind, brought [into being] by that which is above mind and reason, understand this if it is not enlightened by it, is not united with it and is not worthy, in the same way as it received existence from it, to know Him, to see in known ignorance and to perceive in invisible vision? But those who have not become such do not have the Holy Spirit, nor let them be deceived! – They are not Christ’s. That immutable sign will be for them when they receive the Holy Spirit and become Christ’s, which the divine Apostle established for all of us, saying: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” 420 - meaning by freedom complete liberation from all passions and worldly and bodily lusts. Therefore he adds, saying: “But those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts” 421, and again: “And if Christ is in us, then the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness.” 422 Therefore, father, if someone knows that all this, said before, does not happen in him clearly, let him sit in solitude 423 and mourn for himself that he has not yet become a servant of Christ, has not yet become a participant in His glory and divinity, but that his [position] is still implicit, and let him care more about his own [state] and stop experiencing the [deeds] of others, because no passionate [person] can ever dispassionately judge the actions of the brothers, just as a blind man cannot see sensory things, even if he holds them in his hands. I ask Your Reverence to pray for me, the unfortunate one, if only for the sake of Him who said: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God and thy neighbor as thyself” 424, pray for me, a sinner, hated for the sake of Christ 425, persecuted because “I desire to live piously in Christ” 426; condemned by everyone because I am the only one of all who honors my spiritual father and teacher. [Pray for me], whom they allegedly call a heretic because I teach everyone to seek grace from above and the conscious visitation of the Holy Spirit; that without this, no mortal can have forgiveness of sins and passions and abandonment of lusts, nor the honor of adoption, nor sanctification in general; that those involved in this 427 are not only free from all desires and passions and obscene thoughts, but remain gods in God, found themselves outside the flesh and the world and not only themselves became saints and, as it were, incorporeal in the body, but also look at all other faithful as saints - and not only as saints, but also as those clothed in Christ 428 and who have become Christs; and that he who has not acquired such eyes of his heart 429 obviously has not yet found himself in the light of Christ and is not involved in it, because this is how the light of Christ allows itself to be seen by everyone who through repentance is worthy to enter into it. He who has reached this measure, as it is said, sees everyone as if Christ, loves as if Christ, reveres as Christ and does not despise anyone who seems simple and insignificant to us, and also does not hate, blame, scold or slander anyone, and cannot bear to listen to slanderers. We, brothers, will also become like this, I tell them, because without this it is impossible for us to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Because I say this and proclaim that my father became such in the Holy Spirit, I am condemned by everyone as a proud and blasphemer, while the devil incites his servants against us and wages war to force us, who are trying to restore the seemingly dilapidated and darkened image of the Gospel life, to stop preaching in words and deeds the tradition of the Gospel and the apostles of Christ, so that from people who dare to be saved without communion and grace of the Holy Spirit, as well as dispassion, it was not hidden that they numbered themselves among the lost. But they slander me even more, hate and disgust me for what they should give thousands of thanks to me, who foretells this to them and speaks, urging them to achieve perfect virtue. According to their custom (τὸ καθ ΄ ἑαυτούς) they betray me to hunger, thirst and death because I do not deceive them and do not say: “Be of good cheer, we will all be saved without effort, labor, repentance and accurate keeping of the commandments of God.” Those who assert this subvert the entire teaching of Christ and His apostles. Let us not think or say such things. On the contrary, we will always boldly tell everyone that since we accept Christ as the true God and His disciples, we must certainly keep His words, we must repent of all disobedience and crime 430 and cry in heartfelt sorrow, if only we strive to be true Christians and want to achieve the blessings promised to us by God. May we all achieve them through the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Him glory to the Father together with the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. There may be an allusion to the rite of requiem (sedalene according to the 3rd canto). Wed: Rome. 13, 14; Gal. 3, 27. Compare: Eph. 1, 18; Col. 2, 3. † and from heaven he came and comes daily bringing and distributing [them] to the faithful Y a Wed: Matt. 25, 29; OK. 8, 18; OK. 19, 26 (the quote is a combination of all three passages). † My smallest Ys (not in the NT). 1John 5, 16 (with violation of context). Wed: Rome. 5, 12; Rome. 7, 9–11; or Rome. 6, 10 (with violation of context). † and to the derision of the Father and God YN (not in the NT). Wed: Rome. 6, 16. 19 (both verses combined into one) † apostatized from God YN. † and left darkened by YN. Wed: 1 Cor. 6, 17 (in the synod. translation: “connecting”). Wed: 1 Cor. 12, 18; Eph. 5, 30. OK. 3, 8; Matt. 3, 8–9 (both quotes combined into one). Daniel or Noah [cf.: Ezek. 14, 20 ] Y. Wed: Jer. 15, 1; Ezek. 14, 14–20. † that I say (διαθ ή σομαι) for each of you Y. III IV. V VI VII 1 Cor. 13, 12; Wed: Deut. 34, 10. Wed: Matt. 7, 22–23 (Luke 13, 27) † * Matt. 25, 12. In critical ed. (where from this point onwards for 20 lines the apparatus is absent due to a gap in the typescript) units are preferred. number "brother". Below and beyond. paragraph, however, plural is used. number. Wed: Acts. 7, 27 (Ex. 2, 14). wants to (secretly take possession of) Y. † then his actions will be announced [when reading Y, the translation is likely: then he himself will announce his actions] YN. † and he will be ridiculed by everyone as a crazy and insensitive Y; and will be ridiculed by everyone as crazy and insensitive N. Wed: Matt. 20, 21; Mk. 10, 37. Or: “presiding” (τῆς προεδρ ί ας). Wed: Matt. 23, 6 (see above: “pulpit” and allusion to Matthew 23, 7. 9)? In the original there is a play on words: καὶ τῶν ἀρχιερέων ἀχρειουμένων. Compare: 1 Tim. 6, 20; 2 Tim. 2, 16. Wed: Heb. 5, 1. 3 † 1 Tim. 2, 5. so... the solution will become clear: and Y will be clearer. In a somewhat free lane. Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev): “...and in the order in which you asked the questions, let clear answers follow...” See: Matt. 12, 10 par. (Luke 6:8; this episode is mixed with Luke 5:20). with the unworthy the worthy and, hiding in the mass of Y. pretending to be superior (προεδρ ί αν) to virtue (in the translation of Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev): pretending to be virtuous for the sake of the chairman [place]) Y Wed: Rome. 3, 12 (Ps. 13, 3)? for none of them is salt (cf. Matt. 5, 13 par.) YN. at least somewhat dissolute life of Y. monks... completely non-monastic < Y. This is ceded to Y by the clergy alone. In. 10, 27 (quoted with minor inaccuracies not reflected in the translation). From here to the end of the phrase < Y. therefore, they are the light of the world, as Christ Himself says: “No one, having lit a lamp, puts it under a bushel or under a bed, but on a candlestick, so that it may shine for everyone in the house” [cf.: Matt. 5, 14–15 † Mk. 4, 21; OK. 8, 16; 11, 33 ] YN. If each of the above finds himself having achieved every virtue that he hears and reads about in the sacred Scriptures YN (translated by Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev)). † in [its] change YN. And such could say to everyone with boldness: “We are messengers on behalf of Christ, and as if God Himself exhorts through us: be reconciled to God” 1 Wed: Matt. 10, 39; Matt. 16, 25 par. Wed: 1 John 1, 5; In. 1, 9, etc. For a further version of the ending in Y, see below in curly brackets. Wed: Ps. 118, 18; Eph. 1, 18. Wed: Matt. 12, 45; Matt. 16, 4. Eph. 2, 9 † * Rom. 3, 20, Gal. 2, 16, etc. Likewise with St. John Chrysostom (Conversations on Ev. from John 47, 5 // PG. 59. Col. 281 E) Compare: Ezek. 3, 18. 20; Ezek. 33, 6. 8. According to the conjecture of J. Paramel: “command.” This means St. Simeon the Reverent, spiritual father of St. Simeon the New Theologian Wed: Luke. 10, 16; 1 Thess. 4, 8. We read instead of εἰ δ ’ ο ὖ ν – εἰ δ ’ οὐ . In the original instead of dates. case – accusative. Wed: St. Gregory the Theologian. Homily 40 (On Holy Epiphany) // PG 36. Col. 372. Wed: Matt. 7, 1–2 † Lk. 6, 37. Matt. 10, 40 † Lk. 10, 16. Wed: In. 15, 10; In. 17, 6. Wed: Col. 1, 26; Eph. 3, 9. Wed: Acts. 6, 1. 7; Acts 9, 31; Ps. 39, 6. c*d In the original there is “one” (in the nominative case), but this is an obvious syntactic anacoluth. Wed: Acts. 20, 28; 1 Cor. 12, 28. Agraphon added to Isa. 24, 16 in the translations of Symmachus and Theodotion and found among early Christian writers. Wed: Matt. 7, 15; In. 10, 12; Acts 20, 29. The translation is conditional. Greek original: καὶ τὰ παρ ᾿ ἑαυτῶν εἰσάγουσι . English trans.: who put forward what comes from them. Per. St. Theophan the Recluse: “...They began on their own to do everything that would contribute to this salvation, as much as was possible for them...” Rome. 16, 17–18 (with minor inaccuracies). 2 Cor. 7, 15; Eph. 6, 5; Phil. 2, 12. OK. 6, 26–27 † Matt. 5, 44. OK. 18, 14, cf.: Luke. 14, 11; Matt. 23, 12. Wed: 1 John 2, 15; 1 John 3, 17. Matt. 7, 18 † Lk. 6, 43, cf.: Matt. 12, 33. Wed: Luke. 6, 45 † Matt. 12, 35. Wed: In. 5, 44; In. 12, 43. Wed: Gal. 1, 10; 1 Thess. 2, 4. Matt. 8, 12; Matt. 13, 42. 50. Life 18, 27 (words of Abraham), cf.: Job 42, 6. Wed: 2 Cor. 7, 15; Phil. 2, 12, etc. Lit.: like (grave) pillars with inscriptions (epitaphs). In other manuscripts: “and these are again different.” Further, the publishers suggest a lacuna. Wed: Matt. 10, 40 † Lk. 10, 16. Compare: Eph. 2, 21; Eph. 4, 16. Readings of the manuscripts vary: ὑποθέσθαι (option preferred by J. Paramel), ὑπερθέσθαι, καὶ ὑποδέχεσθαι. Per. St. Theophan the Recluse: “...benefited him according to his strength and promised to continue to do good forever.” English trans.: treat him as kindly as you possibly could, and even do more than this (with preference in the footnote reading ὑπερθέσθαι). Wed: Luke. 12, 14; Rome. 14, 4. Wed: In. 15, 25; Ps. 34, 19; Ps. 68, 5. Wed: St. Ignatius of Antioch. Romans IV, 4, 4. Compare: Εὐεργετιν ό ς. T. II. Ἀθῆναι, 1981 Σ. 268; St. John Chrysostom. Will announce. volume. I, 21: 15 ff. (SC. 366. P. 158). In. 12, 36; 1 Thess. 5, 5. Wed: In. 1, 9; In. 3, 19. Wed: In. 8, 12; In. 12, 35; 1John 1, 6; 1John 2, 11. Wed: Matt. 15, 14; OK. 6, 39. These expressions are found in the prayer of St. Simeon the New Theologian, preceding the collection of his hymns (SC 156. P. 150. 152). The phrase “non-evening light” is also found in Byzantine hymnography. Gold or silver coin. Wed: St. Gregory the Theologian. Word XXXVIII, 5: 12 words. (SC 358. P. 110 et seq.) You can translate, as St. did. Theophan the Recluse: “as we said above” - that is, “word” with a lower case, and this possibility is noted by the commentator in the critical edition. However, it seems a fair interpretation that in this case Rev. Simeon still means Scripture (cf., for example: Mark 10, 17 ff. par.) or God Himself. Compare: Ezek. 3, 18. 20; Ezek. 33, 6. 8; OK. 11, 50–51. Wed: Gal. 6, 3 (singulars replaced by plurals). Wed: In. 14, 15. 21. 23. In the sense: tempting through the material. Prov. 3, 34, cf.: James. 4, 6; 1 Pet. 5, 5. ὅ σον τὸ ἐπ ΄ αὐτῷ μορφῶν ἐν ἑαυτῷ . Rus. lane St. Theophan the Recluse is ambiguous, although, as it seems, the translator, following the modern Greek paraphrase, refers both pronouns to the student: “... imagining in him [in modern Greek: ἀκροατ ή ν ], as much as possible, Christ, so that He is seen imagined in him and shines...” English. lane refers the first pronoun to the teacher, and the second to the student: “...so far as he can forming Christ expertly formed in each...” However, the reflexive pronoun ἐν ἑαυτῷ does not make it possible to refer it to the student, and not to the teacher himself. In fact, Rev. Simeon continues his thought that only the teacher who himself has achieved perfection can teach others. Wed: 1 Cor. 12, 8. 9. 28. In. 15, 19, cf.: John. 8, 23. Similar expressions are often found, sometimes literally, in the works of St. John Chrysostom. In the interpretative paraphrase of St. Theophan the Recluse, where the implied meaning and liturgical subtext are fully revealed: “He cannot intellectually contemplate the Divine Mysteries as if he saw Christ and God Himself, but sees only sensually the bread and wine that stand on the table and are visible sensually.” In the middle of the sentence, the author uses plural pronouns as a generalization for super-worldly existence, but at the end of the sentence he returns to the singular. Or: “To Him,” if the Holy Spirit is meant. You might be interested in: