Огласительное поучение десятое

[To those preparing in Jerusalem for enlightenment, spoken without preparation, in the words: And in one Lord Jesus Christ; and also on the words from the First Epistle to the Corinthians: For although there are so-called gods, either in heaven or on earth, for there are many gods and many lords, yet we have one God the Father, from whom are all things, and we are for Him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and by Him we are, and so on. (1 Cor. 8:5–6).] 1. Those who have learned to believe in one God, the Father Almighty, must also believe in the Only Begotten Son, for he who rejects the Son does not have the Father either (1 John 2:23). “I am the door,” says Jesus (John 10:9), “no one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6). If you reject this door, then the knowledge of the Father is closed to you. No one knows the Father except the Son, and to whom the Son wants to reveal (Matt. 11:27). If you reject the One who reveals, then you remain in ignorance. The Gospel says this: he who does not believe in the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36). For the Father is angry for the rejection of His only begotten Son. It is painful for a king when a simple warrior is dishonored; his anger will increase when one of his most distinguished bodyguards or friends is dishonored. But if someone insults the Only Begotten Son of the King, then who will plead with the Father, irritated for the Only Begotten Son? 2. So, if anyone wants to be a pious worshiper of God, he must worship the Son, otherwise the Father does not accept service. The Father from heaven proclaimed this: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:17). The Father's favor in the Son; if your love for Him is not there, then you will not have life. Do not follow the Jews, who insidiously claim that there is only one God, but, recognizing one God, know that there is also the Only Begotten Son of God. I was not the first to say this, but the psalmist says on behalf of the Son: The Lord said to Me: You are My Son (Ps. 2:7). So, pay attention not to what the Jews say, but to what the prophets say. You are surprised that they reject the words of the prophets; They stoned and killed the prophets. 3. You believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God; in one we say, that the Only Begotten may be the Sonship; into one, so that you do not think that there is another; in one, so that you do not spread His wickedly variously depicted actions to many sons. It is called the Door, but do not apply this name to a wooden door, but to an intelligent, living Door that recognizes those entering. It is called the Path, not trampled under foot, but leading to the Heavenly Father. He is called the Lamb (Acts 8:32), not dumb, but cleansing the world from sins with His honest Blood; A Lamb that is led before the shearer and knows when to remain silent (see Isa. 53:7). This Lamb is also called the Shepherd, Who says about Himself: I am the good shepherd (John 10:11); Lamb by human nature, Shepherd by Divine love for mankind. And do you want to know that there are verbal sheep? The Savior speaks about this to the apostles: Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves (Matthew 10:16). He is also called a Lion, not devouring people, but through this name, as it were, showing His royal, strong and unchangeable being. It is called Leo in defiance of that lion, our enemy, who roars and devours those who are deceived. For the Savior who came, without changing His meek nature, like the strong Lion of the tribe of Judah, saves believers and tramples down enemies. It is called the Stone, not the soulless one that cuts off the hands of men, but the Stone of the cornerstone, in which the one who believes will not be ashamed (Is. 28:16). 4. He is called Christ, not anointed by human hands, but whom the Father anointed from eternity (see Acts 4:27) to the high priesthood, higher than man (see Heb. 7:3). He is called Dead, Who did not remain in hell like all the other dead, but Who alone was thrown along with the dead (Ps. 87:6). He is called the Son of Man, who did not come into being from the earth, like each of us, but who comes on the clouds (Matthew 24:30) to judge the living and the dead. He is called Lord (see Luke 2:11), not in the ordinary sense in which people are called, but as having natural and eternal dominion. He is called Jesus according to the thing itself, receiving his name from saving healing. He is called Son, not by adoption, but by natural birth. Our Savior has many names. So, so that the multitude of names does not give you the opportunity to think that many are sons, since erroneous heretics say that one is Christ, another is Jesus, and another is the Door, and so on, then faith warns you, correctly saying: in one Lord Jesus Christ, for although many are names, yet there is one Person. 5. The Savior benefits everyone in different ways. For those who want fun there is a Grape; he who demands entry becomes a Door; those who wish to offer prayers become the Intercessor Bishop; He is a Lamb to those who sin, so that he may be sacrificed for them. He is everything to everyone, remaining in His essence as He is. For, remaining unchanged and having the immutable dignity of the true Son, like some kind doctor and compassionate teacher, he bears with our infirmities. Being Lord in truth itself, he did not receive dominion by advantage, but the natural one has the right of dominion; and not in the ordinary sense, as we do, is called the Lord, but in fact he is the Lord, since he possesses His creatures by the will of the Father. For we have dominion over people equal and similar to us, and often over elders, and often a young master possesses old slaves. This is not the sovereignty of our Lord Jesus Christ. But first He is the Creator, then the Lord. First He created everything according to the will of the Father, then He possesses His creations. 6. Christ is the Lord, Who was born in the city of David (Luke 2:11). And do you want to know that Christ with the Father, even before he accepted humanity, is Lord? So that you not only accept these words by faith, but also have evidence for them from the Old Scripture, open the first book of Genesis, thus says God: Let us make man, not in My image, but in Our image (Gen. 1:26), and after the creation of Adam the Scripture says: And God created man... in the image of God created He him (Gen. 1:27). For Scripture does not only conclude the dignity of the Divinity in the Father, but also assigns it to the Son, in order to show that man is the creation not only of God the Father, but also of our Lord Jesus Christ, since He too is the true God. This Lord, who created together with the Father, assisted Him in the execution of Sodom, as the Scripture says: And the Lord rained brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven on Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:24). This Lord also appeared to Moses (see Ex. 3:2, 6; 34:5–6) as long as he could see Him. For the humane Lord always condescends to our weaknesses. 7. And in order to know to you that He is the same One who appeared to Moses, listen to the testimony of Paul, who says: for they drank from the spiritual stone that followed; the stone was Christ (1 Cor. 10:4). And in another place: by faith Moses left Egypt; He immediately says: and he considered the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt (Heb. 11:27, 26). This Moses speaks to Him: Reveal to me Your way (Exodus 33:13). You see, the prophets also saw Christ then, but how much each could contain. Reveal Your path to me, so that I may know You. God says: man cannot see Me and live (Ex. 33:20). So, since no one living can see the Divine face, therefore He took on the face of a man, so that, looking at him, we would be alive. When He wanted to show this too in some glory, when His face shone like the sun (Matthew 17:2), then the disciples fell from fear; If the illuminated physical face, however, not with the light that the Actor here could show, but which the disciples could bear, frightened them so much that they could not bear it, then who can look at the glory of the Divine? Great things, says the Lord, you desire, Moses, but I accept your strong desire and what you spoke about, I will do (Exodus 33:17), but as much as you can contain: I will put you in a cleft of the rock (Exodus 33:22). For how small you are, you will be in a small space. 8. Now you must strengthen yourself against the Jews by what will be said to you. For I intend to prove that the Lord Jesus Christ was with the Father. And thus says the Lord to Moses: I will bring all My glory before you and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you (cf. Ex. 33:19). Being the Lord Himself, what other Lord does he want to appeal to? Do you see how He secretly taught the pious doctrine of the Father and the Son? Then further it is written in these exact words: And the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there near him. And he proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed: The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin (cf. Ex. 34:5-7). Then Moses, bowing before the Lord, who calls the Father, says: let the Master go among us (Exodus 34:9). 9 . You have heard this first proof, listen to another, also clear: The Lord said to my Lord: sit on my right hand (Ps. 109:1). The Lord speaks this to the Lord, not to a servant, but to the Lord of all, His Son, to whom He has put all things under His feet. When it is said that all things are subjected to Him, it is clear that besides Him who put all things under Him (1 Cor. 15:27), etc., may God be all in all (1 Cor. 15:28). The Only Begotten Son is the Lord of all, the Son, obedient to the Father, who did not seize dominion, but naturally received it from the Autocratic Ruler. And the Son did not delight, and the Father did not refuse to give. The Son Himself says: All things have been handed over to Me by My Father (Matthew 11:27), not as I did not have them before, and I keep them carefully, taking nothing away from Him who gave them. 10. So, the Son of God is the Lord, the Lord, who was born in Bethlehem of Judea, as the angel announced to the shepherds: I bring you good news of great joy... for today a Savior has been born to you in the city of David, who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:10–11). In another place, one of the apostles says about Him: He sent a word to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ; This is the Lord of all (Acts 10:36). When He speaks of all, do not exclude anything from His dominion, even if it were Angels, or Archangels, or Principalities, or Powers (see Col. 1:16; Eph. 1:21), or anything else that is called the apostles, created - everything is under the dominion of the Son. He is the Lord of Angels, as it is written in the Gospel: Then the devil left Him, and behold, the Angels came and served Him (Matthew 4:11), for it is not said that they helped Him, but: they served Him, which means a slave state. When He wanted to be born of the Virgin, then Gabriel served Him, entering into his dignity to serve Him. When He wanted to go to Egypt to destroy the hand-made gods of Egypt, the Angel again appears to Joseph in a dream. After His crucifixion and resurrection, an Angel preached the gospel and said to the wives, like a good minister: go quickly, tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead and is going before you to Galilee... Behold, I have told you (Matthew 28:7). As if he said this: I did not violate the command, I confirm that this was told to you, therefore if you despise this, then it is not I who will be guilty, but those who despised it. So, this Jesus Christ is the only Lord, about Him the current reading says: For although there are so-called gods, either in heaven or on earth... and so on, but we have one God the Father, from whom are all things, and we are for Him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we through Him (1 Cor. 8:5-6). 11. Jesus and Christ are two names. Jesus, for Christ saves, for he is priest; and, foreseeing this, the divine prophet Moses gave these two names to two men, chosen from among all: one successor to his power, Joshua, renamed Joshua; He called his other brother Aaron Christ, in order to represent in the two chosen men the high priestly and royal dignity of the one Jesus Christ who was to come. For Christ is the High Priest, just as Aaron was. Because it was not Himself who appropriated the glory of being a high priest, but He who said to Him: You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 5:5-6). And Joshua typified him in many ways. For he, having accepted rule over the people, began it from the Jordan, from where the baptized Christ began to preach the Gospel. The son of Nun appointed twelve men to divide the inheritance, and Jesus sent twelve apostles, preachers of the truth, into the whole world. The forerunner Jesus saved the believing harlot Rahab, and the true Jesus says: publicans and harlots go ahead of you into the Kingdom of Heaven (cf. Matt. 21:31). Before the people who formed it, the walls of Jericho fell from one exclamation, and as a result of the words of Jesus: there will not be left here one stone upon another (Matthew 24:2) - the Jewish church opposite ours fell. This saying was not the cause of the fall, but the sin of the lawbreakers was its cause. 12. There is one Lord Jesus Christ, a wonderful name, about whom the prophets secretly proclaimed; The prophet Isaiah says: your Savior is coming... and His reward is before Him (Is. 62:11). Jesus means the Savior to the Jews, for prophetic grace, foreseeing the murderers of the Lord of the Jews, covered up this name so that they, having clearly recognized it, would not hasten to commit evil. It is clear that Jesus was not called by people, but by an Angel, who did not come of his own free will, but was sent by the power of God and said to Joseph: Do not be afraid to accept Mary your wife, for what is born in Her is of the Holy Spirit; She will give birth to a Son, and you will call His name Jesus (Matthew 1:20–21). And he immediately presents the reason for this name, saying: He will save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). Think about how He could have had people before He was born, if He had not existed before He was born? And this is what the prophet says on His behalf: from My mother’s womb He called My name (Is. 49:1), since the Angel foretold that He would be called Jesus. And again about Herod’s malice he says: He covered Me with the shadow of His hand (Is. 49:2). 13. So, Jesus means Savior to the Jews, and Physician in Greek. Because He is the Physician of souls and bodies and the Healer of spirits, the Healer of those blinded by sensory eyes and at the same time the Enlightener of minds. Physician of the visible lame and Guide of sinners to repentance. He says to the paralytic: sin no more (John 5:14), and take up your bed and walk (John 5:8). For since the body became weakened due to spiritual sin, He first healed the soul in order to impart healing to the body. So, if anyone suffers in soul from sins, he has a Physician. And if any of you is of little faith, let him say to Him: help my unbelief (Mark 9:24). If anyone is susceptible to bodily illnesses, let him not despair, but let him come to Him, for He heals them too, and let him know that Jesus is the Christ. 14. The Jews recognize Him as Jesus, but do not recognize Him as Christ. That is why the apostle says: who is a liar if not he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? (1 John 2:22). Christ is the High Priest, who has an everlasting priesthood (Heb. 7:24), Who did not begin to serve as a priest in time, has no other successor in the high priesthood, just as you heard when on the weekday in the assembly we offered teaching on the words: according to the order of Melchizedek (Ps. 109:4). He did not receive the high priesthood by carnal succession, not with prepared oil, but he was anointed from eternity by the Father and therefore excels more than others, because His priesthood was confirmed by an oath: for they were priests without an oath, but this one was with an oath, because it was said of Him: The Lord swore, and will not repent (Heb. 7:20-21). The will of the Father alone was sufficient for confirmation, but the image of confirmation is twofold; an oath is added to the will, so that in two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have firm consolation (Heb. 6:18), having received Christ Jesus, the Son of God. 15. The Jews rejected this Christ who came, and the demons confessed him. However, He was not hidden from the forefather David, who says: I will set up a lamp for My anointed (Ps. 132:17). Some understand the prophetic light through the lamp, while others understand the flesh received from the Virgin, according to the following words of the apostle: But we carry this treasure in earthen vessels (2 Cor. 4:7). He was not hidden from that prophet who says: He... declares to man his intentions (Am.4:13). Moses knew Him, Isaiah knew Him, Jeremiah knew Him. Every prophet knew Him. The demons also recognized Him. And He forbade them to say that they know, as it is said that He is the Christ (Luke 4:41). The high priests did not know, but the demons confessed. The chief priests did not know, but the Samaritan woman preached, saying: Come, see a man, who told me all things that I have done: is not this the Christ? (John 4:29). 16. This Jesus Christ is the High Priest of future blessings (Heb. 9:11), Who, according to the riches of His Divinity, bestowed upon us all His name. Kings of men do not have the name of king in common with men, but Jesus Christ, being the Son of God, has honored us with the name of Christians. But someone will say: the name of Christian is new and has not been used before, and everything that is newly revealed, because of the news itself, is for the most part rejected. In this case, the prophet warns us, saying: He will call His servants by another name, with which whoever blesses himself on earth will be blessed by God (Is. 65:15–16). Let us ask the Jews, are you working for the Lord or not? So, show us your new name. You were called Jews and Israelites under Moses and other prophets, and after your return from Babylon, and even to this day. So where's the new name? But we, because we work for the Lord, bear a new name. New, and, moreover, such a new name that it will be blessed on earth. This name flashed throughout the entire universe; for the Jews extend to a certain country, and the Christians extend to the ends of the universe. For the name of the only begotten Son of God is proclaimed. 17. Do you want to know that the apostles knew and preached the name of Christ, and even more so had Christ Himself within them? Paul says to his listeners: are you really looking for evidence that Christ speaks in me (cf. 2 Cor. 13:3)? Paul proclaims Christ, saying: We do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and we are your servants for Jesus (2 Cor. 4:5). Who is speaking? The one who drove him before. Great miracle! The one who persecuted before proclaims Christ. Why? Seduced by money? But there was no one to seduce him like that; or, seeing Him on earth, did He cleave to Him? But then He had already ascended to heaven. He went out to persecute, and after three days the persecutor preaches in Damascus, with what power? Others call witnesses to establish their case, but I presented you with a former enemy as a witness. Do you still doubt it? The testimony of Peter and John is important, but for others it is suspicious; for they were Christ's own. But when the one who was previously an enemy dies for Him, who else will doubt the truth? 18. Speaking on this subject, I am truly amazed at the sight of the Holy Spirit, how He determined for the other apostles to write a small number of epistles, but for Paul, who was formerly a persecutor, the gifts and power to write fourteen epistles. For He did not refuse this gift to Peter or John so that they would be worse, let it not be so. But so that the teaching would not be subject to doubt, I first gave the former enemy and persecutor the strength to write more, so that we would all believe in this way. They all marveled at Paul and said, “Isn’t this he who first persecuted in Jerusalem those who called on this name?” And that’s why he came here, to bind us and lead us to the high priests? (Acts 9:21). Do not be amazed, says Paul, I know that it is difficult for you to go against the pricks (Acts 9:5), I know that I am the least of the Apostles, and am not worthy to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the church of God (1 Cor. 15:9), but I did so out of ignorance (1 Tim. 1:13). For I thought that preaching about Christ was a violation of the law, and did not know that He came to fulfill the law and not to destroy: but the grace of our Lord... was revealed to me richly (1 Tim. 1:14). 19. There are many, beloved, true testimonies about Christ: the Father testifies from heaven about the Son. The Holy Spirit testifies, descending in bodily form in the form of a dove (cf. Luke 3:22). Archangel Gabriel testifies, preaching the gospel to Mary. The Virgin Mary testifies. The blessed place of the manger bears witness. Egypt testifies, having received the Lord, who was still a baby in body. Symeon testifies, taking him in his arms and saying: now you are releasing Your servant, O Master, according to Your word, in peace, for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all nations (Luke 2:29-31). The prophetess Anna, the most reverent faster and ascetic, also testifies of Him. John the Baptist, the greatest of the prophets, testifies, beginning the New Testament and in some way uniting both Testaments - Old and New - in himself. The Jordan River testifies, the Sea of ​​Tiberias testifies from the seas, the blind testify, the lame testify, the resurrected dead testify, demons testify, saying: What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth... We know You who You are, the Holy One of God (Mark 1:24). The winds, which ceased at His command, testify, the five loaves multiplied to feed five thousand testify, the holy tree of the Cross, still visible to us, testifies, and through those who with faith take parts from it, from here it has already filled almost the entire universe. The palm tree that was in the valley testifies and provided branches to all those who praised the Lord at that time (see John 12:13). Gethsemane testifies as if still noticing, showing Judas; the saint who appears on the heights of Golgotha ​​testifies; the most holy coffin and the stone, which still lies, testifies; testifies to the now shining sun, which darkened during the Savior’s suffering; the darkness that was then from the sixth hour to the ninth bears witness; testifies to the light that shone from the ninth hour until evening; the holy Mount of Olives, from which He ascended to the Father, bears witness; The rain-bearing clouds that received the Lord also testify; The heavenly gates that have received the Lord also testify, about which the psalmist speaks: Lift up your heights, O gates, and be lifted up, O eternal doors, and the King of glory will enter! (Ps. 23:7). Those who were once enemies testify, including Blessed Paul, who was not at enmity for long, but served Him for a long time; The twelve apostles testify, preaching the truth not only with words, but with torment and their death; the shadow of Petrov testifies, healing the sick in the name of Christ; witness handkerchiefs and aprons (Acts 19:12), which in a similar way, by the power of Christ, healed then through Paul; Persians and Goths and all pagan converts testify, dying for Him whom they have not seen with bodily eyes; witness the demons hitherto cast out by the faithful. 20. Such and so diverse and so many are witnesses; do you really not yet believe Christ, of whom they testify? So, if anyone was previously in unbelief, let him now believe, but if anyone was previously faithful, let him increase his faith by believing in our Lord Jesus Christ, and let him know whose name he bears. You are called a Christian, keep this name, so that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is not blasphemed by you, but let your good deeds shine before men, so that people, seeing them, glorify in Christ Jesus our Lord, the Heavenly Father (see Matt. 5:16), to whom be glory both now and unto ages of ages. Amen. You might be interested in: