Литургический аспект избранных мест писем апостола Павла в экзегетических трудах святителя Феофана Затворника

cleric of the Church of St. vlmch. Panteleimon, Krasnodar, teacher at Ekaterinodar Theological Seminary The legacy of St. Theophan shows us an example of the richest horizons, combined with the extraordinary depth of thought of a researcher in one field or another. The saint is revealed to us as an ascetic (in works on moral themes), a shepherd, father and interlocutor (in sermons and letters), as a translator. An important activity of the saint is the exegesis of Holy Scripture, both the Old and New Testaments. However, his interpretation of the Epistles of the Apostle Paul is particularly profound and original. These works of the saint are the subject of a study by Hieromonk Irenaeus (Pikovsky) “Interpretation of the Epistles of St. Apostle Paul by St. Theophan the Recluse,” which characterizes the exegesis of the Recluse: “And St. Theophan immerses himself in the text of Paul’s Epistles, gradually unravels the apparent confusion of expressions and weaves together from the lofty ideas of Paul’s theology simple moral imperatives for ordinary readers. Perhaps that is why numerous reprints of the saint’s lengthy interpretations are still in demand among the vast masses of church people, while the complex works of Glubokovsky to this day remain the lot of only a small group of academic scientists...” 437. Combining this thought with the awareness of the divine establishment (most often recorded in the Bible) of the liturgical tradition of the Church, as the saint himself writes, in the study of the liturgical heritage of St. Theophan we turn to the interpretation of selected passages of the letters of the Apostle Paul. The teaching about the Sacraments of the Church is most fully revealed in the Epistles to the Ephesians, Romans and Corinthians. It is in these tests that we find the disclosure of the Sacrament of Baptism (the saint often combined it with the Sacrament of Confirmation) as co-crucifixion, burial and adoption. It is in the first letter to the Corinthians that we find Paul's description of the celebration of the Last Supper. Analyzing the thoughts of individual interpretations (John Chrysostom, Theodoret of Cyrus, Photius, etc.), the saint synthesizes a special text understandable to his contemporaries. But this does not mean that originality ends with synthesis, systematization and unification. Often the saint expresses his personal experience of a spiritual view of the Bible (without going beyond the context of isagogy), and sometimes makes moralizing conclusions. To begin with, we will see how Saint Theophan generally looked at the Sacraments. Next, we will move on to each of the “perfect” Sacraments separately: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Repentance. Finally, we will examine the question of the Church Assembly. There are two contexts for using this term: a) “Just as the Apostle, who heard verbs in heaven and saw things there, could not convey it in words, so it happens with all Christian contemplatives. With their minds, in the mystery of salvation, they see many things that they are not able to express in words” 438; b) “From them is the word of truth, from them is the grace of the Spirit, given through the sacraments established by them and warmed up through all other ranks and orders of the church” 439. Thus, we see that we have one Sacrament - the Sacrament of Salvation, but we are combined with this Sacrament in specific rites and orders of the Church, which, due to their purpose, are also called Sacraments. Their actions are the union of God (subject) with man (object). The saint speaks so succinctly about this: “Combination with the Lord is accomplished through the sacraments,” 440 in which all grace is bestowed upon a person in full. Participation in the Sacraments reveals the secret of unity - unity in spiritual life, because... “born by the one grace of the Holy Spirit in Christ Jesus from one mother’s womb - the holy font; drunk with the same waters of grace-filled gifts from a single source - Confirmation; we wash ourselves in a single bath - in the tearful waters of the Sacrament of Repentance; We feed on one incorruptible food from one Table, the Sacrament of the Most Pure Body and Blood of the Lord” 441. Saint Theophan distinguishes the initial Sacraments - Baptism and Confirmation - into a separate group. Also Baptism, Confirmation and Communion - “these divine sacraments were called perfect, because they performed a Christian” 442. The Sacrament of Baptism is the most pressing topic for the bishop. For example, in the Epistle to the Ephesians, Baptism is spoken of about 70 times, the Eucharist - 7, Confirmation - 12. The same can be seen in the rest of the interpretations studied. Speaking about the Christological aspect of baptism, the saint uses an interesting expression: “...believers who are incarnate into Christ through baptism.” 443. The nature of this unity is also expressed as compassion with Christ (“They were truly convinced of this power and wisdom when they buried the Crucified Lord in baptism and tasted the saving power of the cross” 444). The pneumatological aspect reveals the mystery of the Trinity, when in Baptism union with Christ occurs through the grace of the Holy Spirit, and through Him with the Father. The fruits of Baptism for humans, or the anthropological aspect, are interesting. Dying with Christ, a person dies to sins, but is also resurrected with Christ, filled with holiness, which has expression in the physical world - fulfillment with light. However, the Recluse explains: “but we must keep in mind that in this mortification of sin through baptism, nothing happens mechanically, but everything is accomplished with the participation of the morally free decisions of the person himself” 445. Empirically, this is expressed in negation from Satan and union with Christ. All this leads a person to a special relationship with God, sensitivity of conscience and hatred of sin. Baptism, according to the saint, connects a person with the Sacrament of Salvation in the following way: “The Blood of Christ, by its power, has already cleansed the sins of the whole world; but everyone is personally made cleansed by it when, by faith, he receives the sprinkling or irrigation of the blood of Christ. This is done mysteriously in the watery font of baptism, and then in the tearful font of repentance” 446. It may seem that this rather strict system is an artificial synthesis of various passages of interpretation and is connected with the thrust of the apostolic epistles. This is partly true, but we find a place where the saint expresses this teaching most fully: “The very content of these texts is understandable. The Lord gave Himself for the Church, deigning to suffer death on the cross. The Lord gave Himself thus, that He might sanctify the Church, or all believers through the sanctification of every Christian. How? - Having cleansed with a bath of water in the verb, that is, with holy baptism, in which the words are pronounced with immersion in water three times: in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These are the visible effects of holy baptism. Invisibly, the baptized person is immersed in the death of Christ, receives remission of sins and completely dies from a sinful life, and, emerging from the water, partakes of the power of the resurrection of Christ and is reborn to a new spiritual holy life. Baptized, not only in name, but essentially, pure and holy. This is done with everyone, therefore, with all those who come to the Lord, with the entire Church. The entire Church is holy, having passed through the cleansing and sanctifying bath of rebirth. Let him introduce himself. These words show why this was instituted, so that everyone should pass through the font of baptism” 447. Interpreting the words of the first Epistle to the Corinthians: “And I, brethren, could not say unto you as spiritual, but as carnal, as a child in Christ” (1 Cor. 3:2), Saint Theophan reveals the idea of ​​Baptism as the beginning of spiritual life, which is affirmed in the next Sacrament - Confirmation. A special feature of the saint’s interpretation is the connection between the Sacrament of Baptism and Confirmation. Confirmation is very rarely mentioned separately. The saint also takes into account the peculiarities of isagogy and historical liturgics - the first centuries of Christianity are characterized by the absence of Confirmation, the Gifts of the Holy Spirit were sent down through the laying on of hands (“The Apostles received Him on the day of Pentecost. From them all the believers then received Him through the laying on of hands (confirmation). That’s how it began, and that’s how it still is. In whatever communities there is no this sacrament, there is no Spirit of God. If without the Spirit There is no knowledge of God’s true Christianity, then the consequence is obvious. One can speak, but not to those taught by the Spirit” 448). If in Baptism a person receives the firstfruits of salvation, the grace of the Holy Spirit, then in Confirmation we are confirmed in salvation, we accept the gifts of the Spirit Himself (“In this sacrament the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given, which is the infusion of the Spirit” 449), we become Christ’s and even Christ Himself. “Receive the Spirit and, by His power overcoming passions, then live holyly according to the commandments, in the hope of a blessed life in eternity and sanctification” 450. A terminological feature of St. Theophan the Recluse is the designation of the Sacrament of the Eucharist through the Sacrament of Body and Blood, which St. John Chrysostom uses in his exegesis. In the Epistle to the Corinthians, following the Apostle Paul, he affirms the Mystery of the Body and Blood: b) It prefigures the Old Testament Sacrifice (“The power of the word is that we enter into communion with the body and blood of the Lord; but both dogmatic truths about the sacrament of the Eucharist are also affirmed, the first, that in this sacrament a sacrifice is made, and the second, that bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of the Lord” 451). c) In Her the true Body and Blood of Christ are revealed. d) It has a timeless character (“This is My Body, “broken for you,” will not be broken for you, but is broken, thereby signifying the continuity of breaking and the incessancy of the sacrifice of the Body. - It is a sacrifice for the entire human race” 452). f) In it there is unity with Christ, and through Him - with God the Father (“in Holy Communion we are made worthy of the fact that He abides in us and we in Him - we become one with the Lord. And He is One with God the Father. And in this way a God-gracious chain of unity arose: we are one with the Lord Jesus Christ, He is One with God the Father, and through Him we are”). g) In it we unite with each other (“That exactly the reception of the Mysteries of Christ is the communion of His body and blood, this, although obvious and undoubted for all Christians, the Apostle considered it necessary to explain, or to prove, presenting a clear case in confirmation of this, that all those who partake, of which there are many, constitute one body, and the body of Christ”). h) The sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ is the acceptance of the most abundant influxes of grace (“What is the thought in the words: be filled with the Spirit? - The Spirit of grace dwells in Christians from the time of baptism and confirmation. But approaching the sacraments of repentance and communion is not the acceptance of the most abundant influxes of grace?” 453). i) The Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ - the proclamation of His death (“By this solemn action you proclaim to everyone about the death of the Lord, namely, that the Lord, God incarnate, was on earth, Who died on the cross for our sins. It is not faith, not the word that proclaims this, but the communion of the Body and Blood, without a word, publicly speaks about this to everyone” 454). j) Whoever does not worthily receive communion is guilty of His death and accepts punishment, which can be postponed until time (“In the same way” - ωςε - so. Where does the conclusion come from? - From the essence of the sacrament. This bread is the Body of the Lord, and this cup contains the Blood of the Lord, true, and not in place of the true. Therefore, whoever partakes of them unworthily is “guilty of the Body and Blood The Lord." What does this duty mean? - That he kills the Lord and sheds His blood" 455). In essence, the saint expresses the meaning of the Eucharist in contrast to the Old Testament sacrifice and the New Testament sacrifice: “The meaning of the Old Testament sprinkling was: if you do not fulfill the law, you will pay for non-fulfillment with your blood. The meaning of the cup of the new covenant is, even if I had to shed all my blood, I will not depart from You and Your commandments, Lord. Just as the Lord shed His blood for us, so we must be ready to shed ours for Him. This is the essence of the new covenant. In response to our decision to sacrifice our lives for the Lord and faith in Him and His commandments, the life-giving Blood of the Lord descends inside as a cleansing and sanctifying force. Those who drink it do not take on the fear of death, but are filled with grace-filled inspiration, ready for all holy deeds and all hardships and sorrows” 456. Thus, as in the Sacrament of Baptism, we see a strictly developed system of relations that is not artificially synthesized. It reflects the completeness, simplicity and harmony of the Mystery of the Body and Blood, which is a connection with the main Mystery - the Mystery of Salvation. Repentance, as one of the fulfilling Sacraments, together with Communion, shows us the most abundant acceptance of the influxes of grace and not just the perception of grace, but the dissolution and even combination into one of the human soul and Christ. He looks very deeply at the cleansing of a repentant sinner: “Although everyone will appear in court, only the unrepentant will be condemned. Repentance casts out the bad from the soul; therefore, although this bad thing appears behind a person, it is not carried by him within himself. The repentant one will appear in court having no evil in himself; But what about the evil that is written down behind him? The grace of God will decide this. We believe, however, that tears of repentance will erase that record too, by the power of the Sacrament of Repentance, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.” All these actions find a response in the human heart, and now his will acts, which, having been sanctified, becomes vividly related to God: “How sensitive is his conscience, how correctly he evaluates all the present and, bypassing it, sees with hope only the invisible future” 457. A person decides not to live according to the spirit of this age. All this leads to internal changes in a person. Saint Theophan gives moral advice as a response to the action of grace: “So, in remembrance of the forgiveness of our unpaid debts in Christ Jesus, in baptism or repentance, with appropriate reflection, force yourself to forgive, and the grace of God will help you rise to the state of not being irritated by anything from those who oppose you and covering everything with mercy and meekness” 458. Having fulfilled all this with care, a person receives holiness as the assistance of Divine grace and human goodwill. Separately, one should highlight the attitude of the saint to divine services, the Sacraments, other rites and church meetings. Church meetings headed by a primate have the character of tradition: the apostles already gathered in this way and appointed primates for many cities. “There were no churches yet; gathered in houses. If the community of believers was large, they would gather in more than one house. For each such meeting there was a special leader with full authority to preside. This was the birth of many parishes in one place of residence - a city, town or large village" 459. Of particular interest is Saint Theophan’s interpretation of the words of the Apostle Paul: “Speaking to yourself in psalms and songs and spiritual songs, making melody and singing in your hearts to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19). Singing, according to St. Theophan, should lead a person to be filled with the Spirit, “continually singing songs to God, going deep into oneself and always arousing thoughts” 460, and not the other way around, when spirituality leads to singing. And then the first place becomes not euphony, but the content of what is sung in churches. “This is precisely the purpose of church songs, so that through them to kindle and fan the spark of grace hidden within us. The sacraments give this spark. To fan it and turn it into a flame, psalms, chants (hymns) and spiritual songs (odes) were introduced. They act on a spark of grace in the same way as the wind acts on a spark that has penetrated into a flammable substance” 461. It is church songs that the holy apostle indicates in psalms, chants and songs, since they are supposed to be sung to each other. These songs should be spiritual, i.e. meaningful and spiritual. The second requirement for songs is performance not only with the tongue, but also with the heart. All divinely established sacraments, ranks and orders lead to the warming of the Spirit, and these orders must be preserved with fear. The saint notes: “You cannot touch anything here with the intention of changing or canceling it: otherwise you will ruin the Church. And teaching and apostolic institutions are inviolable" 462. Having examined the exegetical works of Saint Theophan on the subject of liturgical themes, we were once again convinced of the depth of the approach of the Right Reverend Bishop. Setting the goal of the moral growth of the people of God, he placed Church theology as the foundation. Thus, he based his co-crucifixion with Christ in Baptism on union with Him in this Sacrament. The fruits of repentance lead to the holiness of every person. The theocentric liturgical-theological system reveals the main Sacrament of the Salvation of man, accomplished by Christ, Whom the Father sent, and assimilated in the Holy Spirit, appears in specific church rites and Sacraments. I would like to end the speech with a quote from St. Theophan: “Psalms, hymns, odes presuppose primarily praise of God - an image of the endless perfections of God, worshiped in the Trinity, and His immense works of creation, providence, redemption and the expected accomplishment of all kinds. But enter into the contemplation of all this, you will see that the main subject of Divine care was, and is, and will be man, placed high in creation, deeply fallen in the fall and raised high in restoration; that this good of restoration is already in action and that those who sing are made partakers of it, not only called to this, but also already eating its fruits. From here comes thanksgiving by itself, thanksgiving in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who saved everyone and saves everyone, thanksgiving to God and the Father, by Whom, through the economy of salvation, we are adopted as sons, not nominally, but essentially, becoming one with the Lord and being reborn by the grace of the Holy Spirit" 463 . Irenaeus (Pikovsky), hieromonk. Interpretation of the Epistles of the Holy Apostle Paul by Saint Theophan the Recluse // Scientific theological portal. URL: http://www.bogoslov.ru/en/text/561751.html Interpretation of the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Ephesians. Ed. 2nd. M., 1893. P. 314. Theophan (Govorov), St. Interpretation of chapters IX-XVI of the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Romans. Ed. 2nd. M., 1890. P. 301. Theophan (Govorov), St. Interpretation of the first Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Corinthians. Ed. 2nd. M., 1894. P. 128. Interpretation of the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Ephesians. Ed. 2nd. M., 1893. P. 482. Theophan (Govorov), St. Interpretation of the first eight chapters of the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Romans. Ed. 2nd. M., 1890.S. 440. Interpretation of the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Ephesians. Ed. 2nd. M., 1893. P. 545. Theophan (Govorov), St. Interpretation of the first Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Corinthians. Ed. 2nd. M., 1894. P. 142. Theophan (Govorov), St. Interpretation of the first Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Corinthians. Ed. 2nd. M., 1894. P. 464. Interpretation of the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Ephesians. Ed. 2nd. M., 1893. P. 525. Theophan (Govorov), St. Interpretation of the first Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Corinthians. Ed. 2nd. M., 1894. P. 535. Theophan (Govorov), St. Interpretation of the first eight chapters of the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Romans. Ed. 2nd. M., 1890.S. 197. Interpretation of the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Ephesians. Ed. 2nd. M., 1893. P. 471. Theophan (Govorov), St. Interpretation of chapters IX-XVI of the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Romans. Ed. 2nd. M., 1890.S. 294. Interpretation of the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Ephesians. Ed. 2nd. M., 1893. P. 528. Interpretation of the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Ephesians. P. 529.