Letter to your Church

“Letter to his Church” (35 chapters) - an autobiographical narrative of St. Gregory Palamas, addressed to the flock and members of the Thessalonian Metropolis. The work covers the events of the period when the author was captured by the Turks and taken prisoner. Among the main aspects of the text are the defense of the Christian faith, the reflection of Orthodox views on eschatology, and discussions with representatives of Islam regarding the foundations of faith and the history of relations between the two faiths. The saint describes in detail the conditions of captivity, the difficulties of travel and the trials endured by him personally and other captive Christians. The message describes a dispute with the Chions (Muslim theologians). St. Gregory Palamas criticizes Muslim ideas about Christian doctrine, especially regarding the nature of Christ and the role of the prophets. The author instructs readers to correctly understand the commandments of the Gospel and encourages them to embody their faith in deeds. He discusses the purpose of Christian life and emphasizes the importance of the personal responsibility of every Christian before the face of God. The letter dates from the last part of the captivity, when he was imprisoned at Nicaea, that is, around the spring of 1355. *The full title of the work is “A Letter Sent by a Captive from Asia to His Church.” *Title of the work in Greek – ᾿Επιστολὴ ἥν ἐξ ᾿Ασίας, αἰχμάλωτος ὤν, πρὸς τὴν αυτοῦ ἐκκλησίαν ἀπέστειλεν. See also: St. Gregory Palamas on Islam 1. Humble Metropolitan of Thessalonica to all the children and brothers of my humility, beloved in the Holy Spirit, the most God-pleasing bishops, the rulers of the Church, and through them to all who thirst to know about our affairs: may God generously grant you His eternal mercy and grace and peace (Rom. 1:7). 2. Really, the judgments of God, I want to say, His providence in relation to us, are “a great deep” (Ps. 35:7), because the height and depth of His wisdom are incomprehensible - we learned this from the revealed David. However, there are people who, I would say, out of weakness of mind, as if dizzy from the judgments of God, in agony and a terrible fall, or impiously deny Providence, or recklessly condemn the way of life of those who are in misfortune, or even sometimes consider virtue and faith itself, to their shame, empty and meaningless. A prudent person, the more he contemplates this abyss and reaches the heights through reflection, the more he expresses his amazement at the invisible and visible. 3. I will tell your mercy what, at least, I understood about Divine Providence, being carried captive into Asia and observing how Christians and Turks lived and walked intermingled, ruled and were subjected. It seems to me that as a result of this state of affairs, the deeds of our Lord Jesus Christ, God above all, are announced to the greatest barbarians of all barbarians so that they will not be unrequited (Rom. I, 20) during the coming Last Judgment, which is already close. Because of this, we, as can be seen from what happened, were delivered into their hands. At the same time, this was also a light punishment for our many sins before God, since those who now suffer from evil are given over to fire, but weak, while those who cause evil, if they do not repent of unbelief and cruelty, will face unquenchable fire. 4. And if the literary attraction, long abandoned by me, had not left almost completely from my soul, I would never have found a subject that was most suitable for me and provided such abundant material for literary work. In particular, I could tell in it about the deeds of our rulers, for we sailed together to Tenedos on the royal trireme (from there I went to Bithynia and Mesophinia). Thus, I had the opportunity to know everything about the activities of Constantinople both on land and at sea, and on the other hand, about what I hesitate to call the punishment and deprivation of mercy from above for our people - I mean, first of all, the earthquake of this year, which, as the poet says, not only destroyed houses and property, but also made bodies and souls the prey of dogs and all kinds of birds of prey, endowed with reason and lacking it. However, in order not to upset you, who are eager to know about my affairs, by complete silence, I will tell you, to the best of my ability and ability, some of what happened to me. 5. So, a few days after this earthquake, we boarded a ship of eight hundred medimni departing from Tenedos - oh, if we had not done this! - and sailed with a fair wind, but with a tyrant captain, and, most likely, just a fool and an enemy of his ship. While we were sailing towards Gallipoli, the wind changed direction and blew towards us. We did not retreat and, instead of sailing where the wind was pushing us, we preferred to resist it - and this at night and in bad weather! Having found ourselves in extreme danger as a result of the gallant actions of the glorious captain, we, having finally come to an agreement, turned back, submitting to the onslaught of the wind - and it was a fierce north wind, which carried us back to Gallipoli. But since, as a result of the earthquake in question, this city fell into the hands of the Achaemenids - whom we now call Turks - and it was impossible to moor at its pier, we moved a little further and, having dropped all anchors, made a stop near the coast. 6. At dawn - the wind had not died down at all by this time - we all saw the Turks moving in battle formation by land and sea. Since there were a great number of them, and the rowers rowed very quickly, it seemed that they connected the opposite continents, in a hurry to attack from the eastern continent the Romans living opposite them for the purpose of robbery. Since all this was happening before our eyes, we all began to ask the captain to return to Tenedos, so as not to become prey to the Turks on our mountain. But since he did not agree, we, unfortunately, who had him as captain at that moment, foolishly entrusted ourselves to this sea robber, and offered him gifts, and all promised him a rich reward. We also pointed out to him the inevitable danger prepared for us, dangling at anchors, if the wind weakened. He continued to persist and braved the expected attack of the enemies. But when the north wind died down, the barbarians attacked our ship with their ships, which were more warships than small transport ships. The battle began, and, needless to say, we were pitifully captured in considerable numbers. 7. And so we were brought all together first to Lampsacus. Immediately from that moment, my fellow captives and I had common hardships associated with slavery: we were deprived of clothing and the most necessary things; we experienced all kinds of bodily suffering, but my internal organs still hurt, pus was oozing from my body, my limbs were almost paralyzed. In addition to everything, the barbarians heard a clearly favorable noise for me raised by the local Romans, who in immoderate words praised my upbringing and personal qualities and publicly discussed the struggle that I waged in defense of the Church - so they said. They placed it above all current battles, which, in my opinion, does not contradict the truth, or rather, I find it true only in essence. This excitement, however, had absolutely no benefit for me, since it gave rise to the hope of the leader of the barbarians to receive several thousand nomisma from me, and embittered those who share the dogmas of the barbarians against me, so much so that it aroused some of them to attacks on me and to quarreling with words, and in view of the fact that their argumentation in everything else turned out to be weak, they referred to our captivity as evidence of the unreliability of our religion. 8. This wicked, God-hating and criminal race boasts that it prevailed over the Romans thanks to its love for God, not knowing that this “world lies in evil” (1 John 5:19) and most of it is dominated most often by evil people, slaves of the underworld, who overcome their neighbors by force of arms. That is why the entire period before Constantine, who, while reigning, was truly guided by the love of God, idolaters owned almost the entire ecumen, and after him, again for a long time, it was ruled by people who were in no way or almost no different from them. Therefore, it seems to me that the same thing happens to these people, who boast because of their depravity, as with the Greeks, who, in the words of the Apostle, were given over to a “perverted mind” (Rom. I, 28), for, having known God, “they did not glorify Him and did not give thanks” (Rom. I, 21) to Him as God. After all, these people also knew Christ - they say that He is the Word and Spirit of God and, in addition, that He was born of a Virgin, acted and taught in a Divine manner, was taken into heaven, remains immortal and must come to judge the whole world. Having come to know Christ in this way, they did not glorify Him as Christ, that is, as the God-man and the Word, but “replaced truth with lies” (Rom. I, 25) and believed in an ordinary mortal man who was buried - we are talking about Mohammed - they thanked him and followed him. And this is instead of following the God-man and the immortal and eternal Word, the One who, if he tasted death in the flesh, it was only in order to destroy death (Heb. 2:14) and become the Founder of eternal and pure life, which could never be given as a result of the passions, death and resurrection of an ordinary person. This is why everyone who resurrected and lived our mortal life died again. “Over Christ, who has risen from the dead... death no longer has power” (Rom. 6:9), and, moreover, He foretells the future, and eternal life. So, the people in question, because they, having known Christ, “did not glorify or give thanks” (Rom. 1:21) God gave him over as Christ to a perverted mind, passions and dishonor, so that they live shamefully, inhumanly and ungodly, like Esau, hated by God from childhood and deprived of his father’s blessing: they live with a bow, a sword, in debauchery, finding pleasure in the enslavement of people, killing, robbing and kidnapping, indulging in outrage, debauchery, sin of Sodom. And they not only do all this, but also, due to some kind of madness, believe that God approves of their actions. This is what I think about them now, having better known their way of life. 9. Let it be known to you that we were surrounded there by a large crowd of men, women and children: some of them wanted to confess and receive a cure for illnesses of the soul, others wanted a solution to certain problems relating to faith, the majority asked why our people were so abandoned by God, and others mourned the misfortune that had happened to me. And so, after we spent seven days there, and on the seventh day we underwent explanations with the barbarians, who were trying to identify the possibility of increasing the amount of our ransom, we were led along the road to Pygamy. And if I wanted to talk about the suffering that we had to endure during this journey, I would not have enough ink, which I now have in abundance, or paper. 10. So, in three days we were brought to Pigi. And first of all, we, overly exhausted by the road and what had happened during the journey, were left in the open air, despite the fact that the day was very cold. Then, after some time, the monks and I were separated from everyone, and again threats were used, which were unbearable even to hear, in order to force us to increase the price of the ransom. When they did not achieve anything - after all, the needs of the day are my entire fortune, and many witnesses could be found to this - when they did not achieve what they so strongly desired, they did not carry out their threats, but sent us to the church of Christ, which by His power is still preserved there and openly glorifies Him. After all the various storms that were discussed, this church seemed to us a calm haven. Both monks and lay people lived around it - truly a good haven for prisoners arriving there. From them we also received considerable consolation. 11. So, I and everyone who was with me were hospitably received by Eteriarch Mavrozounis, who stood out among others for his nobility. He provided us with shelter, and clothed us, deprived of clothes, and gave us food, for we were hungry, and gave us drink, for we were thirsty (Matthew 25:35); and moreover, he supported us for almost three months, and also freed us from communication with the barbarians. He asked us and presented us with the opportunity to preach, as is customary, in the Church and to comfort spiritually both local Christians and the captives brought there. 12. After the lapse, as I have already said, of approximately three months, we, as if torn from this place by the hand of the wicked, were taken to Prusa, where we arrived on the fourth day of the journey. In Prus, those who stood out among Christians for their wisdom, meeting with us, touched upon important issues, and this at such an unfavorable moment - after all, we were surrounded by barbarians. But those who fought for piety did not take this into account, unexpectedly seeing before them someone who, in their opinion, could talk about the things they passionately wanted [to hear]. 13. Two days later we left Prusa and on the second day of the journey we arrived at some village located on a hill. It was surrounded by mountains located at a considerable distance from it and was buried in the shade of trees. This village, open to the winds blowing from one mountain peak to another, has an extremely cold spring and is distinguished by a fresh climate, even in summer. That is why the most powerful of the barbarian rulers spent the summer there. When I, along with other captives, was brought there, the grandson of the great emir sent his man to us to invite me, one of all the captives, to his place. And he sat down with me on the soft grass, surrounded by a small number of archons. After we sat down, I was given fruit and he was given meat. While eating, he asked if I never eat meat and why. When I answered him that it was necessary, a certain man came up from the side and, explaining the reason for his absence, said: “Only now I was able to fulfill the distribution of alms appointed by the great emir on Friday.” After this, a long conversation began about alms. 14. Ismail - that was the name of the grandson of the great emir - turned to me and asked: “Do you practice alms?” I replied that true almsgiving is generated by true love for God, and the more one loves God, the more one becomes truly merciful. He asked again if we accept and love their prophet Mohammed. Since I answered in the negative, he asked the reason. When I gave an explanation suitable for him and said that anyone who does not believe the words of the teacher cannot love the teacher as a teacher, he said: “You say that you love Es,” as he called Christ, “and at the same time you claim that he was crucified.” I agreed and quickly resolved the apparent contradiction by showing the voluntary character, the nature and glory of the passion of the Lord and the impassibility of the Godhead. Then he asked again: “How can you worship a tree and a cross?” I gave him an explanation for this as well, which God put into me. At the same time, I remarked: “You yourself will probably react favorably to those who revere your symbol and will be extremely displeased with those who insult it; the trophy and symbol of Christ is the cross.” He, still wanting to make wits about our religion and ridicule; her as wicked, said: “You say that God had a woman, for you claim that He begat the Son.” 15. I answered him: “The Turks recognize Christ as the Word of God, born of the Virgin Mary, whom we honor as the Mother of God. So, if Mary, who gave birth to Christ in the flesh, did not have a husband and did not need a husband, since she gave birth to the Word of God in the flesh, it is even more justified that God, giving birth to His Own incorporeal Word in an incorporeal and Divine image, did not have a woman and did not need a woman, as you unjustly assume. He, however, was not angry at this, although, according to those who know him, he is one of the most cruel people and vicious enemies of Christians. 16. And since after these words a torrential rain poured down, he jumped up and ran away, and I returned to the other captives and endured the downpour with them in the open air. In the evening, towards the end of the day, when the rain stopped, our guards, having gathered us all together, led us to the tyrant. And by his order we were taken to a neighboring region, which had been inhabited by Romans since ancient times and where the residences of the royal ambassadors were located. Thus, we had the opportunity to visit them every day and enjoyed considerable care and consolation on their part, although the difficulties associated with the harshness and severity of the climate and the lack of necessities for my illnesses could not be eliminated by their good desire. 17. Due to the fact that the emir had a liver disease, the good Taronitis, the most God-loving and beloved of doctors, arrived on call. He, who did everything for me, decided that it would be beneficial for me both morally and physically to move to Nicaea, and tried to convince the emir of this. And he asked him about me: “Who is this monk and what kind of person?” When he answered, the emir said: “I also have wise and outstanding people, they will enter into a dispute with him,” and immediately sent for the Chions, people who had studied nothing and were taught nothing by Satan, except shameless blasphemy against our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Taronitis, who was present at the debate and who himself saw and heard it, wrote down written notes about what happened and what was said after their arrival. Those who wish can learn about everything by reading the essay distributed to them. 18. Know that I have now settled in Nicaea, where, having some leisure, I briefly told your mercy about the events associated with my captivity, omitting what concerns our brothers in Christ, for His sake who found themselves in captivity with me. To give you an idea of ​​some of the similar events that took place in Nicaea, it should be said that the barbarians only attach guards to us when they are driving us from one city to another city or area. If someone would undertake to set forth in an essay the questions that the barbarians asked us, our answers to them and how they agreed with these answers, and in general all the conversations during the journey, it would be extremely pleasant for Christians to get to know him. But as soon as the guards had brought us to the place or city indicated by him, each of them went to his loved ones, allowing us to live where we wanted, visit what we wanted, and meet with whomever we wanted; I think that this is not without higher Providence. 19. So, when they left us free in Nicaea, according to their custom, we asked where in that city the most Christians lived. And having learned that such a place is the area near the monastery of St. Iacintha, we immediately appeared there and were received by the local residents, according to their desire and prayer. Inside the monastery, outside its walls, we found a beautifully decorated church and a well with fresh water, located between various kinds of shady and beautifully flowering trees, their shade and fragrance providing sufficient pleasure and tranquility. We stopped there, or rather, I stopped because I was alone. As for the most God-loving Chartophylak, who was brought before me to the emir, I still did not know exactly where he was settled, and hieromonks Joseph and my Gerasim were already in Constantinople. And Constance Kalamaris at that moment was still alone in Prus. He lived in the house of the God-loving local resident who ransomed him, since he had not yet fully paid him the ransom for himself. He remained there until I, having arrived in Prusa, with the help of God, or rather, with the miraculous help of God, completely redeemed him and he became free. I didn’t take it with me then, because I didn’t know where I would stay. Now, summoned by my letter, he lives with me and serves me: free - to captive. Let this be an addition to the amazing stories: a captive gives freedom to his fellow captive and, not being master of himself, has a free man in his service! 20. So, as I already said, I settled alone then. The next day I went out to inspect the eastern gates of the city, as they were called, because they were closest to me. What can we say about the height and beauty of buildings and military fortifications? The city in this regard is significant in all respects, although this is now of no use to it. When I passed the gate, not far from it in an open place I saw a cube carved from marble, which seemed ready to be used for some purpose. And then I asked the people who were here what the purpose of this cube was, placed outside the city, but in close proximity to it and, thus, having some purpose. They explained to me what this cube is for. Our conversation had not yet ended when we heard screams coming from the gates of the city and, turning towards the sound, we saw a group of barbarians carrying the deceased and heading straight towards the cube. We stood aside and, moving slowly, began to stay at such a distance from them that we could see and hear what they were doing and saying. 21. In deep silence they all approached the cube. Those present - most of them took part in this - lifted the coffin with the deceased covered with a white shroud and solemnly placed it on the cube. Then they positioned themselves around, and in the center stood one of the tashimans - that’s what they call the servants of their churches. Raising his hands, he screamed, and they screamed too. And this was done three times. After this, those who were supposed to bury the deceased lift the coffin and carry it further, and the rest, along with the Tasiman, return home. 22. Then we return and after them enter the same gate. Seeing that the Tasiman with some others sat down in the shade falling from the gate to enjoy the freshness of the air - after all, it was July - and opposite him, as one might assume, were Christians, we sat down too. So, as I sat down there, I asked if anyone knew both languages ​​to help me. When, indeed, such a person was found, I asked him to tell the Turks on my behalf: “I find the ritual performed by you there, outside the city, good: after all, you then, exclaiming; they asked for the deceased and turned to God - who else? I would be glad to know what you told God.” Through the same interpreter, the tasiman replied: “We asked God for forgiveness of sins for the soul of the deceased.” 23. After listening carefully, I said: “Okay. But it is always the judge who must grant forgiveness. However, you also believe that Christ will appear as the judge of the entire human race. Therefore, it is necessary to call on Him and turn prayers to Him. This means that you, just like us, call upon him as God, realizing that He is inseparable from the Father, as His natural Word. After all, it has never happened that God was dumb and was without His natural Word.” Tasiman replied: “The servant of God and the Christ.” I, in turn, told him: “My dear fellow, it is necessary, however, to keep in mind that He will judge, just as you say, “the living and the dead” (2 Tim. 4:1; 1 Pet. 4:5), who will rise and surround Him, who presides at the terrible and incorruptible Judgment during His coming coming. Abraham, your ancestor, is written down among you; After all, you claim that you honor what was written by Moses, and among the Jews, as you can see, this is sacredly preserved - so, Abraham says to God: “Shall the judge of all the earth act unjustly?” (Gen. 18, 25). Thus. The One who will judge the whole Earth is God Himself, who, according to the prophet Daniel, is the King of everything and for all times. Who is none other than the Father in Divinity, just as the sun’s radiance is nothing other than the sun manifesting itself in light.” Tasiman looked dissatisfied. After a short silence, he began to speak more verbosely, for many Christians and Turks had gathered to listen. So, he began to say that they honor all the prophets and Christ and the four books written by God, of which one is the Gospel of Christ. And in conclusion he said: “Why do you not accept our prophet and believe his book, which also came down from heaven?” 24. Then I said to him: “You and we have a custom, approved by a long time and law: without evidence, do not accept or regard anything as true. Testimonies are of two kinds: they come from the deeds and phenomena themselves, or from people worthy of faith. Thus, Moses punished Egypt with signs and wonders (Ps. 134:9), with his rod he forced the sea to part and close again, and at his will bread fell from the sky (Exodus 16:4). Is it necessary to say anything more, since you also consider Moses worthy of faith? He was recognized by God as His faithful servant (Num. 12:4), but not the Son and not the Word. Then, by Divine command, he ascended the mountain and died, and united with those who were before him (Deut. 32, 49–50). In relation to Christ, who performed many great and unprecedented deeds, there is evidence from Moses himself and other prophets. From the beginning of the century He alone is recognized, even by you, as the Word of God; He is the only one born from the Virgin from the beginning of the century; He alone from the beginning of the century was taken into heaven and remains immortal there; He alone from the beginning of the age, as they hope, will again descend from there to judge the living and the dead (2 Tim. 4:1; 1 Peter. 4, 5) who will be resurrected. I am saying about Him what you Turks also admit. This is why we believe in Christ and believe His Gospel. As for Mohammed, we find neither evidence about him from the prophets, nor anything unusual and worthy of mention in his deeds that could arouse faith in him. That’s why we don’t believe in him and don’t believe his book.” It was clear that what was said put the Tasiman in a difficult position, nevertheless he defended himself, saying the following: “The Gospel was written about Mohammed, but you destroyed this testimony. However, having left the extreme limits of the East, he, as you see, reached the West victoriously.” 25. I told him: “In our Gospel, absolutely nothing has ever been destroyed or changed by any Christian. After all, such an action entails heavy and terrible curses, and anyone who dares to destroy anything in the Gospel is more likely to reject Christ himself (Rev. 22:19). Therefore, how could a Christian do this? Could he be a Christian himself or generally accepted into fellowship by Christians, destroying what was written by God, what Christ Himself either wrote or predicted? On the other hand, the many different languages ​​in which the Gospel of Christ was expounded from the very beginning testify (to this), because from the very beginning it was not written in only one language. If anything (there) had been changed, how could it go unnoticed? How could different peoples still maintain a unity of meaning? The Gospel of Christ is also shared by many dissenters, whom we call heretics. Of these, some agree with you on a number of issues, but they cannot find confirmation of this in the Gospel of Christ. And even those who oppose us from the very beginning - and there are many of them - do not refer to anything like that. In fact, in the Gospel one can find clearly the opposite: how could it testify in favor of the opponents? Moreover, there is nothing in the Gospel that was not foretold by divine prophets. Thus, if anything favorable had been written in it regarding Mohammed, it would have been written in the prophets as well. But you can rather find it written and not crossed out that many pseudo-Christs and pseudo-prophets will come and they will deceive many (Matthew 24:5, 11, 24; Mark 13:6, 22; 1 John 4:1). Therefore, the Gospel calls: do not go astray after them. 26. Moses and the prophets who were from the beginning of the century before him and after him all returned to the earth through death and lie waiting for the Judge from heaven. If this had been the case with Christ, then after Him another would have come again, who would have ascended to heaven and put an end to it; after all, the limit to everything that is here is the sky. Since, as you also admit, Christ ascended into heaven, sensible people do not expect anyone after Him. Christ not only ascended to heaven, but He is expected to come again - and you agree with this. Therefore, He is both the one who has come and the one who is coming and the One whose coming is expected again (Rev. 1, 4, 8, 4:8), and by right we do not accept or expect anyone else. 27. He is expected to come again to judge people. Why? Because He, as He himself said, came and the light shone in the world - this is He and His teaching - and people loved who taught differently and wasted their time in pleasures, “rather than darkness rather than light” 1 (John 3:19). So, so that we do not experience this, the first of Christ’s disciples says: “There will be false teachers and false prophets who will introduce destructive heresies” (2 Peter 2:1) and “out of covetousness they will entice you with flattering words” (2 Peter 2:3), “and many will follow their depravity” (2 Peter 2:2). The other, in turn, says: “And even if an angel... were to preach to you a gospel other than what we have preached, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8). The evangelist says: “Every spirit that does not confess the Lord Jesus Christ who has come in the flesh is not from God” (1 John 4:3). Therefore, how can one who says that he is not from God and does not recognize Jesus as Lord who appeared in the flesh, acknowledge a book that says that he who affirms this is from God? This is impossible, impossible. 28. Let Mohammed, having set out from the East, go victorious to the West, but he won by war, sword, robbery, enslavement, and beating people. From this nothing can come from God, who is good. Rather, this is due to the will of man and the devil, who from the beginning is a murderer (John 8:44). Well, didn’t Alexander, having set out from the West, conquer the entire East? However, many others at different times, undertaking military campaigns, often took possession of the entire ecumen. No people entrusted their souls to any of them, as you did to Mohammed. However, he, using force and offering pleasure, did not attract even one whole part of the ecumen to his side. And the teaching of Christ, although it rejects almost all the pleasures of life, has embraced all the boundaries of the ecumen and dominates among those who are at war with him, without any violence and, rather, triumphing over the violence that is opposed to him every time, so that this is “the victory that has conquered the world” (1 John 5:4). 29. Meanwhile, the Christians who were nearby, seeing that the Turks were about to get angry, showed me with signs that it was time to stop talking. To defuse the situation, I said to those with a slight smile: “If we agreed with each other’s words, we would adhere to the same teaching. But let him who is able to understand understand the meaning of what is said” (Matthew 19:12) 2. One of them said: “The time will come when we will come to an agreement with each other.” And I agreed with this and expressed my wish that such a time would come as soon as possible. But why did I say this to people who, from the point of view of faith, live now differently than they will live when such a time comes? I agreed because I remembered the words of the apostle that “at the name of Jesus Christ every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Rom. 14:11; Phil. 2:10–11); this will happen, in any case, at the time of the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 30. With this the meeting that day dispersed. The mind wants to write about subsequent events, but the hand is powerless. And what is written, I wrote for you who want to know it: after all, children want to know what is happening with their father, and, above all, children who are aware of their spiritual adoption. 31. When I was with you, then, laboring in the word (1 Tim. 5:17), I taught everyone the way to salvation both in private conversations and publicly, without hiding anything, even if I seemed to some to be a difficult person; Thus, even now, not being with you and being tested, I write to you as briefly as possible, without hiding in any way, that our wealth is Christ the living and true God (1 Thess. 1:9), attested not only by God the Father and the prophets of God, but also by the very creations and deeds. Therefore, He rightly demands from us to Himself a living faith, true and attested by God and the teachers who are from God, and by the very creations and deeds. This will happen if we live according to the covenants of the Gospel. Thus, the spirit of gospel grace, according to the apostle, will testify with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs - heirs of God, “joint heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:16-17). 32. Such is living faith. After all, “faith without works is dead” (James 2:17, 20, 26), says another of the heralds of faith. The dead are unpleasant to the living God, since “God is not the God of the dead, but of the living” (Matthew 22:32; Mark 12:27; Luke 20:38). Consequently, he who does not do good deeds has dead faith and is himself dead, for he does not live in God and does not abid in Him, the Only One Who gives true and pure life. And so on until he, like the prodigal son, realizes what he has lost by leaving the affairs of life, and returns to God through works of repentance and hears from Him, like that prodigal son: “This son of mine was dead and is alive, he was lost and is found” (Luke 15:24). Thus, his faith will be alive. For faith, which is not confirmed by the works of salvation, is rather not faith, but unbelief; rather, not a confession of faith, but its denial. This is confirmed by the words of the one who said: “They say that they know God, but in deeds they deny, being vile and disobedient and incapable of any good deed” (Titus 1:16). Another of the apostles says: “Show me faith by your works.” 3. (James 2:18). And whoever believes, let him show his deeds by his good behavior (James 3:13). “What good is it...if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can... faith save him” (James 2:14)? No way! Do you believe that Christ is God, one with the Father and the Holy Spirit? You're doing well. However, “even the demons believe and tremble” 4 (James 2:19), saying: we know who You are, the Son of the Most High God (Mark 1:24). They, however, remain demons and enemies of God, for they resist God with deeds. 33. Be careful that the same thing does not happen to you as happened to these foolish ones, only not in matters of doctrine, as with them, not in relation to faith, I say, but in their way of life. After all, they call the One Born of the Virgin the Word of God, and His Spirit, and Christ, that is, the God-Man, and then in madness they run away from Him, as if He were not God, and reject Him. Beware that you too find yourself in the same position: calling the virtues and gospel precepts just and good and rejecting them by works, as if they were not such, presenting what is good as not good for you, but worthy of desire, as something to be avoided. 34. Say: will any of the infidels believe you when you say that you believe in Him who is virgin, born of a virgin Father timelessly and eternally, and later in time from the Virgin Mother, albeit in a supernatural way, who will believe you if you do not observe virginity or even observe prudence, but on the contrary, you are obsessed with passion for other people’s wives and indulge debauchery? How can you, drunk with wine and eating to the point of satiety, imagine yourself to be a son in spirit of Him who fasted in the desert for forty days and legitimized abstinence with His life? How can you, who love injustice, present yourself as such in relation to the One who calls you to judge and act righteously (John 7:24)? One who knows no pity towards the One who says: “Be merciful, just as your Father in heaven is merciful” (Luke 6:36)? One who loves wealth towards the One who calls those who become rich wretched (Luke 6:24)? Who does not show compassion and generosity towards those who make mistakes, and also neither meekness, nor long-suffering, nor humility towards Him who showed them by His deeds and Calls them to them by word? “Learn from Me,” He says, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). And again: If each of you does not forgive from your heart the sins of your brothers, your Heavenly Father will not forsake your sins (Matthew 6:15). And even while on the cross, He, setting an example for us, said to the Father: Do not lay this blame on those who crucified (Luke 23:34). 35. But someone will say: “He was God, therefore he stood above evil.” I could say a lot about this, but circumstances do not allow it. However, we also demand from you not divine, but human virtue. Show its beginning, and God will give its completion. Turn away from evil, come to the land of virtue, take up the work of repentance and, having shown patience, you will not only receive from God the crown of human virtue, but you will also acquire, along with this supernatural image, the divine virtues themselves through the entry of the Divine Spirit into you. This is exactly how the deification of a person occurs. For the one who unites with God through works of virtue becomes one spirit with God (1 Cor. 6:17) through the grace of the Divine Spirit. May she always be with you all (Heb. 13:25; Rev. 22:21) now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. “Whoever can contain it, let him contain it”: “Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith without my works”: “and the demons believe and tremble”: You might be interested in: