Is your Christianity, the True and Ancient Christian Faith?
Do you really believe what the Apostles taught and practiced?
Do you continue the same practices?
With so many, spiritual individualists, and house church advocates, trying to “reinvent” the Christian Faith, ( most having grown weary of “organized religion,”) I thought it would be a good thing to write about The Faith of the Apostles that has never been lost in history, has never found a period of time in history where it was dormant, has never lost the authority passed to it by the Apostles.
When and where did this “Church of the Apostles” come into being?
Where was the upper room, when Doubting Thomas was present for the first time. When the Risen Lord Jesus turned his “disciples” into “apostles,” by breathing upon them, the Holy Ghost, for the purpose of guiding and teaching The Church. This Holy Spirit filled authority stands through the centuries, to this present day.
John 20:19-23 (KJV)
19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
All Protestants and Evangelicals simply dismiss this event, and teach rather that the Church started after Jesus' Ascension, and the general fall of the Holy Spirit on the 50th day, that is the Day of Pentecost.
Jesus before his Crucifixion, said to his disciple (not to the public in general), “When He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth. “ John 16:13.
We see right away that in the Apostolic Tradition the perception of Scripture is different. Where Protestant/Evangelicals read every sentence of the New Testament as if it is a general instruction, or a universal truth, The Church remains true to the “context” of Scripture as enlightened by the Church's Tradition, the Bible being one artifact of the Church's Tradition.
How important was it for the Christians to follow specifically the Apostolic Teaching and not bow to the temptation to “make things up”? Saint Paul said to Timothy, who he had consecrated Bishop, Timothy, 6:20 ff - “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing, have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.”
Saint Paul, pointing out the immutability of THE FAITH, which Jude admonished had be fought for, that is, contended for, protected from the false teachers and those inventing error, Jude 3, “Contend earnestly for the faith which was once, for all delivered to the saints” So says Saint Paul, in several ways, “O Timothy, Guard what was committed to your trust.” 1 Tim 6:20. “The things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Tim. 2:2. “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.” 2Th_2:15 Saint John Beloved said, “Let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.” 1 John 2:24. Saint Paul was so emphatic that the Teaching of the Apostles be held without error, that he makes this remarkable statement, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:18.
What does that say for Luther, Knox, Calvin, Zwingli, Hus, Cranmer, Henry the 8th and the rest of confused reformation heretics, all teaching competing and conflicting theology? And it speaks even more starkly to Mohammed, Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Eddie, Helen Blavatsky, L Ron Hubbard, and all others who have created demonic sects and anti-christ cults. None of them heard the Apostolic caution, “Avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife,” The Apostle Paul, 2 Timothy 2:23.
The error-teachers have been present in every age of the Church's history and we were and are instructed NOT to follow their innovations, even in minor things.
Saint Clement, Bishop of Rome, writing in the year, 96 AD, in the same era when portions of the New Testament were being penned wrote, “You are fond of contention, brethren and full of zeal about things which do not pertain to salvation.”
Writing in the same period, Saint Ignatius the third Bishop of Antioch wrote, “Study, therefore, to be established in the doctrines of the Lord and the Apostles.” Note, that Saint Paul was the first Bishop of Antioch, and Saint Peter the second Bishop of Antioch and Saint Ignatius the third Bishop of Antioch and he was also a student of Saint John the Evangelist who wrote the Gospel of John and the letters of John contained in the New Testament. Do you think this fellow was a heretic, admonishing that believers must be ESTABLISHED IN, both the doctrines Jesus taught AND those doctrines taught by the Apostles? Did not Jesus tell his disciples, who became his Apostles, “When He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth.” So the Gospel is not just the words of Jesus, but the testimony of the Apostles and the teachings of the Apostles, both as to teaching and practice. Without comprehension of the Tradition of the Apostles, one cannot intuit the meaning of the Apostle's words, nor understand their teaching, even the texts of the New Testament “in context.”
The Church holds the book called, the Didache, which was the very first general instruction to the Bishops and their churches. Many scholars date this book to as early as 80 AD, fully in the period that the Gospels – the Evangelion, and the other books of the New Testament, the Praxapostolos, were being written. It contains the practical Tradition, that is the Ortho-Praxis of the New Testament Church, how Bishops and other clergy were to be Ordained in Apostolic Succession, what were the qualifications of the same and how services were to be conducted and so on. By the way, the title Praxapostolos, was given to Acts, the Letters of the Apostles, and Revelations because they reflect not just the “teachings” of the Apostles, but their practices, “their tradition” as well.
The Apostolic Tradition of the Church was produced by the Holy Spirit filled Apostles themselves, and were not “an addition of man-made traditions” as the Protestants teach, but rather the practices for the purpose of Healing Salvation, intimately tied to the teachings, without which the teachings become mired in false interpretations. Eighty years later we have the record of Saint Theophilus writing, “I wish now to give you a more accurate demonstration of the historical period, God helping me. I wish to do this that you may see that our doctrine is not modern nor fabulous, but more ancient and true than all poets and authors who have written in uncertainty.” written in 180 A.D. “nor will any one of the Bishops in the Churches teach doctrines different from these (however highly gifted he may be as to eloquence) – for no one is greater than the Master. Nor, on the other hand, will he who is deficient in power of expression inflict injury on the tradition. For THE FAITH is ever one and the same. So he who is able to teach at great length regarding it makes no addition to it. Nor does he who can say but little, diminish it.” Saint Irenaeus 180 A.D.
“It is unlawful to assert that the apostles preached before they possessed 'perfect knowledge,' as some do even venture to say, boasting themselves as being improvers of the apostles. For, after our Lord rose from the dead, the apostles were energized with power from on High, when the Holy Ghost came down. (John 20:22 Not Acts 2 – since his reference was Jesus “risen from the dead” not Jesus having Ascended to the Father.) They were completely filled and had perfect knowledge. They departed to the ends of the earth, preaching the glad tidings of the GOOD THINGS sent to us from God.” Saint Irenaeus writing circa 180 A.D.
“ In this order, and by this succession, the ecclesiastical tradition from the apostles, and the preaching of the truth, have come down to us. And this is most abundant proof that there is one and the same LIFE-giving FAITH, which had been preserved in the Church from the apostles until, now, and handed down in truth.” Again Saint Irenaeus writing the same year. NOTE: (1) Order, Succession, Ecclesiastical Tradition FROM the Apostles, and (2) the preaching of the truth, TOGETHER these he describes as “the same LIFE-giving FAITH.” That statement of Saint Irenaeus is powerful, because it stands today as perfectly TRUE as it did the day he penned the text.
“It is not necessary to seek the truth among others, for it is easy to obtain it from the Church. For the apostles lodged in her hands most abundantly all things pertaining to the truth – just like a rich man deposits his money in a bank. Therefore, every man who wants to can draw from her the water of LIFE.” Again Saint Irenaeus circa 180A.D.
“True knowledge is that which consists in the doctrine of the apostles and the ancient constitution of the church throughout all the world. It also consists in the distinctive manifestation of the Body of Christ according to the succession of the Bishops. (There he gives the definition of the word “Catholic” – of the whole of those holding True knowledge, consisting of the doctrine of the Apostles, and the ancient constitution of the Church throughout all the world.) For by this they have handed down that church which exists in every place and which has come down even unto us. She is guarded and preserved without any forging of Scriptures, by a very complete system of doctrine. She neither receives any addition to, nor does she allow any diminishing of, the truths which she believes. True knowledge also consists of reading the word of God without falsification, but with a lawful and diligent exposition in harmony with the Scriptures, both without danger and without blasphemy. Above all, it consists in the pre-eminent gift of love, which is more precious than knowledge, more glorious than prophecy, and which excels all the other gifts from God.” Again, Saint Irenaeus circa 180A.D. By this Saint Irenaeus leaves no room to separate from the Church, THE LOVE that is Christ Jesus, which shines through her members, through her “mysteries/sacraments” through her teachings, through her Apostolic Authority, and through her Ortho-praxis. When someone makes the distinction, saying “God's love is real to me, but the Rituals of the Church are just man made tradition” – NO TRUE Christian could state such blasphemy, separating God's love from Christ's Body, The Church, and her teaching and her Apostolic Tradition. God's true love for man exists in ALL of these, they are the GOOD THINGS Saint Irenaeus previously mentioned, which the Apostles “departed to the ends of the earth to freely give,” which are still held by the Church and her members, on every continent of the globe, which are still given and practiced.
What do those in error do to keep from accepting this Apostolic TRUTH? They in late centuries, via innovative teachings, contrary to the Apostolic Tradition, redefine EVERYTHING, making it what it WAS NOT in the New Testament and Ancient Church. They redefine the place, function and Apostolic Authority of the Bishops, the Episkopos, making of them what they were NOT in the New Testament and Ancient Christian Church. They redefine the place, function, that is, under the authority of the Bishops, of the presbuteros, the priests, making of them what they were NOT in the New Testament and Ancient Christian Church. And so they make the Ecclesiastical Structure, handed down by the Apostles , a lie. In so doing, they even redefine the definition of CHURCH itself, again through innovation making it what it never was in the New Testament and Ancient Church. They redefine the Bible making it what it was NOT in New Testament and Ancient Church Times, nor has been in the entire history of the Church, the sole deposit of The Faith, ripping it from its Apostolic roots. All these innovations a few centuries old, have created 33,000 denominations of Protestants, and defy the witness of 2080 years of Church history, practice, witness and REALITY.
February 3, 2014
Archpriest Symeon Elias.
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