November 4, 2009 + Christ and Truth

from Christ and Truth by John Boojamra
from The Word, December 1964

The most important aspect of Christianity is truth. The central fact of the Christian faith is that of the Resurrection, and St. Paul says, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” (I COR. 15:14). Thus, our faith has its source in, and is dependent upon, an historical fact. The only valid and honest reason to believe in Christianity’s claim is that we have experienced the reality of God and believe that the fullness of his revelation is to be found within the Christian faith. The Church is firmly convinced that God has and continues to reveal his truth to and through her and that this truth is absolutely necessary for salvation. The New Testament and the Church’s history both attest to this belief.

Since the sixteenth century a large segment of Christianity has come to the belief, at least implied, that the truth of the Church has been lost and cannot be known. From this comes the idea that it does not matter what you believe as long as you lead a good life and are sincere in the beliefs you hold. This group of Christians on the whole also maintains that all that is necessary for salvation is to confess Jesus Christ as Savior. It does not matter, however, what or how you believe in him. Most Protestant Christians freely quote from St. Paul’s epistle to the Romans that all that is needed for salvation is a belief in Jesus Christ, but they ignore the fact that throughout the epistles Paul is passionately concerned not only about belief in Jesus Christ, but more importantly about right belief in him.

If we look at the accounts of the Book of Acts, the Epistles of Paul, and the history of the early Church, we will find that all record an unequivocal belief in and defense of the truth which God had delivered into the Church. We must realize that in an “ecumenical age” we can gain nothing by compromising this truth for a meaningless unity among various disagreeing Christian bodies. We must love our brothers in Christ; the essence of love is charity and charity demands honesty. Honesty must be the hallmark of any ecumenical encounter. Love can bind us to other, non-Orthodox Christians, but it can never make a heresy disappear. Christ is the Church and because of this an untruth can have no place in her.

Our Lord was very much concerned about the Church and truth. Before his Ascension he promised to the apostles and the Church the necessary guidance to accomplish their mission. “I have yet many things to say to you, but you could not bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth . . .” (JOHN 16:13). He assures the Church of this guidance: “I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of Truth. . .” (JOHN 14:16-17). How could it be otherwise? The Church is an extension of the Incarnation, with Christ as its head and the Holy Spirit as its guide. It cannot despite the sin and frailty of its human members fall into error. It is clear from history that individual members of the Church — even Patriarchs and Popes — have fallen into error and sin.

This firm conviction that the Holy Spirit was promised by the Lord to his Church and the confidence engendered by this is illustrated in the Book of Acts. In the second chapter the community of Jesus’ followers is established as the Church with the descent of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit living in the Christian community is what makes it the Church. Christ’s promise and its fulfillment in the Book of Acts is reflected in the accounts of the first council at Jerusalem (ACTS 15). The Church’s faith in the guidance of our Lord is expressed in the phrase which closed the council and sealed the decision — “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us . . . .” The problem dealt with involved a matter of faith and practice and concerned the circumcision of Gentiles who joined the Christian community.

The only safe approach to, and means of living in communion with, God is in Christ, whose person was perfectly human and perfectly divine. Because of this we can understand why Paul was so emphatic in his condemnation of false teachers and teachings.

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Synaxis of Holy Archangels Michael, Gabriel and All the Heavenly Hosts- November 8

Troparion of the Angels, Tone 4

Supreme Leaders of the Heavenly Hosts, we implore you that by your prayers you will encircle us, unworthy as we are, with the protection of the wings of your immaterial glory and guard us who fall down before you and fervently cry: deliver us from dangers, for you are the commanders of the powers above.