Speaking with Authority

 

From the point that the gospels and the epistles began being circulated, the followers of Christ had the authority of the apostles upon which to base their beliefs. As the first generation of Christians died, false gospels and writings that claimed apostolic authority began to be circulated, so the church needed to make an official declaration of “this is what the church has always believed,” and did so by identifying which documents were in agreement with historic Christianity.

In essence, the church drew the boundaries for what would be considered authentic Christianity. The identification of the gospels and the epistles was not intended to be an exhaustive declaration of Christian doctrine, it was more of a statement about what was not in agreement with the apostolic faith.

Ultimately, they were saying, these documents (what we call the Bible) are in agreement with what the church has always believed and taught and “those” other documents are not. The forthcoming seven ecumenical councils were a continuation of that thought. They were further declarations of “what the church has always believed and taught.”

Language, History and Accuracy

 

    One big problem is that we do not know how much time passed from creation to the invention of Sumerian cuneiform writing. The creation of a written language is reflective of the worldview that created it. How far did men deviate from their view of God at the time of Adam to the religion of ancient Mesopotamia?

Did men not write prior to the Sumerians? Or has it simply been lost?

    History, prior to the time of the Sumerians, was like a giant telephone game. Historical and religious stories were passed down from generation to generation with the inevitable errors being introduced. With the arrival of Moses into the Egyptian empire and his writing of the first five books of the Old Testament came the key for interpreting and filtering known history. The stories that were told were eventually written down but Moses with access to the libraries of Egypt corrected historic-religious history.

First World Comforts

 

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:19, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

And also in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” These are phrases with which something must be done. How do we as wealthy, comfortable US citizens justify our pampered existences in light of these passages?

Typically, there are one of two approaches taken to these. Either no thought is given as to their applicability, or some sort of verbal gymnastics takes place to redefine the meaning of the words and how we are not guilty of them.

While there is a level of necessity for the layman to engage in employment and finances, it can be argued quite simply that the lifestyle chosen by most in the comfort of first world America is far beyond one of simple necessity. A few examples will suffice to stimulate consideration. Does a family of two or four need a 3000 square foot home? Does this same family need a $50,000 vehicle or two for that matter? Is it mere necessity that moves this family to annually vacation in expensive, tropical places? Are the expenses of internet, streaming services, and cell phones categorically necessity?

We are all guilty of this to some degree so it is a matter worth considering.

Freedom and Responsibility

 

Life is only a series of best guesses. We can look at the actions we take and hope that the outcome will be good. The things we choose to do may positively impact us in our lifetime, but they also may not. The impact of our choices may not see the intended fruit for multiple generations. But this we can never know.

All we can do is pursue holiness and learn to love our neighbor. We will frequently fail and negatively impact and influence others but overall, most things are not in our power. But those things that are, we need to acknowledge and act upon. We need to take the responsibility that is before us and do what is right.

The Rise and Fall of Nations

 

People want to see the socio-political events of their day as a sign of the end times. But, as history has become a boring subject and no one can see beyond their own lifetime, they do not seem to understand that the fall of an empire only means the fall of that empire.

Nations have been rising and fall for millennia. When the cities of Babylon fell, others stepped in, took over and rose to prominence. The same can be said for Egypt, China, Greece, Rome, and the UK. America is just another empire in that line.

The historic Christian church is not going anywhere. The world may try to destroy us, but it will not succeed. Jesus is the king of all creation, and he will never leave that throne. Times may become difficult and the suffering may be great, but the church will never ultimately fall.

Unsolicited Advice

 

If someone is suffering and asking for help, why are we afraid to tell them the truth, even if it will make them uncomfortable? Sometimes people make bad choices and start down a path that eventually becomes comfortable and even feels natural. But people are often blind to reality because of this. Sometimes the truth is uncomfortable and requires radical change. 

And at the same time, if someone is not asking for our input, we need to keep our comments to ourselves.

The Practical Side of the Christian Faith

 

Academics tend to fall into the trap of critiquing situations based on theory and presumed underlying presumptions. While I am not one to argue for “the ends justify the means”, there is a certain level of practicality to the fruit of one’s actions. With the recent Russian military action in Ukraine, a large number of voices have risen criticizing President Putin’s use of the Orthodox faith to promote his own agenda. But the question that comes to my mind is that of fruit. Does it really matter the reason for Putin’s “use” of Orthodoxy? If he is actively promoting the Orthodox faith and has continued to portray it as the faith of the Russian people, how is that a bad thing?

The same can be said of Constantine. Regardless of motives, Constantine did make Christianity the official religion of his empire. In doing so, he moved it out of the shadows and into a position of authority and recognition. Regardless of the errant ways that the faith is seen or used, the church will always be extant. Christianity will never die out or cease to be the faith once delivered. Whether Christianity is seen as an illegal aberration or is the official faith of an entire nation, what it teaches is true.

It does not matter what Putin’s motives are for promoting the Orthodox faith. The fact is, Orthodoxy is the historic Christian faith and will continue to grow regardless of what man says or does. The Orthodox church passed through terrible suffering during the time of Soviet Russia, but it was never destroyed. When communism fell, the church was still there and came back to its rightful place as the faith of the nation. 

It is a good thing that the Orthodox faith is the foundation and heart of the nation of Russia (and others). Whether Putin’s motives are good, or evil is irrelevant. The church will continue to flourish, and it is our responsibility to love God and love our neighbor.