From the very beginning there were two different ideas about Christianity and the Christian community.
The Jewish view is now called rationalistic. Christianity is reduced to a personal, inner connection between each individual and the Divine Person and to faith in Her and Her work. At the same time, the Person Herself, as being in heaven, "conceals" everything. The concept of Her becomes obscure, and Her teaching is substituted. And man "binds himself" not to the Divine Person, but to Her teaching.
Gnosticism degenerated into mystical sects. Mystics base their understanding of Christianity on principles of the heart, on love for the Person of Christ. They affirm the necessity of knowing the living, visible, and tangible Christ. And in this they are right, for the Gospel of Christ contains precisely this concept.
But the mystics are wrong when they seek and find the living, tangible and visible Christ where they seek and find Him.
Rationalists don't lie; they merely narrow the Gospel. Mystics expand—and rightly so—the rationalists' understanding, but they too (besides the error of seeking and finding) have a huge gap: they ignore a very important part of the Gospel.
This part concerns the essence of the Christian community and the mutual relationship of its members.
In the minds of rationalists and mystics, the Christian community is an organization—and nothing more. Its members are connected to one another like the members of any organization: by a shared purpose, beliefs, and convictions. But in the Gospel, we see a reference to a different kind of community: a community as an organism, a community as a living Person.
This concept of Christianity, as something not only personal but also collective and communal, is found only in the teaching of the Church. According to the teaching of the Church, the Church of Christ is not only an organization, but also a living organism, a living personality, the Body of Christ.
Just as Christ once needed a Body to accomplish His work, so now He needs a visible and tangible Body to continue His work. The present Body of Christ is His Church.
Now, a parallel: what does a living apple tree do when it grows? A living apple tree—that is, some force we call life in the apple tree—grabs the dead, the inorganic, and imbues it with life, making it living and organic.
It is the same with Christ: the Power of Christ seizes the living only physically, draws it into His Body and endows it with life of a higher order, a life that is timeless.
Just as something that lives only through plant life, drawn into a person, begins to live a human life, and a person begins to live in this plant life, so too a person drawn into the Body of Christ begins to live in Christ, and Christ begins to live in him.
The cells of our body all live an independent life, but besides this life they have another life – the one that we give them (*12) .
The cells of our body, since they live within us and we live within them, share a common life and connection with one another. If we die, however, the cells in our corpse, while preserving their own life, will lose their life within us and their connection with one another (as humans).
Here is the Apostle, speaking about this, and said: “When I was drawn into the Body of Christ, I, like a cell, was alive, but the center of gravity of my life and its meaning and significance have changed. I am alive – yet no longer I live, but Christ lives in me” ( Gal. 2:20 ).
If a cell of our body were aware of and recognized our personal, human, mental life as an individual, then it could say: “I am alive, but it is no longer I who live, but Ivan Ivanovich who lives in me” (*13) .
And Christ spoke of this very thing. He told the cell: only the cell that begins by losing its cellular life can hope to find life in Ivan Ivanovich. "To save your life, you must first lose it" ( Luke 10:24 et seq.). (50–53)
Involuntarily, many, hearing such words, said: “What strange words!” They seem strange to those who have not thought about flint and apple and cannot guess that these words must be understood in the most direct, ordinary sense.
Once you understand these words simply ("to find your life, you must first lose it"), you will see that it cannot be said better or more accurately: for the flint to find its life (to come to life), it must first cease to live as a flint and begin to live in an apple tree—as an apple tree. It is not the flint that must "embody" the apple tree—for what does that mean? Rather, it is the apple tree that must embody (take on) the flint. Paul did not become the organism of Christ—this is the Khlyst teaching—the essence of Khlystism 91 —but Paul entered, as a part, into the Body of Christ, into the living Organism of Christ, into the Church of Christ—and in exactly the same way as the flint enters the apple tree. (66)
For eternal life, it is not man who must incarnate Christ, but Christ who must incarnate man. If man were to incarnate Christ, then Christ would become part of man. And only if Christ incarnates man can one say—to put it more precisely—that man has become part of the Body of Christ.
Christ said that He is the beginning of a new Being, a new Organism (not an organization), that He is the head of this Being. And people—His friends—are members of this Organism. And He spoke with absolute precision and certainty: since I have eternal life, only parts of Me can have eternal life.
I took the apple tree as a likeness of Christ. I likened man to a flint that only comes to life in the apple tree. Not if it lies nearby, but if it becomes part of the tree.
“I am the beginning of a new life,” said Christ. “I do not draw people into an organization, but into Myself, into My life... I am eternal life itself ” ( John 11:25 ). (62–63)
You say you don't understand how you can be drawn into the Body of Christ.
Christ spoke of this at length, and it all boils down to the analogy of an apple tree and a flint. Is it possible to explain how a flint is drawn into an apple tree and becomes alive? "Everyone who has heard from the Father of the need to be drawn is drawn." Divine power acts and draws, and nothing more is known. It is also known that some do not resist this power, while others do. (65)
So, according to the teaching of the Church, we are particles and molecules of the Body of Christ, if we do not resist the Power of Christ, which draws us into the Body of Christ. (53)
2. About "present-day Orthodoxy"
Now I can answer the question of what modern Orthodoxy is from the point of view of the teachings of the Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ.
I ask the questioner: what do you mean by the words "Church of Christ"? Do you mean merely the organization, or do you mean an "organism"? Do you even have a concept of a community as an organism? If you don't have such a concept, then the term "Church" should not be applied to the organization, for this only breeds misunderstandings. It would be better to call it a party, a society, a community, and so on. Then the question will present itself in a much more concrete form: is a contemporary Orthodox party or community similar to a primitive Christian party, organization, or community? And I answer: not at all! The only difficulty here is that judging an organization comprising hundreds of millions is difficult. But the answer remains the same: not at all!
But if we adopt the perspective of the Gospel and recognize that the Church is precisely that—the temple of the Holy Spirit dwelling within her, the Body of Christ, and a living organism—then our entire understanding changes, and the question loses all meaning. It loses all meaning because there is no question in it!
After all, the Church is the life in Christ of hundreds of millions of people. Why should we think that this life in Christ of these hundreds of millions, or a part of them, is not the same as the life that previously lived in the parts and molecules of the Body of Christ?
With such a view of the Church (as a living Organism), pointing to the Synod or “a group of bishops” (*14) , according to the teaching of the Church Fathers, is the same as going up to an apple tree, pointing to the hollow and saying: You claim that the apple tree is alive, that it is something living and real, but look – it is an empty place, filled with dirt and dust!
And another similarity: a "malignant growth" has grown on the person's body. That's what the doctors determined.
Now I ask: what is the relationship of this growth to the human personality? Let's put it this way: our individuality lives in our body, lives in our arms, legs, ears. A "growth" springs up. I ask: do we live in this growth? Christ gives this answer: as long as the growth is "sensitive," as long as it hurts when it is "pricked," you undoubtedly live in this growth. If "sensitivity" is lost, then let this growth be to you like the publican and the sinner. If it "does not obey," if sensitivity is lost, then it is no longer part of the body. (53-55)
Imagine that today, in our time, what will certainly happen and come true were to occur: that out of 100 bishops, 99 would renounce Orthodoxy, and out of 80 million, 79 million 999,900 people would renounce it. What would come of that? Absolutely nothing! This matter would very much "concern" those who renounced, but it would not concern the Church at all. She would remain the Body of Christ and the New Organism, just as she was. (77)
If Christ came not to found an organization, but to give life to a higher Organism, then crowds of dirty parasitic monks and the like 92 have absolutely nothing to do with it.
To point to them, wishing to belittle Christianity , is as absurd and unreasonable as if someone, in a dispute about the superiority of a dirty plantain over a cut diamond, from the point of view of “life”, pointed out that the plantain is in manure.
And such remarks have always been made, and always are made, and always will be made by Judaizers—that is, rationalists. They said and say to Christ: Your disciples are in the dunghill!
But Christ always answered, answers, and will answer: Yes! Unfortunately, this is true, but since they are alive, they will shed the manure. What good does it do you Jews not to have manure on you, since you are dead?
Since we take eternal life as our criterion, then the Church of Christ, with its filthy monks and all manner of ugliness, is nevertheless superior to an earthly organization with its temporal life, no matter how pure and polished this organization may be. And L. N. Tolstoy, in moments of enlightenment, understood this, and envied the dirty, dissolute woman whom he saw praying, that is, affirming her life in the Church of Christ, that is, in this living, timeless Organism. 93 (59)
If the Church of Christ is a living Organism, then one cannot blame the Church for the absurd monks and metropolitans with diamonds, on the same basis that one cannot blame the Savior for the fact that publicans, sinners and harlots approached Him.
If it is possible to blame the Church of Christ for the metropolitans with diamonds, then it means that the Jews were right when they said: He is “a friend of publicans and sinners” ( Matthew 11:19 ).
If we are Christians, then we must understand the ABCs: either diamonds are nothing to the Metropolitan, in which case we cannot pay them any attention; or they are dung to him, in which case we must pity the poor fellow. But why scold him?
But the worst thing is to interfere with the Church.
The tax collectors and sinners who followed Christ were probably "sick." But this "sickness" should not be transferred to the doctor: to Christ, to His Church (*15) . (60–61)
I conclude: “current Orthodoxy” does not exist and cannot exist.
Orthodoxy is one and unchanging.
Always was, is and will be one.
The Body of Christ is one. And has always been one, and cannot change or be altered in essence.
The fullness of Truth has always been and is contained in this Body. (56)
3. Who does the Church consist of?
If we do not reject Christ's words about the sending of the Holy Spirit ( John 15:26 ) and that the Holy Spirit will teach ( John 16:13 ), then common sense demands that we ask the disciples—the first members of the Church: who enters, and how to enter, and how to remain in the Church? And the disciples speak of this—both in writing and orally—as Tradition.
Now the specific question: is such and such a baptized person in the Body of Christ? This is unknown to anyone except Christ. He is in the organization—we see this, but whether he is in the Body—that is unknown. (64–65)
No one can say for certain whether a person will enter eternal life. But one can say with a degree of certainty that if a person denies eternal life, then they are likely not partakers of it. Again, it is impossible to assert anything, for this is a mystery, a personal mystery between man and God. This is, in essence, what the Orthodox Church teaches. Orthodoxy has never said that it—Orthodoxy, the visible Church, or its clergy—can guarantee eternal life to anyone. That is what Catholicism says. Orthodoxy, however, says that, in the final analysis, the matter ultimately comes down to the personal relationship between God and each person. (77)
This generally valid thought of D. A-ch about the unknown mystery of salvation should be supplemented by the fact that people who pleased God often received notice of their salvation. It is worth recalling at least the words of the Apostle Paul, addressed to his disciple Apostle Timothy: "...the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. Therefore there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that day; and not to me only, but also to all who have loved His appearing" ( 2 Tim. 4:6-8 ).
The same feeling was felt by other apostles (see, for example, 2 Pet. 1:14 ; 1 John 3:2 ). “...Knowing that I must soon lay aside my tabernacle, as our Lord Jesus Christ also revealed to me” ( 2 Pet. 1:14 ). And many saints of God who lived in subsequent centuries.
Others received notice regarding their neighbors. Such cases are not uncommon in the lives of saints.
There is nothing surprising in this: those who received the grace of the Holy Spirit abundantly were naturally assured of their future destiny, for already here on earth they could say with the Apostle Paul: “For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” ( Phil. 1:21 ).
D. A-ch expresses essentially the same idea when he speaks about the “attributes” of the members of the Church, who, according to him, “are endowed by Christ with only one attribute: timeless life. They have passed from death to life.” (67)
Of course, the acceptance of “eternal life” by the children of the Church has different degrees, about which St. Macarius of Egypt writes extensively and profoundly (mainly in his “Words,” which are placed at the end of the only volume of his works) 94 .
It is also possible for eternal life to fade away within a person, to fall away from it. Read the threatening lines of the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrews ( Hebrews 6:4–8 ), threatening to those who trample upon the received grace of the Holy Spirit . 95 May the Lord protect us from this disaster!
I continue to set out the prince’s thoughts – in his own words – about the composition of the Body of the Church.
It's absolutely true that the Body of Christ is covered in wounds. And when Christ hung on the cross, there was little beauty or attractiveness.
The Church of Christ is not made up of the healthy, but of the sick—and this has been the case from the very beginning. This troubled the lawyers—and rightly so. For from the standpoint of the law of piety, it is absurd.
The law of piety has its own criterion and its own standard. This standard is "righteousness," fulfillment of the law, morality, and so on.
The law of grace has a completely different standard. This does not mean that piety or morality are abolished, but rather that they are of secondary importance (*16) .
A sinner and a harlot could not belong to the Jerusalem temple organization. But they can belong to the temple of the Body of Christ.
The lawyer said: "Since you are a tax collector, a sinner, and a harlot, I cannot accept you into my organization." And if the Church were merely an organization, it would have to say the same. Christ, however, did not act as the lawyer did, because He proceeded not from the law of piety, but from the law of grace.
He sees a publican sitting there: "Follow Me" ( Luke 5:27 ). Become part of My Body. I am powerful enough to regenerate and save you. I and My Kingdom have no need of the works of the law; I accept you without them. And when you become part of Me, and I live in you, you will begin to do the works of Christ, since you will have abolished yourself."
And all the Apostles speak with one voice about nothing else.
It is in this sense that it is said that God's power is made perfect in weakness.
And if you think about it, you'll see how tempting such a sermon must have been to the lawyers, and why the tax collectors, "covered with sores" and unable to offer any justification, came to Christ. – And they were reborn. And cleansed of their sores – only this is invisible. (68–69)
Characterizing the different attitudes towards sinful ailments of a rationalist, an evangelical 96 and a Christian, D.A. notes:
“The rationalist does nothing but clean himself (*17) .
The Evangelist asserts that they do not exist – the Blood of Christ washed them away 97 .
The Christian says: “be merciful to me, a sinner” ( Luke 18:13 ) 98 . (69)
Here it is appropriate to recall the words of St. Ephraim the Syrian : "The whole Church is of those who repent; the whole Church is of those who perish" 99 , i.e., those who recognize their sinfulness and seek salvation. It is also certain that the saints, recognizing their sinfulness and repenting of it, waged an intensified struggle, with the assistance of grace, against their passions, remembering that "the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force" ( Matthew 11:12 ) and that "those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the passions and lusts" ( Gal. 5:24 ).
4. The life and relationships of the members of the Church as a living organism (in comparison with sectarianism)
The rationalist conception of Christianity is as follows: 2,000 years ago, a Divine Person appeared. This Person, after some time, returned to where He came from, abandoning His teachings. Religion consists of establishing an intimate, inner connection between the human personality and this Divine Person . Little by little, this Divine Person is replaced by His teachings, and the rationalist abandons his connection with the Divine Person and binds himself to His teachings. (Protestantism is in this position; all rationalist sects are in this position, too.)
The concept of a churchman is completely different.
He believes that Christ the Redeemer (the idea of redemption is clearly imprinted on the entire world, on all life in the world: throughout the world, all things, in one way or another, give their lives for the lives of others)—the churchman believes that Christ the Redeemer, having created flesh for Himself, became incarnate. For this purpose, He chose a people, a tribe, a family . For the churchman, this is the meaning of the Old Testament. Having become incarnate, the Divine Person—the Redeemer, in order to continue His work, again creates flesh for Himself from human nature. This flesh is the Church. The Church is the Body of Christ. Each churchman individually is a "member of the Body of Christ."
When the rationalist says: “I am alive,” he means that he has linked himself with Christ.
When a churchman says: “I am alive,” he means by this and says the following: “I am alive, but it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” ( Gal. 2:20 ).
When a rationalist speaks of "spiritual life," he means the life of his soul, and nothing more.
A churchman, a member of the Church, understands much more by the words "spiritual life." He also understands the conciliar, united life of all the particles, all the molecules of the Body of Christ—in the Holy Spirit, or by the Holy Spirit.
When a rationalist sectarian speaks of grace, he means something like God’s help, sent to him personally and personally reviving him.
A member of the Church, in addition to this, affirms that the grace he has received also penetrates into all parts of the Body of Christ, that is, into all the friends of Christ, into all the members of the Church. (37–38)
Baptists and rationalists think that the Spirit of Christ indwells every believer and animates him.
From this perspective, Christianity is something purely personal. There is no connection between people other than that which exists in any social democratic organization.
From the ecclesiastical perspective, Christianity is something conciliar; the members of the Church are molecules of a single organism. What's the difference? A huge one.
If Baptist Sidor receives the Spirit of Christ, then nothing will happen to Baptist Ivan. He will receive nothing. "For if I wet one stone lying in a pile, the others will not get wet."
In the Church it is completely different: the grace that Church member Sidor received enlivens not only Sidor, but all members of the Church.
It's just like in an apple tree or our own body. One "cell" gets infected, and everyone gets sick. You water the roots, and the branches get water. (70–71)
For a churchman, the "Church" is not just an organization, but also an Organism, not just a system or a doctrine, but a Living Person. And this Person is Christ.
The visible Church is the natural, visible and tangible Body of Christ.
And therefore the fate of the Church must be similar to the fate of Jesus Christ.
She must be tempted and betrayed, she constantly dies and constantly rises again.
If you look at the Savior's speeches, you'll see that this is precisely what they expound. And if this concept were removed from the Savior's speeches, then not only would three-quarters of the speeches be omitted, but also the very cornerstone of the entire edifice, so to speak, would have to be removed.
According to this concept, the essence of our life on earth is this: the power of Christ, the power of the Redeemer, draws the particles and molecules of the world into Christ to give them higher life. But this is precisely what Christ said. Christ is building from us a Body for Himself that will know no death. This Body is the Church.
This construction is taking place throughout the entire universe. Plants draw minerals into themselves and give them higher life. Animals draw plants into themselves, and so on. And the power of Christ is at work everywhere.
If you take this point of view, then the role of the sacraments and everything else in the teaching of the Church will be clear to you.
The divine act of initiation into the higher life is called a sacrament.
And this act is apparently accomplished through the mediation of people—the "priesthood"—by Christ Himself. And there are the Savior's actual words on this .
Just as during the earthly life of Christ the introduction of people to the higher life was accomplished through the human nature of the Savior, so now the visible introduction to this life is accomplished through the visible and tangible human nature of the Body of Christ, through the Church. (38–39)
If the Church is a living Organism, and an organism of a higher, metaphysical order, then it goes without saying that we must also recognize miracles, i.e. something that is of a super-physical nature, but not of an anti-physical nature (*18) .
If such a higher life does not exist, then it is absurd and foolish to speak of miracles, for we ourselves cannot lift ourselves up by our ears. But this does not mean that another cannot lift us up. If we deny this other, then, of course, it is absurd to speak of the possibility of being lifted up by our ears. (57)
If you draw all the conclusions from this church concept, you will see that it can truly be called “universal”, for it can equally satisfy a child, a “coal burner”, and Pasteur 102 . (39–40)
It's not about thinking the same, it's about living the same.
“I live,” says Paul, “yet it is no longer I who live , but Christ who lives in me” ( Gal. 2:20 ).
And Christ expressed the same thing with the words: “No one will save his life unless he first loses it” ( Matthew 10:39 ).
Why lose it? To allow Christ to live in this man who has lost his life.
According to the Church's conception, based on the words of Christ and the Apostle Paul, the unity of a "coal burner" or an illiterate woman with Pasteur is entirely possible. How? Because "they are alive, but it is not they who live, but Christ who lives in them." Therefore, it turns out that the truly democratic teaching, in the best, most elevated, and broadest sense of the word (democracy), is the teaching of the Church. (40-41)
Agree that true “democracy”, brotherhood and equality are found only in church teaching.
We are equal and brothers only if we are parts and molecules of the same living body. There is not and cannot be "organic" equality and brotherhood in an organization.
Only with the church concept can the head or hand not be “proud” in front of the foot or ear. (56)
The gifts are varied, but life is one, for the One lives in all. (41)
Reason for leaving the Church and returning to it.
We all, born and raised in the bosom of the Church, are exactly like that younger son who, having taken his share of the inheritance, went to seek his own ( Luke 15:11–32 ).
We left the shelter of the Church and, relying on our own strength, went to seek life.
But now, having experienced everything, having tested everything, we see that there is no nourishment for us outside our Father's House. And we are drawn back. Perhaps this is weakness? Undoubtedly, it is weakness! But it is precisely in our weakness that the power of God can be revealed. I am alive, but it is no longer I who am living. I have outlived myself, and have grown weak, and have lost faith in myself! These are the necessary conditions under which the Power of Christ can manifest itself in us.
And so, we orient our path in the direction of what we once left behind.
And note something astonishing: this path—the return path—to the Father's House is possible only for those who have a strong love for the Person of Jesus Christ. Without such love, without such a relationship to the Person of Christ, the path to the Church—the return path—is impossible, for the Church is the Person of Christ.
And so it seems to me that when a person sees that he has "nowhere to go," he will certainly remember the Person of Jesus Christ and come to this Person, not beyond the grave, but here on earth. And it seems to me that it is precisely this need for a living and tangible Person of Christ that creates our mystical sects. For, due to the imperfections of the clergy, they have overlooked Christ in the Church. (44-45)
And note a very important fact: all people, except Jews, love Jesus Christ when they learn about Him. This is both the alpha and omega of our salvation .
And here's the amazing thing: Christ saw the foundation of His Church precisely in love for Him. He asked Peter: "Does he love Him?" And added: "Feed My flock " ( John 21:15-17 ).
And no matter how much I think and delve into the matter, I see no other basis for affirming the Church of Christ in the concept I have presented than love for Jesus Christ. I simply cannot imagine that without this love one could accept the teaching about the Church of Christ.
And I cannot imagine that, given the presence of this love, sooner or later a person would not accept the teaching about the Church and the teachings of the Church.
It's only a matter of time, a matter of external circumstances. (60)
In conclusion, I can say that, having become familiar with the teaching of the Orthodox Church, I have come to the conclusion that this teaching: 1) exhausts the Gospel; 2) is the most reasonable of all the worldviews known to me; 3) is the only “universal” one – i.e., it appeals equally to both the “wise sorcerer” and the shepherd 104 ; 4) is the only teaching that provides answers and satisfies all the demands of the human mind and heart. (58)
5. God-man and Man-god
From the very beginning, there have been two schools of thought and two attitudes toward the work of Christ. People seem to be divided into two groups, and each group sees something different in Christ and expects something different from Him.
One group expects Christ to arrange earthly life. The other: salvation of the soul.
Secondly: the first group tends to see the Christian assembly as a perfect, divine organization, which, while arranging earthly life, will also provide salvation for the soul—if such exists. Here, the center of gravity is undoubtedly earthly.
Another group looks at earthly life as an insignificant moment in a person's life, taken in its infinite entirety.
Thirdly: for the first group, Christ is a prophet and the establisher of the Kingdom of God on earth. His kingdom is a kingdom of peace and unity among people on earth.
For the second group: Christ is the Seed, the Beginning, the Source, and the Head of a new Organism, unprecedented before His coming, possessing a new, previously unprecedented (for humans) life of a different order in essence. This is the most important aspect of Christianity; everything else is secondary and a natural supplement. This new Organism is called the Body—the Church of Christ. This means the Divine-human Organism. Here, therefore, there is a complete analogy with what the historical Christ was for the believer.
The only difference is that the historical Christ lived on earth in human nature, a personal life, while now Christ in the body of His Church—from human nature—lives a conciliar life. Conciliar in the sense that individual people, like "living stones," constitute a part—an organic part—of His Body, the temple of His Body.
With such a view, there must be a complete analogy between the historical Christ and His Church. If there were pious people, like Gamaliel, who did not see Christ ( Acts 5:34–40 ), then there must be pious people today who may not see Christ in His Church.
From my inquiries I see that there is not a single objection now made against the Church that was not, in its time, made against Christ. (97–98)
If you delve into the relationship between the Jewish lawyer and Jesus, you'll see that the drama and tragedy arose because the Jewish lawyers could not reconcile two things in their minds: the full divinity and the full humanity of the Carpenter of Nazareth. If you imagine that Jesus "expressed" one of two things—either full divinity or full humanity—you'll see that what transpired between Him and the lawyers could not have happened.
The God-human Organism, called the Church, is in exactly the same position.
If you delve into everything that is brought against the Church, you will see that the temptations and perplexities stem from the very essence of the Church, from the very fusion of the divine and the human. Sometimes they demand of her only the divine, forgetting her humanity; sometimes they demand only the human, forgetting her divine nature.
The same attitude was expressed toward the Carpenter of Nazareth. Stone him for blasphemy ( John 10:31 ); make him king so that he might be satisfied ( John 6:15 ); give us "signs from heaven" ( Matthew 16:1 ); and forbid the disciples to proclaim hosanna! ( Luke 19:39 ) (110–111).
Now about the fourth. The first group, which I mentioned above, from a psychological, internal, and spiritual perspective, is quite like a "flock without a shepherd." Christ has gone to heaven. The governors are confused, and the result is not life, but disgrace. Hence, as a natural consequence, the constant expectation of a "holy man" who will finally "arrange people's lives in a divine manner."
But the fact is that such attitudes, in essence and in principle, contradict the very essence of Christianity, for they put the cart before the horse. The consequence becomes the goal (*19) . And secondly, they give earthly life the wrong meaning: the external becomes superior to the internal.
It is forgotten that the purpose of Christ's coming was not the arrangement of earthly life, as the Jews and Judaizing Christians thought, but the salvation of the soul and its introduction to a life of a different order, to a timeless life.
For a churchman, there is no need to wait for a “holy man,” for the reason that for a churchman, Christ Himself now lives on earth in the Body of human nature, in His Church.
If many pious and pleasing to God people do not see Him in His Church (i.e. in the flesh), then Gamaliel did not see Him either – he did not “see” that the Carpenter from Nazareth is Christ, the Son of the Living God!
I do not judge today's Gamaliels and Sauls, but I only state that the expectation of a “holy man who will arrange earthly life and unite people outside the Church, i.e. outside the Body of Christ” is dangerous.
Imagine that the Jews will wait for the messiah they are expecting.
This messiah will give them what Christ did not give them.
Christ brought "the sword and division" ( Matt. 10:34–35 ; Luke 12:51 ).
The Jewish Messiah will bring "peace and unity."
Christ refused to give miracles and “signs” from heaven, except for the sign of the prophet Jonah ( Matthew 12:39–40 ).
The Jewish Messiah will perform “many wonders and signs” ( Matthew 24:24 ).
Now I ask: what can prevent those “Christians” who are waiting for a “holy man” from recognizing the Jewish Messiah as Christ and worshiping him as Christ?
The Jewish Messiah is a human-god. In him, the idea of humanity will be exalted and glorified. In him, people will worship "man" as God. But these ideas and principles are characteristic of "advanced," humanitarian humanity.
The godless "intelligentsia" may well accept the Jewish messiah.
And it is precisely this “ideological” affinity of humanitarian rationalism with Judaism that constitutes the foundation on which Jews unite with “enlightened Europeans.”
The third force hostile to the Church is the "Khlysts." The Khlysts also "await" and seek a saint, blessed by the wisdom of God, a man they call Christ. (98-100)
The Khlysty are undoubtedly preparing the consciousness of “Christians” to accept the Jewish Messiah (*20) . (90)
And it is clear that only the predicted Jewish messiah will be able to fully satisfy them.
From the above, it should be clear to you how I essentially picture what is happening in the world today.
Preparations are underway to welcome the Jewish Messiah. Three forces are acting in complete ideological unity: Jewry (*21) , humanists, and the Khlysts (105 ).
And these three forces must be hostile to Christ, who now lives on earth in a conciliar life, in the Body of human nature, that is, the Church. And these three forces, undoubtedly, will apparently triumph over the Church.
They will judge her and crucify her. And on the third day she will rise again.
And it is not at all necessary that those who fight against the Church be “disgusting.”
On the contrary, many of them will think that by doing this they are serving God.
Crucifixes and the Law of God will be removed from schools. And the people who do this will be quite "pious" and "moral." But the essence of their views will be diametrically opposed to those of the churchmen.
These humanist-rationalists will replace the idea of God with the idea of the Perfect Man – and worship it.
They will be the champions of what Tolstoy meant by the words: “the ascension of the son of man.” (100)
Religion will remain as the connection between the individual and the idea of humanity and humanity. God will be abolished as "useless." (90)
Religion (as a connection with God) will be replaced by morality. Replaced by "works of the law."
If you take my point of view, you'll see that what's happening now can be defined as the inculcation of Jewish principles into educated, humane European society—the same principles that the pious Jews of the Savior's time upheld and lived by.
And you will also see that the rivalry and struggle of the Jewish disciples, rationalist-humanists, can essentially only cease by joining the Jewish Messiah.
Only the Jewish Messiah will end their struggle and establish unity between them.
And this unity will have as its first consequence the persecution of the Church and the desire to destroy it, as the most harmful superstition.
A superstition that has been hindering human unity for 2000 years!!
And the preaching of the Jewish Messiah will be so convincing and reasonable that “even the elect will be deceived” ! ( Matt. 24:24 ; Mark 13:22 ) (100–101) (*22)
I completely agree with you in everything you write about the role of ascetics and saints in the work of renewing and revitalizing people.
But I think these people—these saints—are always present, but our imperfections prevent us from seeing them. Therefore, it's unwise to search in hidden places; we must "purify ourselves," and these saints will appear to us, that is, they will become clear to us.
“Let the student be prepared, and the teacher always ready and present” 106
If we firmly grasp this and know that Christ the Teacher is always with us—though we do not always see Him—then we will not "put our trust in men" ( Psalm 118:8 ), but will place our hope in Christ. It is understandable that Christ will manifest Himself to us in human form, but that is a different matter, for although He will manifest Himself through men, He is still, until the end of time, the One Teacher and Supreme High Priest. The Great One Teacher has already come and is already present. He lives on earth in the Body of human nature, leading a conciliar life (*23) .
And this Body is the Church, the head of which is this One Teacher Jesus Christ.
And in Him, and only in Him, humanity finds salvation, and unity, and Being. (102)
* * *
I won't add anything else from myself.
This letter is incredibly long. Forgive me for not being able to make it shorter. I ask for your prayers for myself and for the late servant of God, Dimitri, who prepared such a bountiful and nourishing meal for us.
Peace be with you, my dears!
Your loving brother in the Lord...
But for me this is not the Messiah, but someone else; for the Messiah has already come - and since then has lived among people in the Body of human nature.
I cannot believe in the coming of the Great Teacher, because I confess that this One Teacher has already come and exists and lives among people. And, standing on this point of view, I can accept the words of the Savior (in a certain sense) that those who come before Him and after Him are "thieves and robbers" ( John 10:8 ). (103) – note by D.A.
“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it does not yet appear what we will be. But we know that when He appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is” ( 1 John 3:2 ).
Source: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Mihail_Novoselov/pisma-k-druzjam/5