=0A= Apologetical Notes

The holy Apostle Paul, in one of his epistles, gives the most = elevated and=20 complete understanding about the Church. He wrote to the Ephesian=20 community in the days of early Christianity, when the latter was = barely 30=20 or 40 years old and was represented by small communities scattered = around=20 the Roman=20 Empire. The = Apostle was=20 bearing chains, as if a crown, for his good tidings about Christ, = and in=20 this isolation was especially enlightened by divine light. He = wrote that=20 the Church is the Body of Christ, that is, one living=20 heavenly-and-earthly organism. This understanding of the = Church has=20 been carefully maintained by the universal orthodox consciousness. = This=20 majestic view of the Church is presented as the "fullness of Him = (Christ)=20 that filleth all in all" (Eph. 1:23). It is described as a new existence, the = essence of=20 which is the "bond of love," an existence uniting "heaven = and=20 earth" with strong and constant ties. The epistle says : "The = head,=20 even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together and = compacted=20 by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual = working in=20 the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the = edifying=20 of itself in love" (Eph. 4:16). Toward this goal, writes the = Apostle,=20 Christ established in the earthly part of the Church "some, = apostles;=20 and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and=20 teachers" (Eph. 4:11).=20 But what are these ties, uniting the parts of the Body = "according to=20 the effectual working in the measure of every part"? What are = these=20 "active" ties, producing the "development" of each single part of = the=20 Church, and at the same time, a growth, a=20 perfection, and a fullness of the entire heavenly-earthly = body of=20 the Church, united under Christ as its single Head? Of course, the = universal bond that unites the Church body is prayer. For what is the Church itself, if not a "world of=20 prayer?" We can call prayer the air, the breath, the life = of the=20 Church. Like the threads in a weaver=92s loom, the threads of = prayer go in=20 all directions; they unite each member of the Church with the = Heavenly=20 Father, the members of the earthly Church with one another, and = the=20 earthly members with the heavenly. The same occurs in the heavens, = in the=20 regions of the angels and saints, only on a higher and more = perfect level.=20 Mortals pray about each other, and, driven by the law of love, for = the=20 deceased. The ones now in heaven pray about the mortal ones, and, = equally,=20 about the deceased, should they need help. Praise and thanks = travel by=20 these prayerful threads in both realms of the Church. Here on = earth they=20 are accompanied with penitent thoughts and = feelings.

Of course, the ties within the = church are=20 expressed in certain actions and activities, but this aspect is = only=20 derivative, having prayer as its original = source.

Such an understanding is = maintained in full=20 only by the Orthodox Church, corresponding to the latter=92s very = structure=20 and daily life. Our Church service is a direct indicator of this=20 understanding of Church life.

Is this understanding also = maintained in the=20 teachings of the holy Church fathers? Yes, the holy fathers=92 = thoughts are=20 filled with it. We present an example from the works of St. = Simeon, the=20 New Theologian, who lived on the time between the first and second = millenniums (he reposed around 1020 AD). We will consider his = thoughts=20 about the inner life of the Church of Christ as a heavenly and earthly body, expressed = in his=20 24^th "Word." In the thoughts presented, the = saint does=20 not even make a definite distinction between the two possible = conditions=20 of the Church members =97 earthly and heavenly, =97 not because he = rejected=20 them, but to make it clear that the Church is "one Body = under=20 One Head," a "fullness of the One Fulfilling all in = all."

This is what St. Simeon=20 teaches:

"All saints are truly members of = Christ, Our=20 God. As members, they are united with Him and connected to His = body, so=20 that Christ is the Head, and all the saints, from the beginning to = the=20 last day, are His members, and all of them together make up one = body, and,=20 in a way, one person. Some are like hands, toiling to this day, = fulfilling=20 His holy will, transforming the unworthy to the worthy and = presenting them=20 to Him. Others are the shoulders in the body of Christ, who carry = each=20 other=92s burdens, or, taking up the lost lamb that was recovered = after=20 being lost in the hills and gorges, bring them to Christ, and thus = fulfill=20 His law. Others are like the breast, from which springs the pure = water of=20 wisdom and reason to those who hunger and thirst for God=92s = truth, as they=20 teach them God=92s word and give them spiritual bread, which the = holy angels=20 eat, that is, true theology, as confidants of Christ and His = beloved ones.=20 Others are like the heart, in which, through love, they encompass = all=20 humans, accepting within themselves the spirit of salvation and = serving as=20 the vessel of the unspeakable and hidden Mysteries of Christ. = Others are=20 like the internal organs, which have in them "the life-giving = power of=20 Godly thoughts of mysterious theology," and through the words of = their=20 teaching sow the seed of piety in the hearts of men. Others, = finally, are=20 as bones and feet, which show courage and patience in temptation, = like=20 Job, and are immovable in their position of goodness, and do not = avoid the=20 pressing difficulties, but gladly accept them and cheerfully carry = them to=20 the end. In this way the body of Christ=92s Church is made up in = orderly=20 fashion of all His saints from the beginning, and exists complete = and=20 all-perfect, in order that all the sons of God would be one, = reborn,=20 written in the heavens.

I will prove that all the saints = are=20 Christ=92s members and are in one body through the Holy = Scriptures. First of=20 all, listen to our Savior Himself, the Lord Christ, as He presents = the=20 indivisible union, which the saints have with Him, in the words to = His=20 apostles: "Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father = in=20 Me" (John 14:11) "At that day ye shall know that I am in My = Father,=20 and ye in Me, and I in you" (John 14:20, also=20 17:20-26)=85

Inasmuch as the deity, imparted to = us=20 through association with the Lord, is indivisible, then it is = necessary=20 for us, becoming truly in communion with this Deity, to be = inseparable=20 from Christ, being one body in one spirit (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11, = 1Cor.=20 12:1-14). As God gives each saint his proper place in the eternal = abodes,=20 as we said before, so in the body of the Church each person is = assigned to=20 the kind of members of Christ that fits him best. The Apostle Paul = shows=20 this in the same letter, saying: "But now hath God set the = members=20 every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him" (1 Cor. = 12:18).=20 Thus, there are many members, but one body. Desiring to show the=20 differences of these members, and what these members are, he = says: "Now=20 ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath = set=20 some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly=20 teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, = governments,=20 diversities of tongues" (1 Cor. = 12:27-28).

"This is a great mystery: but I = speak=20 concerning Christ and the church"=20 (Eph. 5:32).=20 And truly this mystery is and will be great, and above everything = great.=20 Our Lord, the Creator of All, has the same unity, association and = relation=20 with the entire Church, as with one wife, and is one with her, and = is=20 always inseparable from her, as with His beloved. But this unity = is=20 befitting of God, as it is fitting for God to be one with the = Church,=20 which is incomprehensible and unutterable. Again, the Church also = unites=20 with its beloved God, and clings to Him as the body to its head. = For as=20 the body cannot live without its head, so the Church, a collection = of=20 believers, that is, the sons of God, written in the heavens, = cannot be a=20 whole and perfect body without its head =97 Our God Christ, and = cannot live=20 a true and eternal life, if it is not nourished by Him daily with=20 necessary bread, from Whom all who love Him receive true life, and = grow to=20 a perfect man, by the growing measure of His=20 fulfillment.

Inasmuch as the Church is the body of Christ, and the bride of = Christ,=20 and a great world, and God=92s temple, so the members of His body = are all=20 holy. At the same time, not all of them have yet been born anew or = shown=20 them worthy. It is clear, then, that the body of Christ is not = completely=20 whole yet, that the higher world is not yet filled, that not the = entire=20 host of people have yet entered God=92s = Church. But=20 to this day there are still many unbelieving people in the world = who are=20 going to become believers in Christ, there are many sinners, whose = duty is=20 to repent, there are many insubordinate, who will submit to = Christ. Many=20 will yet be born anew and serve God, = before the=20 last trumpet sounds. And thus, all those foreseen by God must be = born=20 anew, and the Church=92s firstborn must fill the heavenly=20 Jerusalem, = immeasurably higher=20 than this world. Then the fullness of the Body of Christ will = occur, and=20 those predetermined by God will conform to the image of His Son, = becoming=20 the sons of light and day." (The Words of St. = Simeon,=20 the New Theologian, translated by Bishop Theophan, 1^st=20 printing, Moscow, 1892, pages 383-391).

Missionary Leaflet # E77d
Copyright =A9 2003 Holy = Trinity=20 Orthodox Mission
466 Foothill Blvd, Box 397, La Canada, Ca=20 91011
Editor: Bishop Alexander = (Mileant)

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