Scripture repeatedly states: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”(Psalm 110:10; Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 9:10) But it also says: “Perfect love casteth out fear.”(1 John 4:18) These statements are not contradictory; they describe different stages of spiritual growth. A house must be built starting with the foundation, not the roof. The journey…
Since the fall of human nature and the rupture between man and God, a longing for the lost paradise has been hidden deep within the souls of men. The curse, imposed as a punishment for the fall, often acts as a remedy for the soul, reminding each person of that blessed life and delight, of…
Our Lord Jesus Christ shed His precious blood to deliver the human race from corruption and death, in order to restore fallen man to his former blessedness. He brought to earth His teaching, which contains everything necessary for the salvation of the human soul. If the mark of the Antichrist were more dangerous than the…
According to the explanatory dictionary of S.I. Ozhegov, a dogma is “a fundamental principle in religious doctrine, regarded (by the Church) as immutable truth and not subject to criticism.” It is often said that the only reason for breaking church communion can be dogmatic distortions, i.e., distortions in the foundations of the faith. This argument…
Why are “dogmas” necessary? Is the moral teaching of the Gospel not sufficient? We believe in God, but why this heap of incomprehensible and unnecessary dogmas, which the mind can neither accept nor comprehend? “God is one and triune.” Two hypostases, indivisible yet distinct. What is the need for all this? And in general, “what…
What is the Creed? The Creed is a brief yet precise exposition of the Christian faith, composed by the Holy Fathers. The first brief Creed was composed by the Holy Apostles themselves at their Council in Jerusalem in the year 50. Later, at the First Ecumenical (Nicene) Council in 325, which assembled to affirm the…