The Apostles’ Fall into Disbelief in Christ’s Resurrection Does Not Justify the Priestless Sect (Bespopovtsy) #
Priestless Old Believer: Thank you, my friend, for thoroughly proving from the Gospels themselves that all bishops are capable of falling into error. If even all the apostles fell into disbelief, and the Church was not defeated, then all the more, in the absence of bishops, it can remain undefeated, preserving the Orthodox faith. This fully justifies us, the priestless sect, for we have neither bishops nor priests, as they have fallen into error, while we maintain the Orthodox faith.
Old Ritualist: No, rather than justifying you, this Gospel testimony about the apostles’ disbelief in Christ’s resurrection actually condemns you, the priestless sect, even more. The Gospel tells us that while the apostles indeed did not believe in His resurrection, they were not stripped of their apostolic rank nor made into laymen impostors, for when they did come to believe, it was they whom He sent to preach the Gospel—not others. The Gospel states: “Later, as they sat at the table, He appeared to the eleven and rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.’” (Mark 16:14-16, reading 71). So, although the apostles indeed fell into disbelief for a time, they were by no means deprived of their apostolic office because of it. But you, priestless sect members, claim and believe that as soon as bishops fell into error, they thereby lost their rank and became laymen, impostors. When the apostles fell into disbelief in His resurrection, Christ Himself appeared to them, convinced them of His resurrection, and sent them to carry out their duties—to preach the Gospel to every creature—and He did not replace them. But you, priestless sect members, when the bishops went astray in Nikon’s time, not only did not attempt to convince them of the truth of the Orthodox faith so they might fulfill their pastoral duties, but also replaced them with others, whom you call “teachers,” who have absolutely no clerical ordination, yet still perform pastoral duties.
The Lord God, who can raise up children to Abraham from stones (Luke 3:8), could, of course, have chosen other apostles when they fell into disbelief in His resurrection, but He did not. Instead, He appeared to them and brought them to faith. But you, priestless sect members, who are mere men and cannot make even one hair white or black (Matt. 5:36), completely reject ordained persons if they fall into error, and not only do not seek to turn them to the true faith but refuse to obey them even if they do repent, choosing instead teachers according to your own desires (2 Tim. 4:3). Even the disciple who denied Him with an oath (Matt. 26:74, reading 109) was not cast out from the apostles but, upon repentance, was entrusted with the care of His flock (John 21:15, reading 67). Yet you, priestless sect members, regard bishops who have not denied Christ, but have merely adopted some erroneous ideas, as laymen. In this, you are directly opposed to Christ. How, then, can the example of the apostles’ disbelief and Christ’s response to them justify you when you act in the exact opposite way?
In contrast, we Old Ritualists, who accept the priesthood, are indeed justified by the above example of the apostles’ disbelief. Just as the Gospel states that the apostles truly did fall into disbelief, we say that all bishops are capable of falling into error. Just as the Church remained fully undefeated and retained all the attributes and signs of the true Church of Christ, even when there was not a single apostle who believed in Christ’s resurrection, so too, even when it had no truly Orthodox bishop for a time, the Church retained all the attributes of the true Church of Christ and remained undefeated. Just as the apostles, while in disbelief, did not lose their rank but remained apostles, even though they did not believe in the resurrection, so too, bishops, even while in error, do not lose their rank but remain bishops, even if they are mistaken. Just as the myrrh-bearing women did not follow the apostles’ disbelief, even though Christ had commanded obedience to the apostles (Luke 10:16, reading 51), and were not deemed disobedient because of this, so too, we do not follow the bishops in their errors, even though we are commanded to listen to them, and this does not make us guilty. Just as Christ, when the apostles were in disbelief, did not reject them, did not wait for them to believe on their own, but personally appeared to them and did not say they had lost their apostolic office or become impostors because of their disbelief—though He did rebuke them for it—He confirmed their office and commanded them to carry out their apostolic, pastoral, and other duties, preaching the Gospel to all creation (Matt. 28:19, reading 116). So too, in fulfillment of His holy command to “do as you have seen Me do” (John 13:15, reading 45), we Old Ritualists, while recognizing that bishops in error have gone astray, do not consider that they have lost their rank or become impostors. Instead, we seek to turn them from their erroneous path (James 5:19-20, reading 57) and confirm them in their rank, demanding that they carry out their pastoral and Christian duties according to the commandments of God and the rules of the Church in the spirit of the Gospel.
But you, priestless sect members, contrary to Christ’s example regarding those who err, teach and believe that as soon as a bishop falls into error, he loses his rank, becomes a layman, an impostor, and can no longer be a shepherd of the Church, even if he returns from his error in sincere repentance. You seem to want to place yourselves above Christ, establishing your own new hierarchy of teachers, elders, and so forth, instead of restoring errant hierarchs to the true faith in their original rank, as Christ restored His apostles from disbelief to faith in His resurrection.