February 2, 7534
Report of L. F. Pichugin at the First All-Russian Council of Pomor Christians, 1909 ON THE ESSENCE OF THE CHURCH Conciliar Resolution QUESTION. Who established the Church? ANSWER. Christ the Savior Himself. QUESTION. Which words indicate the establishment of the Church? ANSWER. The righteous confession of the Apostle Peter: “You are the Christ, the Son…
It is impossible to be saved outside the Church (naturally, we mean the Orthodox and true Church). This truth is so firmly rooted in the Old Believer consciousness that we need not prove its validity. The “patristic” testimonies concerning the essential truth of the Church for salvation are known to all of us. Therefore, in…
We should not presume to take God’s judgment into our hands. We do not know who will perish or who will be saved—that is God’s domain: “There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy.”(James 4:12) We should focus on our own salvation: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”(Philippians…
The Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church is the modern name for the Church founded by Christ Himself. In the Creed, we profess: “I believe… in one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.” By this, we affirm that we preserve the same true faith that once existed throughout the entire universe. We do not require any correction…
The medieval Russian concept was slightly different and more comprehensive in its original form. Its essence can be summarized as follows: the First Rome, the Orthodox kingdom, fell into heresy; the Second Rome (Constantinople) fell to the Turks; now the last Orthodox kingdom is Moscow, the “Third Rome.” If Moscow were to fall, there would…