Strictly speaking, Church rules contain prohibitions against eating in taverns. However, it’s important to understand that taverns in ancient times, when these rules were formulated, were not merely “places of public dining.” They were associated with questionable individuals and unrighteous…
Indeed, the Lord Jesus Christ said to His disciples: “Ye are the light of the world.” Clearly, this applies not only to the apostles but to all Christians. In the Epistle to the Ephesians, St. Paul writes to all Christians:…
Christian Life as Struggle A.V. Muravyev Christianity, from its very beginning, is revealed as a struggle. In a prefigurative way, the Old Testament prophet and king David repeatedly speaks of God’s struggle against enemies and of divine aid in battling…
One of the most important decisions in a person’s life—one that largely determines their destiny—is the choice of a profession: whom to become, what to study, and how. For an Orthodox Christian, this decision is further shaped by the desire…
The question of the relationship between the spiritual and the secular has always been relevant in the Christian world, and to this day, debate continues about whether it is acceptable for a clergyman to engage in worldly concerns, to hold…
(On the Contemporary Disputes over the Names of God)[Moscow, 1913] Introduction A wondrous fate befell the creation of the former Patriarch of Russia, Nikon. The reforms he instituted resemble, in many respects, that house of which Christ speaks in the…
To answer this question, we must first examine the meaning of the word “heresy.” Often, words lose their original meanings over time, and people use them in new contexts, leading to confusion. This has also happened with the word “heresy.”…
Salvation can only be attained by uniting with Christ. And one can unite with Christ only by becoming part of His mystical Body—the Church. The Heavenly Church and the earthly Church together form one single Body. Such a Body can…
The first thing every believer must understand is that Christ is our Savior. We call Christ the Savior because no one but Him can save us. The Church is the Body of Christ. Our task is to find the Church…
The answer to this question largely depends on the individual’s specific life circumstances. It is one thing if the person is relatively healthy, young, and not in immediate danger of death, meaning they likely have time for a thorough preparation…