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                "title": "Role of the Church Fathers",
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                        "*": "Written by: Dr Medhat Ibrahim\nSeminarian Deacon, Theological College, El-Mina, Egypt\n\nA saint once said, \u201cWithout the early church fathers and their teachings and sufferings we would not have\nthe same one true faith shared by the chosen Apostles which was originally taken from the Lord Jesus\nChrist.\n\n== Orthodox Education ==\n\nThe Christian Orthodox education, especially Dogma\u2019s and moral behavior, is challenging and yet\nso vital.\n\nTherefore, we see these Church Fathers imparting knowledge extensively in Orthodox education\nthat still remains unchanged and has been the corner stone of Christian Dogma throughout the\ncenturies. Father George Florofsky, who is one of the great Patrology scholars, said that the study\nof the Church Fathers is not simply the history of Christian writings but is the science of\nPatrological Theology. The Orthodox education established by the early Fathers reflects the truth\nthat is derived from the Holy Gospel and the pure and holy life to which all church members aspire.\n\nThe Church Fathers are not the True Light but reflected the Light of Truth in their teachings to\nfurther understanding and to diminish rational doubting. St Paul, the Apostle, prophesied\nconcerning the role of the Church Fathers. \u201cAnd with joy give thanks to the Father, who has made\nyou fir to have your share of what God has reserved for His people in the Kingdom of Light.\u201d\n(Colossians 1:12)\n\n== Correct Interpretation of God\u2019s Holy Word ==\n\nIn the Second Holy Epistle of St Peter, the Apostle, (3:16), he explains that there are some difficult\nthings which ignorant and unstable people explain falsely, so they bring on their own destruction.\n\nThroughout the years, some ignorant and illiterate people explained some Holy Gospel verses\nwrong. However, we through our Church Fathers have maintained the True Faith and correct\nexplanation/interpretation of all the Holy Bible Books. Much of the early Church Fathers\u2019 writings\ncentered on explaining scripture found within the Holy Bible and how those verses were applicable\nto the believer\u2019s life. Through the early Church Fathers we are blessed with explanations and\nmeanings spiritually and literally for all the Holy Books of the Bible.\n\nSt Basil, the Great, said, \u201cin the Church Fathers explanations of the Holy Bible we will find an\nunderstandable explanation which may be mystical, physical, or spiritual. We will find these holy\nexplanations assist to raise our hearts and minds to God and help us grow spiritually.\u201d\n\nTruly, we have Fathers who specialized in writing interpretations of the Holy Bible such as St\nAthansius, the Apostolic (explained the Holy Book of Psalms), St John Chrysostom (every Holy\nBook of the Gospels), St Augustine and so on.\n\n== Teaching About Daily Behavior ==\n\nOur faithful Church Fathers wrote their teachings, letters, books, defenses, and recorded ministry in\nresponse to the urgent needs of the believers at their time. The early writings were the response and\nreflected the needs characteristic of personal problems and an ever-changing community. In their\nwritings we have teachings related to problems and solutions given for these problems. Problems\nwere addressed based on how they affected ones\u2019 spiritual life and growth.\n\nSuch problems as richness and materialism were identified. St Clement, the Alexandrian, wrote a\nlengthy manuscript \u201cDoes the Rich Man Have Salvation? How? The scholar Tertullian, from North\nAfrica, ardently believed and wrote that patience and praying were the holy means that connected us\nto the Lord. He further wrote that believers should abstain from fun and types of entertainment,\nwhich took ones\u2019 focus away from God. He addressed such issues as how the Christian woman\nshould dress.\n\nSt Gregorian, the Theologian, wrote regarding such selected topics as \u201cdenying the Lord Jesus\nChrist as a result of fear and societal pressure. St Athansius, the Apostolic, wrote about the\nIncarnation. St Basil, the Great, wrote to the youth of his day encouraging them to read and study\nGreek literature, anger, drunkenness, envy, and humbleness.\nSt Gregorian, the Nicean, completed the manuscript of St Basil concerning the \u201cCreation of Man\u201d,\nand \u201cThe Luck, The Understanding, The Knowledge and Death of Children.\u201d\n\nSt John Chrysostom wrote in detail regarding the priesthood and repentance. Also St John wrote\nabout mental thinking and concentration on the pure holy life. He offered his advice to young\nwidows, instructed parents on the raising of children, and wrote about extinguishing materialism and\nsquandering ones\u2019 life. Finally, St John Chrysostom addressed how marital couples should live life\ntogether in a pure and holy manner.\n\nSt Isozorus, the Piliosomy, wrote about two thousand messages centering on such topics as dressing,\nhospitality, humbleness, luck, lusts, and the life of holiness. He wrote for soldiers, teachers,\nscholars, politicians, physicians\u2019 kings, monks and priests. St Isozorus was the spiritual father for\nmany thousands of people, among them St Cyril the Great.\n\nSt Ambrosios authored topics concerning those ordinated for the holy services. St Augustine wrote\nabout the eternal life of man, the scholars, and the useful works of the monks.\n\nAll the above-mentioned authors and topics are not inclusive but are a select few. Their writings\nreflect the richness of their teachings that have transcended time and place. Indeed they show us the\nway for meeting the Lord.\n\n== Orthodox Spirituality ==\n\nFor man to spiritually live according to God\u2019s law and be close to God is not easy. To accomplish a\ntruly spiritual life man needs teachers, scholars, advisors, trainers, and counselors. The Church\nFathers were not just literal or theoretical such as Aflaton and other non-Christian philosophers, but\nthey offered the mystical life, which included the holy pure means of connecting man to God on the\nbasis of pure love to God.\n\nThe Church Fathers offered the mystical life beyond the literacy, theory, or feelings. In addition,\nthey offered through the spiritual, peace through the mystical life that began from the Light and\nended in Divine Love. This mystical life remains a continual renewal; it is the holiness of the spirit\nin truth (John 17:17).\n\nSo the role of the Church Fathers in our spiritual life can be summarized as:\n# The goal of our Christian life is to be one with God. This goal\u2019s objective is to share in the Divine Nature, \u201cIn this way He has given us the very great and precious gifts He promised, so that by means of these gifts you may escape from the destructive lust that is in the world and may come to share the Divine Nature.\u201d (II Peter 1:4) This goal may be found in the entire Fathers\u2019 writings as mentioned by St Athanasius, the Apostolic. God\u2019s Son became mans\u2019 Son to make everyone sons of God by His Grace.\n# The sharing of the Divine Nature cannot be achieved by our own human wills on trial. The Holy Grace is the fundamental and the basic principal in renewing and correction of our lives. \u201cWe believe and are saved by the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, just as they are.\u201d (Acts 15:11). All Apostolic Fathers and their children such as St John Chrysostom, the scholar Clement the Alexandrian, St Ephraim the Syrian, and many others taught the same principal\u2014we as humans should chose the holiness first and then Grace will complete us in a way deemed necessary for us. St John Chrysostom said, \u201cGod doesn\u2019t work beyond our will to preserve our freedom, otherwise our freedom will be destroyed.\u201d\n# The spiritual life cannot be achieved without prayer. The Church Fathers\u2019 prayers were a continuous conversation with God. Prayers were recited with joy. The Church Fathers prayers can direct us to internal perfect peace and deep spiritual joy. St John said, \u201cThe words of deep pure prayer are like the fire you ignite before God.\u201d\n# The Christian must partake in the Church Mysteries. This must be spiritual not simply ritual. The Fathers considered the Church\u2019s Mysteries as a living and continuous work and not only ritual work. We do not encounter meaningless symbols but spiritual living work, which leads us to the Divine Nature.\n# Spiritual life cannot be completed with sharing the saints\u2014those saints were not theory creators about faith but they lived out this faith on a daily basis. We can consider the saints our personal teachers, counselors, and advisors as they lived before us and lived in this world but the world did not live within them. Faith without works and works without faith are not acceptable in our beloved Church. Therefore each and every Christian should work and suffer, \u201cSo that we may share His Holiness.\u201d (Hebrews 12:10)\n\n== Religious Raising ==\n\nIn the Orthodox Church there is no distinction between religious raising and the so-called secular\nraising. Secular raising is the result of religious reform in the West. The goal of the Orthodox\nChurch is promoting the true Christian life through which the Lord Jesus Christ appears to the\nworld. So the Church raises the human being to think, work, live, and grow according to God\u2019s\nwill. The Church views the man resembling God.\n\nTherefore the Church recreates man to be \u201csharing the Divine Nature and to be a perfect man.\u201d\n(Ephesians 4:13) The Church is not only a religious endeavor but in truth is the holy crucified body\nof the Lord Jesus Christ who has risen between the dead, so it is visible and mystical, physical and\ndivine at the same time and without separation.\n\nWe are in need of the mystical spiritual life as detailed by the Church Fathers and Church. The\nFathers translated the Holy Gospel into a mystical written work throughout the Divine Liturgy,\nwhich sanctifies the human beings.\n\nWe should understand then, these profound and holy mystical services and not consider them ritual\nonly. We need Orthodox Theology in our Churches. Orthodox Theology can lead to a balanced life\nand can reflect the richness and reality of the Orthodox faith regardless of corruption.\nThe Church through the Fathers built many churches in a specific type of architectural design with\nicons expressing many theological facts. In this manner, the Church offered an open book\nexpressing our Orthodox faith to be read even by those who cannot read. Further, the Church made\nhymns that express theological teachings of our Fathers and arranged it into musical notes, which\nencourage the spirit to fly in the worship to Heaven.\n\nAlso the Church took flowers from gardens and made incense to teach man about prayer, the true\nspiritual Joy, and the good aroma of the Lord Jesus Christ. Wax was taken from honeybee hives and\ncandles formed to teach man about the Light of the Lord Jesus Christ which shines upon all. It took\nthe threads and made the priests white clothes to teach man the life of holiness and pureness. In\nsummary, the Church makes the entire Universe a holy altar of worship to God.\n\n== Applicable Examples From Our Fathers ==\n\nThe Fathers offered themselves as living examples of holy Christian life. They built their life on\nstories. St John Chrysostom said, \u201cThe words of those Fathers reach the hearts of the audiences\nfaster than hot steel.\u201d\n\nAs we live in the world, which is full of corruption, we need to desire to be as the Church Fathers\nexamples and to live life as they have lived. St Agnatios, The Theoforian, said, \u201cI will choose the\nLord Jesus Christ. I want to give all that I have to have Him. I want to be as wheat and ground for\nHis sake. I want to give all things to have the Lord. St Gregory the Theologian, ordinated as a\nbishop, had only 17 Christian believers in his parish. After his holy life in the service there were\nonly 17 non-believers in his parish at his departure. St John Chrysostom stated, \u201cThere is one\nperson who when he has a true love to God can change the whole city to the Lord Jesus Christ.\n\nAnother example, St Athanasius, in his life suffered much for his only goal, the Truth and became\none of the few heroes of the Orthodox Dogma.\n\nSt John Chrysostom, another applicable example, lived a pure and holy life, taking care of his\nshepherds, his priests and his contacts. He was indeed a true living picture of the Lord Jesus Christ.\n\nAll of the Fathers lived in our world and overcame Satan and worldly lusts. They abided by the\nHoly Gospel and became a living Gospel. St Isordorus the Pleosomy, said, \u201cThey worked according\nto their words and talked through their works.\u201d\n\nTheir goals were not making miracles but their life to be a miracle preaching the Lord Jesus Christ,\n\u201cWhoever obeys the Law and teaches others to do the same will be great in the Kingdom of\nHeaven.\u201d (Matthew 5:19). This is the secret of the Church Fathers greatness and persistence in our\nlife. They lived the Holy Gospel and witnessed for the Lord Jesus Christ."
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            "119": {
                "pageid": 119,
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                "title": "Saints",
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                        "*": "The Saints are dear brothers who have struggled like us and have departed to Paradise. They are not dead, but are sleeping, as our Lord said (Jn 11:11) and as St. Paul called them (1 Thess 4:13).\n\nOur early fathers spoke clearly and in detail about our relationship with Saints. The Saints in Paradise are the triumphant members of the same one church in which we are militant members. We, the triumphant and militants, are members of the Church, which is the one Body of our Lord Jesus Christ. The triumphant become invisible members because of the death of their bodies, and then militants are the visible ones. This is man's point of view, but in God's sight, we are all a visible holy family.\n\nThey departed from earth, but did not leave the church; their love toward their brothers did not cease by their departure and dwelling in Paradise. The death of their bodies does not sever the bond of mutual love between them and us; on the contrary it increases in depth and strength. Their prayers for the salvation of the entire world never cease. They pray for us, and we venerate them as they are our holy and dear friends.\n\nWe venerate the icons of saints and put them on the iconstasis. Church walls and doors are hung with icons, also our homes, etc., as a sign of our communion with them in the Lord Jesus Christ."
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