October: Day 11: Teaching 2: Holy Apostle Philip, One of the Seven Deacons

October: Day 11: Teaching 2:
Holy Apostle Philip, One of the Seven Deacons
 
(How Should One Read or Listen to the Holy Scriptures?)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Today the Holy Church celebrates the memory of one of the seven deacons, the Holy Apostle Philip.

The Holy Apostle Philip was from Caesarea in Palestine. The Jews, seeing that the number of believers was constantly increasing, began to cruelly persecute the Church of God; they stoned Archdeacon Stephen, and then all the believers, except the twelve apostles, left Jerusalem. But this persecution only served to further spread the word of God, because the believers began to preach in different cities, and everywhere God helped them to establish His holy teaching. Saint Philip, leaving Jerusalem, arrived in Samaria and there zealously preached Christ.

One day, an angel of God said to Philip: "Arise and go along the road that leads to Gaza." Philip obeyed and on the road he met an Ethiopian nobleman. He went to Jerusalem to worship God, for many of the foreigners then believed in the law of Moses. Sitting in the chariot, he read the prophecy of Isaiah, and specifically that place from the 53rd chapter in which the prophet so clearly points to Christ: "He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation?" (Is. 53:7, 8). The Ethiopian nobleman did not understand of whom the prophet was speaking; but the Lord, seeing his sincere desire to know the truth, sent him unexpected help. The Holy Spirit inspired Philip to approach the chariot and speak to the nobleman. When Philip learned that he was reading the prophecy of Isaiah, he asked him if he understood what he was reading. “No,” the nobleman replied, “explain it to me.” He asked Philip to sit with him and asked of whom the prophet was speaking – himself or someone else? Philip immediately explained the meaning of the prophecy and preached the good news of Christ to the nobleman. He listened attentively. Meanwhile, they rode up to some water, and the nobleman said to Philip, “Here is water! What hinders me from being baptized?”

“You can be,” Philip answered, “if you believe with all your heart.”

“I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God,” he answered.

They stopped the chariot. Both of them got out; Philip baptized the Ethiopian, and the Holy Spirit descended on the new believer. Then the angel of God snatched away Philip, and the nobleman continued on his way with joy.

II. By what wondrous ways was the holy teaching spread! How graciously the Lord instructed those who wished to serve Him! How He helped them! In exactly the same way He helps now all those who sincerely desire to know His will, so that, having learned it, they may fulfill it. As once the Ethiopian nobleman, so each of us needs God's help in reading the Holy Scriptures. Much in them is inaccessible even to the most learned, the most educated people, for the human mind cannot comprehend the whole greatness of the Deity; but to those who with humility and love begin to read the sacred books, God helps to comprehend what is necessary for them. Therefore, brethren, let us think about how we should read or listen to the Holy Scriptures in order to receive true fruit for the salvation of our souls.

a) When we begin to read or listen to the Holy Scriptures, we must remember that this is not a human teaching, but the word of God, which is constant and unchanging. The Lord says: “Until heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will not pass from the law until all are fulfilled” (Matt. 5:18). The Lord also says: “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63). The Apostle teaches: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Tim. 3:16).

b) So Jesus Christ Himself and the apostles testify to the Divine dignity of the Holy Scripture, that it was written by the Spirit of God; that the teaching offered in it is unchangeable, and is “the living and active word of God” (Heb. 4:12), and saving for all who believe and keep it. Therefore, every time we want to read or listen to the Holy Scripture, we must gather ourselves within ourselves and nourish reverence and prayer to God, and ask God to grant us His Spirit, to understand what He teaches us in the Holy Scripture. “But the natural man,” teaches the Apostle, “receives not the things which are of the Spirit of God: for it is foolishness unto him, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14). “A natural man” is a man who does not have the Spirit of Christ in himself, who thinks and acts according to the concepts of his natural mind, unenlightened by faith in Jesus Christ. Such a man “does not accept the things of the Spirit of God (does not understand and does not believe), because he considers them foolishness; and he cannot understand (with his natural sense), because these things must be judged spiritually” (with the help of the Spirit of God, enlightening us to understand the mysteries of salvation).

c) At the same time, it is necessary to distance oneself from sins, both obvious and hidden; it is necessary to nourish pure thoughts, pious feelings and desires in the soul, in order to thus prepare oneself to receive the Holy Spirit. It is necessary to nourish in the soul a feeling of humility and devotion to the Lord, in order to accept the teaching of the word of God with childlike faith, and not to be clever and not to try to comprehend those depths of the mysteries of God that are hidden from us. Jesus Christ, glorifying God the Father, says: “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes” (Matt. 11:25). So, brethren, we too must always keep ourselves pure from sins of soul and body, so that the Holy Spirit may overshadow us and grant us the grace of understanding; must listen and read the word of God with deep humility, with childlike simplicity and unquestioning faith, heeding the Holy Scriptures as the true word of God, or the words of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

d) When reading or listening to Holy Scripture, try to understand it as the Holy Orthodox Church understands and explains it, or as the Holy Fathers and Teachers of the Ecumenical Church understood and explained it. When reading Holy Scripture, in the light of faith, you will understand much; but what you do not understand, do not attempt to explain, if you are not prepared for this, but seek the resolution of your perplexities from a shepherd or teacher of the Church. Jesus Christ taught His chosen disciples, whom He named apostles (Luke 6:13), more than others, the mysteries of the kingdom, explained the scriptures to them, imparted to them the gift of "understanding the scriptures" (Luke 24:45), and sent them to proclaim the gospel throughout the whole universe: so now those destined for pastoral service are especially prepared to understand the Holy Scriptures and the mysteries of salvation, and, according to the institution of the Lord Himself, receive special grace, in the mystery of the priesthood, imparting to them the right and strength to pass through this high and difficult service. So, when reading or listening to the word of God, accept the teaching with reverent faith; and when you encounter perplexities, be careful: do not resolve perplexities yourselves, as it seems to you, lest you sin against the truth, and thereby offend the Holy Spirit, acting through the word of God; but ask permission from your shepherds, and accept their words with confidence, as the words of the Church, because they will speak to you not according to their own opinion, but as the universal Church teaches, as the Holy Fathers and Teachers of the Orthodox Church taught, or as the Holy Orthodox Synods determined.

d) And every time we read or listen to the Holy Scriptures, we must always nourish in our souls a sincere desire and firm determination, improving in the knowledge of the saving teaching, and at the same time improving in Christian virtues, trying with all our might to fulfill the commandments of God. You hear or read about the greatness of God Almighty, about His omnipotence, wisdom, goodness and His other boundless perfections, also about His great and indescribable deeds, about the creation of the world, about the governance of the world, about His special providence for man - be reverent and glorify the great and boundless in His greatness God, the Creator, Provider of the whole world and the Savior of the human race. You hear the voice of the Lord Jesus, calling to the path of salvation, or commanding to keep this or that commandment: kindle your zeal for the fulfillment of the commandments of Christ. With such a disposition and with such zeal for improving oneself in the knowledge of God and His perfections, in love for Him and in the fulfillment of His commandments, one must always listen to and read the Holy Scriptures, and by observing this rule, you will each time receive the fruit of edification for salvation.

III. Brethren! Hear and, whoever is able, read the Holy Scriptures diligently and reverently, and humbly submit to the instructions of the Spirit of God speaking in them. Be enlightened by them as by spiritual light; feed your hearts with them as with heavenly manna; follow them as a lamp shining in this dark place of our earthly pilgrimage. The Lord said: "Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it" (Luke 11:28). So, hearing the word of God and obeying it, you too are blessed; because, following the teaching of the word of God, you walk the path of salvation and, at the end of earthly life, you hope, according to the promise of the Lord, to inherit eternal life. The Lord says: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that hears my word, and believes Him that sent Me, has everlasting life: and shall not come into judgment, but shall pass from death unto life” (John 5:24).

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.