October: Day 5: Teaching 1: Saints Peter, Alexy and Jonah, Metropolitans of Moscow and Wonderworkers of All Russia

October: Day 5: Teaching 1:
Saints Peter, Alexy and Jonah, Metropolitans of Moscow and Wonderworkers of All Russia
 
(On the True Teachers of Faith, Whom Christians Must Obey According to the Apostolic Commandment)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. We celebrate today the memory of three Russian saints: Peter, Alexy and Jonah, the Metropolitans of Moscow and All Russia and Wonderworkers, who during their lives taught faith and piety to their vast flock and contributed to the prosperity of their fatherland, not fearing for this purpose either labors, or dangers, or even death itself, and after death praying unceasingly for it, we must say that these were true teachers of faith and piety, true shepherds, ready to lay down (and some of them, such as Saint Philip, did lay down) their souls for their flock.

II. At the same time, others may ask us: who are the true teachers of the faith of Christ and how to distinguish true shepherds from false ones? For even those teachers whom we consider false and self-proclaimed call themselves true teachers of the faith and are recognized as such by their followers. This question is important and requires resolution: for, not knowing well who really teaches the true faith of Christ, one can easily take a false teacher for a true one and be carried away by his suggestion into soul-destroying errors. Therefore, we intend now to take up the solution of this question for your edification - all the more so because among us at the present time there have appeared not a few such people who falsely call themselves teachers of the faith and draw others into their errors.

a) The first sign of true teachers of the faith is that they are appointed to their work by the legal authority in the Church of Christ.

In the Church of Christ, which was founded by the Lord Himself and is therefore called His House and even His Body (Matt. 16:18; 1 Tim. 3:15; Eph. 1:22, 23), everything must be according to the order of Jesus Christ, as its Master and Head. It is especially necessary that the stewards and ministers in this house of God, that is, the shepherds and teachers of the Church of Christ, be chosen and appointed by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, or by the order established by Him. From the Gospel history it is evident that Jesus Christ, teaching all people the truths of salvation, did not grant all His disciples the right to teach others, but chose for this from among them only twelve and then seventy apostles, to whom He gave the authority to instruct others in what He Himself taught them, and at the same time to bind and loose the sins of men, and to govern everything in His Church (Luke 6:13; Matt. 18:15-20; 28:19; 20; John 20:22; 23). These were the first true teachers of faith in the Church of Christ.

In turn, the apostles of Christ, even during their lifetime, "appointed successors to themselves," who are called in the word of God bishops, presbyters, shepherds and teachers of the Church of Christ (Eph. 4:4; Philip. 1:1; Titus 1:5, 7). Such were: Timothy, Silvanus, Titus and many others (1 Tim. 4:14), and they granted to the bishops ordained by them the right to elect and ordain other worthy people to the episcopal and presbyterial offices, "who would be able also to teach others" the faith of Christ (2 Tim. 2:2; Titus 1:5). Thus, from the times of the apostles until now, a series of true teachers of the faith has continued uninterruptedly in the persons of bishops and presbyters of the Church of Christ; in the same way it will continue until the end of the age, as long as the Church of Christ exists on earth: until we all come “to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man,” “to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,” and “until the Son of God comes” again to earth to judge the living and the dead (Eph. 4:13; 1 Cor. 11:24–26; 1 Peter 5:1–4).

From what has been said it is evident that, after Jesus Christ and His apostles, the true teachers of the faith are the bishops and presbyters of Christ's Church, who have successively received from the apostles the authority and duty to teach others the faith.

Thus, the ordination of the priesthood, received successively from the apostles, is the first sign of true teachers of the faith, without which they cannot be. The true “shepherd,” says the Savior, “enters into the sheepfold” - into the Church of God - “by the door,” that is, by Me or by the way established by Me: for “I am the door of the sheep”; but whoever enters not by the door, “but climbs up some other way,” whoever assumes the office of shepherd and teacher in My Church in some other way not established by Me, “the same is a thief and a robber” (John 10:1-7).

b) There is another surest sign of true teachers of the faith, this is the agreement of their instructions with the teaching of Jesus Christ, His apostles and the ancient teachers of the Church, who received the teaching of Christ directly from the apostles and transmitted it to us in their writings. Jesus Christ is the "Author" and "Finisher" of our "faith" (Heb. 12:2); and therefore, obviously, only he can be called a true confessor and teacher of this faith who strictly adheres to the teaching of Christ in everything and does not change it in anything: "If you continue in my word," says the Savior, "then you are my disciples indeed" (John 8:31). “The Apostles”, the obvious witnesses of the acts of Jesus Christ and His closest disciples, were instructed by Him, under the illumination of the Holy Spirit, in all truth and preached His teaching so faithfully that they did not hesitate to say: “If we, or an angel from heaven, shall preach to you any other gospel than that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed” (John 15:15, 16:13, Gal. 1:8); therefore, the true teachers of the faith of Christ can and must teach only what the Apostles of Christ taught.

The “ancient teachers” of the Church of Christ knew the teaching of Christ fully and transmitted it to us in all its purity, because they heard it from the lips of the apostles themselves and were enlightened by the Holy Spirit; therefore, true teachers of the faith of Christ must agree with them in doctrine, as the apostle also advises, saying: “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you, and considering the outcome of their life, imitate their faith” (Heb. 13:7).

Compare the deeds and teachings of the true teachers of our faith - the archbishops and bishops - with the ancient Christ-apostolic and patristic teaching, and you will clearly see that they agree with it in everything.

As an example, let us compare with this teaching the instructions of Orthodox shepherds and the interpretations of the so-called Old Believer mentors.

1) Jesus Christ said in the Gospel: “I have built my church, and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). According to this, Orthodox shepherds teach that the Church of Christ, despite all the forces hostile to it, will exist until the end of time, reviving people to salvation through the mysteries and the priesthood; while Old Believer teachers explain that the Church of Christ has been destroyed since the time of Patriarch Nikon, the priesthood in it has perished, and all its mysteries have been defiled by the Antichrist.

2) Jesus Christ says in the Gospel: “If anyone does not obey the church, let him be to you as a heathen and a publican” (Matt. 18:17). In accordance with this, Orthodox shepherds teach that all Christians must obey the Church of Christ and must in no way disobey its definitions; but the Old Believer teachers not only do not themselves obey, but also inspire others not to submit to it, and even spew such blasphemies against it that “it is shameful even to speak.”

3) Jesus Christ, having established the mystery of the Holy Eucharist before His suffering, commanded that it be celebrated in the Church until His second coming to earth and said: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you have no life in you: he who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:53-54; Matt. 26:26-28; 1 Cor. 11:23-26). According to this, “Orthodox shepherds celebrate the Holy Eucharist and inspire believers to partake of the Body and Blood of Christ” for the remission of sins and eternal life, and many of the Old Believer teachers explain that one can be saved without this most holy mystery, and therefore not only do they not partake of the Body and Blood of Christ, but they also blaspheme this greatest holy thing.

4) The Apostle says: the Church of the living God is the pillar and ground of the truth, and therefore one must not withdraw from it (1 Tim. 3:15). Orthodox shepherds teach the same; while Old Believer teachers explain that since the time of the correction of liturgical books under Patriarch Nikon, all sorts of heresies have been introduced into this Church and therefore one should by no means have communion with it.

5) A whole host of ancient teachers of the Church decreed at the 6th Ecumenical Synod: “It is not proper for a layman to pronounce a word or teach before the people, and thus take upon himself the dignity of a teacher, but he must obey the order given by the Lord, to open their ears to those who have received the grace of the teaching word, and from them to learn divine things” (6th Ecumenical Synod, 64th canon). The same is said by current Orthodox teachers; but the Old Believer instructors interpret it differently and not only do they themselves, being laymen, unlawfully take upon themselves the dignity of a teacher among their like-minded people, but they also impose it on other laymen like them, thereby appropriating episcopal authority for themselves.

Now judge, brethren, who are the true teachers of the Christian faith - the Orthodox shepherds who strictly follow the ancient Christ-apostolic and patristic teaching in everything, or the Old Believer teachers who, as you have seen, in many ways contradict and oppose it? Obviously, the former. And from this it is clear that the Orthodox shepherds are the true teachers of the Christian faith and that they must be obeyed according to the apostolic commandment.

III. Therefore brethren, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch over your souls as those who must give an account” (Heb. 13:17). Listen diligently to their instructions and fulfill them exactly: for everything that they inspire you serves for your benefit, for the salvation of your souls.

Through the prayers of Saints Peter, Alexy and Jonah, Metropolitans of Moscow, may the Lord preserve us in constant and sincere obedience to our true teachers in faith and piety.

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