TRAGEDY OF HOLY ORTHODOXY

      Recently published statistics by Pew Research has established that around 50 % of Young Orthodox leave the Church.  Many of us see in our own communities the truth of these statistics as the churches are practically empty on Feast Days, and very diminished on  Sundays. Few are the younger people who remain in the Church Why is this so and what can be done about it.

    This should send out alarms to our hierarchs involved in ecumenism and the papacy to abandon these fruitless endeavors and return to preaching the Gospel in their churches. This is what their function ought to be. The Bishop should directly represent Christ and be like Him, humble and meek, filled with love and peaceful. Every one of us clergy and laity will one day be judged for what we have done or failed to do during this present life.

Our Lord reminds us: 

    “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise; as some men count slackness, but is fore-bearing toward us; He is not willing that any should perish; but that all should come to repentance”     (II Pet.  3:9).

     The tragedy of our days is the lack of fear or love of God, the lack of preparing for the great day of His appearance. Our unbelief will never cancel God’s firm promise which is sure to come, for God is “not slack concerning His promise” As certain as we are of death which is to come, so we should be just as  certain of the judgment that is to come

MAN – HIS COMPOSITION

BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT

Part Two

     There are two natures in the human soul which  are developed in  accordance with what the desires of its affective faculty, and what it rationally decides  through the cognitive faculty. The body strives to use the faculties of the soul to satisfy itself. It contends against the spiritual nature and thus the fleshly or carnal faculties can  become tyrannical, because the desires of the flesh and of the spirit are contrary to each other. From the spirit of God the soul’s affective faculty receives good things.

     The soul being a single hypostasis without parts is indivisible and indissoluble.  It has three faculties, Cognitive, affective and volitive, intellectual, feelings and the deciding will.  The function of the cognitive faculty is to enlighten the will or volitive faculty to indicate the objects it adapts and laws of fulfillment. The affective faculty feels the needs of the body and soul, and cry out and seeking their fulfillment by the volitive faculty. The function of the volitive faculty is to decide to do whatever is requisite in order to fulfill the needs felt by the affective or cognitive faculty. 

     Example: As noon approaches, the cognitive faculty takes note that it is almost time for lunch. The affective faulty feels the hunger and thirst sometimes with hunger pangs. With this information the volitive faculty acts deciding to eat lunch, and this process will be repeated at the next mealtimes.  The source of the soul’s two natures, carnal and spiritual, are due to the soul’s union with aa carnal body and a spirit from God. The carnal affective faculty makes its needs or demands felt as does the spiritual affective faculty, and this arouses conflicts which may be settled by the cognitive rational faculty. The carnal affective faculty or stomach is aware of a steak cooking and desires arises and almost succeeds in directing the will to get it. But the cognitive faculty reminds the will that it is a fast day and not permissible. Whichever is stronger will prevail, the affective or cognitive faculty. If they agree the will choose accordingly.

MAN – HIS COMPOSITION,

 BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT

     For many years there has been much confusion among different Orthodox writers concerning  the components of man and the difference between man’s soul and spirit  and this has been going on since days of old. This may shed some light on the subject.

     Let us examine  Scripture, which establishes the true facts and to see what this will reveal/. Many writers and speakers say that Adam and his posterity are the image and likeness of God, which is not accurate for Scripture does not apply the words “image and likeness to the creation of Adam it speaks of a man to come who will be just like God.  Scripture says:  “Let us create man in our own image and likeness” and many apply this to Adam, but it  does not refer to him  or his seed. It refers to Jesus Christ, the Godman, who is the perfect image and likeness of God. Concerning the creation of Adam and Eve Scripture says: “And God formed man in His own image, male and female created He them, establishing that Adam and his posterity are the image but not the likeness. Because describing the creation of Adam and Eve the likeness is not mentioned, and this is correct  for later they listened to the serpent and broke God’s law. The man “in the image and likeness of God, the perfect man will be in the likeness of God, and this man is Jesus Christ the Godman, eternal God and perfect sinless man.

Formation of Man

      Regarding the formation of Adam the Bible says: “And God formed man out of the clay of the earth and breathed into his person a breath of life and the man became a living soul.”  There are three things shown mentioned. Man, body and soul lifeless from clay, the inbreathing from God of a breath or spirit of life, “and the man became a living soul.” So the first man is body and soul from the clay of earth and an enlivening spirit breathed into Him from God’s spirit. Therefore, man’s life is derived from the spirit of God. Confirming this is the Scripture statement of death: “Then the clay shall return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return to God who gave it” (Eccles. 12:7). Death occurs when the return of the spirit of life returns to God, the body is buried in a shallow grave and the soul descends into Hades, according to Scripture. Man is therefore, formed in the image of God for he is one and also three, body, soul and spirit.