After St. Peter concluded his talk about the salvation through the second birth, he discusses our responsibilities as children of God. 1. The negative aspect:v.1 2. The positive aspect: First: To be joined to the motherv. 2 Second: To be joined to God, the true Stonev. 2 -10 Third: To be attached to the practical behavior:v. 11,12 3. Our behavior in society as children of God. First: Submission to the rules of the country:v.13-17 Second : Faithfulness in the servicev.18-25 1. THE NEGATIVE SIDE “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all guile, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking” (v. 1). Since we have received our heavenly birth, it is more appropriate to lay aside all the evil works of the old man and its lust, which hamper the growth of the new man created in accordance with the image of God in righteousness and holiness of truth. Therefore, we should do the following: 1. Let us lay aside all malice, that is wickedness (1 Cor. 5:8), for it is one of the traits of Satan and the pagans who resist God and who deliberately follow evil and harm. 2. Let us lay aside all guile, so we may become like our simple Father, who is without deceit or any twisted ways. Thus, we return to the simplicity of childhood in our worship and our preaching. Thus, we become children of the Kingdom. (Matt. 18:3). 3. Let us detest hypocrisy, so we do not put on the pretense of 26 the Pharisees, but rather seek the hidden glory as a bride adorned to her groom. 4. Let us forsake envy where one examines his brother’s failure. This was what made Satan attack Adam, and why the Jews betrayed the Lord Jesus19. 5.Let us abandon evil speaking by which one insults his brother publicly and demeans him. This is the third level of wrath. The saints20 divide wrath into wrath that is internal, wrath accompanied by words like “Raca” and wrath accompanied by insulting words like “You fool.” 2. THE POSITIVE SIDE: First: Attachment to the Blood: “As new born babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (v. 2). The starting point of the positive side is that the believer continuously realizes that he is a nursing baby “As new born babes.” Nothing can satisfy him except his compassionate mother’s breast, thus he desires it and throws himself on it. The advantage of the church’s milk is that it is pure and grants continuos growth, “that you may grow thereby.” Notice that the word “pure” in Greek is derived from “Logos, that is Word,” meaning the milk which the Lord Jesus, the Word of God, grants in His church. How does the church nurse us? 1. St. Clement of Alexandria said: “It [the church] is the milk of love! Blessed is he who nurses from it! It is available in winter, as well as in summer. It does not need to be heated or to be cooled, for it is always ready21.” 2. It is the honest spiritual teachings that we transmit from 19 Sayings of the Fathers about envy in the book of “Brotherly Love”. 20 Brotherly Love, p. 232. 21 Instructor 1: 6. 27 generation to generation. It does not contain any philosophy nor elaboration, but rather it is spirit and life, which the saints have experienced throughout the ages. 3. It is the living rituals, which revive the soul, and help the flesh and spirit in worship. 4. It is the intercessions and prayers of the saints. Second: Attachment to the Lord, the living stone: “If indeed you have tasted the Lord is gracious. Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious” (v. 3 & 4). “If” does not indicate doubt, but rather the assurance that the Lord is gracious. Whoever tastes that the Lord is gracious comes to Him as a living stone. Perhaps St. Peter remembered what the Lord had called him “Peter, or Cepha or Rock” when he declared his faith in the Lord Jesus. Here, St. Peter reveals that the Lord Jesus is the rock or the living stone on which the church is built. St. Cyprian said22: [Christ was called “Stone,” for it was written in Isaiah, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily”(Is. 28:16). Also, in Psalm 117; “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.” (v. 22). Also, in Zechariah, “For behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua: upon the stone are seven eyes. Behold I will engrave its inscription,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day...” (ch.3:9). In Deuteronomy, “Joshua, the son of Nun, took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. And Joshua said to all the people, ‘Behold, this stone shall be a witness to us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord which He spoke to us It shall therefore be a witness to you, lest you deny your God’” (Josh. 24:26, 27).] This is the stone that Jacob laid under his head 22 Three books of testimonies against the Jews 2: 16. 28 as mentioned in the book of Genesis, for Christ is the head of the man. 29 When he slept, he saw a ladder reaching up to heaven where the Lord is, and His angels are ascending and descending. It is the stone that Moses sat upon on top of the mountain, when Joshua was fighting the Amaleks as recorded in the book of Exodus. Through the Holy Stone and Moses, His servant, sitting upon it, Joshua defeated the Amaleks as Christ defeated the devil. It is the great stone mentioned in the book of First Kings wherein the Ark of the Covenant was placed. In the book of First Kings, it is the stone with which David slew Goliath. Goliath’s defeat and death symbolize the defeat of Satan and his followers, whose foreheads are not sealed with the name of Christ; this seal continuously grants us hope and life. It is the stone that Samuel had put on when conquering the strangers, and he called it the stone of help, that is, the stone that helps us. The Lord Jesus is the stone with which we conquer Satan, and He is the living stone to which we go. The apostle addresses the believers saying, coming to Him, not when you come to Him, for we should continuously struggle till the last breath. It is the living stone that is full of love. Let us approach Him not in dry worship but in love, where we praise Him and hear His praise. We listen to His rebuke and reveal to Him all that is in our hearts, for He is not hard or cold concerning our weaknesses. “You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (v. 5). Since He is the living Stone, we are built on Him as living stones, for as He is living, we live by Him (John 14:19). He made us spiritual houses and habitations for God’s spirit (Eph. 2:18-21). In this verse, we notice that: 1. It is one house that is not divided against itself and attached by the bond of love beyond the limits of time and place. All the apostles and martyrs are as living stones. St. Mary is praying for us, we who are struggling, as we are living stones too, and we also pray and love the future generations. Hermas23 saw in one of his visions that the victorious church is like a building. Many stones from the earth were moved and built beside 23 The Pastor, Book 1 vision 3. 30 each other and united together that the rows were not noticed and it became like a tower as one stone. 2. Hermas also saw that many stones refused to go into the building. These stones are the ones that depend on their own power and the belief that they can build their foundation on Christ outside the church; thus, they rejected the spirit of the fathers and refused their doctrines and wanted to become independent, hence they became outside the spiritual house. “Common priesthood”: for we are to offer spiritual sacrifices from “within the heart,” as Tertullian said: “This sacrifice proceeds from the whole heart and is nourished by faith and guards the truth. It is full of innocence, purity, and chastity and is adorned by love. We have to protect it through our good deeds presenting psalms, praises on the altar of God to receive everything from Him24.” All believers offer these sacrifices, but there are priests who are devoted for the priesthood as mentioned in the epistle of James chapter five, and St. Paul has clarified their conditions in his first epistle to Timothy25. What are these acceptable spiritual sacrifices to God? 1. Slaying the human will or the ego is the best sacrifice, with which one raises his hand to the cross like a spiritual knife to slay his personal will and his private desires as Abraham raised his knife to slaughter Isaac. As Isaac, the son of blessing and of promise, returned alive, we too should slaughter our will by the cross, so we may have the strong will of Christ, His desires and the mind of Christ. Thus, we sing with the apostle saying: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” I have crucified the “ego,” so Christ may live in me. 2. The sacrifice of humility before God and men: As David, the psalmist said: “For you do not desire a sacrifice, or else I would give it.; You do not delight in burnt offering. . The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, these O 24 Tert. On Prayer 28. 25 Refer to the First Epistle of St. Timothy. 31 God, You will not despise” (Ps. 32 51:16,17). 3. The sacrifice of good deeds: As St. Paul said, “Do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Heb.13:16). David the Psalmist said, “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness” (Ps. 4:5). Doing good and righteous deeds involve sacrifice and carrying the cross, and the Lord smells them as acceptable sacrifices, through His cross. 4. The sacrifice of pain and suffering: for the sake of the Lord, as St. Paul said, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress, or persecution or famine... as it is written, ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter” (Rom. 8:35, 36). 5. The sacrifice of the flesh: The believer does not look at his body as an enemy, but rather he nourishes and cherishes it (Eph. 5:29). When the Bible or the holy Fathers speak about the enmity of the flesh, they mean the desires of the flesh. St. Augustine wrote a book about controlling the soul that emphasized the importance of the flesh and that refuted what the heretics said, which was that flesh is an enemy26. Let us then control the flesh through the bonds of love and offer it on the altar. Let us hold on to the cross of the Lord offering the members of the body as a living, holy, and acceptable sacrifice to God (Rom. 12:1). Let us slay the members of the flesh and not present them as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present them as instruments of righteousness to God. Hence, all the desires, emotions and feelings of the members of the body are sanctified to become energyhelping the spirit instead of a force fighting the spirit. 6. The sacrifice of thanksgiving: St. Paul commands us saying: “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks 26 Printed under the name of “Chastity”, 1962 33 to His name” (Heb.13: 15) 27. The sacrifice of thanksgiving is the sacrifice of the angels. The heavenly creatures have no physical bodies to offer as living sacrifices, nor material belongings to offer to charity, nor anyone to annoy them so that they may forgive. They have no contradicting will to their Lord’s, nor do they suffer any physical pains. The only thing they canoffer is their continuous praise and thanksgiving. Therefore, the church trains her children to live a life of praise as in the praises of psalmody, psalms and hymns,so they may be trained to do the work of the angels. St. Anthony the Great, the father of the monks, elaborates on this exercise: “When you go to sleep on your bed, remember God’s blessings, His care for you and thank Him for that. Then when you are filled with these memories, you will rejoice in the spirit offering praises to Him in the highest. When one is not committing evil, the only thing that can satisfy God is the offering of thanksgiving28.” “Therefore, it is also contained in the Scripture, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame’” (v. 6). The Father has put His Son as chief cornerstone in Zion, that is in the church, whereby the believer becomes a member in the mysterious Body of Christ. Hermas said: “The Lord Jesus is the old Rock and the new Door. When questioned about that, he said that this rock and the door is the Son of God. I asked, ‘How can the rock be old and the door be new?’ He answered, ‘Listen, O you ignorant, the Son of Man is old, for He is the Partner of the Father in the creation, thus He is eternal.’ I asked, ‘Why is the door new, my master?’ He answered, ‘For He was manifest in these last times (1 Pet.1:20) ; therefore, the door became new, so that whoever is saved through it, enters the kingdom of God.’ He asked, ‘The stones which formed the door were used in building the church, but the ones which did not form the door were thrown outside.’ He continued, ‘Likewise, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he accepts the name of Christ. If you desire to enter a city surrounded by fence and has only one 27 Refer to Ps. 56:12, 102:22. 28 Filokalia p. 23. 34 door, you cannot 35 enter unless you enter through that door. In the same manner, no one can enter the kingdom of God except through believing in His Beloved Son Jesus Christ29.’” The Lord Christ is the cornerstone who controls all of the building and connects each stone to the other. St. Augustine said30: “The cornerstone connects two walls; when the wicked Jews rejected the faith, He connected those who believed in Him with those who were previously Gentiles; thus, He joined the two without any prejudice toward the Jews as there thought in their blind fanaticism.” The Lord Christ is also the mysterious cornerstone who joined the wall of the Old Testament with the wall of the New Testament. On Mount Tabor Moses, who received the Law, met with Elijah the prophet and three disciples, uniting the two testaments, declaring that the Lord is the Cornerstone for the Law, the prophecies and the preaching of the Gospel. “Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone” (v. 7). When building Solomon’s temple, the builders brought a huge stone, but they could not find a use for it; therefore, they forsook it and neglected it, but when they were searching for a cornerstone, they could not find another one except that huge stone, so the builders rejoiced with it. The Jews rejected the Lord Jesus, despised Him and crucified Him because they wanted Christ to be in accordance with their earthly interests, reigning as an earthly king. However, those who believed in Him found that Jesus Christ Himself, being the chief cornerstone through whom the whole building is joined together, grows into a holy temple for the Father and in whom you all also are being built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit (Eph. 2:20-22). We found Him the spiritual Rock, which is not solid, that followed us and from which we drink the same spiritual drink. (1 Cor. 10:4).St. Augustine said: “The Jews knew Him and they crucified Him; but 29 The Book of the Shepherd, 3 rev.12 30 Sermons on certain chapters from the New Testament 1:14,15. 36 the whole world heard about Him and believed in Him31.” St. Peter said that He is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to those who 31 Reference 30 (12: 4) 37 reject Him. “They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed” (v. 8), Saying, “To which they also were appointed,” does not mean that God is the One who rejected them, but they rejected Him, and the Lord had declared earlier what they would do (Is. 8:13-15). Moreover, He declared it when He said, “Whoever falls on that stone will be broken, but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder” (Luke 20:18). He is like a stone, on which they stumbled, and a rock of offense. A rock is usually huge, and normally one would not stumble on it. However, in their disobedience, they stumbled in Him, but He was not affected at all! They did not obey the Law (The Word carved on stone) because of their stony hearts. Thus they stumbled on the living stone, but we, upon obeying Him, do not stumble in Him. St. Augustine said: “With your soft heart, you can see in these stony tablets (The New Testament) what fits the stiff-necked people. In the mean time, you can see the Stone, your Bridegroom, whom Peter has denied. For them, He is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; but for you, He is the stone, which the builders rejected, and has become the chief cornerstone. Do not be afraid when you read these tablets for they are sent to you from your Bridegroom. For others, they are like stones because of their insensitivity, however, to you, they refer to power and steadfastness. The finger of God wrote these tablets, and the finger of God cast out the devils. Also, the teachings of Satan which tortures the conscience, are cast out by the finger of God32.” “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (v. 9). Since we are founded on the Cornerstone and are attached to Him we are: “A chosen generation”: The apostle of circumcision uttered this statement to correct Jewish misconceptions concerning being a chosen generation, which was that God has chosen them 32 Reply to Faustus the manchaean 15: 5 38 because they were 39 Jews. However, when the Lord incarnated and many Gentiles were from His ancestors and when He sent His apostles to the Gentiles, God’s love was revealed to humanity; being chosen should not lead to pride and fanaticism, but rather to carrying the responsibility. “A royal priesthood”: This was excerpted from the book of Exodus (Exodus 19:1). Nevertheless, in the Old Testament, we know that not every one was a priest or a king, but only the chosen. Therefore, the saying “royal priesthood” means that from our midst there are priests dedicated to the ministry of the King of kings. “A holy nation and His own special people”: Our special function is to minister and to witness to the One who called us from darkness to Hismarvelous light through practical behavior as children of light. What we proclaim are the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. This means that we reflect the beauty of the radiant Christ, so people may see His divine light inside our hearts and get to know Him through our behavior in our lives. Thus, the saying of the Psalmist David is fulfilled, “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God will shine forth” (Ps. 50:2). In all that, we do not take credit, but the credit goes to the One who had mercy on us. St. Peter continues, “Who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (v.10). We were full of darkness, but He called us to His marvelous light... What else coulld we want? He has chosen us to be His people as Hosea prophesied. (Hos. 1:6, 9, 2:23). Third: Practical Behavior After St. Peter concluded his speech about our foundation on the Lord Jesus and proclaiming His praises, he started to clarify the 40 importance of proper conduct by saying, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul” (v.11). He calls them “Beloved” to attract them to listen and to apply themselves. This call was very close to the souls of the disciples and apostles for they heard it from the loving Lord Jesus, and during the baptism and the transfiguration, they heard the voice of the Father saying of His Son, “My Beloved Son;” therefore, they became fond of it. He also calls them pilgrims, that is guests, for he previously commanded them to forsake the lust of the flesh because they are God’s children, and also because of their feeling of being strangers and not being attached to the world. Our fathers the monks used to train the new monks to visit the cemeteries, daily for long hours, to realize the reality of this life. When St. Theodore the ascetic fell in lust with the beautiful lady Hermoine, St. John Chrysostom wrote to him asking him to return to his first ascetic life, telling him about God’s abundant mercies. In order to overcome the lust of the flesh, He advised him to visit the cemeteries and reflect on the dust, ashes and worms, and in the mean time, to remember the end of evil and the happiness of the righteous33. Listen, St. Peter did not say abstain from sin, but rather he said to abstain from the root of sin, which is the “carnal lusts.” Father Dorotheos said, “Sins are fulfilling practically the lust of the flesh, that is, one practices what the lust stirs in him34.” We have to uproot these lusts, even if they were just thoughts. This inner war between the lust of the flesh and the desires of the spirit exists continually, but it does not have any power over our will, as long as we do not yield to it. Therefore, let us abstain from the lusts of the flesh by not surrendering to them, but using the members of our body as instruments of righteousness. When they see the visible fruits, which are reflections of the inner purity and the victory over the source of the desires of the flesh, we witness of 33 “You will return with greater power” by St. John Chrysostom, p. 22 34 Filokalia p. 152 41 God 42 to them35. Father Mathetes, from the second century36, compared the relationship of the soul and the flesh to the relationship of the true Christians and the pagans who constantly attack them37: “The soul is spread throughout all the members of the body, like the Christians who are spread throughout all the cities of the world. The soul abides in the body but it is not from it, like the Christians who live in the world but they are not from the world. (John 17:11& 14:16) The soul is invisible and it protects the visible body, likewise the Christians are visible but their righteousness is invisible. The body hates the soul and attacks it, not because the soul harms the body but because it prevents him from enjoying the lust of the flesh. Likewise the world hates the Christians, although the Christians do not harm the world, but because they instruct them not to follow the lust of the flesh. The soul loves the body who hates it; likewise the Christians like those who hate them. The soul is imprisoned in the body, yet it protects the body; likewise the Christians are in the world as if in a prison yet they are not defiled in it. The eternal soul dwells a tabernacle susceptible to death, and the Christians dwell as strangers in a temporary dwelling looking for their unperishable dwelling in heavens. When the soul neglects food and drink, it becomes in a better condition; likewise when the Christians accept persecution, they multiply.” “Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation” (v. 12). The Romans spoke against the Christians as evildoers! Tertullian, the scholar wrote:“The Tiber River flooded and it harmed the walls of Rome, and the Romans blamed that on 35 “Chastity” by St. Augustine 36 One of St. Paul’s disciples or his companions. 37 The Epistle of Diognetus 6. 43 the Christians. They used to blame the Christians whenever 44 the River Nile does not produce mud or whenever an earthquake or famine or pestilence occur and they used to scream, ‘Throw them to the lions’.” But on the Day of the Lord for judgment, which is the day when God reveals to their eyes the knowledge of the truth, the good conduct of the believers will be manifested, and they will glorify their Father who is in heaven (Matt. 5:16). St. Cyprian the martyr wrote to Rogatanus the priest and other confessors who were thrown in prison: “I am delighted to tell you that this is a great responsibility put on your shoulders that through your testimony and your quiet righteous life, they may glorify God38.” St. Cyprian the bishop and martyr wrote that good conduct adorns the confessors and the martyrs. 3. OUR BEHAVIOR IN SOCIETY AS CHILDREN OF GOD First: Submission to the governments: “Therefore, submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme” (v.13). The Jews stirred up dissension among various rulers by stating that the Christians submit only to Christ the King; thus, they do not submit to the emperors or rulers and rebel against every law and regulation. To clarify this issue of whether the Christian should submit to the heavenly or earthly kingdom, the Lord declared the necessity of submitting to the governments (Matt. 22:21). Thus, St. Paul followed the same example (Rom. 13:1-7) and asked his disciple Titus to remind the people to submit to authorities and to be ready for every good work. (Titus 3:1) The essence of Christianity is love and submission (humility), not pride and rebellion. St. Augustine is advising his people not to be afraid of the threats of the rulers when they force them to worship 38 Epistle 13 (Oxford edition) to Rogatianus the priest 45 the idols. He said39: “Should we follow the road of pride and ignore the 39 Sermons of certain chapters from the New Testament 12 46 authorities? St. Paul himself said, ‘Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God...’”(Rom. 13:1,2). Tertullian said40: “Regarding proper honor for kings and emperors, it is very clear that we have to be in complete obedience as the apostle commanded us to be subject to rulers and authorities (Tit 3:1). However, there are limits to this obedience, which is to keep ourselves from worshipping idols.” A good example for that is the three youths. In spite of their obedience to Nebuchadnezzer, they did not accept to worship his idols. Also, Daniel, who submitted to King Darius, yet he was steadfast in his faith (Dan. 6). “Or to governors, as to those are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good” (v.14). This means that we do not fear our governors, but we love them and submit to them for they are appointed by God to punish the evildoers and to praise those who do good (Rom. 13:3,4). Let us submit to the rulers and pray that they deal justly with every one. This silences those who unjustly accuse the church. “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.” (v.15) Some may ask: Why do we submit to them, aren’t we free? Freedom in Christianity is not chaos nor is it rebellion against rules and regulations, but rather joyful submission and obedience doing good and conquering evil under our feet. “As free, yet not using your liberty as a cloak for vice, but as servants of God.” (v.16) St. Anthony the Great said: “Do not think that the free are those who are free because of their positions, but rather because they are free in their lives and nature. The freedom of the soul and her blessings are a result of the inner purity and rejecting the earthly matters. A free person is the one who is not a slave to any lust of the flesh but subdues his body in chastity. He is satisfied with what God gives him, no matter how little, thanking God from all his 40 On Idolatry 15. 47 heart41.” A free person is free from the inside; thus, he is not enslaved to any lust. Freedom 41 Filokalia p. 24,43. 48 does not instill in us carelessness, but rather teaches us to carry responsibility. St. Irenaeus said: “A slave is accountable for his deeds, however a son is accountable not only for his deeds but for his words too, (Matt. 12:36), and for his thoughts too (Matt. 5:28); hence, obtaining this power of freedom makes him more sensitive to his mistakes42.” “Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king” (v.17). St. Peter starts by honoring all people, so that they may not think there is partiality or humiliation in being poor or weak. We have to honor all God’s creation for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died. Whoever despises any human being despises his Creator and Savior. When we honor all people, we love our brothers. This is the love that St. Paul wrote about in chapter 13 of I Corinthians. Without that love, worship loses its essence. We have to fear God in love. If one does not love his brother whom he sees, then how can he worship God? The fear of God instills in us respect for the rulers and kings sent by Him. The incentive for honoring rulers is not the person of the rulers but the fear of God. Second: Honesty in Service: “Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also the harsh” (v.18). Since the basis for submission is the fear of God, the believer should not question his master’s deeds, but he should respect and obey them, even if they are harsh. St. Peter also means slaves by the word “servants”. The historian Benenos said that one of his friends had 4000 slaves who did not have any legal rights. Because many slaves believed in Christianity, St. Peter had to give them some advise concerning their work asking them to submit without grumbling even if their masters were harsh. Through instructing slaves in this manner, Christianity was able to win many of the masters. Through the 42 Irenaeus against heresies 4 : 165 49 good conduct and the sweet aroma of the slaves, they were able to win their 50 masters. The importance of honesty in work was manifested in the letter that Pope Theonas, the Alexandrian, wrote to Lucianus, one of the chief guardians of the emperor’s palace. Here are some of the excerpts from this letter: “My dear Lucianus, I do not want you to brag that some of the men from the emperor’s palace have attained the knowledge of truth. Moreover, we need to offer gratitude to our Lord who uses us as good vessels for worthy deeds, and He granted you great honor in the eyes of the emperor so that the aroma of Christ may be manifested for the glory of Christ and the salvation of many. The emperor himself is not a Christian, yet he trusts the Christians for they are the most honest people in their service. Therefore, you have to be very cautious lest you fall in any sinful act nor utter an unfruitful word so that the name of Christ may not be blasphemed. God does not like you to bribe the emperor for your personal interests. Beware of any covetous man who is an idolater (Eph. 5:4,5). Let us do everything in meekness and righteousness so that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in everything. Fulfill the duties entrusted to you in the fear of God and in love to your boss, and with great carefulness. Consider every matter coming from the emperor as if it is coming from God Himself, as long as it does not contradict with God’s commandments; Let us be inflamed with love, fear and joy. Trample all your vices and lusts of the flesh under your feet. Abide in patience, courage and be revived with virtues and the hope of Christ. Endure everything for the sake of your Creator. Endure everything and conquer everything so you may win Christ Himself. My dear Lucianus, the wise man, endure gently the unwise, maybe they become wise (2 Cor. 11:19). Do not harm anyone any time and do not make anyone angry. 51 If someone tried to harm you, look to the Lord Jesus... Do not let any day pass without reading part from the Holy Bible and meditating in it43.” “For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God, one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do well and suffer for it, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God” (v.19 & 20). Slapping was the normal punishment for slaves when they erred. What is our glory if we are slapped because of our sins? However, whoever is slapped for doing good becomes commendable before God. The word “commendable” in Greek has two meanings, which are grace and favor. Father Piamon44 related that an honorable lady at Alexandria asked Pope Athanasius for someone to help her. He told her about a widow who fears God. She came back asking for another woman to help her. This time he offered her a wicked widow who beat her . She came back thanking the Pope saying: “Truly, you have given me a lady who helped me and strengthened me. The first one used to honor me and spoil me with her services.” The Lord Jesus is our example: “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps” (v.21). The Lord Jesus came Himself and lived as one of the servants and was slapped on the face. He did this so that we may follow His footsteps. “For to this you were called,” that is, this is Christ calling for us. St. Augustine said: “Let us lift our eyes to our Bridegroom, for He was hanged, unjustly, on the cross as a slave45.” Pope Athanasius the Apostolic said46: “Our Lord endured unjustly to teach us how to endure. When He was beaten, He endured patiently, when He was insulted, He did not insult back. When He suffered, He did not threaten but rather offered His back to the scourges and His cheeks to 43 A. N. Fathers V. 6 P. 158/161. 44 Kassian p. 464 – 469. 45 Spiritual values of Neyrouz Feast, p. 4 46 Letters of the Resurrection, p. 120-121. 52 those 53 who smite. He did not turn His face from spitting. His will was to be led to death so that we may see in Him all virtues and immortality, so that we may follow His footsteps so that, through the truth, we may trample on serpents and scorpions and every power of the enemy (sin). “ What did Christ offer as an example? 1. “’Who committed no sin, now was guile found in His mouth’;” (v.22). St. Peter was not talking about the holiness of the Lord Jesus, for He is holy without sin, but he discusses the way of the cross so that we may follow His footsteps. He did not commit any sin, yet He was accused of being an evildoer. He had no guile in His mouth, yet He was accused as a deceiver. 2. “Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;” (v.23). As a Judge, He has the right to take revenge, yet for the sake of the cross, He endured the insults as a silent sheep before its shearers (Is. 53:7); this is true for everyone who wants to walk with the Crucified Christ! 3. “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness, by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (v.24). St. Peter, as an eyewitness to the sufferings of the Lord Jesus, saw Him as an example for enduring suffering. He heard Him saying: “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death.” He entered the garden of Gethsemane to carry the sins of all humanity and to crucify them on the cross. St. Paul talked about the Lord Jesus as an example for enduring death on the cross. St. Peter reveals the concept of the sufferings of the cross. It does not center around mere courage or the ability to endure but rather love and sacrifice. For He wanted His stripes, that is His wounds, to heal our wounds. He bent His back willingly to carry our sins in His body. “Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many” (Heb. 9:28). “He poured out His soul unto death, and He was 54 numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (v.12). Through the sufferings of His love, He demonstrated to us His extreme caring nature and that He is the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls, who seeks every sick soul, opening His arms to every one who goes astray! He chose death on the cross. This was not coincidence, but as St. Athanasius the Apostolic said47: “It was not appropriate for the Lord to be sick and He is the One who heals others. He came as the Savior not to die Himself, but to die instead of others. If His death was in secret, it would not have witnessed the resurrection. He became a curse for us. (Gal. 3:13), and this is the cross. How can He call us (the Gentiles) if He were not crucified stretching His arms to call us? Since the cross was the worst kind of death and the most brutal punishment, therefore the Lord Jesus endured the cross, willingly, through His humanity, redeeming all human beings from the worst punishment of death.” St. Augustine said: “He chose the cross to taste the bitterest sufferings, for He died slowly, for He became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8). The scholar Tertullian said, “He chose the cross to fulfill the prophecies and the symbols written in the Old Testament48.” How can we imitate the Crucified Christ? St. Peter said, “Having died to sins, might live for righteousness.” St. Ambrose said49: “Have you crucified sin to live for God? Whoever dies to sin, lives for God! Do you live for the One who sacrificed His Son to crucify our lusts in His body? Christ died for us so we may live in His lifegiving Body; therefore, our rebellious nature has died in Him. Thus, the cross is the ship of our salvation.” St. Ambrose gave us 47 Summary of an article about “Was the shame of the cross necessary?” in the book of “Divine Love”. 48 A. N. Fathers V, 3 p. 164 –165. 49 On the Holy Spirit 1 : 9: 109 & 110. 55 another lesson saying: “Upon looking at Jesus on the cross when He 56 forgave those who crucified Him, who does not learn to forgive those who trouble him? Those qualities of Christ are your strength! 50” 50 The Christian Faith 2: 11: 95.
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