Bogoslovlje-KJV1611

St. George
Serbian Orthodox Church
Carmichaels, PA
The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ

by Fr. Rodney Torbic

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Each time the Divine Liturgy is held, Orthodox Christians recite the Nicean-Constantinopolitan Creed. As the Creed moves toward the conclusion, the following words are found: "He shall come again to judge the living and the dead; whose Kingdom shall have no end." i

The first time Christians recite the Nicean-Constantinopolitan Creed is at Holy Baptism. ii The recitation of The Creed at Holy Baptism and on each subsequent occasion is a major profession of faith.

Orthodox believers are expected to live in ways reflecting The Creed. Orthodox Christians are expected to be resolute in this faith. Orthodox Christians profess The Creed that was established centuries earlier.

Protopresbyter Stavrofor Dr. Mateja Matejic in his book Orthodoxy: Courage To Be Different-Strength to Remain the Same states The Creed was developed by the First and Second General Councils held in Nicea in 325 and Constantinople in 381. iii

Contemporary Orthodox believers are not to take Baptism lightly. Baptism is a time of serious commitment. The person's identity changes forever. The believer is united with Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is professed as King and as God. iv

From Holy Baptism until departure from this life, the believer is expected to be faithful to Christ. When straying from ways pleasing to Christ, the believer is expected to repent and return to the way of Christ.

After fasting forty days and forty nights, Jesus Christ began to preach and to say: "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Mt. 4:1-17). The kingdom of heaven should always be on the minds of believers. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ should always be on the minds of believers.

We do not know the end of our earthly days. We only have our earthly days while our minds are good to be able to repent and seek the kingdom of God. Jesus Christ said seeking the kingdom of God should be our foremost priority in life. (Mt.6:33)

The Holy Apostle Paul stated we should pray without ceasing. (I Thess. 5:17). Remaining faithful to Christ from Holy Baptism to our departure from this life is fraught with difficulties and is a challenge. Prayer certainly is essential in remaining true to Christ.

Temptations and distractions arise during the course of life. An individual can get bogged down with daily concerns and fail to keep the proper perspective. Family pressures and concerns, economic conditions, health concerns, and world events can complete for the attention of believers.

Stimuli in the life of the believer requires sorting out. The believer needs to keep Christ first. The believer needs to be attentive to his or her family and loved ones. The believer needs to be attentive to his or her responsibilities in gainful employment. The believer needs to tend to his or her health.

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is going to happen. Each day we draw closer to the Second Coming. We do not know the day nor the hour. We are called upon to watch and be ready.

Our Lord Jesus Christ put believers on notice to be ready when He said: "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." (Mt. 25:13).

In a lesson about the kingdom of God, The Holy Gospel tells us five virgins were wise and were ready for the bridegroom to come. Five virgins were foolish and procrastinated. The unprepared virgins were denied entry to the wedding. (Mt.25:1-12). If we are not ready for Christ's Second Coming in the way we live, we will be denied entry to the kingdom.

Each year Orthodox believers hear the Gospel of the Last Judgement as Great Lent approaches. The 2006 Calendar prepared by the Clergy Brotherhood of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the United States and Canada shows February 13/26, as the date for Meatfare Sunday, the day the Gospel of St.Matthew was read (Mt. 25:31-46).

Our Lord Jesus Christ is very definitive in describing His Second Coming and the Judgement to occur. He states all nations will be before Him and He will separate them one from another, as sheep from goats. (Mt. 25:32).

The hungry, the thirsty the sick, the stranger, the imprisoned are specifically identified with the Lord Jesus Christ (Mt. 25:34-40).

Believers constantly must be alert in the treatment of people met during life. We are going to be judged by the way we treat others. The Lord's Prayer equates our forgiveness of others with the forgiveness of God. We say "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." v

From the time of our Baptism to the time of our departure from this life, we build a record that God knows. God knows the contents of our hearts. (Acts.1:24) St. Bishop NIKOLAI wrote in Prayers by the Lake: "How dreadful is the depth of the soul of man, O Bride of Heaven, when a man dares to plunge into her." vi

How many of us take time to full utilize the opportunity for Holy Confession during Great Lent? How many of us are willing to take full responsibility for our sinfulness?

We each have twenty four hours in a given day. What portion of each day is given to preparation for Jesus Christ's Second Coming? How many days pass without a moment of thought in preparation for Jesus Christs' Second Coming?

Cumulatively, how much thought has each of us given to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The book of Revelation draws to a conclusion with the words: "Come Lord Jesus!" (Rev. 22:20)

How many homes are ready for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ? How many families are ready for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ? How many families ever discuss the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?

What is the attitude we maintain about the Second Coming? In what condition will we be? Do we think the Second Coming is well beyond our earthly life? Do we live as if the Second Coming is beyond our earthly life and not something about which to be concerned?

Our Lord Jesus Christ, speaking about the Second Coming said: "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." (Mt. 24:37)

Many years ago Proto Radovan Milkovich gave a sermon entitled "A God Too Small" vii From the time our Holy Baptism until the time of our departure from this life, do we consciously work at knowing more about God?

Has our understanding of God developed and matured as we have grown older chronologically? Has our understanding of God been in a state of "arrested development" meaning that we basically know no more about God as an adult than we did as a child?

Does our understanding of God include the element of "judgement" included in the Creed? What will be the evidence in our behalf? Who will be the supporting witnesses in our favor? At the final judgement, the time for appeals will have been exhausted.

The Holy Scriptures provide written authoritative accounts of God through history. In the Holy Scriptures we can learn more about the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

With the finality that is associated with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, can we in this life afford not to study the Holy Scriptures more?

In the Gospel of St.Matthew, our Lord Jesus Christ speaks of two alternative outcomes at the Second Coming. The description of the desirable outcome is stated in this way: "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for from the foundation of the world.'" (Mt. 2534).

The second alternative is more ominous: "'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Mt. 25:45-46)

Our relationship with Jesus Christ is the determinant for the final judgement. We start out at Holy Baptism with the best of intentions. Baptisms are times of great joy.

It would be interesting to do a study during a set period of time on the faithfulness of believers following Holy Baptism. A certain percentage of baptized never return to church after baptism. Some never overtly practice a Christian way of life. A certain percentage practice for a period of time and fall away.Another percentage are faithful and grow as healthy Orthodox Christians.

The parable of the Sower is an important lesson for all believers (MT. 13:1-23). The soil of our hearts affects whether Christ grows in our hearts. The way we deal with the cares, attractions and distractions of this world affects whether we remain true to Christ.

At times we may find great joy in being a Christian. At other times when difficulties, stress and hardship enter life, we may relinquish our faith and give in to despondency.

The Cross of Christ can help in times of trouble. Hardship, stress, and difficulties can be dealt with successfully if we look to the Holy Martyrs. Life does not stand still and remain frozen at Holy Baptism. Time passes. Life decisions are made and have a cumulative effect.

Not everyone will be fortunate like the good thief on the Cross who turned to Jesus at the last hour and said: "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." (Lk. 23:42).

We do not know when our lives will end. We do not know when an accident will occur, a tragedy will strike, a illness will bring our lives swiftly and unexpectely to an end. Procrastination regarding repentance is risky.The Gospel of St. Matthew states "narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Mt. 7:14).

From Baptism as an infant until departure from this life, a believer can expect to live at least seventy or eighty years according to the Psalmist (Ps. 89/90:10).

Many people depart this life much younger than seventy years. Many people live well beyond eighty years. Regardless of the length of our lives, patient endurance and sound choices in following Christ are necessary to avoid the wide path to destruction. (Mt. 7:13)

Judgement is not simply referred to in the New Testament. Centuries before the Lord Jesus Christ took on human flesh, the Holy Prophet Isaiah said: "The Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God who is holy shall be hallowed in righteousness." (Is. 5:16)

Psalm 75 contains words of judgement: "When I choose the proper time, I will judge uprightly." (Ps. 75:2) Blessed Augustine commenting on Psalm 75:2 as related to Jesus Christ wrote centuries ago "According to His nature as Son of God, He hath never received power of judging, because He never lacked power of judging; according to His nature as Son of Man He hath received a time, as of being born, and of suffering, as of dying, and of rising again, and of ascending, so of coming and of judging." viii

Troparia and kontakia express the theology of the Church. Troparia and kontakia are summary statements used in the liturgical life of the Church. The troparia and kontakia teach and function liturgically in expressing and forming a part of the services of the Church.

The kontakion of the Sunday of Last Judgement-Meatfare Sunday brings together in a few sentences a capsule view of what Christians can expect at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

The kontakion for Meatfare Sunday states:
When Thou, O God, shalt come to earth with glory, all things
shall tremble and the river of fire shall flow before Thy Judgment
Seat; the Books shall be opened and the hidden things disclosed.
Then deliver me from the unquenchable fire and make me worthy
to stand at They right hand, O Righteous Judge. ix

The Holy Orthodox Church puts this kontakion before believers at the Holy Divine Liturgy as Great Lent approaches. Believers are expected to make good use of the time remaining in life.

In the Matins service in The Lenten Triodion for the Sunday of the Last Judgement, believers are reminded that sins are not hidden from God, that eloquence will not fool God.

For those believers choosing to attend the Matins service, they will hear the definitive words: "Thy judgement is without respect of person; no cunning argument or skill in eloquence can deceive Thy jugdgement-seat; false witnesses cannot pervert Thy sentence. For in Thy sight, O God, every secret stands revealed." x

Based on the content of the Matins service, believers need to be cognizant that all sins come before God as part of the final judgement. Degree of wealth or poverty, social standing, ethnic or racial background will have no bearing on the final outcome.

People familiar with the contemporary criminal justice system know that sentences are not always rendered evenly. St. John Chrysostom in discussing Jesus' description of the Last Judgement speaks about the equality and justice in sentences rendered. xi

There is consolation in knowing that God is a Just Judge...The Fair and Impartial Judge. Given our own degree of sinfulness, it is good to know of the fairness of sentencing we each face.

Even with knowing the fairness of sentencing, there is reason for trepidation.We take on great responsibility at Baptism. The more we know about God, the more we are exposed to the teachings of the Church, the more we are to be held accountable.

The Gospel of St. Luke contains words of Jesus Christ indicative of the way justice will be rendered. Our Lord said: "For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more." (Lk. 12:48)

Individuals given many talents from God will be held more accountable for what they do with those multiple talents than those with less talents. Our Lord looks to what we do with the talents and resources we have.

Our Lord praised the widow for putting in two mites into the treasury because she put in all that she had. Others gave more out of their abundance. The widow gave her whole livelihood and her contribution was held up as the example by the Lord Jesus Christ. (Mk. 12:41-44)

When assessing our course through life from Baptism to departure from this life, we do well to consider the words of Father Justin Popovich describing Christ, the God-man, as "the most valuable being and the measure of all things." xii If we honestly measure all that we do, have done and plan to do by the Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ, we will come to the conclusion of what remains to be done.

Holy Confession and Holy Communion give us the opportunity to redirect the course of our lives. Holy Confession and Holy Communion give us the opportunity to come to Christ while time remains to put our lives in order.

The joy over a returning believer who has fallen away is well-documented in the Gospel of St. Luke. The Lord Jesus Christ said: "There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance." (Lk. 15:7).

The Last Judgement is the focal point by which to guide and govern our lives. We need to look beyond the possible terror and fear associated with this judgement to the presence of love in Christian teaching.

While there is reason to be fearful because of sinfulness, there is reason to be joyful in knowing of the love of God and when a person has a love for God. In the Gospel of St. Matthew, Christ invites those who are tired and heaven laden to come to Him. Christ said: "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Mt. 11:27-28)

An inviting God is not a God only to be feared but to be loved. Centuries ago the Holy Prophet Isaiah spoke of the invitation of God in these terms: "Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good. And let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear and your soul shall live." (Is. 55:2-3) xiii

The love of God is manifested in Jesus' ascendancy to the Cross (Jn. 3:15) Jesus Christ's unparallelled and unequalled expression of love is sufficient to have endured through the centuries.

Jesus Christ's unparallelled and unequalled expression of love has never been exhausted. Jesus Christ's unparallelled and unequalled expression of love transforms all persons willing to accept and receive it.

In the Gospel of St. John we find these enduring and instructive words: "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (Jn. 3:17-18)

At Holy Chrismation the priest prays the newly baptized will become an heir of the heavenly Kingdom. Clearly, this is the goal established at the outset of Christian life.

At Holy Chrismation the priest prays:
Keep him(her) in Thy sanctification; confirm him(her) in the
Orthodox Faith; deliver him(her) from the evil one and all
his devices; and preserve his(her) soul in purity and righteous-
ness, through the saving fear of Thee, that, in every deed and
word, being acceptable unto Thee, he(she) may become a
son(daughter) and heir of the heavenly Kingdom. xiv

In the Funeral Service which comes at the end of the earthly life of the Orthodox believer, prayers continue that the newly reposed will meet the Lord with brightness at the time of judgement. xv The Gospel according to St. John (5:24-30) during the Funeral Service speaks clearly about the just judgment that all will face. xvi

Orthodox believers attending the Divine Liturgy on Holy Saturday, Paschal Matins, the Paschal Divine Liturgy and any of the services held until the Feast of the Ascension experience the joy of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Christ's Resurrection gives hope to all believers. Christ's Resurrection summons the downtrodden, the downcast, the "down and out" to turn to Christ in hope and anticipation of joy. No circumstance is so dire that it cannot be overcome. No circumstance is so dismal that Christ cannot bring change.

We know that "with God all things are possible." (Mt. 19:26). We know that all things become new in Christ (II Cor. 5:17).

To the extent we are capable with our finite minds and in our own sinfulness, we struggle with keeping the Second Coming of Christ in perspective. The joy of being a believer should not be overshadowed by the certainty of the Second Coming.

It is helpful to remember Jesus told the disciples to "Come and see." (Jn. 1:38-39) Jesus did not invite them to a path of everlasting punishment. Jesus does not invite believers to everlasting punishment. The invitation is to life eternal (Jn. 10:27-28)

The Epistle to the Thessalonians read during the Funeral Service ends with a positive statement for believers in the graves and those living ever being with the Lord. (I Thess. 4:13-17)

US Evangelists Back Serbian Orthodox Bishop against Independent Kosovo

Interfax reports on a bishop’s campaign against independence for Kosovo:

An independent Kosovo would lead to an irreparable tragedy for all of Europe, Bishop Artemije of Ras-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija has said.

The bishop clearly knows which buttons to press:

Since the moment the KFOR contingent arrived in Kosovo, over 150 Orthodox churches and monasteries there have been destroyed. In the same period, over 400 mosques have been built in that territory with financial support from Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf countries, he said.

Artemije was speaking in Moscow following his latest tour of the USA (he has been a frequent visitor for several years), where he had delivered a speech along similar lines at a conference organized by the American Council for Kosovo, Christian Solidarity International, and Religious Freedom Coalition:

America’s leadership must ask itself if it really wants a new rogue “state” led by jihad terrorists and criminals. Kosovo’s current so-called “prime minister” [Agim Ceku] is a man who bears command responsibility for the murders by KLA terrorists of 669 Serbs and 18 members of other ethnic groups…The jihad in Kosovo was launched in 1995 at a meeting in Tirana, Albania between Osama Bin Laden and two leaders of the KLA.

...This Islamic movement within Kosovo is responsible for an intifada against Christians, which has resulted in 220,000 Serbs and non-Albanians being forced to leave Kosovo since 1999…

The clever use of the word “intifada” no would no doubt help to bring the anti-Palestinian right on board. Artemjie received strong backing from Rick Santorum, who sent a letter of greeting:

I commend you for your mission to Washington with a much-needed reminder that the defense of freedom, like the global terror movement itself, is indivisible. In Kosovo, no less than in the United States or the Middle East, the reality of Islamic fascist violence must be called by its proper name and opposed in every way possible.

He also met with Pat Roberson and Jerry Falwell, as was reported a few days ago in the Financial Times:

Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, outspoken and influential televangelists in the US, are joining forces with Serbia's Christian Orthodox church to campaign against independence for the mainly Muslim province of Kosovo, according to the spiritual leader of the Serb minority there.

Bishop Artemije, the most senior Orthodox cleric in Kosovo, said the two Christian broadcasters had promised to alert their followers and exert their influence.

"They point out that they have friends at the highest level of government and will urge them to help us so that Kosovo remains in the borders of Serbia," he said.

A fuller account of the meeting with Robertson is included on Artemjie’s diocesan website; it looks as though the two tried to outdo each other with inflammatory rhetoric:

In a very precise analysis of the situation, Bishop Artemije drew the attention of Pat Robertson to the fact that a growing number of representatives of American administration and public at large agree with this conclusion. The one remaining unassailable bastion is the State Department which is, at the same time, the chief architect of the US policy concerning Kosovo and Metohija. The Statement Department has retained Clinton’s approach to resolving the problem of Kosovo and Metohija, as well as Clinton’s neo-liberal personnel structure.

After hearing detailed descriptions of the destruction of Christian civilization and ethnic cleansing of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, concluding that that “Islam is a terrible curse, a scourge which has afflicted this world, Pat Robertson exclaimed: “We unleashed this curse upon the world!”. He add that it was “absolutely scandalous that we should permit the establishment of an Islamic state in Kosovo and Metohija by robbing a sovereign state of part of its territory, with the aid of American money to boot.”

Artemije’s political background is discussed in a report from the International Crisis Group:

At the beginning of 1998… Bishop Artemije, who had succeeded [Patriarch] Pavle as the leading Orthodox religious figure in Kosovo and had previously been viewed as a hard-liner in the hierarchy, along with Amfilohije and Atanasije, assumed a more moderate posture. The background for this was growing anxiety that Milosevic's adventurism would produce a disaster for the Serbs in Kosovo and for the Serb Orthodox Church's stewardship over the monasteries and churches that constitute the physical representation of Serb collective memory.

After the end of the war, Artemije and Sava assumed the leadership of those Serbs who were willing to work with the international community in Kosovo… Artemije and Sava thus became prominently identified as proponents of reconciliation with the Kosovo Albanian population, above all to preserve a Serb civil presence in Kosovo.

...Artemije's and Sava's criticism of the actions of the Milosevic regime in Kosovo - even if belatedly and carefully hedged - has helped restore moral credibility to the Church. Their willingness to co-operate with the international community in Kosovo has opened a path for Serbs to continue to maintain a presence in Kosovo, should they choose to follow that example.

A 1997 article on Serb nationalism in Le Monde Diplomatique gives further details of Artemije’s opposition to Milosevic:

Mgr Artemije’s see of Prizren and Raska is a prestigious one. Prizren is in Kosovo, one of the original heartlands of Serbian nationhood. It also has an Albanian Catholic bishop, Mgr Mark Sopi, who has never had the slightest contact with his Orthodox opposite number

...Mgr Artemije condemns "fifty years’ genocide of the Serbian people perpetrated by the Albanians and Muslims with the connivance of the Communists." He expects nothing from the international community, which he considers "systematically anti-Serb", or from Slobodan Milosevic’s regime. Only the Church can save his people.

...In January of this year the Pan-Serbian National Church Convention adopted the Saint Sava Declaration, addressed to President Clinton, President Chirac and other world leaders, in which it claimed that the Serbian people of "Kosovo and Metohija", described as "sacred Serb territory", had for centuries been exposed to "systematic, aggressive, racist Albanisation that has shaken Serbian national existence to the root and threatens to destroy it for ever." It castigated Mr Milosevic as the representative of an anti-democratic regime who had "forfeited the right to negotiate with anyone or take any decision whatever with regard to Kosovo and Metohija."

...The discourse of these Serbian "Afrikaners" oscillates between denial of Belgrade’s right to interfere and the conviction that they themselves have a historic mission to defend the frontline of Serbian ethnicity. For them, the Dayton agreements were the logical conclusion of Mr Milosevic’s policy of betrayal…

However, there is no quote provided to prove that Artemije’s opposition to Milosevic was based on “Dayton”. In 2000, this opposition led to the bishop being targeted by Serb extremists:

Bishop Artemije is living in a state of siege after enraged Serbian radicals gathered at his monastery in Gracanica to demand his expulsion from the province.

...Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's Serbian Socialist Party and the Serbian Radical Party of Vojislav Seselj have long campaigned against Bishop Artemije. The ruling coalition in Belgrade perceives Artemije as an opposition political leader rather than a priest. Seselj has branded Artemije "the NATO bishop".

But despite his meeting with Pat Robertson, he remains theologically a hardliner, as a 2004 speech shows:

The realization that not one local Orthodox Church has remained unblemished and unsullied by the ecumenical pestilence is a painful fact.

...More recently, nonetheless, the main champion of opposition and resistance toward ecumenism in the Serbian Orthodox Church has been and remains Sveti Knez Lazar [Holy Prince Lazarus], a magazine published by the Diocese of Raska and Prizren for the past 12 years.

...the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church was, is and will forever remain the Orthodox Church, and that outside it, there is no Church, and that without the Church and unity with the Church, there is no salvation.

In the 1997 article, he sneered particularly at Catholic ecumenism:

“Like John Paul II, you end up dancing the tango with the Dalai Lama”

On the other hand, in 2000 Artemije signed a declaration supporting human rights alongside the Kosovan Catholic and Muslim leaders.

JESUS: THE ORTHODOX JEW
Mark 12: 28-34
Deuteronomy 6: 1-9
Dr. Charles R. Page, II
Jerusalem Institute for Biblical Exploration
You might remember that Paul once described himself in the following way. “If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee.” (Philippians 3: 4-5). Although Jesus never described himself as an orthodox Jew or orthodox Pharisee, to be sure he was. He affirms this by saying “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5: 17-18). No where is Jesus’ Jewishness more poignantly demonstrated than in today’s gospel lesson.
“One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, ‘Which commandment is the first of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.’ “(Mark 12: 28-31).
Here Jesus recites the SHEMA, 1 or Judaism basic creedal statement. The Shema is considered by some rabbis and Jewish scholars as a prayer. It is based on the passage from the Hebrew Scriptures that is also one of the lessons for this Sunday from Deuteronomy 6.
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite
them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6: 4-9)
As mentioned above some Jewish scholars and rabbis consider the SHEMA to be a prayer. 2 Others, however, consider the SHEMA more of a creedal statement. “Even though the Shema is an integral part of the morning and evening services, the Shema is not, technically speaking, a prayer. It is a declaration of faith. It is an affirmation of the unity of God that reminds us of our obligations to Him, that recalls the signs of the Covenant and cautions against turning astray to follow the vain desires of the heart and the immoralities for which the eyes may long.” 3
Donin goes on to say, “The Shema is not a prayer in the ordinary sense of the word, but for thousands of years it has been an integral part of the prayer service. The Shema is a declaration of faith, a pledge of allegiance to One God, an affirmation of Judaism. It is the first ‘prayer’ that children are taught to say. It is the last utterance of the martyrs. It is said on arising in the morning and on going to sleep at night. It is said when one is praising God and when one is beseeching Him. The faithful Jew says it even when questioning Him. The Shema is said when our lives are full of hope; it is said when all hope is gone and the end is near. Whether in moments of joy or despair, in thankfulness or in resignation, it is the expression of Jewish conviction, the historic proclamation of Judaism’s central creed.” 4
Certainly Jesus recited the SHEMA many times throughout each day of his adult life. Just look at the rest of the exchange between Jesus and the man who asked about the greatest commandment in today’s gospel lesson.
“Then the scribe said to him, ‘You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that 'he is one, and besides him there is no other'; and 'to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,' and 'to love
one's neighbor as oneself,'--this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.’ When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ ” (Mark 12: 32-34).
This exchange between the scribe and Jesus indicates that both Jesus and the scribe had embraced the theological position of the School of Hillel with respect to the SHEMA. 5 The School (or House) of Hillel held the position that all of the Law was fulfilled in the obedience of the commandment of love of God and neighbor. 6
Furthermore, the SHEMA is written on parchment and placed within the mezuzah 7 and tefillin. 8 Jesus most certainly work tefillin and the mezuzah would have been prominently displayed on the door frame of his house, or any place he visited.
Many Western Christian scholars, pastors and teachers have made an erroneous assumption that the theology of Jesus was in conflict with the main stream theology of first century Judaism and/or Pharisaic theology. Some of these Christians believed that Jesus came to create a new religion, the religion of Christianity. Of course, nothing could be farther from the truth. Jesus’ life was centered in the spirit of the Law 9 and the practice of first century Judaism. The reason the two lessons discussed here are so important is that they affirm the thought of Jesus and the beliefs and practices he followed. For us to the preacher/teacher we need to be, it is critical for us to help our parishioners to see Jesus in his historical and theological context. Only then can we be truly free to embrace the spirit of the Law as Jesus defined and practiced it. The heart (spirit) of the Law and the heart of Jesus’ teaching is hope, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, and most importantly, love. This is the message of Mark’s lesson for today.
NOTES:
1. In Hebrew the word “sh-ma” means “hear,” the first word in Deuteronomy 6: 4.
“Hear, O Israel.”
2. For an example of this thought see Blu Greenberg, How To Run A Traditional Jewish Household, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993) and Stephen J. Einstein and Lydia Kukoff, Introduction to Judaism, (New York: Union of American Hebrew Congregations, 1983).
3. Donin, Hayim Halevy, To Be A Jew; A Guide to Jewish Observance on Contemporary Life, (New York: Basic Books, 1972), 164.
4. Donin, Hayim Halevy, To Pray As A Jew: A Guide to the Prayer Book and the Synagogue Service, (New York: Basic Books, 1980), 144.
5. See Safrai and Stern, The Jewish People of the First Century (Assen: Van Gorcum, 1976), Chapter 15
6. See Charles R. Page, II, Jesus and the Land (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996).
7. A mezuzah is a small box placed on the doorposts of the homes or rooms of
Orthodox Jews (and others) to fulfill the commandments in Deuteronomy to the words on the doorposts of houses.
8. Tefillin or phylacteries and small leather boxes worn during prayers which contain the words of the SHEMA. These boxes are worn on the arm and head. During the first century these were worn most of the time and not just for prayer. They were removed during work (usually only the phylactery for the head in this case) or in a place that was ritually unclean. They were usually worn only during the daylight hours, but some Jewish sects in the first century encouraged wearing them even in bed during sleep.
9. The spirit of the Law as understood and defined by the School of Hillel is consistent with Jesus’ teaching and religious practice

Answer to Brother Rich of Questions ...What can you tell me about the differences between Orthodox believers and Baptists, Pentecostals ?What do Orthodox believers think about a personal relationship with God ? Orthodox answer (not Born Again Christian understanding but Orthodox). NOTE Article obove is only understanding of Born Again Christian...and it is in the comment board.

Thank you for your questions. I will do my best to answer them for you.( written by Eastern Orthodox Rev.)

First, your question about the difference between orthodox churches and Baptist and Pentecostals. Baptist and Pentecostals are both protestant- evangelical-Christians. This means that they both agree in four essential points that unite them. They are...

1. Emphasis on the conversion experience, also called being saved, or new birth or born again after John 3:3. Thus evangelicals often refer to themselves as born-again Christians. This experience is said to be received by "faith alone" and to be given by God as the result of "grace alone".
2. The canon of the Bible as the primary, or only, source of religious authority, as God's revelation to humanity. Thus, the doctrine of sola scriptura is often affirmed and emphasized. Bible prophecy, especially as interpreted according to dispensationalist, is often emphasized.
3. Encouragement of evangelism (the act of sharing one's beliefs) -- in organized missionary work or by personal encounters and relationships with others.
4. A central focus on Christ's redeeming work on the cross as the only means for salvation and the forgiveness of sins.

So with this in mind, let us examine the orthodox church...

There are many American denominations that can be classified as Eastern Orthodox.

Some of the major Eastern Orthodox groups and their U.S. membership statistics are:

Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America - 1,995

The American Carpatho - Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church-13,327

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America - 65,000

Armenian Apostolic Church of America - 200,000

Armenian Church of America, Diocese of the - 414,000

Coptic Orthodox Church - 180,000

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America - 1,954,500

Orthodox Church in America - 1,000,000

Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America - 65,000

Serbian Orthodox Church in U.S.A. and Canada - 297,000

Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch (Archdiocese of the U.S.A. and Canada) - 36,000

Eastern Orthodox Churches trace their beginning to the establishment of the Christian church on the day of Pentecost. They separated from the western Latin Church (Roman Catholic) in A.D. 1054.

Their claim that Orthodox churches have the same faith and practices as the early church is negated by the fact that there is no unified faith and practice in Orthodox churches today. There are significant differences between Orthodox churches. Churches differ in both their ecclesiastical customs and in theology. The parallel church hierarchy that often exists in the same city demonstrates these divisions between Orthodox groups. The nationalism found among Orthodox churches demonstrates their lack of unity and universality.

One important difference between Eastern Orthodoxy and evangelical Christianity is the way the two groups approach theology. Evangelical Christianity uses a creation-fall-redemption model to interpret God's revelation, while Eastern Orthodoxy uses a creation deification (theosis) principle. Evangelicals emphasize the results of the fall. Sin is a violation of God's law that warrants death. Jesus fulfilled the demands of the law by suffering the penalty of sin in our place. The righteousness of Jesus is imputed to all who believe in Him. Salvation can only be received by grace through faith, and is not the result of good deeds.

Eastern Orthodoxy follows a mystical approach to God. They teach that God can be known experientially, but not intellectually. God transcends the ability of language to describe or human logic to understand. God is both unseen and incomprehensible. In other words, God is an enigma.

Since they believe that God is incomprehensible, Orthodoxy has not emphasized the development of systematic theology. Rather, they have stressed the achievement of a mystical union with God. This mystical union with God is referred to as deification (theosis).

Eastern Orthodoxy believes that Adam was created as a child. They believe he was not a mature being and only possessed the capacity for perfection. Because of this view, Orthodoxy does not view the fall of humanity as seriously as evangelicals do. For the Orthodox, the problem of sin is not as grave as Western Christians assert. Orthodox theologians support this notion of sin by differentiating between person and nature. They reason that though humanity possesses the freedom to sin through an act of the will, humanity's nature is to be in communion with God. Because of this nature, and people naturally proceed towards fellowship with God.

According to the Orthodox, the sin of Adam and Eve affected only themselves. Their descendants inherited no sin or guilt because of the fall of the first parents. The fall resulted in their descendants becoming mortal and subject to physical death. This mortality resulted in an increased tendency to sin, but only because humanity was subject to physical needs. Humanity's mortality makes people prone to sin. The sin of Adam and Eve created a barrier of mortality between God and humanity. Only God could do away with this barrier. God removed this obstacle through the incarnation of Christ.

The Orthodox understanding of Adam's fall results in an impaired view of the results of sin. In Orthodoxy, the result of the fall is mortality, not the doctrine of original sin as taught in Scriptures.

The Orthodox teach that the sacrament of baptism provides participants with new life. Faith in Christ and repentance from sin are not necessary for this new life. This is demonstrated by the fact that the Orthodox baptize infants. The sacramentalism of the Orthodox competes for the need of a personal faith in Christ as the only Biblical means of salvation which is taught by evangelicals.

I Thessalonians 4:15-18 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. xvii

Piczo