The Path Orthodoxy

Feature
The Life of the Church
By His Grace Dr. Mitrophan, Bishop of Eastern America
The aim of
the Savior’s
advent is to
rebuild in man
a building
to God, that
man may once
again become
what he was
when he was
created.
Even though the Church has a mystical
character, we should not forget that it
is a living community, a community
of love, a community in which men are united
by the same faith, the same baptism, and the rest
of the holy mysteries (Eph. 4:5). Every member
of the Church works on the growth of the Body
of Christ, and this can be done only if one first
builds the Church of God and a place of love for
his neighbor in himself. Not only that, one must
also work on one’s own growth. From the beginning
and until the end of life, man is a collaborator
of God. The Divine synergism will not cease even
in the next life. An example of such Theandric
cooperationis is given in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Synergism is given in the Church and through the
Church. In this way man becomes a participant
in that Theandric synergism (1. Cor. 3:9). All this
should be voluntary, on the basis “if you want”.
To accept Christ and to live by Him is sanctification
and salvation. Man’s goal is to become like
Christ, to feel Christ alone and to think and live
by him (Gal. 2:20).
But when working on his salvation, a Christian
should have before himself holy examples:
apostles, martyrs, ascetics and all the saints and
he should be careful how he builds his spiritual
building (1 Cor. 3:10-11; cf. Mt. 7:24-27). If he
builds on a secure rock he will never be in fear that
that house will fall. Having in himself the pledge
of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14), the Christian
experiences indescribable joy for he is one with
Christ. Such a man relates with the angels, with
all of God’s creation: with the birds, and with the
plants, and will all things in general. He suffers
along with each man without exception and in this
way exemplifies his Lord. Saint John Chrysostom
said “If you are the body of Christ, bear the cross,
for He bore it. Endure spitting, blows and being
pierced with nails...,” just as Christ suffered and
gave Himself for it (Eph. 5:25). His Church – and
each true Christian – suffers (Mt. 16:24; Acts
14:22; 2 Tim. 3:12).
In the Church, which at the same time is both
on heaven and on earth, man feels as if everything
is his. The Church transfigures his mind into the
counciliar mind of the Church, his soul into the
counciliar soul of the Church. The Church lives in
him and he lives in the Church.
Man is perfected by the Church. That is
the growth of the Church about which the Holy
Apostle Paul speaks (Eph. 2:21). “There will be
no end to the growth or perfection,” according
to the words of St. Simeon the New Theologian.
This same Saint then continues: “...cessation of
growth would mean the end of the Endless One.
They who follow the Endless One have no end
to their goal, going. Tell me, how can they attain
the end of the Endless? This is impossible and
totally unattainable. Something such as this cannot
even occur to the saints, neither here on earth
while they are in the flesh, nor there when they
repose in the Lord. For they, covering everything
with the light of divine glory, are illuminated by
it, shine by it and take great pleasure in it, totally
and perfectly convinced that they know that their
‘growth in’ perfection will be endless in growth in
eternal glory.
Before Christ’s advent man was conscious
that he is God’s creation, but no one could show
him the way, to teach him how he will work, to
build up his divine image according to the Holy
Gospel. The aim of the Savior’s advent is to rebuild
in man a building to God, that man may
once again become that which he was when he
was created. The Savior did this by His sacrifice
on the Cross, saving us objectively, and it is up
to us to work on our own personal salvation. He
did not merely make a sacrifice and then leave us,
He also gave us all the divine means by the Holy
Spirit through which we will be perfected. For
the true designation of man is to live in the Holy
Spirit and by the holy Gospel. Life in the Church
is nothing else except the perpetual community
of the human spirit with the Holy Spirit.” Thus
we shall build ourselves a building not made by
hands – immaterial, into which we will build the
holy virtues: “gold, silver and precious stones” (I
Cor. 3:12-13). If someone thinks that he will build
a building for himself on “straw, wood or even
hay” (I Cor. 3:12), he deceives himself, he prepares
catastrophe for himself. For us the Savior,
as well as man, his building, is the most precious
being, and it is not appropriate to build on Him,
the precious stone, our building, which is of straw,
hay and wood. In general, we deceive ourselves if
we think that we can.
The significance of the human being is that
God fill it, to become the “temple of God” (1 Cor.
3:16; cf. 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16). Each man should be
conscious of this. The Holy Apostle Paul advises
the Corinthians, and through them all of us, to
build the temple of God in our soul and body.
When the Lord Jesus Christ became incarnate
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• The Path of Orthodoxy Winter 2016