Very often among visitors to the Orthodox church there are people who, as if they were absent, in the most critical places during the service. This happens because people simply do not understand what is happening in the service. The article reveals one of the important points of worship, namely, the reading of one of the main liturgical books - the Apostle. During the liturgy, this service is almost as solemn as the reading of the gospel.
Service
The liturgical āApostleā is a book that describes the affairs of the disciples of Jesus, as well as their messages to the Christian communities of different cities. In addition, it contains conciliar messages. Despite the fact that reading the āApostleā during the liturgy takes place within a few minutes, worship is considered very important. For his service, the reader of the āApostleā, taking the blessing from the priest, goes to the middle of the church, being among the flock, and talks about what they did, as the apostles called people at the dawn of Christianity to exploits in the name of God. This happens during the Divine Liturgy before reading the Gospel. Also, the liturgical āApostleā is read at the Tsarās Clock. Turning to the east, the reader offers prayers not only on his behalf, but also from all the parishioners standing in the temple with him. When reading prokimnas, the readerās voice should sound loud, but not sharp. To do this, he gradually raises it, urging the parishioners to attention. If there is more than one prokimen, then at the end of the first, the readerās voice again drops. The next one is read no less solemnly and ends on a high note with the singing of alilloire.
It is considered very important that the reader familiarizes himself with the prokimen, which will be delivered during the liturgy. The collegiality of the Church of Christ carries the understanding that people do not recognize faith in the Lord from books, but directly from services to God. If the priest and the readers understand that they are proclaiming to the people, then this is also transferred to the flock in the form of knowledge. If the reader and priest relate to the service formally, then they will not find understanding among the people. That is why the reader, before going out with the liturgical āApostleā to the people, must read everything that he has to announce during the service. If something is not clear to him, the priest must explain to him so that the words reach the readerās heart. The clergy must also be consecrated to the sacraments of this ministry, as it is incumbent upon him to repeat the proxima, as well as to sing alilluaries intended for this service.
The singing of the words āHallelujahā, which is usual for the Orthodox ears, is considered not only to glorify God, but also a proclamation of His coming to earth. The solemnity of this service is not only in the ability to convey to the parishioners the meaning of what is happening, but also in the skill of the clergy to help in this singing, which should not be like a memorized score, but like the singing of angels at the throne of the Lord.
Many services are held solemnly, but without inspiration. Even if the reading order of the Apostle is clearly observed, without the spiritual participation of all participants, this service remains incomprehensible and dead. The absence of a priest at such an important worship service may seem strange to many parishioners. This is because the priest, when reading the āApostleā, should sit on the south side of the High Place, as an equal to the apostles - the teacher of the Christian faith.
Brief rules on serving in fragments of a liturgical book containing the deeds and epistles of the apostles can be found in brochures issued specifically for readers. An excerpt from the book clearly shows that for a person who is not involved in church services, it will cost a lot of work to understand all these wisdom.
While singing the āTrisagionā, or verses sung instead, the reader is blessed by the priest and proceeds with the book āAPOSTOLā to the middle of the church, among the people, as if to the peoples of the whole world, to sow the Word of Christ into the hearts of people.
Priest exclaims: āLetās see, peace be to all.ā
The reader, facing east, on behalf of all the worshipers, answers: āAnd your spiritsā (the reader and all the people bow to the waist without a sign of the cross) - a response to the clergyman teaching the blessed peace of the same world from the Lord.
Priest: "Wisdom, let us know."
Reader: āProkimen, psalm of David ...ā and the prokimen and his verse say. And packs repeats the most prokimen.
Face meanwhile three times the funeral service prokimen that. But in addition to the great holidays, on weekly and Sunday days, almost always read two, and sometimes three conceived, so then two prokim are sung, but three prokimnas never happen, at least three conceived.
History of Christianity in the Liturgical Book
At the same time, the "Apostle" carries the very history of the development of the Christian church. If you read it sequentially daily, you can find out that at the dawn of Christianity, judging by the messages of Jude, there was already a tradition among impure people in thoughts to impersonate the apostles - messengers of the Lord. Christian communities, accepting such people, could, by their example and teachings, depart from God.
The first Christians were former pagans with their sins, which were not so easy to eradicate. If people came to them, urging them to continue to do all kinds of indecency, then it was easy for them, who were not strengthened in their faith, to fall into temptation. False apostles, to be received more cordially, indulged human weaknesses, preaching blasphemous thoughts. After all, these people came only to eat hearty, indulge in fornication and talk about what they do not understand. No wonder St. Jude compares them with wordless animals, who only know how to defile themselves. They seek profit in everything, communicating with people, but are dissatisfied with everything. The Lord has prepared punishment for them, as for the unbelieving Israelites that Moses brought out of Egypt, for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, mired in fornication, as for angels who rebelled against the Lord. In his epistle, Judas warns believers from associating with such people who, like clouds without rain, wander, worn by the wind.
The real apostles were not possessive. Visiting Christian communities in various cities, they did not stay anywhere for long, seeing their mission in spreading the faith, and not in sermons in one place. For their travels, they asked in the community only bread, which they should have had enough until the next city. Thus, they showed their disinterest in material wealth.
Sermon of the Apostle Paul
In a letter to the Romans, Paul first explains that his faith is not only for the Jews, that he will also preach to the Gentiles. However, claiming that he brings faith to everyone, he convicts those who do not accept it, since he cannot forsake his sins committed with faith in a mind that is inclined to distort any truth. At the same time, knowing that they are doing lawlessness, they not only continue to engage in indecency, but also encourage others to do so.
For Christians, he forbids condemnation. First of all, only the Lord has the right to judge. If a person condemns another, then he kind of takes his sin upon himself, which cannot be a protection for him before God. No matter how hard a person does good deeds, if there is no faith and love in him, then there is no use in all his endeavors.
The fight against sins
And yet, in the epistles to the Romans, Paul grieves over the sins that the first Christians continued to do because of their weakness. He threatened with a terrible judgment from the Lord, who would not tolerate being deceived by external worship, when inside a person continues to live like a pagan. However, coping with the temptations of this world is not so simple. That is why Paul calls not only to be baptized, but to accept faith in his spirit, which will make it possible not to do evil not according to the law, but out of love for God. After all, the Israelites knew about the coming of the Mission, and when he came, they did not recognize Him. The pagans knew nothing of this, but accepted God with all their hearts and ended up among the elect.
Any power is from God
Separately, he speaks of the submission of all authority from above, since it is always from God and disciplines people. It is only necessary to remember this, not to blaspheme, but to fulfill all the good prescribed by the authorities. Then the one who did not do evil will not be punished, and whoever does the good will be rewarded.
At the end of the epistle, Paul lists people who have worked gloriously to spread the Christian faith, as well as to strengthen the Christian church. These are people of different classes from different cities and, most likely, before conversion to Christianity, who had different religious views.
Wisdom of God and Madness of the World
In the first Epistle to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul calls on the community to unity, not by the name of the baptist, but for the sake of whose name is preached. Thus, Paul, denying himself, says that he did not come to them as Paul, but as the messenger of the crucified Jesus Christ - only He should be remembered, only His name should be called. Paul himself is unable to explain the power of his sermons. Only the Holy Spirit, in his opinion, could give strength to the sermons of a weak and insecure person. Only God's blessing could unite the strong and the weak, the poor and the rich. Only the Lord could empower the unlearned apostles to convince the wise men of their age and the mighty of the world.
Pagan roots of the first Christians
Also, the apostle Paul, in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, argues that the Holy Spirit, which helps him to convert the Gentiles to Christianity, is the greatest mystery for those who live on this earth. But this mystery is not open to knowledge by the mind or soul, but by the same Spirit, which unites them in a single faith. Not in the faith of Paul or other apostles, but in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
At the same time, Paul realizes that a person who has grown up among the pagans cannot instantly perceive the full power of the Christian faith. He compares them to babies who need to be fed milk, not solid foods. They must realize that all that the apostles do is only help the Lord, who is both the foundation and the cultivator of everything. People are the sacred temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells. Woe to the one who destroys that temple. And then he exposes his students to great fornication and pride, which is capable of destroying not only individual people, but, like a bad sourdough, all the dough. And at the same time, one who has not sinned should not associate with sinners, but they need not be judged. Judgment is the business of the Lord, only he sees a person not externally, but from within.
Christian family
In the same letter, he gives clear instructions on the family life of Christians. However, he does not insist on them, but only offers. If you fulfill them strictly, you will not fall into sin and do not defile yourself before God.
1. And what you wrote about me, itās good for a man not to touch a woman.
2. But, [to avoid] fornication, each have his own wife, and each have his own husband.
3. Husband give wife proper favor; like a wife to a husband.
4. The wife does not have power over her body, but the husband; equally, the husband does not have power over his body, but the wife.
5. Do not shy away from each other, unless by consent, for a while, to practice fasting and prayer, and [then] be together again so that Satan does not tempt you with your temperance.
6. However, I have said this as permission, and not as a command.
Paul also condemns the idolatry that continued to exist among the first Christians, since the families of many of them remained pagans. However, the apostle encourages Christians to flee from fellowship with them so as not to fall into temptation. It is better to abstain from the body than to die spiritually.
Sacrament of Holy Communion
Paul speaks of taking the Holy Communion, recalling the Last Supper, during which the bread, the symbol of the Body of Christ, was broken, and the wine was drunk like His Holy Blood. The first Christians, not knowing the secret meaning of this Supper, gathered to have supper, and therefore they got drunk and ate or remained hungry, who did not have enough. So they squandered their spiritual goods, satisfying their flesh.
Separately, he says that in sermons and deeds it is not knowledge and wisdom that is important, not diligence and hard work, but only love.
1. If I speak in human and angelic languages, but I have no love, then I am copper ringing or a cymbal sounding.
2. If I have the [gift] of prophecy, and I know all the secrets, and I have all knowledge and all faith, so that [I can] rearrange the mountains, and do not have love, then I am nothing.
3. And if I give away all my possessions and give my body to be burned, but I have no love, there is no use to me in that.
4. Love is long-suffering, merciful, love does not envy, love is not exalted, not proud,
5. does not act outrageously, does not seek his own, does not get annoyed, does not think evil,
6. does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth;
7. covers everything, believes everything, hopes everything, transfers everything.
8. Love never ceases, although prophecies cease, and tongues fall silent, and knowledge is abolished.
9. For we partly know, and partly prophesy;
10. when the perfect comes, then that which, in part, will cease.
Galatians of the Apostle Paul
Paul turns to the Galatians after a long time since the beginning of his sermons. First of all, he tries to prove the integrity and correctness of his sermons by the fact that they come from the Lord, and only Paul is ready to serve and please him. No one - neither people nor angels - is able to refute the truth of his sermons.
In a letter to the Galatians, he explains why some of the apostles were sent to the Jews, while others to the Gentiles. Everyone works in the field, prepared specifically for him. For many years, Paul wandered around the countries of the Gentiles, occasionally visiting Jerusalem for a new blessing. So the other apostles walked each in their own way.
Judging by the callings that he expresses in his epistle, the Galatians, having initially accepted faith in Christ with all their souls, gradually deviated from it, falling into observance of laws, which carries only empty fulfillment. Only helping one another, doing good with love and faith in the name of Christ will help us accept the Lord with all our hearts and not fall into the temptation of the flesh.
1. Carry each other's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.
2. For whoever reveres himself as something, being nothing, he deceives himself.
3. Let everyone test their work, and then they will have praise only in themselves, and not in the other,
4. for each will bear his burden.
5. Instructed by the word, share all good with the instructor.
6. Do not be fooled: God does not scold. What a man sows, he will also reap:
7. he who sows in his flesh from the flesh will reap corruption, and he who sows in the spirit from the spirit will reap eternal life.
8. Doing good, let us not be discouraged, for we will reap in due time, if we do not weaken.
9. So, as long as there is time, we will do good to all, and most of all according to faith.
The relevance of the ancient worship
Reading the liturgical āApostleā has no price for one who wants to become stronger in the faith, as well as to join Christianity with all his heart. In each chapter and in every Act you can find answers to questions that are still relevant.
The difficulty in perceiving this service consists only in the fact that the liturgical āApostleā is read in the Church Slavonic language, which, unfortunately, is increasingly losing its relevance in everyday life. However, the question of understanding this ministry consists not only in understanding the words themselves (currently the āApostleā has been translated into modern Russian), but in accepting all the teachings with oneās heart and not searching for incomprehensible things in them.