My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE. Ο ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΕΝ ΤΩ ΜΕΣΩ ΗΜΩΝ! ΚΑΙ ΗΝ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΙ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΑΙ.
THE MYSTERY (SACRAMENT) OF THE PRIESTHOOD IN THE HOLY ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH (Part II)
By Father Michael Pomazansky
Here the laying of hands is presented, on the one hand, as a sacred act known to all, by means of which presbyters (priests) were ordained for one church or another, and on the other hand as a sacred act which had a special importance as is apparent from the fact that it was performed by the Apostle Paul and Barnabas themselves. It is clear from this that this ordination was not merely a rite or a sign, but was the communication of a special gift and this is precisely testified to later with full emphasis by the same holy Apostle Paul, when in his farewell conversation with the presbyters (priests) of the Church of Ephesus he thus expresses himself concerning them: "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit hath made you overseers (episcopoi [bishops]), to feed the Church of the Lord and God, which He hath purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28). That this placing by the Holy Spirit was through the Apostolic laying on of hands or ordination is evident from the above text (Acts 14:23).
Finally, in the Epistles of the holy Apostle Paul to Timothy, we have a direct and clear indication of ordination as a grace-giving sacred action through which bishops were appointed. Thus, in the First Epistle to Timothy, who was bishop of the Church of Ephesus, the holy Apostle writes, "Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery" (I Timothy 4:14). In his other Epistle to him, he writes: "I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the gift which is in thee by the putting on of my hands" (II Timothy 1:6). By putting together these two passages, we see that Saint Timothy was ordained to the priesthood by the holy Apostle Paul himself, or what is the same thing, by an assembly of the eldest clergy under the presidency of the holy Apostle Paul; and likewise, that in this sacred action there was communicated to the Apostle Timothy the gift of God and this gift is to remain with him forever as his inheritance. Of him is demanded only one thing: not to neglect it, but to keep it warm. That the laying on hands here means nothing else than Episcopal Ordination is entirely confirmed by the further instructions to Timothy: from them it is evident that he was clothed with the authority to ordain others (I Timothy 5:22), to have supervision over those presbyters who were in his jurisdiction (1 Timothy 5:17, 19), and in general to be a builder "in the house of God, which is the Church of the living God" (1 Timothy 3:15).
"Election" and "Ordination" in the Ancient Church
What has been said brings one to the undoubted conclusion that the holy Apostles, by the authority of Christ, established three hierarchical degrees, and that for the raising up of selected persons into these degrees there was established ordination, which communicates to them the active grace of God which is indispensable their ministry (diakonia). It goes without saying that the successors of the Apostles, the bishops, had to fulfill precisely what had been decreed by the Holy Apostles: that is, ordination through laying on of hands, joining to it the same exalted meaning and the same significance that were given by the Holy Apostles.
And so it has been in actual fact in the Church in later times.
Although in the early Church ordination to the rank of priesthood occurred after a general election, with the agreement of the church community or the local church, this "ordination" itself as an act totally separate and distinct from the agreement or election, and it was performed by persons equal in their authority to the Holy Apostles, and who were their successors: the bishops. So it has remained up to our days. Among the earliest testimonies of this we may indicate the homily of Saint Irenaeus of Lyons (second century), which says: "One must follow those presbyters (priests) (in the same sense of the "eldest" in the Church, that is, bishops) who are in the Church and who, as we have the succession of the Apostles, and who, together with the succession of the episcopacy, by the good disposition of the Father, have received the reliable gift of the truth". The expression, "with the succession of the episcopacy they have received the gift of the Truth," speaks evidently of the gift of grace received through their ordination. The same idea may be found also in Tertullian. In Saint Clement of Alexandria (3rd century) there is already a definite indication that the "election" is not at all what is given by ordination through the laying on of hands, just as the election by Christ of the Apostles, among whose number was Judas, was not the same thing as the "ordination" which the Apostles subsequently received through the breathing of Christ (Saint John 20:22). The election of certain persons for the priesthood is the work of men; but the ordination of them is not the work of men, but of God (Saint Clement, Stromata).
The Apostolic Canons command: "Let a bishop be ordained by two or three bishops. Let a presbyter (priest), deacon and the rest of the clergy be ordained by one bishop" (Canons 1 and 2); (Eerdmans Seven Ecumenical Councils, p. 594). Here also is established the unrepeatability of the cheirotonia (ordination): "If any bishop, presbyter, or deacon shall receive from anyone a second ordination, let both the ordained and the ordainer be deposed; unless indeed it can be proved that he had this ordination from heretics" (68th Canon; Eerdmans, p. 598). Thus the grace given in the cheirotonia (ordination) of the priesthood is acknowledged to be just as unchanging and ineffaceable as the grace given in baptism. However, the grace of cheirotonia (ordination) is special and distinct from the grace which is given in Baptism and the Mystery (Sacrament) of Chrismation.
The Essence and Effectuating Words of the Mystery (Sacrament)
Thus the Mystery (Sacrament) of Priesthood is a sacred action which, through the prayerful laying on of the hands of a bishop upon the head of the chosen person, brings down upon the person the Divine grace which sanctifies and ordains him to a certain rank of the Church hierarchy and later cooperates with him in his passing through the hierarchical obligations. The prayer of cheirotonia (ordination) is the following:
"The Divine grace which always healeth that which is infirm and completeth that which is wanting, elevateth (name) the most devout subdeacon, to be a deacon (or deacon, to be a priest). Wherefore, let us pray for him, that the grace of the All-Holy Spirit may come upon him."
The Mystery of Cheirotonia (Ordination) is always included in the rite of the Divine Liturgy. Distinct from the Mystery (Sacrament) of Cheirotonia (ordination) is ordination by prayer to the lower ranks of the clergy (reader, subdeacon); this is called cheirothesia (from the Greek word that has a purely Christian ecclesiastical meaning and came into use relatively later).
(To be continued)
Please note: The more an Orthodox Christian knows the better he is able to practice his/her faith in Christ. The true and genuine Christian is not "selective" of what one likes and does not like of his Faith or Church. A real Christian does not pick and choose but accepts the totality of the Christian Faith and Gospel. We learn from Protestantism which allows one to interpret the Holy Scripture as he or she understands it. Because of this approach, there are over 41,000 Protestant denominations throughout the world and growing. There is confusion among them what the truth of the Gospel message is. It is chaotic and destructive to one who is seeking the Truth, Christ. The Truth is only one. The Church is one. The Gospel message is one. The Baptism is one. The Kingdom of Heaven is one. The path to salvation is one. The Lord Jesus Christ is one.
The Church of Christ is not a cafeteria! A person cannot just walk in and approach the Holy Eucharist as though it is a buffet. Everyone must have respect for the sacred and must be willing to freely chose to obey the divine teachings of the Church, the body of Christ.
One can see the Church has a definite structure that cannot be changed by anyone. The church has a discipline, laws, rules, canons, dogmas, Divine Commandments, order, unity, authority figures, etc. The Church is not a democracy! It has a hierarchical system. This system will never change.
The authentic Church of Christ, the Orthodox Church, has a history of over 2,000 years and has fought heresy and heretics throughout its history. The heretic who is not willing to obey the truth and serve Christ unconditionally eventually abandons it and joins another.
If one is looking for a congregational system (Protestantism) where laymen form the local confession or tradition including the minister (a lay preacher) you have a choice of 41,000 denominations to chose from.
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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!"--Saint John Chrysostom
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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+Father George