Some Orthodox Christian Beliefs and Their Biblical Foundation (Part II)
Does the Orthodox Church place Holy Tradition above or equal to Holy Scripture?
The Church sees the Holy Scripture as inspired and authoritative Holy Tradition: the Logos/Word of God. It is crucial to understand how the word "tradition" is used in the New Testament, which condemns the tradition of men but calls us to follow Apostolic or Holy Tradition.
November 2 - Holy Martyrs Acyndinus, Pegasius, Aphthonios, Elpidophoros and others with them
They were Persian Christians, and suffered in the time of king Sapor, in 355 A.D. The first three were servants at the court of this king, but secretly served Christ their Lord. When they were arrested and brought to trial before the king, he asked them where they came from. To this they replied: 'Our paternity and life is the Most Holy Trinity, consubstantial (of one essence) and undivided, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God.'
November 1 - Sts. Kosmas and Damianos the Unmercenaries
Saints Cosmas and Damianos (Damian), the siblings and holy martyrs, known as the holy unmercenaries (anargyroi), were from Asia. They were the sons of a certain pious woman named Theodote. They were skilled in the medical arts but received their gift of healing from Christ. They ministered free of charge to their patients, fulfilling the Gospel command: "Freely ye received, freely give" (Matthew 10:8). The Holy Church also commemorates two other sets of holy unmercenaries, who share the names of Kosmas and Damianos. We differentiate them by provenance.
October 30 - Holy Martyrs Asterios, Claudios, Neon, and their sister, Neonilla of Cilicia
Asterios, Claudios (Klavdios), Neon, and Neonilla, all siblings and martyrs, were Christians who dwelt together and had substantial wealth. They lived during the reign of the pagan Roman emperor Diocletian (384-305 A.D.), when Lysias was governor of Cilicia. After the children's mother reposed, they continued to live with their father and stepmother. At length, their father also reposed, and the stepmother attempted to unjustly retain possession of their parents' possessions. Therefore, in the year 288 A.D. the stepmother betrayed them to the pagan governor, accusing them of being Christians.
On Remembrance of Death, Hell and Judgment (Part II)
The word eternity is frightful! To understand in part what eternity means. I shall give you an example. Imagine that the whole earth is one big piece of granite, and every thousand years a bird comes to sharpen its beak on this rock. When the entire rock is worn away by the bird sharpening its beak, then we have some faint notion of what eternity means--not that we have actually understood eternity, immortality, or life without end! So this life of ours here on earth determines our eternity, like flipping a coin: Paradise or hell! Therefore, how much caution must we have!...