Posted by by Archbishop Nathaniel on 8/31/2005, 1:09 pm OR ORTHODOX UNITY IN NORTH AMERICA IN THE LIGHT OF APOSTOLIC RECONCILIATION In Acts of the Apostles, we read of some of St. Peter’s mission to the Jews such as Chapter 2:14, 22, when he addresses the “Men of Judea, and all of you who live in Jerusalem” and “Men of Israel, listen to what I am saying” and further on, “Brothers...” and finally, in verse 35, “For this reason the whole House of Israel can be certain that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.” There is no doubt that Saint Peter’s primary mission was to the people of Israel. No doubt, he was also present when our Lord spoke about the faith of the Centurion and certainly this experience must have made some impression on him as to the extension of salvation in Christ to all humanity. Furthermore, until the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D., the apostles preached and the community grew; and its presence and activities must have been known by the Roman authorities so that they, too, were aware of the preaching of salvation, even if they did not accept the message themselves. Remember Cornelius the Centurion in Chapter 10 and how St. Peter had a vision of what was clean and what was not, and on meeting Cornelius said: “You know it is forbidden for Jews to mix with people of another race and visit them, but God has made it clear to me that I must not call anyone profane or unclean." (10:28); and “The truth I have now come to realize is that God does not have favorites, but that anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him.” (10:34) In Chapter 5, we read that the apostles were arrested, not by the Romans but by the Sanhedrin, because the apostles were preaching to the Jews. In fact, members of the Sanhedrin were so infuriated that they wanted to put them to death (5:33). In Chapter 6, were learn about a division in the apostolic community between the Hellenists and the Hebrews, both of which groups were Jews but expressing their culture and Judaism in different ways. Shortly thereafter, deacons were appointed, and among them Saint Stephen who became the first martyr. It was at the stoning of Stephen that Saul, (later Paul) was present, and “Saul entirely approved of the killing” (7:8). The title of this article is “St. Peter or St. Paul or Saints Peter and Paul?” It seems to me there are among us in North America those who would rather be bound by ethnic concerns as Peter was in the beginning of his mission. These are those who turn their backs to those who are not of their ethnic origin. Yes, one may say: “We need to take care of our own,” but this is not according to God. Even St. Peter realized this and reached out to pagans, non-Jews. There are others who would be for the abolition of everything "ethnic" in the Church in North America: languages other than English, traditions and customs unique to various jurisdictions for the sake of becoming "American". St. Paul, in rejecting certain Jewish observations, did so to bring pagans into the community of believers, not because he did not respect that part of the Law which was still applied. It seems to me that the Church in North America must reach out to all peoples while serving all peoples. We must not continue to isolate her from others, and especially from our brethren of the same faith! The Church in North America must be reconciled into one administrative unity which respects languages and traditions but which also founds new communities which are shaped by the needs of North Americans. Strange that Orthodox are fond of saying that someone married an "American" or "Englishman," meaning someone not Orthodox, and even when the other party is born in The United States or Canada! The Orthodox faithful in North America are neither in exile nor diaspora nor are they persecuted to surrender their ethnic identity. The Church is not in exile nor diaspora, nor is she pressured to give up her "coat of many colors,” her service to ethnic communities and North America. There are no reasons why the Church in North America cannot reconcile the different needs as the Apostles did, and there is no reason why there should not be, without delay, an administratively-united Orthodoxy in North America. The Church is a light for all nations, but to be a strong light, it must be from a single source, the Gospel which knows no nation above another and which brings salvation to all who fear God. Perhaps that is what is missing from our mix in North America, true fear of God and love for neighbor. The icon of Saint Peter and Saint Paul both holding the Church shows us the universality of the Gospel and particular application. Orthodoxy is now present in Western Europe where similar problems exist, and is attempting to unite for the strengthening of the image of Eastern Orthodoxy in Western societies. Orthodox Christians in traditional "orthodox” nations are also aware that some ethnic peoples within their geographic areas are also looking for and discovering Orthodoxy and want to enter this way of salvation. We believe that nations will be judged; Orthodox Americans will be judged as citizens of this nation and not of that of the ethnic land they or their parents left. Let those who have ears to hear, hear. + Archbishop NATHANIEL Source: As originally published in Solia, The Herald, July 2005 edition. See www.roea.org Link: click here to watch the Ligonier video, A NEW ERA BEGINS http://www.freewebs.com/orthodoxdetroit/
Link: Click here to watch the Ligonier video, A NEW ERA BEGINS
Message modified by board administrator 11/24/2006, 12:22 pm
ST. PETER OR ST. PAUL, OR STS. PETER AND PAUL?
The feast icon of the two “Pillars” of the Church, Saints Peter and Paul, celebrated on June 29 portrays the two apostles standing upright and holding the depiction of a small church between them. This miniature building, of course, represents the universal Church of believers and not a specific church edifice. It is a very important representation of the fullness of the Church, the Body of our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
It was while Saul was “...still breathing threats to slaughter the Lord’s disciples” (9:1), that he was converted to faith in Jesus Christ, and “after he had spent a few days with the disciples in Damascus, he began preaching in the synagogues” (9:20). He, too began preaching: “Men of Israel, and fearers of God, listen!” (11:17), and “My brothers, sons of Abraham’s race, and all you who fear God...” (11:26). As Paul continued to preach, he was contradicted by some of the Jews. “We had to proclaim the word of God to you first, but since you have rejected it, since you do not think yourselves worthy of eternal life, we must turn to the pagans. For this is what the Lord commanded us to do when he said, ‘I have made you a light for the nations, so that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth’.” (13:46)
