The Church Fathers on Love in Truth

Dear Reader

We live in a time characterized by Rebellion against the Apostolic and ecclesiastical Orthodox spirituality of the Holy Fathers.

Alarming is also the great multitude of the visible and invisible enemies of the Orthodox Church. Enemies from without and within and the danger exists that we may become confused, misled, scandalized and spiritualy hypothermic if we fail to guard ourselves with the fail-safe direction of the Holy Fathers.

We are listening today to many different voices about salvation, unconditional love, peace, joy, sharing, christian unity, ecumenism, love with no bounds, branch theories, ecumenical services, interfaith prayers, etc.

What may have been lacking in our spiritual diet are some honest direct answers to some serious questions which our faithful often have such as:

- Shouldn't we forget differences with the other Christians and concentrate on "common ground?"

- Aren't we being somewhat arrogant by maintaining that only Orthodoxy has the truth?

- Is the Holy Spirit in every Christian regardless of Creed?

- Can we visit and pray with the "Non Orthodox" (we dare not say heretics!) especially with the Roman Catholics since "we are almost like them."

- Can we have fellowship with other Christians (non-Orthodox) who believe and love Christ?

- Must we worship correctly to be saved?

- Is it better to be a strong and committed Protestand Christian than a marginal sinful Orthodox?

- If the Holy Spirit and its gifts can be possessed outside of the Orthodox church then why do we need to Chrismate those that convert to Orthodoxy?

- Is it possible that this action of the church to re-Christmate the new converts speak loud and clear that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are lacking in the other Christian bodies?

- If salvation can be secured in every Christian creed then where is the crime of keeping Orthodoxy "America's best kept secret".

Dear Reader

If you have been struggling with these questions, you are certainly not alone. The spirit of confusion is widespread, about as widespread as the spirit of the ecumenistic movement which has been romancing the "fronema" (mindset) of the Western Christian for over half a century.

As we have stuted in some of our past work, ecumenism in the true sense, is having all of humanity embrace the truth of the gospel, having every person on this planet come to the Truth Himself, The Christ. However, the type of ecumenism that accepts all Christian confessions as equal (Branch Theory), that is equally sharing bits and pieces of the truth and teaches love above truth, ignorance of dogma for the shake of peace, and disregard of differences which tend to divide, this type of ecumenism is the latest child of Free Masonry and the great-grandfather of the Antichrist, a true menace of the church.

Naturally, the "lovers of all" the "unconditional lovers and peacemakers" and the deluded blind followers of Branch Theory will stereotype our message as one of narrow-mindness, conservatism, judgmentalism, egotism, fanatisism and criticism to say the least.

Initially you may even agree with them, after all who wants friction, strife, unrest and controversy, when love and peace is such a wonderful alternative.

But did you ever consider that Orthodoxy is not limited to a few isolated individuals or a few decades or certain topographies. Orthodoxy is the universal (Catholic) church of Christ and the Militant Church is in complete communion with the Triumphant Church that cloud of witnesses, martyrs, confessors, teachers, saints and the Apostles who "tested the spirits" over the centuries to preserve for us the secure and proven path that leads to theosis? Our "fronema" (way of thinking) must be an extension or at least be in complete harmony with their beliefs and thoughts. Their lifestyle, "The lives of the Saints" constitutes the true interpretation of the gospel, they did not simply study the gospel, but they lived it by their every action. Not necessarily scholars, they were the true theologians. Today's children of scholasticism and tarionalism a new breed of modern theologians are slowly croding the authority of our church Fathers in order to justify their posisions.

Dear Reader let's, "test the spirits," fully understanding that if "our spirit" contradicts and flatly opposes the genuine spirit of our Holy Fathers we run the great risk of self-excommunication. Let's not be deceived, no one understood the Love of Christ  more than our Saints. Often they sold themselves as slaves to give the proceeds to the poor yet always ready to spill their blood for the truth.

In an attempt to help our brothers and sisters who love the truth, we will present some articles, statements, confessions, and short verses from a number of various church Fathers from throughout the centuries. Let's be careful however, because according to our modern Christian thought and criteria we may find their message full of conservatism, judgementalism, egotism, fanatisism, and criticism to say the least. My friend be aware that no one deceives you. Their messages are full of love for the Truth, fully understunding that in the absence of Truth there can be no Love in the Christian sense.

Constantine Zafalas