Faith Baptists who are. Who are the real Baptists? The words of Christ that the believer is saved are pronounced by him either after healing, and therefore do not have the meaning of eternal salvation, or it is implied that the believer is a person living by Christ, and
The Lord Jesus Christ appeared on earth two millennia ago to save all mankind from damnation, sin and death, which became his companions from the moment when his forefathers Adam and Eve sinned. And now, in order to better understand who the Baptists are from the point of view of Orthodoxy, it is necessary to turn to the moment of the formation of the True Church, when God, with the help of his apostle disciples, created the Church as His own mystical body, and through the sacraments of the Church began to communicate with Him. Therefore, people who believe in Christ began to go to church and, through the action of the Holy Spirit, received healing of the body, peace and tranquility in the soul. But then who are the Baptists, where did they come from?
Dissenters, heretics and sectarians
To preserve the unity of faith, the Church has limited and established the laws and rules of its existence. All those who violated these laws were called schismatics or sectarians, and the teachings they preached were called heresy. The Church looked upon schisms as one of the greatest sins committed against her.
The Holy Fathers equated this sin with the murder of a person and with idolatry, even the blood of a martyr could not atone for this sin. In the history of the Church, an infinite number of schisms are known. Church rules begin to be violated - first one, then another automatically, and as a result, the True Orthodox Faith is distorted.
God's grace
All this will inevitably lead to destruction, like that barren vine of the vineyard that the Lord spoke of, which will be burned.
The most terrible thing here is that the Grace of God departs from such schismatics. These people can no longer understand the Truth and think that they are doing God's work, spreading lies about the Church, not knowing that in this way they are going against God Himself. All sorts of sects are created in large numbers, and just as many of them fall apart. Therefore, it is not possible to list them by name, date of creation and the leaders who lead them, we will focus only on the most important ones, but more on that later.
Who are the Baptists from the point of view of Orthodoxy
To save his soul, each person must draw the necessary conclusions about the true Orthodox faith and not fall for the bait of schismatics and sectarians, but receive Grace and be with everything Orthodox world in unity.
After all these facts that you must know, you can approach the topic of who the Baptists are.
So, in terms of Orthodox Church, Baptists are sectarians who have gone astray in their views, who have nothing to do with the Church of Christ and the salvation of God. The Bible, according to the Orthodox Church, they interpret wrongly and falsely, like all other sectarians and heretics. Turning to them is a great sin for the human soul. Some do not have a clear idea of who the Baptists are, photographs of different sects give an approximate answer, but we will also try to consider this issue further.
The Holy Fathers of the Church are the true and only source of spiritual enlightenment, this also applies to Holy Scripture.
Who are the Baptists? Sect?
In Eastern Europe, Baptism is most widespread. The Baptists are a Protestant sect that was founded in England in 1633. At first they called themselves "brethren", then - "Baptists", sometimes - "Catabaptists" or "baptized Christians".
The answer to questions about who the Baptists are and why they are called that can begin with the fact that the very word "Baptisto" is translated from Greek as "I immerse." John Smith headed this sect in its original formation, and when a significant part of its representatives moved to North America, Roger William headed it there. These sects began to subdivide first into two, and then into many more different factions. And this process still does not stop in any way, since communities, associations or communities do not have obligatory symbols, do not tolerate any symbolic books, do not have administrative guardianship. All they recognize is the Apostles' Creed.
Baptist doctrine
The main thing on which the Baptist doctrine is based is the recognition of Holy Scripture as the only source of doctrine. They reject the baptism of children, only blessing them. According to Baptist rules, baptism should be performed only after the awakening of personal faith in a person, after 18 years and renunciation of a sinful life. Without this, this rite has no power for them and is simply unacceptable. Baptists consider baptism to be an outward sign of confession, and thus they reject God's participation in this major sacrament, which reduces the process to mere human action.
Service and management
Having clarified a little who the Baptists are, let's try to figure out how their services go. They hold a weekly service on Sunday, sermons and impromptu prayers are read, singing is performed using instrumental music. On weekdays, Baptists can also gather additionally for prayer and discussion of the Bible, reading spiritual poems and poems.
According to their organization and management, Baptists are divided into independent separate communities, or congregations. From this they may be called Congregationalists. Continuing the theme "Evangelical Christians (Baptists) - who are they?", It should be noted that no matter what name they bear, all Baptists put moral restraint and freedom of conscience above teaching. They do not consider marriage a sacrament, but they recognize the blessing as necessary, receiving it through the officials of the community or presbyters (pastors). There are also some forms of disciplinary action - this is excommunication and public exhortation.
Asking the question of who the Baptists are, what their faith is based on, it is worth noting that the mysticism of the sect is revealed in the predominance of feelings over reason. The whole doctrine is built on extreme liberalism, which is based on the teachings of Luther and Calvin about predestination.
The difference between Baptism and Lutheranism
Baptism differs from Lutheranism in the unconditional and consistent implementation of the main provisions of Lutheranism about the Holy Scriptures, about the Church and about salvation. Baptism is also distinguished by great hostility to the Orthodox Church. Baptists are more inclined towards anarchy and Judaism than Lutherans. And in general, they do not have a teaching about the Church as such, they reject it, like the entire church hierarchy.
But in order to get a complete answer to the question of who Baptist Christians are, let's plunge a little into the times of the Soviet Union. That is where they are most widespread.
Evangelical Christian Baptists
It should be noted that the main development of the Baptist community was after the second half of the 19th century. This happened mainly in the Caucasus, in the south and east of Ukraine, as well as in St. Petersburg.
According to tsarist policy, because of active missionary activity, Baptists were sent into exile in Siberia, away from the centers of their education. Due to this, in 1896 the Baptists-immigrants from the Caucasus formed the first community in Western Siberia, the center of which was Omsk.
To answer more precisely the question of who the Evangelical Baptists are, we note that several decades passed before a denomination happened - Evangelical Christian Baptists (ECB) appeared who adhered to the Baptist doctrine on the territory of the former USSR. Their direction was formed from two currents that arose in the south of Russia from the Baptist communities of the 60s of the XIX century and Evangelical Christians of the 70s of the XIX century. Their unification took place in the autumn of 1944, and already in 1945 the All-Union Council of Evangelical Christians and Baptists was formed in Moscow.
Who Are Separated Baptists?
As mentioned above, sects are constantly changing and further splitting into new formations, therefore Baptist communities that have left the Council of Churches of the ECB are called separated or autonomous. In the 1970s and 1980s they were registered as autonomous communities, and by the 1990s a huge number had appeared due to active missionary activity. And they never joined the centralized associations.
As for the topic “Who are the separated Baptists in Sukhumi”, this is exactly how this community was formed. She, having separated from the main center, began to conduct her autonomous activities on the territory of Abkhazia with the main center in Sukhumi.
The same applies to the question of who are the separated Baptists in Mukhumi. All these are separate Baptist societies that are not subordinate to anyone and lead an independent life in accordance with their own rules.
Newly formed Baptist congregations
Recently, a new direction has emerged for the Tbilisi Baptist community. Interestingly, she went even further in her creed, practically changing everything beyond recognition. Her innovations are very, very surprising, since during the service the five senses are involved in all those present, the shepherds wear black clothes, candles, bells and music are used in the ceremony, and the Baptists overshadow themselves with a cross. Almost everything is in the spirit of the Orthodox Church. These Baptists even organized a seminary and an icon painting school. Hence the joy of the schismatic and anathematized Filaret, the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, who once even presented the order to the leader of this community, is understandable.
Baptists and Orthodox. Differences
Baptists, like the Orthodox, believe that they are followers of Christ, and their faith is true. Both those and others Holy Bible- the only source of teaching, however, the Baptists completely reject the Holy Tradition (written documents and experience of the entire Church). Baptists interpret the books of the Old and New Testament in their own way, as anyone understands. Orthodox ordinary person it is forbidden to do so. The interpretation of sacred books was written by the holy fathers under the special influence of the Holy Spirit.
Orthodox believers believe that salvation is achieved only by a moral feat, and there is no guaranteed salvation, since a person wastes this gift for his sins. The Orthodox brings his salvation closer by purifying the soul through the sacraments of the Church, a pious life and keeping the commandments.
Baptists claim that salvation has already happened at Calvary, and now nothing is required for it, and it doesn’t even matter how righteous a person lives. They also reject the cross, icons and other Christian symbols. For the Orthodox, these components are an absolute value.
Baptists reject the heavenly holiness of Our Lady and do not recognize saints. For the Orthodox, the Mother of God and the righteous saints are defenders and intercessors for the soul before the Lord.
Baptists do not have a priesthood, while Orthodox service and all church sacraments can only be performed by a priest.
Baptists do not have a special organization of worship, they pray in their own words. The Orthodox, in strict accordance, serve the Liturgy.
At baptism, Baptists immerse the person being baptized once in water, Orthodox - three times. Baptists reject the ordeal of the soul after death and therefore do not bury the dead. With them, when he dies, he immediately goes to heaven. The Orthodox have a special funeral service and separate prayers for the dead.
Conclusion
I would like to remind you that the Holy Church is not a club of interests, but something that comes down to us from the Lord. The Church of Christ, founded by his apostle disciples, has been united on earth for a whole thousand years. But in 1054, its western part fell away from the One Church of Christ, which changed the Creed and declared itself Roman Catholic Church, it was she who gave fertile soil to everyone else to form their churches and sects. Now, from the point of view of Orthodoxy, those who have fallen away from the True Orthodox Faith and preach faith in Christ, not equally with Orthodoxy, do not belong to the One Holy and Apostolic Church, founded by the Savior himself. Unfortunately, this comes from the fact that many do not realize the greatness and height of their Christian calling, they do not know their duties and live in wickedness as pagans.
The holy apostle Paul wrote in his prayer: “Stay worthy of the calling to which you are called, otherwise you will not be children of God, but of Satan, fulfilling his lusts.”
Characteristic Signs of the Sect.
To a greater or lesser extent, sects are characterized by the following features:
Hierarchy. To find out the hidden teaching, a person must be initiated to a certain level of hierarchy in a sect. The organization of the sect is strictly hierarchical. To get any result, for example, to justify the money paid or just the interest shown and the time spent, it is necessary to move to the next step. For example, in the Mun sect there is a "ladder" of many seminars - introductory, one-day, two-day, three-day, seven-day, twenty-one-day, as well as a complex system of membership and participation in the activities of the sect. In the Scientology sect of Ron Hubbard, a person who has paid for and completed the initial course will find out at the very end that the most important and interesting things will be revealed only in the next course, for which there is a separate fee, etc. The same is typical for the sect of followers of "living ethics": a gradual initiation into the secrets of the "teaching" as they participate more actively in the activities of the sect. The hierarchical structure allows you to keep under strict control and direct the actions of the members of the sect at all its levels and not allow a critical attitude either to the teachings of the sect or to its leaders.
The infallibility of the sect and its founder. The doctrine of the sect always claims that this is the highest truth, and the truth is “fresher” than the truths of all others, especially the traditional religions. These “truths” are obtained in a supernatural way, through “revelations,” visions, contacts with spirits (for example, Moon communicated with a spirit who called himself “Christ” and instructed to create a sect). Of course, everything that existed in the history of mankind before such a “happy insight,” is declared a mistake and a misunderstanding (in the sect of the same Moon, sectarians must hold the opinion that their homeland is Korea, which was blessed with his birth by the “reverend” Moon; for “witnesses Jehovah's love for the Fatherland is absurd, and the soldiers who died for the Motherland are mad; the Roerichians believe that the whole world, and Russia in particular, was in the darkness of superstition before it became possible to read the “agni yoga” composed by the Roerichs.”) The founders of sects - people whom investigators endow with divine qualities, many directly proclaim themselves “Christs”: Mun, S. Torop (“Vissarion”), M. Tsvigun (“Maria Devi”), T.F. Akbashev (considers not only himself but also his students to be “Jesus”), Shoko Asahara, and many others. Adherents of the Roerich movement call Helena Roerich nothing but the “mother of the world”. Communication, direct or “spiritual,” mental, with the founding leaders should bring incredible happiness to the sectarians, their orders should be carried out with enthusiasm. At the mental order from a photograph of Shri Mataji (a Sahaja Yoga sect), a young woman sadistically killed her one and a half year old daughter.
Consciousness programming. First of all, people with an unstable psyche, who do not have clear moral criteria (measures), spiritual and cultural knowledge, become members of sects. Such people, who seek but have not found solid foundations in spiritual life, are, as a rule, easily suggestible, that is, they are ready to give up their freedom and accept the guidelines of their teachers. At the same time, a person receives an illusory meaning of life, but his thinking can be built only according to primitive schemes. As a result, a person becomes completely dependent on sectarian teachings, participation in meetings, instructions from teachers and leaders of the sect. Experts compare sectarian addiction with drug addiction.
Life control. The ultimate goal of a sectarian organization is control over many, and ideally, over all spheres of human life. To achieve this goal, those who have joined sects are torn out of their usual life, deprived of a familiar social circle. Many sects use special settlements of sectarians in houses or apartments converted into “ashrams” or “monasteries,” often overcrowded. Adepts have an intense daily routine, are limited in sleep and food, and carry out intense activities that leave no opportunity to critically comprehend the sectarian dogma and the personalities of the leaders. In some movements, psychotropic drugs and hypnosis are used to achieve control over adepts. In the end, sectarians sacrifice their time, health, property (most often apartments are either sold or given away to set up sect offices or “ashrams”) to the sect, and sometimes their lives. Sects are rarely content with their influence only on adherents, but usually seek to extend it to members of their families, close people, and acquaintances. Children of sectarians must be brought up in the spirit of sectarian teachings and grow up as devoted supporters. According to experts, it is from their number that detachments can be formed to carry out terrorist acts.
Political goals. Many sects, such as Moon's Unification Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Ron Hubbard's Scientology, and others, are large industrial and financial "empires" seeking to dominate the entire world. For example, “The Varnashrama Manifesto,” one of the documents of the “International Society for Krishna Consciousness,” writes about the coming society of “victorious Krishnaism” as a caste society, divided into superhumans - Hare Krishnas and Shudra slaves, who are destined for hard and hopeless work, and the almighty elite will decide, for example, to which class a newborn baby will belong. "Jehovah's Witnesses" are talking about the need to build a "new world order" headed by a "single government" consisting only of members of this sect. Korean Moon, the founder of the Unification Church sect, directly says that he should be accepted by all the governments of the world as their master.
Sects invariably lead war against the Orthodox Church because the spiritual traditions of the Church are the most effective denunciation of the falsity of those ideas with which the sects want to subjugate society. In a society in which many sects operate, culture dies and a spiritual disease arises - an inability to distinguish between good and evil, truth from lies. Such a society becomes unable to solve its problems and turns into a passive object of application of someone else's will. Historical experience shows that societies affected by such ailments died, left the stage of history (for example, the Roman Empire). We should learn a lesson from history and turn to traditional spiritual values.
For the army, such treatment has already begun. An agreement has been signed between the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and the Moscow Patriarchate, military churches are being built in military units, priests are visiting soldiers performing combat missions in “hot spots.”
But there are also attempts to influence the various structures of the Ministry of Defense by many sects. Let's note the most active of them. These are “unification church” (Moon movement), “Mother of God center,” “covenant church,” Christian mission, “family” (“children of God”), “Jehovah's Witnesses,” “Church of Scientology” (L. Ron Hubard), some Eastern cults.
This handbook is an attempt to systematize data on religions and religious denominations in Russia.
Calvinism.
(Reformed, Huguenot, Presbyterian, Puritan)
The movement to cleanse the church was not limited to Germany. In Switzerland, the Reformation movement was led by the Frenchman Calvin, who, in matters of doctrine, went much further than Luther. Calvinism is the extreme trend in the reform movement of the 17th century. Trying to answer the question: “Why, with the universal love of God for people, some receive from Him the gift of faith, while others do not?” Calvin introduced the concept of unconditional predestination into his doctrine. Unconditional predestination is the eternal election by God of some people to salvation, and others to perdition, regardless of their will and without any relation to their freedom. Obviously, this provision was introduced under the influence of Judaism.
From Switzerland, Calvin's teachings spread to southwestern Germany and Holland under the name of Reformation, to France under the name of Huguenotism, and to Scotland, England and North America under the name of Presbyterianism.
In 1592 Presbyterianism was recognized by the Scottish Parliament as the state religion. The Presbyterians, also known as "puritans," demanded more decisive church reforms from the king and parliament: the abolition of church symbols, the cross, and the sign of the cross.
The basis of the structure of the church, according to the teachings of Calvin and the Presbyterians, is a community headed by a presbyter, who is elected by the members of the society; communities unite in regional and state unions. Ritual life is reduced to listening to prayers composed by the presbyter, his sermons, singing psalms. Marriages are blessed at home, a prayer is read over the dead at home. Liturgies canceled and all Catholic holidays, except Sunday.
Anglicanism.
The Protestant movement also penetrated England. The immediate reason for the beginning of the reformation in England was the quarrel between Pope Clement VII and the English king Henry VIII, who, under this pretext, got rid of the centuries-old influence of the Vatican on the politics of England. The English Parliament in 1533 passed a law on the independence of England in church affairs from the pope and approved the supreme rights in the church of England for the king. Henry VIII issued on behalf of Parliament a statement of faith in 10 parts, in which the influence of Lutheranism is noticeable. Under King Edward the sixth (1547-1553), these 10 points were revised, and in 1551 42 members of the Anglican Confession were published, which is a mixture of Latinism (Catholicism), Lutheranism and Calvinism. This was the beginning of the English Episcopal Church. Under Queen Elizabeth I, these members of the faith were also revised and new 39 members were approved, which, according to the Anglican theologian Puller, were “rather symbols of peace and pious harmony than members of the faith.” The Anglican Church has an episcopal structure.
In the field of dogma and ritual within the church, there are three currents: “ high church,” trying to defend everything that Anglicanism has preserved from the apostolic teaching; “low,” consisting of representatives of the extreme currents of Protestantism and “broad,” whose members are indifferent to dogmatic disputes.
The Anglican Communion consists of 25 autonomous Churches and 6 church organizations, among them: the Church of England, the Episcopal Church in Scotland, as well as a number of Churches in the USA, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Canada, Australia and other countries that were part of the British Empire in the past.
The Anglican Church in Moscow was registered by the Department of Justice of the city of Moscow in 1993.
On the Question of the Women's Priesthood.
The possibility of posing the question of the ordination of women stems from the Protestant attitude to the priesthood, from a misunderstanding of its mysterious essence. Priesthood for Protestants is not a dignity, but a position. Therefore, they believe that the only obstacle to the ordination of women in ancient times was only the socio-cultural tradition of those times. And to us modern people, it remains only to restore justice and equalize the rights of women and men. In reality, there is nothing humiliating for a woman in the fact that, by the will of God, she was given a different destiny in earthly life than a man. We all Christians, without distinction of gender, are the chosen people, the “royal priesthood.” The Church is the body of Christ - a single body in which each member has a special role to play. The head of this divine-human organism is Christ. It is He who fully possesses the priesthood: He is the high priest, and He is the Sacrifice. The priestly hierarchy was established by the Lord Himself, Who, having elected the apostles (among whom there was not a single woman), gave them the power to perform the sacraments, and this power passed from the apostles to their successors - the bishops, and from the bishops to the presbyters. More precisely, it is not the priest, but the Lord through the priest who performs the sacraments. The priesthood exists to present Christ Himself in the present. But it is obvious that in this sense only a man, and not a woman, can be the image of Christ. And it is impossible to break the order determined by God for the sake of any human institutions. The inspired apostle Paul says: “Let your wives be silent in the churches; for they are not allowed to speak, but to be in subjection.” (1 Cor. 14:34). “Let the woman study in silence with all humility; but I do not allow a woman to teach...” (1 Tim. 2:11-12). Every reasonable person understands that the will of God cannot be the subject of cultural and socio-political discussions. It must be said that the Protestants do not have unanimity on this issue, and this weakens the denominations that have recognized the female priesthood. The ordination of women is opposed by the Baptists in our country, the conservative part of the Lutherans. This caused a split in the Anglican Church. Every year many Anglicans convert to Catholicism.
Baptists
A sect that emerged from among the English Puritans. The first Baptist community was established in 1633, and in 1639 it was already transferred to North America, where Rhode Island became its center. At first, the influence of the sect was insignificant. Only at the end of the 18th century, after the creation of the “Preachers' Union,” which declared its goal not to spread Baptism as a new doctrine, but supposedly only to preach Christianity among American Negroes, free from dogmas, rituals and obligatory symbolic signs, the Baptist movement met with the sympathy and material support of many wealthy Americans.
This sect is divided into many interpretations. Its division began in the 17th century, when the Baptists were divided into "private" ones, who accepted Calvin's doctrine of unconditional predestination, and "general" or "free will Baptists," recognizing the universality of God's saving grace. “7th Day Baptists,” those who celebrate Saturday instead of Sunday; "Christian Baptists," those who reject the dogma of the Holy Trinity, the doctrine of hell and the devil, and Christian holidays, “Tunker Baptists,” “Six Principle Baptists,” “Evangelical Christians,” “Stundists,” “Evangelicals”- all these are the names of different currents of the same sect. Some of these groups have now ceased to exist, having merged with other currents of Baptism or disappeared altogether.
All areas of Baptism are united by the denial of the possibility and reality of infant baptism. Until recently, Baptists, like the Anabaptists and Mennonites before them, categorically rejected oaths, military service, and courts.
Baptism entered Russia in the 19th century. Modern Russian Baptism was historically formed as a result of the merger of four religious groups of the Baptist persuasion, similar in doctrine, but earlier penetrating the territory of Russia and existing separately: Baptists, Evangelical Christians, some Pentecostals and fraternal Mennonites.
Active missionary activity to spread Baptism in Russia began in 1859, when Unger, a German preacher of Mennonite ideas among Russian peasants working in the German colonies in southern Ukraine, established contact with the leaders of the German Baptists, who ensured the influx of a large number of missionaries to Russia. Since then, there has been an appeal to Baptist faith Russian-speaking Orthodox population in the south of the country. Acting at first secretly, but very actively, having direct contact with the peasants and assuring them of the "delusions" of Orthodoxy and the "truth" of Baptism, the missionaries managed to convert not only individual people, but in some villages a significant part of their population to Baptism. In a little over twenty years, Baptism from the south of Ukraine penetrated into the Caucasus, Oryol, Kaluga, some neighboring provinces and Moscow. At the same time, Baptism penetrated into Siberia and the Far East, which, due to their distance from the center, were convenient for its activities. Along with the growth of the zone of geographical distribution, the nature of the behavior of the Baptists began to change. There have been instances of Baptists mocking Orthodox shrines and sacraments, their interference in the performance of various Orthodox rites, which led to clashes with the Orthodox population and attracted the attention of the authorities. In 1894, by the Cabinet of Ministers, Baptism was declared a particularly harmful sect in church and public relations, and the followers of the sect were forbidden to organize public meetings. Their position, like that of all Russian sectarians, changed with the advent of the so-called law on religious tolerance of 1905 and the decree on the registration of Old Believer and sectarian communities of 1906. Since that time, sectarian organizations in general and Baptists in particular began to openly hold their meetings, organize educational and Bible circles, often luring the Orthodox population into them by deceit. During the First World War, an attempt was made to limit the activities of the sect, but after the end of the war, a new surge in Baptist activity began. But Baptism began to spread most rapidly after 1917.
Simultaneously with the spread of Baptism, communities of evangelical Christians began to emerge among ordinary and secular people. Since the time of Catherine II, the Russian intelligentsia, under the influence of French freethinkers, began to move away from Orthodox Faith. This subsequently led to the predominance in secular circles of people who grew up in a spirit of disbelief or a formal attitude to faith, Westernism and disregard for those spiritual foundations on which Russian society has been based for many centuries. At that time, the sermons of a certain Lord Redstock, a popularizer of the teachings of evangelical Christians, which he read in French, became popular among high society. Soon he had followers, including very wealthy citizens. Asylums, care homes, children's schools and other charitable institutions began to appear, with the help of which the new teaching and intolerant attitude towards Orthodoxy began to spread among common people. In 1884, such actions came to the attention of the authorities, who, realizing the danger of the spread of religious errors and heresies for national security, made a number of attempts to limit them. Also in 1884, the first unsuccessful attempt to merge Evangelical Christians with Baptists took place. Similar attempts were subsequently made more than once, but due to the fact that the center of Baptism was in Moscow, and the center of evangelical Christians in St. Petersburg, they could not be crowned with success for a long time. After 1917, like the Baptists, Evangelical Christians experienced organizational growth, the All-Union Council of Evangelical Christians (ALL) was formed.
In the early years Soviet power the two organizations were on hostile terms. This continued until the Second World War, during which there were tendencies towards rapprochement between the Evangelicals and the Baptists. In 1944, a uniting congress of ALL and the Baptist Union was held, at which a decision was made to create the Union of Evangelical Christians and Baptists (AUCECB), a year later a part of the Pentecostals joined them, and in 1963, fraternal Mennonites. The sect is strictly centralized, has its own All-Union Council in Moscow, a network of organizations in the republics and regions, is part of the World Baptist Union, whose center is in Washington (USA). The number of baptized members of the organization in Russia currently exceeds six hundred thousand people, and taking into account children, relatives and sympathizers with the ideas of the AUCECB, the organization exerts its influence on several million people.
7th Day Adventists.
Characteristic: an American-born sect that emerged from the Baptist milieu.
History of the sect: its founder is farmer William Miller, who belonged to one of the Baptist communities in the state of New York. The study of scripture led Miller to the idea that the end of the world and the millennium kingdom of Christ would soon come. Reading the eighth chapter of the book of the prophet Daniel, Miller accepted the 2300 days predicted by the prophet in years and in a simple way. arithmetic operations received the year of the coming of Christ - 1843. In 1831, he delivered an ardent sermon on the subject. This sermon found a response even in Europe. But when 1843 approached, Miller made a slight correction and postponed the coming of Christ to 1844, moreover, he accurately indicated the day and month, as well as the mountain in the state of New York, on which Christ should directly descend. On the said day, Miller's followers, dressed in white robes, encamped at the "Mountain of Judgment." After a long wait, the number of the "prophet's" supporters dropped sharply, but many remained faithful to him. Their tension and anticipation of the imminent second coming was taken advantage of by non-Christian elements who seized control of the movement. In 1844, Georg Sperr published six of his sermons, in which he denied the immortality of the soul and interpreted eternal torment as the complete annihilation of sinners. Then it was decided to celebrate the Old Testament Sabbath instead of the Christian celebration of the resurrection. In 1945, Miller and his followers were expelled from the Baptist Union and formed the Adventist organization. The failure with 1844 was later explained by the fact that Christ allegedly came after all, but not to earth, but to the heavenly sanctuary and began to create a “judgment of investigation,” determining the further fate of dead and living people. For this judgment, it took from 70 to 100 years, therefore, the new coming was postponed to 1932-33, coinciding in determining the period with the Jewish rabbis, who were waiting for the arrival of their “Messiah” precisely by these years. Last prediction fell on 1995, which also coincided with the new predictions of the rabbis.
Doctrine: having grouped and rethought in their own way some places of the Holy Scriptures, Adventists believe that the doctrine of the second coming of Christ is the center of the teaching of the New Testament. They created their own concept of the second coming of Christ, during which only the righteous (the first resurrection) will supposedly be resurrected at first, who will stay with the Lord in heaven for 1000 years. At this time, there will be no people on earth, every human creation will be destroyed and disappear. Those of the sinners who will live during the Second Coming, for this thousand years will be imprisoned in a ditch until the Last Judgment, Satan will be chained and the place of his imprisonment will be the destroyed earth. After 1000 years, Christ will come to earth for the third time, then the wicked will rise (second resurrection) and Satan will be released for a short time to deceive the nations and gather them for the last battle against Christ, but the fire of heaven will incinerate them: Satan and the wicked will be destroyed forever This is the second death for them. The land cleansed by fire will be renewed, and the righteous will inhabit it. There will be a new capital - New Jerusalem, people will build houses, plant vineyards and live a happy life, being in eternal bliss.
In addition, the influence of Judaism is clearly traced in the views of Adventists. In particular, the doctrine of the millennium kingdom of the Messiah is taken from the books of the rabbis, and the doctrine of the three comings is designed to harmonize the Jewish expectation of the imminent coming of the Messiah, who will create a world state with a prosperous population, with the New Testament doctrine of the coming Second Coming of Christ in Glory. The attempt to combine Christianity with Judaism is not new: it has its origins in the Gnostic sects of the first century of the Christian era.
Subsequently, the Adventist understanding of the Holy Scriptures formed the basis of the teachings of the sect of Jehovah's Witnesses, whose founder C. Russell was a disillusioned Adventist.
An assessment of the Protestant doctrine underlying most sects.
In their struggle against the errors of the Roman Catholic Church, the Protestants failed to return to the purity of the apostolic faith. On the question of the Church, priesthood and sacraments, as on many other issues, Protestants fell into extremes opposite to Roman Catholicism.
The Universality of the Priesthood. Rightly denying to the Bishop of Rome the importance of the infallible vicar of Christ and the direct head of all Christians, many Protestants simply rejected the hierarchy and proclaimed the doctrine of the universal priesthood. Misinterpreting certain passages of Holy Scripture, they began to assert that all Christians are equal before God, all enjoy the same right to address Him directly, personally, without any hierarchical mediation. The Church is an invisible community of believing hearts, enlightened by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The Church is holy, infallible, because it is governed by the Spirit of grace, which cleanses her of filth and invisibly cuts off unworthy members. Ap. Peter writes to Christians: “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:9). Ap. John says that Christ “has made us kings and priests to his God and Father” (Rev. 1:6). But here it is said about the priesthood not in the hierarchical sense, but in the fact that Christians, as reborn and sanctified by the Holy Spirit, should be among others - unbelieving people, as if a special sacred property of God. That hierarchy is a Divine institution is a truth too clearly confirmed by numerous passages of Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition to be disputed, and the Protestants themselves later introduced something like a hierarchy. The rejection of the hierarchy by the first Protestants is explained, in addition to their hatred of the Catholic clergy, also by the fact that not a single bishop went over to the side of Luther, and therefore the Protestants could not have a legally ordained priesthood.
In this regard, it should be noted that Protestants cannot have a legal priesthood, since their apostolic succession ceased with the beginning of the Reformation.
The denial of hierarchy entailed other denials, including the denial of all the sacraments, with the exception of baptism. For some Protestant denominations and the Eucharist is only a rite instituted in remembrance of the Last Supper and the Passion of the Lord. But others, believing that the Eucharistic bread and wine always remain only bread and wine, argue that communicants, by virtue of their faith, nevertheless partake of the Body and Blood of the Lord.
The doctrine of justification by faith. In contrast to the exaggerated importance in Catholicism of a person’s personal merits before God, Luther’s followers teach that good deeds are not a necessary condition for a person’s salvation, that they can even be harmful, as they develop conceit, Pharisees’ pride. The grace of God, acting on a person, inspires him with faith in Jesus Christ, and this faith, which puts a person in direct relation to the Redeemer, and delivers salvation to a person, makes him a righteous man.
In proof of their doctrine of justification by faith alone, the Lutherans refer to the words of St. Paul: “We acknowledge that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law” (Rom. 3:28), and further: “A man is not justified by the works of the law, but only by faith in Jesus Christ” (Gal. 2:16). But in these and similar expressions, St. Paul does not in the least deny the significance of good works for salvation, but only rejects the wrong view of the Jews, who in their proud self-confidence hoped to achieve salvation by exact, formal fulfillment of the external precepts of the Law, in addition to heartfelt faith in Jesus Christ. This faith, according to the Apostle Paul, must be alive, active, that is, united with good deeds. She must " act love” (Gal. 5: 6); “ if I he says, I have all faith, so that I can move mountains, but I do not have love, then I am nothing” (1 Cor. 13:2). The Savior Himself says: Not everyone who says to me: Lord! God! enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). But the idea of the need for good works for salvation is especially clear in the epistle of St. James, which the Protestants dislike so much that they reject even its authenticity: “ What good is it, my brethren, if someone says that he has faith, but does not have works? can this faith save him? ... as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead” (James 2: 14, 26).
The doctrine of predestination and veneration of saints. Luther and his followers did not dare to draw the extreme conclusions that logically flowed from their false doctrine of the salvation of man. More consistent were Calvin and Zwingli and their Reform followers. If good deeds are of no importance in the matter of salvation, if a person has lost all ability to do good through sin, and even if faith - the only condition for salvation - is God's gift, then the question naturally arises why not all people are saved, why some receive grace. while others believe and perish? There can be only one answer to this question; this is what the reformers give: God predestined from eternity some to salvation, others to perdition, and this predestination does not in the least depend on the personal freedom and life of a person.
The fallacy of the reformist doctrine is obvious. It perverts the truly Christian concept of God's justice and mercy, of the dignity and purpose of man as a free and rational being. God does not appear here as a loving, merciful Father, “ who wants all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth“(1 Tim. 2:4), but like a cruel, unjust despot, saving some without any merit, condemning others without guilt.
The Orthodox Church also recognizes predestination, but does not consider it unconditional, that is, independent of the free will of people and based on the causeless decision of the Divine will. By Orthodox teaching God, as omniscient, knows, foresees the moral state of people and, on the basis of this foresight, predestinates, predetermines a certain fate for them. But He does not predestinate a certain moral state for anyone, does not predestinate either a virtuous or a sinful life, and does not in the least constrain our freedom. Therefore, app. Paul, to whom the Reformers refer, puts the doctrine of predestination in close connection with the doctrine of God's foreknowledge. In Romans he elaborates on this idea and, incidentally, speaks of predestination: Those whom God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son... And whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified” (Rom. 8:29-30). Thus, God predestines to glory not according to His causeless arbitrariness, as the reformers think, but according to the foreseeing of man's merits, accomplished by his free will.
Protestants do not recognize the veneration of saints, since, in their opinion, it humiliates the dignity of the Savior as “the only Intercessor of God and men,” contradicts those passages of Holy Scripture that say that only God should be worshipped. Protestants consider the veneration of saints useless, since the saints cannot hear our prayers.
In the Orthodox teaching on the veneration of the saints, there is no belittling of the atoning sacrifice of the Lord, since we ask the saints not for what is not in their power - the forgiveness of sins, the granting of grace and a future blessed life - but we pray to the saints, as members of the Church, redeemed with the pure blood of Jesus Christ and closer to God than we are, so that they intercede for us before the only Intercessor, the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the passages of Holy Scripture cited by the Protestants (Deut. 6:13; 1 Tim. 1:17), it is said about the rendering of divine honor to God alone; but we do not give such honor to the saints. We honor the grace of God that dwells in them, we honor God, in the words of the psalmist, “wonderful in His saints.”
As for the hearing of our prayers by the saints, for this there is no need to possess omniscience, which, indeed, is characteristic only of God. It is enough to have that gift of insight, which the Lord honored many of His saints while still on earth, and which they possess in the highest degree in heaven.
Protestants also object to the veneration of relics, saying that by venerating them, we Orthodox honor dead matter. But in the relics we honor not the substance itself, but the living and life-giving power of the Holy Spirit, which makes them not only incorruptible, but also healing. It is known from the Holy Scriptures that from touching the bones of the prophet Elisha, the dead was resurrected (2 Kings 13:21); a bleeding woman received healing from touching the edge of the Savior's garment (Matt. 9: 20-22); the sick and possessed were healed by laying on them scarves and apprehensions. Paul (Acts 19:12). The same Divine power that was inherent in the bones of the prophet Elisha, the robe of the Savior, the handkerchiefs of St. Paul, grants both the bodies of the saints incorruption and miraculous power to strengthen the faith of Christians.
Look at afterlife . The Orthodox confession of faith ends with the living expectation of the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Who does not believe in future life whoever does not believe in the future final righteous judgment of God, who does not believe in the retribution of the righteous and the punishment of the evil, he is not Orthodox, not a Christian.
While we Orthodox believe in the effective power of prayer for the dead, sectarians reject prayers for the dead on the grounds that there is no direct commandment in Holy Scripture to pray for the dead and because the fate of a person after the grave depends, as it were, exclusively from what he himself was personally during earthly life and, finally, because believers have one Intercessor, the Savior Jesus Christ Himself.
But if the Word of God does not really speak directly about prayer for the dead, then our duty towards them follows of itself from the obligation of Christians to maintain communion of love among themselves, which in relation to the dead is expressed in prayers for them. Ap. James urges us to pray for one another (James 5:16) and adds that "the fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much"; app. Paul exhorts to pray for all people (1 Tim. 2:1); St. John the Evangelist - especially for sinners (1 John 5:16). It cannot be assumed that these exhortations apply only to the living, since the dead are the same members of the Church of Christ as we are, and the death of a person, from a Christian point of view, should not break communication between him and the survivors. “ God is not god of the dead but alive; for with Him all are alive,” says the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 20:38). “ Whether we live or die, always the Lord's,” teaches ap. Paul (Rom. 14:8).
As for the references of the Protestants to the places of Holy Scripture, where it is a question of recompense to each according to his deeds (Ps. 6: 6; Gal. 6: 7; 2 Cor. 5: 10, etc.), then in these places it is said either about that the dead themselves cannot change their fate, or about the state of the dead after Doomsday but the usefulness of prayers for the dead is not denied.
Finally, it is absolutely true that our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, is “the only Advocate of God and man.” This is what the Orthodox Church teaches, this is what is said repeatedly in Holy Scripture, especially often in the epistles of St. Paul. But, after all, we Orthodox, in our prayers for the dead, turn to Him, our Savior, as a child of His Church.
commemoration of the dead and church prayers about them - the original, apostolic tradition of the Church, sacredly preserved by it in all ages. Back in the 5th century, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, a participant in the Second Ecumenical Council, explaining to those who entered the Church in his time the catechumens of the structure of divine services and sacraments, wrote about church commemoration the departed at the liturgy: “Great will be the benefit to the souls for whom prayer is lifted up at a time when the Holy One is present and the terrible sacrifice” (“Mystery teaching 5,” ch. 9). The particles taken out of the prosphora in commemoration of the living and the dead are placed on the diskos at the foot of the Lamb, where they remain until the moment they fall into the bowl with the words: “Wash, O Lord, the sins of those who were commemorated here by Thy precious Blood, by the prayers of Thy saints.”
Source of Faith. All erroneous denials of Protestantism are based on the no less erroneous denial of Holy Tradition by Protestants. They strive to rely only on the Holy Scriptures, not realizing to what extent both make up one inseparable whole. The action of the Holy Spirit in the Church is arbitrarily limited by the Protestants to the Apostolic time, and therefore they consider all Church institutions that finally came to light after the Apostles to be purely human. At the same time, they forget that the very composition of the books included in the Holy Scriptures was determined significantly after the death of the Apostles. Protestants forget, or prefer not to remember, that the oral preaching of Christianity (oral Tradition) preceded the writing of the sacred books of the New Testament.
Or, recognizing the Holy Tradition until the time of the final compilation of the books of the New Testament in the 2nd century, Protestants hardly agree that the Holy Spirit in subsequent centuries, dwelling in the Church as in the Body of Christ, did not cease to guard and enliven the true meaning of Holy Scripture .
According to Orthodox teaching, Holy Scripture is the cornerstone of Holy Tradition and contains the fullness of God's revelation. But the Holy Spirit, Who inspired the Apostles and Evangelists in their oral and written gospel, instructs the Holy Church even now, contributing to the understanding and assimilation of Christ's truth.
ecumenism.
The ecumenical movement originated in the Protestant world. It takes as its guiding principle precisely the Protestant understanding of the Church. Protestants believe that there is no one truth and one Church, but each of the numerous Christian denominations has a particle of truth, thanks to which these relative truths it is possible, through dialogue, to lead to a single truth and a single Church. One of the ways to achieve this unity, in the understanding of the ideologists of the ecumenical movement, is to hold joint prayers and services in order to eventually achieve communion from a single cup (intercommunion).
Orthodoxy cannot accept such an ecclesiology in any way, for it believes and testifies that it does not need to collect particles of truth, for it is the Orthodox Church that is the guardian of completeness Truth given to Her on the day of Holy Pentecost.
The Orthodox Church, however, does not forbid praying for those who are out of communion with Her. Through the prayers of St. rights. John of Kronstadt and Blessed Archbishop John (Maximovich) were healed by both Catholics and Protestants, Jews and Muslims, and even pagans. But, acting according to their faith and request, these and our other righteous at the same time taught them that the saving Truth is only in Orthodoxy.
For the Orthodox, joint prayer and communion at the Liturgy are an expression of the already existing unity within the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. St. Irenaeus of Lyon (2nd century) put it succinctly: “Our faith is in harmony with the Eucharist and the Eucharist confirms our faith.” The Holy Fathers of the Church teach that members of the Church build the Church - the Body of Christ - by the fact that in the Eucharist they partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. Outside of the Eucharist and Communion there is no Church. Joint communion would be a recognition that all those who partake belong to the One Apostolic Church, while the reality Christian history and our time, unfortunately, point to a deep doctrinal and ecclesiological division Christendom.
Representatives of the modern ecumenical movement not only do not promote unity, but exacerbate the division of the Christian world. They call to go not the narrow path of salvation in the confession of the one truth, but the broad path of unity with those who profess various errors, about which St. app. Peter said that “through them the way of truth will be reproached” (2 Pet. 2:2-2).
Until recently, the largely Protestant World Council of Churches called for the unity of Christians throughout the world. Now this organization calls for unity with the pagans. In this sense, the World Council of Churches is increasingly approaching the positions of religious syncretism. This position leads to the erasure of differences between religious confessions in order to create a single universal world religion that would contain something from each religion. Universal world religion also implies a universal world state with a single economic order and a single world nation - a mixture of all existing nations, with a single leader. When this happens, the ground will actually be prepared for the reign of the Antichrist.
Let us recall the infamous ecumenical prayer meeting organized a few years ago by the Pope in Assisi, in which non-Christians participated. To what deity did the religious figures gathered at that time pray? At this meeting, the Pope told non-Christians that “they believe in the true God.” The true God is the Lord Jesus Christ, worshiped in the Triune Trinity. Do non-Christians believe in the Holy Trinity? Can Christians pray to an unspecified deity? According to Orthodox teaching, such a prayer is heresy. In the words of the outstanding Orthodox theologian, Archimandrite Justin Popovich, “all-heresy.”
Orthodox members of the ecumenical movement claim that by their formal membership in the World Council of Churches they testify to the truth that lives in the Orthodox Church. But the open violation of the canonical rules testifies not to the confession of the Truth, but to the trampling of the Holy Tradition of the Church.
How would the pillars of Orthodoxy, the Church Fathers Sts. Athanasius the Great, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom, Mark of Ephesus and others? Let us turn to hoary antiquity, to the life of St. Maximus the Confessor. In it, he showed how an Orthodox Christian should behave in the face of apostasy, a general deviation from the Truth of Christ.
Why don't you enter into communion with the Throne of Constantinople? - the patrician Troilus and Sergius Euphrates, the head of the royal meal, asked St. Maximus the Confessor.
No, the saint replied.
Why? they asked.
Because, - answered the saint, - that the primates of this Church rejected the decrees of the four councils... many times they excommunicated themselves from the Church and exposed themselves in unreasonableness.
So, you alone will be saved, - they objected to him, - and all the others will perish?
The saint replied:
When all people in Babylon worshiped the golden idol, the three holy youths did not condemn anyone to death. They did not care about what others did, but only about themselves, so as not to fall away from true piety. In the same way, Daniel, thrown into the pit, did not condemn any of those who, fulfilling the law of Darius, did not want to pray to God, but had in mind their duty, and wished it was better to die than to sin and be executed before their conscience for the transgression of the Law of God. . And God forbid me to condemn anyone, or to say that I alone will be saved. However, I will agree to die rather than, having deviated from the right faith in any way, to endure the pangs of conscience.
But what will you do, the messengers told him, when the Romans unite with the Byzantines? Yesterday, after all, two Apocrysaries came from Rome, and tomorrow, on Sunday, they will commune with the Patriarch of the Most Pure Mysteries.
The monk replied: - If the whole universe begins to commune with the patriarch, I will not commune with him. For I know from the writings of the holy apostle Paul that the Holy Spirit anathematizes even angels if they began to preach differently, introducing something new.
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BAPTISTS: a pernicious sect or an established church?
AT recent times in the Tver press, a number of publications were observed, the authors of which expressed their biased opinion about the Baptists. This prompted me to prepare this article, which attempts to objectively shed light on this issue.
Who are they?
Here is what the Great Soviet Encyclopedia says about Baptist Christians: “Baptists (from the Greek. baptizo - I dip, I baptize by immersion in water). Adherents of one of the varieties of Protestantism. According to the Baptist creed, salvation of a person is possible only through personal faith in Christ, and not through the mediation of the Church; the only source of faith is Holy Scripture."
Formally, Baptism arose during the Reformation at the beginning of the 17th century. However, to say that Baptism as a doctrine originates at this time is fundamentally wrong. Baptist Christians did not invent anything new, but only returned to the principles of the Christian faith, clearly stated in the Holy Scriptures. In dogma and preaching the main place is occupied by moral and instructive problems. The main attention at divine services is given to the sermon, which is delivered not only by presbyters, but also by preachers from among ordinary believers. Great importance in worship is given to singing: choral, general, solo. An important component of the liturgical assembly are common and individual prayers. The main acts of the sacrament are water baptism by faith and the breaking of bread (communion). Baptist baptism is performed by immersing the person being baptized in water. This act is given a spiritual meaning: by accepting baptism, a believing person "dies with Christ", and, emerging from the waters of baptism, "is resurrected with Christ" for a new life. In addition, marriages, prayers for the blessing of children, and burials of the dead are carried out. All this is done free of charge.
Baptists in Russia
The beginning of the Evangelical-Baptist movement in Russia is considered to be 1867, when N. I. Voronin was baptized in the Kura River in Tiflis (Tbilisi), who later became one of the famous and active preachers of the Gospel. In the 1960s and 1970s, Baptism spread to Ukraine, the Caucasus, and the Volga region. In 1884, the Union of Russian Baptists was created. In 1874, the English Lord G. Redstock and retired Colonel Prince V. A. Pashkov began preaching the Gospel in St. Petersburg. Through their efforts, the ideas of Evangelical Christians spread among the St. Petersburg nobility. By 1912 there were 115,000 Baptists and 31,000 Evangelical Christians in Russia. By 1927, the number of Evangelical Christians and Baptists reached 500,000. However, in 1928, repressions began, which subsided only by the mid-1940s. In 1944, the Union of Evangelical Christian Baptists was formed.
Russian Union of Evangelical Christian Baptists today
The Russian Union of Evangelical Christian Baptists (ECB) is today the largest Protestant Christian association in Russia both in terms of the number of communities and followers, and in terms of distribution throughout the country. It is built on the principle of autonomy of local churches and coordination of the goals of joint ministry. Coordination is carried out by 45 regional ECB associations, headed by senior presbyters (bishops) and the pastoral councils existing with them, which include presbyters of all local churches in the region. The Union unites over 1100 local churches.
The ECB Union has a system of spiritual and educational institutions. Among them are the Moscow Theological Seminary, the Moscow Theological Institute, a number of full-time and part-time bible schools in many regional centers of Russia. Almost in every local church exist Sunday Schools for kids.
The ECB Union and many regional associations have their own publishing base, and also carry out work on the air (for example, the programs "On Circles" on the Radio-1 channel).
The spiritual, educational and charitable work of Evangelical Christian Baptists has been highly appreciated by the President of the Russian Federation. In March 2002, Senior Pastor for Samara region Ryaguzov Viktor Semyonovich was awarded the Order of Friendship of Peoples. Earlier, senior presbyters Romanenko N.A. were awarded government awards. and Abramov G.I.
The Church of Evangelical Christian Baptists in the city of Tver is preparing to celebrate its 120th anniversary. So the Baptists in Tver are not a product of the "epoch of perestroika" or the "expansion of Western preachers", but a historical reality. Evangelical Christian Baptists of Tver hold divine services in two houses of worship: on Griboedova street, 35/68 and on 1st Zheltikovskaya street, 14.
Relations between the Russian ECB Union and the Russian Orthodox Church
There were different periods in the relationship between Baptists and Orthodox. Since the appearance of Baptism in Russia, the Russian Orthodox Church, relying on the help of the state, has struggled with the Baptists. Some relief came after the Manifesto of October 17, 1905, which proclaimed the principle of religious tolerance. In the 1930s ministers Baptist churches were with Orthodox ministers in the same prison cells and camp barracks and together glorified God in prayers and hymns, to which there are still living witnesses.
Are Baptists heretics from the standpoint of Orthodox Christians? What do the official documents of the Russian Orthodox Church say about this? In the book "Orthodoxy and Ecumenism. Documents and Materials 1902-1997" (M: MIPT Publishing House, 1998) it is written: "The Anglicans and Protestants were the product of the Reformation; never in communion with the Orthodox Church they were condemned either by the Ecumenical or Local Councils... the Church conciliarly and officially did not declare them heretics. Officially and canonically, they are our brothers in Christ who err in the faith, brothers in unity in baptism and in their participation in the Body of Christ (i.e., the Church as the Body of Christ) as a result of baptism, the validity of which we recognize with them as a Sacrament" (p. 19- twenty).
Perhaps the most striking event that shed light on the current level of relations was the Jubilee International Interfaith Conference dedicated to the 2000th anniversary of Christianity, which took place on November 23-25, 1999 in Moscow. It was organized by the Christian Interfaith Consultative Committee (CICCC), whose co-chairs are: from the Russian Orthodox Church - Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad; from the Roman Catholics - Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz; from the Protestants - the chairman of the Russian Union of ECB Konovalchik P.B.
In his welcoming speech, Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia said: "The current conference, organized by the KhMKK, serves as a vivid example of the fact that Christians are clearly aware of the need to contribute to the consolidation of the public consciousness Christian values and guidelines.
In his plenary report, Metropolitan Kirill noted several important aspects interfaith relations:
"Cooperation in peacemaking and in social service of representatives of various Christian denominations seems to me extremely important in this regard. We, the followers of Christ, should set a good example for our politicians."
"Despite the well-known historical difficulties in interfaith relations, in general, one can speak more about cooperation and peaceful coexistence than about enmity."
“Of course, I am far from representing the relationship of Christian denominations in pre-revolutionary times in rosy tones. Of course, the state status of the Orthodox Church in Russia and the fact that the absolute majority of citizens belonged to Orthodoxy led to a certain marginalization of other Christian denominations.”
“Entering the 21st century, all Christians are called to testify to the world about this, preparing, like John the Baptist, the “way of the Lord” in the hearts of people. that we and our children may live (Genesis 43:8)."
And here is what was written, in particular, in the final document of the Anniversary Conference:
"The anniversary should become an occasion for even more fruitful inter-Christian and inter-religious cooperation, help create a basis for their further development. Our Churches and church communities should set an example for society and the world in mutual understanding and cooperation."
"In order to successfully fulfill your duty to God and people, Christian Churches must themselves show society the experience of reconciled cooperation."
How are these good intentions put into practice? One of the most significant joint programs was the celebration of the 2000th anniversary of Christianity and the meeting of the third millennium. Participated in the organization of the celebration of this anniversary and secular power, in particular, the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation was issued (No. 1468 of December 4, 1998). Along with the leaders of the Orthodox Church, representatives of other Christian denominations, including the chairman of the Russian Union of ECB P.B. Konovalchik, were included in the committee for preparations for the celebration of the anniversary.
The mistakes of the past are also corrected. One of the practical steps was a letter from the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate to P.B. Konovalchik, Chairman of the Russian ECB Union. (out. No. 3551 of 09/11/96), which expressed regret about the publication of the brochure "Baptists - the most malicious sect" and said that "the publishers, the courtyard of the monastery of St. Panteleimon were warned for unauthorized placement of a reference to the blessing of the Patriarch."
As for Tver, here the celebration turned out to be separate. First, the Tver Eparchy and the City Administration held joint events. And only in 2002 a group of Christian non-Orthodox churches (two Tver ECB churches and eight churches of other Christian denominations) held a festive screening of the film "Jesus", although the organizing committee filed an appeal to the city Administration back in 2001. In this joint work, both pastors and ordinary believers of these churches became noticeably closer and became friends.
During the screening of the movie "Jesus" in the press there were publications in which the Baptists were accused of pursuing "hidden" goals. Our goal, like that of all Christians, is one, and it is commanded by the Lord Himself: "Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." In fulfillment of this commandment, we not only participated in the screening of the film "Jesus", but also hold spiritual and educational talks with those who are interested in the Holy Scriptures. For example, in the Tver House of Officers (garrison) on Sundays from 16:00. We do not "lure" Orthodox Christians, since they go to church on Sundays and they have spiritual shepherds; but we want to serve those people who, in the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, are "like sheep without a shepherd."
Yuri Zaika, deacon of the Church of Evangelical Christian Baptists in Tver
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Orthodoxy over the vast period of its existence has split into quite a considerable number of different denominations, each of which, no matter how strange it may sound, calls itself a “church”. As for competitors, a variety of names are often used in relation to them. The attitude towards the Baptists in the Orthodox religion is clear and unambiguous: this is not a church, but just one of the Protestant sects. And the entire number of believers is nothing less than forty million. And this fact casts doubt on the true meaning this trend. What is the difference between Baptists and Orthodox, and how these differences influenced such an attitude towards them, later in the article.
How do Baptists feel about Orthodox Christians?
The world-famous religious tolerance of the United States became the environment in which Baptism began its heyday. The ideas of so-called social justice attracted more and more followers to the community. Thus, their numbers gradually but significantly increased. By the way, today almost 25 million adherents of this religious trend live in North America alone.
It is also interesting that the second largest number of such adherents is occupied by Africa - more than 10 million people. The last in the top three are Oceania and Asia - about 5.5 million.
The attitude of Baptists towards the Orthodox can be determined by the provisions of their faith, namely:
- confession immaculate conception Christ;
- understanding of the unity of God;
- belief in the bodily resurrection of Jesus;
- the concept of the Trinity - as God the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit;
- dogma associated with the need for salvation;
- awareness of divine grace;
- acceptance of the Kingdom of God.
How does the Orthodox Church treat Baptists?
The attitude of the Orthodox Church towards the Baptists is rather ambiguous and lies in the following aspects:
- the Orthodox use the Nicene-Tsaregrad Creed, while the Baptists use the Apostolic Creed, which differ quite a lot;
- Baptists, unlike Christians, believe that it is necessary to pass at a conscious age, when a person can consciously make a decision regarding their religious beliefs. In addition, it is worth noting that baptism among Baptists is performed by immersion, while among the Orthodox, instead of such immersion, ordinary sprinkling is allowed;
- the Orthodox do not accept the Baptist interpretation of the Bible, which they interpret in their own way; the same applies to reading prayers;
- Baptists can confess their sins either publicly or internally, which the Orthodox have a clearer frame;
- Christians do not accept the complete absence of the priesthood of the Baptists
- Orthodox services are much more colorful and meaningful, Baptists are scarce.
The differences between Orthodox and Baptists are and will always be a “stumbling block” in matters of understanding and accepting each other’s religions, and such a choice depends on the person himself.
