Therefore, let us learn in life to listen to each other, to attune to one another, to hear each other (and not ourselves; because often, when we communicate or debate, instead of listening to the speaker or opponent, understanding their position, thought – we, when they speak, think not about their words, but about formulating a response to a question, a thesis, which we have not even heard yet! And these responses do not arise from the context of the conversation, but from dead templates and material prepared before the conversation started from what we wanted to say… Hence our inability to hear each other, and foremost, God, Who as a Personality is always Unique, “blows where He wishes”, and how and when He wishes, always Unfathomable and Unrepeatable. With such a Name God revealed Himself to Moses by “the burning bush” – EXISTING, YHWH (JHWH: “Ehyeh asher ehyeh” – scholarly reading of the sacred tetragrammaton (word of four letters), which translates to: I am Who I am; I was Who I was; I will be Who I will be… – Personality, Hypostasis, absolute freedom, which is defined by nothing, but possesses and defines everything – V.A.). And of course, while seeking truth, never judge by appearance, by form of expression, but only by spirit (be attentive: “does our law judge a man before it hears from him and learns what he does?”, so that we might not become members of the Sanhedrin who condemned Truth to crucifixion, that we do not execute judgment before trial, do not pass sentence before reviewing the case… – V.A.).
Well, someone might say, I didn’t stop at the “letter”, I reached the “spirit”, so what, have I achieved the goal? Of course, not! Apostle John the Theologian warns us: “Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” To catch the naive and the imprudent in their snares, Satan uses an ancient trick – “transforms into an angel of light”. At the dawn of Christianity, many apocryphal letters and “gospels” appeared from Peter, Judas, Thomas, the Virgin Mary, etc. Heretics also signed their heretical thoughts and words in the names of the Holy Fathers. And how many people, approaching such “writings” uncritically, suffered, accepted the wolf in sheep’s clothing. The Church by the spirit recognizes Scripture among other various “writings” (see below Holy Scripture. The Bible – V.A.). Now, when publishing a book is not a problem – there just need to be funds, and there is no censorship, or it is asleep, and it’s no problem to bypass it if desired, bookshelves are filled with volumes of overtly heretical, soul-harming literature. This heretical literature often has an appealing sentimental title; the author, who already (even before the conciliar voice of the Church) is “reverend”, or at minimum, “elder” or “eldress” (actually a self-appointed or idol for various kinds of fanatics) with epithets “luminous”, “loving”, “God-given”, “insightful”… and published with the blessing of patriarchs, metropolitans, bishops, or other hierarchical, administrative structures of the church. “Published with a blessing” absolutely disorients the unestablished and untrained. Once I had to hear the argument of a book’s orthodoxy: “the book is of Orthodox content because it was published with the blessing of the patriarch of the Orthodox Church”. A serious argument, if it’s to be used in a conversation with kindergarten children, not when your eternal part is at stake. Poor thing forgot that Nestorius was “ecumenical” patriarch of Constantinople, Judas was an apostle, the Ephesian “Robber” council of bishops under the chairmanship of patriarch Dioscorus in 449 or others, so-called “ec umenical councils”, which accepted heretical dogmas. Under such heretical documents – fruits of heretical councils, stood hundreds of personally placed signatures of patriarchs, metropolitans, bishops, and not just the stamp “published with a blessing…”. And if I accept these “writings” as infallible truth – I will perish (not that all bishops are heretics and there is no Orthodox literature, but that we should be discerning – V.A.)! This is firstly, and secondly, how many cases are there when the bishop even does not know that some book was published under his blessing… The attire is correct, all formalities are observed (and blessings, and reviews from dubious, “authoritative” people, etc.), and familiar, church words are used (God, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Grace, repentance, humility, love, Orthodoxy…), but the spirit – of antichrist.
(Yes, you understood me correctly, do not be afraid to draw the right conclusions – in this book, which you hold in your hands, despite its loud title: “Introduction to the Theology of the Orthodox Church”, there may be heretical thoughts, mistakes (and mistakes are different and lead to different consequences, including lethal, deadly…). Therefore, you need to be very careful, discerning while reading this booklet. Even if you were to put this booklet down (or even burn it, so that “heresy” does not spread) after reading these lines, then the author and you have achieved the goal he set: You started to think (though don’t praise yourself too highly – you were prompted, but that’s a start of some reasoning…) and discarded the booklet, which goes under the stamp