My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
AN EVALUATION OF HETERODOX BAPTISM
By Patrick Barnes
Given that Holy Baptism is the “DOORWAY INTO THE CHURCH,” the question of the validity of heterodox (Non-Orthodox) sacraments is crucial to our topic. Non-Orthodox Christians who wrestle with this issue often phrase it in this way:
If I (speaking as a Protestant have put on Christ through
Baptism (Galatians 3:27), and if His Body is the Church
(Ephesians 5:30); and if His Body is the Church (Eph. 1:
22-23), then am I not also a member of the Church? And
if the Orthodox Church is the ‘one True Church,’ how can
I not be a member of it in some sense?
A full treatment of how Orthodox should view the sacraments of heterodox Christians is beyond the scope of this work. What follows is merely a brief summary of what has been stated so eloquently and thoroughly by others.
Although certain Orthodox would argue differently today, the traditional teaching is that the Church does not recognize the spiritual “validity” or efficacy of heterodox sacraments per se — i.e., in and of themselves, apart from the Church. Baptism is only given by and in the Church, “the eternal keeper of [ecclesia] grace” (Saint Seraphim of Sarov). Those who have never been in visible communion with the Orthodox Church are from Her standpoint, UNBAPTIZED. This is the only theologically consistent position that can be derived from a thorough study of Holy Tradition – in particular, the Sacred Cannons.
THE SACRED CANONS AND ECCLESIAL BOUNDARIES
Apostolic Canons 46, 47, and 50 are the earliest written decrees, or pastoral guidelines, reception
of converts:
Canon 46: We order that a bishop or presbyter that recognized
the baptism or sacrifice of heretics be defrocked. For “what
accord has Christ with Belial? Or what has a believer in common
with an unbeliever?” (2 Corinthians 6:15).
Canon 50. If a bishop or presbyter conduct an initiation [i.e. baptism]
and perform not three immersions, but one immersion — that administered
into the Lord’s death — let him be anathema.
Canon 1 of the Synod of Carthage (A.D. 258), confirmed and upheld by the Sixth Ecumenical Synod, is another authoritative and representative expression of the Church’s position regarding the non-Orthodox. It is worth quoting it as it aptly summarizes the Orthodox view of heterodox sacraments:
“While assembled in Council beloved brethren, we read letters sent by you, concerning those among the heretics and schismatics presuming to be baptized who are coming over to the catholic Church which is one, in which we are baptized and regenerated… Decreeing now also by vote what we firmly and securely hold for all time, we declare that no one can possibly be baptized outside the catholic Church, there being but one baptism, and this existing only in the catholic Church… will sprinkle you with clean water, and cleanse you, and I will give you a new heart, and I will give you a new spirit” (Ezekiel 36:25). But how can he who is himself unclean, and with whom there is no Holy Spirit, purify and sanctify water, with the Lord saying in the book of Numbers: “And everything the unclean man touches shall be unclean” (Num. 19:22? How can he who was not able to rid himself of his own sins, being as he is outside the Church, baptize and grant remission of sins to another? …Moreover, it is necessary that he who has been baptized be chrismated, so that receiving the chrism he becomes a partaker of Christ. But the heretic cannot sanctify oil, seeing the he has neither altar nor Church. It is not possible for there to exist any chrism whatsoever among the heretics. For it is obvious to us that oil can by no means be sanctified among them for such worthy use. And we ought to know and not ignore that it has been written: “Let not the oil of a sinner anoint my head,” which the Holy Spirit even long ago declared in the Psalms (Psalm 140:6); lest anyone be tracked down and led astray from the right way and be chrismated by the heretics, the enemies of Christ.”
After reiterating the point that one who is outside the Church is deprived of all mysteriological Grace, the
Synod concludes:
“Baptism being one, and the Holy Spirit being one, there is also
but one Church, founded upon (Peter the Apostle of old confessing)
ONENESS by Christ our Lord. And for this reason, whatever is
performed by them [i.e., the heretics] is reprobate, being as it is
counterfeit and void. For nothing can be acceptable or desirable
to God which is performed by them, whom the Lord in the Gospels
calls His foes and enemies: “Whoever is not with Me is against Me,
and whoever does not gather with Me scatters” (Matthew 12:30)…
THE PRINCIPLE OF ECONOMY: EXPLAINED AND APPLIED Thus, when the Orthodox Church receives converts by means other than Baptism, it is always and only by what is called economy (Gr., oikonomia). Since this term is both critical to our study and often misunderstood, let us consider Bishop Kallistos Wares’ superb explanation of it in his scholarly work Eustratios Argenti: A Study of the Greek Church Under Turkish Rule:
“The Greek word oikonomia signifies literally means”the management of a household or family” (so Liddell and Scott), OIKONOMOS a “STEWARD”. in a religious context economy can be exercised either by God or by the Church. I indicates God’s MANAGEMENT OF HIS 3,:16 HIS PROVIDENTIAL ORDERING OF THE WORLD AND IN PARTICULAR THE SUPREME ACT OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE, THE INCARNATION, WHICH THE GREEK FATHERS CALL “the Economy” without further qualification [cf. also St. John 3:16; St. Matthew 9:13). But since the activity of the Church is integrally connected with the action of God in Christ, the term economy can be used not only of what God does but of what the Church does. In a wider sense it covers ALL THOSE ACTS WHEREBY THE CHURCH ORDERS THE AFFAIRS OF HER OWN HOUSEHOLD AND PROVIDES FOR THE NEEDS OF HER MEMBERS. In a narrower sense it signifies THE POWER TO BIND AND LOOSE, CONFERRED BY THE RISEN CHRIST (John 20:22-23]; and so IT COVERS ANY DEPARTURE FROM THE STRICT RULES OF THE CHURCH [Gk. akriveia), whether in the direction of greater rigour or (as is more usual) OF GREATER LENIENCY. Economy therefore includes much of what is covered by the Western term, “DISPENSATION,” but it extends to many other things as well and is not simply a term in Canon Law.
(3) The aim of all “economic” activities of the Church is practical — the salvation of souls [cf. 1 Timothy 2:4; Acts 14:27]. The Church has rules, but unlike the Old Israel is not rigidly bound to them; it lies within her power of household management or economy to contravene the strict letter of the law IF THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW WILL THEREBY BE MORE FULLY ACHIEVED. (Closely linked with the concept of economy is the idea of PHILANTHROPIA, LOVING KINDNESS TOWARDS MEN: the Church, following the example of Jesus her Head, MAKES ALLOWANCES FOR THE WEAKNESSES OF MEN AND SEEKS NEVER TO LAY ON THEM A BURDEN TOO HEAVY FOR THEM TO BEAR.) Because economy is something practical, its application need not be everywhere the same, but may be changed according to circumstances. Its exercise in one way at a particular time and place creates no binding precedent for the future, and does not commit the Church to following the same practice in other places and at other times. “He who does something by economy”, wrote Saint Theophylact of Bulgaria, “does it, not as good in an unqualified sense, but as profitable on a particular occasion.” [Resources: The Non-Orthodox: The Orthodox Teaching on Christians Outside of the Church]
(To be continued)
__________
“Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!”
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 