ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORTHODOXY AND HERESY

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.

ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORTHODOXY AND HERESY
By Protopresbyter John S. Romanides, of
blessed memory.

During the Middle Ages, those in power were well aware of the difference between Orthodoxy and heresy. What is the difference? The difference is really quite simple. IN heresy THE HUMAN NOUS IS NOT HEALED, while in Orthodoxy IT IS. In Orthodoxy, the healing of human personality is A REALITY. The Saints are proof of this.

Throughout history, HERETICS HAVE BEEN A LOT LIKE MODERN DAY QUACKS. They promise some kind of life after death, but in this life here and now, they could neither cure their followers nor offer them anything more than yet another superstition. Heresies were religions about the afterlife. And a heretic was someone WHOSE DOCTRINES WERE NOT ORTHODOX AND WHOSE DOCTRINES CONSEQUENTLY HINDERED HIM FROM REACHING PURIFICATION AND ILLUMINATION. Orthodoxy, however, OFFERS THIS CURE AND CAN GUIDE THE BELIEVER TO PURIFICATION AND ILLUMINATION…

"…When a priest of the Orthodox Church has a Patristic mindset his main concern IS THE HEALTH OF EVERY HUMAN SOUL. He keeps in mind the words "SEEK YE FIRST THE REIGN OF GOD AND ITS RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Matthew 6:33), and strives to help people find the rule of God hidden within — in other words, TO DISCOVER HOW TO ALLOW GOD TO RULE THEIR INNER MAN.

Please note: Although ‘vasileia’ of God is translated as ‘kingdom’ of God in most English versions of the New Testament and the Divine Liturgy, Father John Romanides in his English works vigorously maintained that such a translation is a serious error. On his website, he wrote, "the Greek term vasileia of God designates the Uncreated rule of God and not the created kingdom (vasileion) ruled by God." Elsewhere, he would note that failure to recognize this has prevented many from seeing that Christ’s promise that His disciples would see God’s ruling power was fulfilled at the Transfiguration. It has also resulted in fruitless discussions about when the Kingdom [sic] will come and comparisons with various political systems. In this translation, the WORD BASILEIA IN Scripture and elsewhere will be translated as ‘REIGN’ or ‘RULE’, as Father John would certainly desire.

But how is this rule of God discovered? It is discovered when the believer’s NOETIC ENERGY and activity is set in motion. Thus, the Orthodox priest with a Patristic mindset focuses his effort ON SETTING IN MOTION THE NOETIC ENERGY OF EVERYONE WHO APPROACHES HIM. The full sweep of his effort and interests extend to all issues troubling society. But this does not mean that he, and by extension the Church should replace his main therapeutic work with all these other peripheral tasks.

Throughout the entire course of the Middle Ages, Saint Dionysius the Areopagite was the theologian of Orthodox tradition par excellence. All the Fathers invoked him, after Saint Maximus the Confessor, as the greatest authority in the Orthodox Church. Of course, we are accustomed nowadays to consider the three hierarchs to be the most important Church Fathers, especially hte establishment of their common feast.

Nevertheless, Saint Dionysius the Areopagite played a definitive role in the formation of Patristic tradition. Saint John John of Damascus himself stayed close at the heels of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite. So, if you want to see how our ancestors thought during the Middle Ages, you have to take Saint Dionysius the Areopagite very seriously, regardless of your opinion about his precise identity. [ Resources: Patristic Theology]

___________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George