The visible embodiment of church symbolism is the Orthodox church, which represents the most “open”, conscious, thoughtful system of meanings. An Orthodox church contains a complex symbol, inexhaustible in its visibility. Researchers V. Bobkov and E. Shevtsov believe that since “the experience of religious consciousness, in essence, is an act of revelation, coming not from below (from the subject), but given from above - from God, that is, completely unknowable and indescribable, therefore the ontological foundation Orthodoxy is symbolism." Therefore, speaking about Christian symbolism, it should be noted that understanding it outside the Church is impossible in principle.

Accordingly, a person who wants to become more closely involved with ancient legend and traditions must, looking at the earthly in the construction of the temple, try to see the heavenly in it. For this, a person has many opportunities.

Architecture, like every type of art, has its own professional language - the language of architectural forms, inextricably linked with a person’s worldview, with his spiritual structure. That is why the meaning and significance of the architectural forms of a Christian temple can be understood by considering the temple in its idea - as the fruit of God’s economy based on tradition, carefully preserved by the Church.

As noted above, the Christian temple is a complex symbol, under the guise of the earthly, revealing to us the unknown Heavenly. The location of the temple, its architecture, decoration, and painting system symbolically express what is impossible to depict directly.

Thus, being in the temple is the most important aspect of complex spiritual work, it is a form of spiritual development, it is a path through the visible to the invisible. In the temple, everything is subordinated to a single goal, the temple is the path to deification, it is a sacred place where members of the Church partake of the Divine life in the sacraments. Therefore, the temple is a particle of the coming Kingdom of God, anticipating His coming. At the same time, the temple is an image of the entire Divine Kingdom, to which the Church leads the whole world. And finally, the temple is the world, the universe, the meaning of which is given by participation in the work of Salvation.

The symbolism of the temple, therefore, is an expression of the liturgical life of the Church, the most important aspect of church tradition. Communion with God, rebirth for a new life, a “new heaven” and a “new earth”, is carried out, first of all, in the sacrament of the Eucharist, which takes place in the temple. That is why the temple - “the house of the Lord” - is different from any other building.

The basic principles of the architecture of the temple, its internal structure and paintings are conveyed in church tradition, which goes back not only to the apostles, but also to the law of the Old Testament. Already from the 4th century. the symbolism of the temple begins to be explained in detail (see “History of the Church” by Eusebius). The symbolism of the temple was revealed in detail in the 4th–8th centuries. in the works of the holy fathers - the creators of the canons: Maximus the Confessor, Sophronius, Herman, Andrew of Crete, John of Damascus, Simeon of Thessalonica.

The symbolism of the Christian temple was revealed gradually. The Old Testament tabernacle, a prototype of the Christian temple, embodied in its structure the idea of ​​the whole world. It was built in the image seen by Moses on Mount Sinai. God, as it were, gave not only its general plan, but also determined its entire structure. Here is the description of the tabernacle made by Josephus: “The interior of the tabernacle was divided lengthwise into three parts. This three-part division of the tabernacle represented in some way the view of the whole world: for the third part, located between the four pillars and inaccessible to the priests themselves, meant in some way Heaven, dedicated to God; a space of twenty cubits, as if representing the earth and sea, over which people have a free path, was determined for the priests alone” (Antiquities of the Jews, book III, chapter 6). The third part corresponded to the underworld, Sheol - the region of the dead. The symbolism of the Old Testament Church expressed the anticipation of the coming of the Savior, therefore neither the tabernacle nor the Temple of Solomon, which was built in its image, could express the idea of ​​the Church in its entirety. The temple acquires holistic significance only with the coming of the Savior into the world, with the advent of the Christian era.

Little is known about the symbolism of early Christian churches. With the advent of heresies, the need arises to theoretically formulate the dogmatic truths of religious doctrine and the symbolic side of worship.

Already in early Christian monuments there is an indication that the temple should resemble a ship and should have three doors as an indication of the Holy Trinity. The image of a ship, especially Noah's Ark, is often used to this day to represent the Church. Just as Noah’s Ark was salvation from the waves of the sea, so the Church, led by the Holy Spirit, is a refuge for Christians in the sea of ​​life. That is why the middle part of the temple is still called the “ship”.

Let's consider the symbolism of individual parts of the temple inside and outside through the prism of the idea of ​​an Orthodox church.

Walls. Bringing the Church, the living temple of God, closer to the building of the temple itself, St. John Chrysostom teaches that each of the believers and all together is a temple, and all nations are four walls from which Christ created a single temple. Similar views on the temple can be found among Western theologians. Peter of Karnatsky (XII century) considers the temple as an image of the world. “At the foundation,” he wrote, “there is a stone with the image of the temple and 12 other stones, in commemoration of the fact that the Church rests on Christ and the 12 apostles. Walls signify nations; there are four of them, because they accept those converging on four sides."

Also the walls, according to St. Demetrius of Rostov, “interpreted as the law of God.” And in this sense, it is interesting to compare the wall paintings inside the temple with the symbolism of the architectural details outside. The content of wall paintings usually consists of the Gospel events of the earthly life of Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the apostles - a visible image of the law of God given to Christians in the New Testament. Images of saints are also painted on the walls - princes, saints, martyrs, saints, who fulfilled and preached the law of the Christian faith with their lives. Thus, the walls of the temple are also an image of the ministry of the heavenly Church to us, the earthly Church: the defense of the purity of Orthodoxy and the conciliar prayerful intercession of those who live before God.”

Cube As can be seen from the above, the temple has four walls corresponding to the four cardinal directions; they are built equal in size and form a cube. This symbol is fully consistent with the ancient architectural style of churches, both Byzantine and Byzantine-Russian (Kiev, Novgorod, Vladimir, Moscow).

If the temple is an image of the world, then each wall should correspond to one of the cardinal points and at the same time to one or another area of ​​church life.

East End- region of light, “land of the living”, land of heavenly bliss. The paradise we lost was in the East, in Eden (Gen. 2:8). To the east of Jerusalem is also the site of the ascension of Christ. Finally, the coming of the future Kingdom of God, the “eighth day of creation,” is symbolized by the rising of the sun, the east.

“The building itself should face east. All together, standing up and turning to the east after the exit of the catechumens and repentants, let them pray to God, who has ascended to heaven in the east, also in remembrance of the ancient residence in paradise located in the east, from where the first man was expelled for breaking the commandment by the slander of the serpent.

Altar, the most important part of the temple, is always located on the eastern side of the temple. The word "altar" means "high altar" (alta aru). Traditionally, ancient peoples placed their altars and temples on hills, as if bringing them closer to the sky. The altar is the main shrine of the temple, consecrating the entire building, symbolically depicting the “village of God”, “heaven, heaven”, a place, according to St. Herman, Patriarch of Constantinople, where Christ sits on the throne with the apostles.

The altar is a symbol of the Sinai upper room, where the sacrament of the Eucharist was first celebrated. This is represented symbolically ciborium- a dome over the throne supported by columns. At the same time, the ciborium is a symbol of the place of crucifixion and reproach of the body of Christ.

The connection of the altar-altar with Mount Zion (the place of the first Eucharist - the Last Supper) is expressed by symbolic "Zions", or “arks” in which the holy gifts are placed - the body and blood of the Lord.

About the relationship between the entire temple and the altar, Fr. Pavel Florensky: “The temple is Jacob’s ladder, and from the visible world it leads up to the invisible; but the entire altar as a whole is already a place of the invisible, an area cut off from the world, an unworldly space. The entire altar is heaven: an intelligent, intelligible place... In accordance with the various symbolic signs of the temple, the altar means and is different, but always standing in relation to inaccessibility, transcendence to the temple itself.”

Solea- “elevation” (from the iconostasis some distance inside the temple, to the west, towards the worshipers), that is, a continuation of the altar elevation, therefore called the outer altar (in contrast to the inner one, which is in the middle of the altar). The Solea is also a place for singers and readers, called "faces", they symbolize the angels singing the praises of God.

pulpit– the semicircular protrusion of the sole opposite the royal doors, facing the inside of the temple to the west, is especially given the name of the outer throne.

On the throne inside the altar the sacrament of transmuting bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ is performed, and on the ambo the sacrament of communion with these holy gifts of believers is performed. The greatness of this sacrament also requires the elevation of the place from which the sacrament is given, and this place is likened to some extent to the throne inside the altar.

There is an amazing meaning hidden in such an elevation device. The altar does not actually end with a barrier - the iconostasis, it comes out from under it and from it to the people, giving everyone the opportunity to understand that it is for the people standing in the temple that everything that happens in the altar is done.

The pulpit, “ascent,” also symbolizes the mountain or ship from which the Lord Jesus Christ preached. The pulpit also announces the resurrection of Christ, meaning the stone rolled away from the door of the Holy Sepulcher, which made all those who believe in Christ partakers of His immortality, for the sake of which the body and blood of Christ are taught to them from the pulpit, “for the remission of sins and eternal life.”

Middle part of the temple, “ship,” represents the entire earthly space where the universal Church of Christ is located. The Greeks called it apholikon - the universe. According to the ap. Peter, all believers enter the temple - “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a special people” (1 Peter 2:9). This part of the temple accommodates people preparing to receive the grace received in the sacrament of the Eucharist.

The middle part of the temple symbolizes the created world, but already deified, sanctified, justified. This is in the full sense of the word “new heaven” and “new earth.”

According to St. Maximus the Confessor, just as in a person the physical principle and the spiritual principle are united, and the latter does not absorb the first and does not dissolve in it, but exerts its spiritualizing influence on it, so that the body becomes an expression of the spirit, so in the temple the altar and the middle part enter into interaction . In this case, the first enlightens and guides the second, and the middle part becomes a sensual expression of the altar. With their relationship understood in this way, the order of the universe, disrupted by the Fall, is restored, that is, what was in paradise and what will happen in the Kingdom of God is restored.

Thus, the barrier between the altar and the middle part does not separate, but unites the two parts of the temple. The barrier came to Rus' in the form of an iconostasis, which is a complex symbol.

Iconostasis shows the formation and life of the Church over time. The iconostasis is a tiered existence; all its types, ultimately, are nothing more than the revelation of the meaning of the first and main icon - the image of Jesus Christ. The iconostasis consists of several rows of icons arranged in a certain order.

Most top row– forefathers, represents the Old Testament Church from Adam to the Law of Moses (the forefathers closest to the time of heavenly life: Adam, sometimes Eve, Abel, Noah, Shem, Melchizedek, Abraham, etc.).

Second row- these are persons standing under the law, this is the Old Testament Church from Moses to Christ (leaders, high priests, judges, kings, prophets; central figures - David, Solomon, Daniel).

Third row– festive, appears in the iconostasis later, from the 14th century. (in the 17th–18th centuries it was placed even lower, under the deisis). This row depicts the earthly life of Christ (“Nativity of the Virgin Mary”, “Introduction into the Temple”, “Annunciation”, “Nativity of Christ”, “Candlemas”, “Baptism”, “Transfiguration”, “Entry into Jerusalem”, “Ascension”, “Trinity”, “Assumption of the Mother of God”, “Exaltation of the Cross”, annual liturgical circle).

Fourth row - deisis(“prayer”, “supplication”). It symbolizes the fulfillment of the New Testament Church, the implementation of everything that is depicted in the top three rows of the iconostasis. This is the prayer of the Church for the whole world.

Bottom (local) row- images of locally revered saints, as well as an icon of the holiday to which the church is dedicated. In the center of this row are the royal doors, to the left (as seen from the person praying) is the icon of the Mother of God, to the right is the icon of the Savior.

In the iconostasis, from top to bottom, there are paths of Divine revelation and the realization of salvation. In response to Divine revelation, there are paths of human ascension from the bottom up: through the acceptance of the gospel gospel (evangelists at the royal doors), the combination of the human will with the will of God (the image of the Annunciation here is the image of the combination of these two wills) through prayer, and, finally, through communion Man realizes his ascent to what the deisis rite represents - to the unity of the Church."

West side of the temple symbolizes the “land of the dead” and hell. On this side, as a rule, the dead were buried - inside or outside the temple, in the vestibule, less often on the adjacent northwestern side. Sometimes on the western part of the temple, not gloomy images of prophecies and the Last Judgment were depicted, but secular scenes of fun and games (the Church of St. Sophia in Kyiv), which were a reminder of an unreasonable, vain life leading to destruction.

The general idea of ​​the temple is expressed by the iconography of its middle part. Here the Ecumenical Church of Christ is depicted in its totality, in its history and perspective - from the beginning of the pristine Church to the Last Judgment - the end of its existence - by era.

The entire painting of the temple is a symbol of the Eternal Church. All church events, all participants in church life are located throughout the entire space of the temple, included in a complex symbolic hierarchy.

On the northern and southern walls of the temple there are images of Ecumenical Councils - important events in church history.

Narthex(corresponds to the courtyard of the tabernacle) - a symbol of the unrenewed world, still lying in sin, even hell itself. Therefore, the vestibule is located in the western part of the temple, opposite the altar - a symbol of heaven. Here stand the catechumens, those who are preparing to enter the Church and become its members, and the penitents who are under penance, that is, those whom the Church does not allow to receive the Holy Mysteries. They are between the Church and the world. They are not expelled from the temple and can remain in it until a certain moment, but cannot participate in the internal life of the Church, its sacraments.

Vaults, dome. Since the middle part of the temple is a symbol of the transformed created world, the “new heaven” and the “new earth,” that is, the Church, the head of the Church is depicted in the dome - Christ Pantocrator.

Above the four walls of the main part of the temple rises a vault, usually in the form of a hemisphere, just as the firmament extends above the four cardinal points. Then the idea of ​​the firmament was transferred to the dome - a semblance of heaven, and, accordingly, the idea of ​​God Almighty was transferred to the temple dome.

The head of the temple, crowned by a dome with the image of Christ, is a symbol of Christ - the Head of the Universal Church. If the temple itself is the body of the Church, then its head is the receptacle of Divine wisdom. In early Christian churches, the head of the temple resembled a skull, a head (for example, the Cathedral of St. Sophia in Constantinople, the Transfiguration Cathedral in Chernigov).

Pillars. On the four pillars supporting the dome are depicted those who preached the word of God, who spread and established the Christian faith through words, deeds, and their way of life. The true pillars of the Church are the apostles, bishops, ascetics, and martyrs.

The apostle speaks about the apostles as pillars. Paul: “And when James and Cephas and John, who were esteemed as pillars, learned of the grace given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the hand of fellowship, that we might go to the Gentiles, and them to the circumcision” (Gal. 2:9).

The pillars that support the vaults inside the temple, and the pillars built into the walls and protruding from them in the form of blades, are the structural basis of the entire material temple. In a spiritual sense, they are the image of the “pillars of the Church” - the apostles, saints, teachers of the Church.

So, we have analyzed the meanings of the internal symbolic parts of the temple, now we will consider the external symbolic components.

The top of the temple consists of a base, which is sometimes called a “tribune”, as well as a “neck” (in art history, the “neck” of the top is usually called a “drum”, which does not reflect the essence of this part of the temple and has no historical basis), a chapter consisting of “ poppy" (which is often called "onion", which also does not correspond to historical sources), and the cross.

Cross- the main Christian symbol. Worshiping the image of the cross, we see in it, first of all, the symbol of Christ Himself and the symbol of the way of the cross that He commanded us: “If anyone wants to come after Me, deny himself, take up your cross, and follow Me.” The appearance of the cross also points to the mystery of the Trinity: with its vertical it points us to the Most High Father, with its transverse crossbar - to the Son and the Holy Spirit, for David says: “Thy hands made me, and will create me, that is, the Son and the Holy Spirit created.”

The Byzantine shape of the head is a hemisphere - an image of the even radiance or light of God descending from heaven onto us. The image of the flame is our prayerful burning towards God and the Divine fire overshadowing us. In the work “Primordial Essence” A.F. Losev, based on the works of the holy fathers of the Church, concludes that a ball, a sphere is “a symbolic image of the existence of ethereal forces.” And Nikolai Troitsky says: “The world of ethereal forces surrounds the primary center of existence with concentric spheres located in accordance with the hierarchy of angelic ranks.”

The helmet-like shape is characteristic of the period of the Horde yoke. The poppies resemble a military helmet.

Multi-domed temples. The number of heads of the temple reveals in numerical symbolism the hierarchy of the structure of the heavenly Church.

One chapter signifies the unity of God.

Two chapters correspond to the two natures of the God-man Jesus Christ.

Three chapters commemorate the Holy Trinity.

The four chapters represent the Four Gospels and its spread to the four cardinal directions.

The five chapters represent the Lord Jesus Christ and the four evangelists.

The seven chapters commemorate the seven sacraments of the Church, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven Ecumenical Councils.

Nine chapters are associated with the image of the heavenly Church, consisting of nine orders of angels and nine orders of righteous people.

Thirteen chapters are the sign of the Lord Jesus Christ and the twelve apostles.

The twenty-five chapters may be a sign of the apocalyptic vision of the throne of the Holy Trinity and the twenty-four elders (Rev. 11, 15–18) or indicate praise of the Most Holy Theotokos (25 ikos and kontakia of the most ancient akathist to the Theotokos), depending on the dedication of the temple.

Thirty-three chapters are the number of earthly years of the Savior.

The number of chapters is associated with the dedication of the main altar of the temple, and also often with the number of altars connected in one volume.

And I would like to say a few more words about the symbolism of the materials themselves from which the temples of God were built - about stone and wood.

Stone- a symbol, first of all, of Christ Himself. The prophets spoke about this. The fourth kingdom, which King Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream in the form of an idol made of clay and iron, represented the Roman kingdom. The stone that came off the mountain and hit this idol and scattered it into dust is a prototype of Christ, the founder of a new kingdom above kingdoms, “which will never be destroyed,” according to the prophecy of the prophet Daniel (Dan. 2:44).

The great Isaiah calls Christ “a stumbling block and a rock of offense”, over which many will stumble “and fall and be broken... A tried stone, a corner stone, a precious stone, firmly established; he who believes in him will not be put to shame” (Isa. 8:14; 28:16; Rom. 9, 33).

Symbolizing Christ, the stone also symbolizes firm faith in Christ. Thus, expressing his faith, the Apostle Peter said to the Lord: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” The Lord answered him: “You are Peter (meaning stone), and on this stone I will build My Church.” The Apostle Peter in his letter calls the faithful “living stones,” saying: “Coming to Him (Jesus), a living stone... you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house” (1 Pet. 2:45). The many stones in the world symbolize the multitude of the faithful - from the beginning to the end of time - according to God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants, according to the right faith, will be “like the sand on the seashore” (Gen. 22:17).

If the walls of the temple are all the peoples from which Christ created His Church, according to St. John Chrysostom, and the stone is a symbol of a Christian faithful to the Lord (according to Apostle Peter), then the stones in the wall of the temple symbolize the souls of righteous people who make up the Church of Christ.

Tree- a symbol of the Tree of Life of the Garden of Eden, in which righteous souls abide.

Thus, even the very material basis of the temple carries deep Christian symbols. Therefore, in our time of new technologies and materials, a careful and reasonable attitude towards the tradition of building Orthodox churches is necessary.

To summarize, we can say with all confidence that the study of the Russian Orthodox church as a beautiful phenomenon, the most open to the world and embodying the symbols of the Orthodox faith, can become for a person seeking salvation a step on the ladder, leading him to the Creator of Good, Love and Beauty Himself.

Kudryavtsev M., Kudryavtseva T. Russian Orthodox Church: Symbolic language of architectural forms // To the Light. 1994. No. 17. P. 60

Mokeev G.Ya., Kudryavtsev M.P. About a typical Russian church of the 17th century. // Architectural heritage. 1981. No. 29. pp. 70–79

All confess that there are seven holy and Ecumenical Councils, and they are the seven pillars of the faith of the Word of God, on which He erected His holy habitation - the Catholic and Ecumenical Church. Metropolitan of Kiev John II (XI century)

The life of the Church in the early Byzantine period was determined by seven Ecumenical Councils. These cathedrals fulfilled a double task. First, they clarified and clearly established the external organizational structure of the Church, defining the status of the largest patriarchates. Secondly (and more importantly), the councils once and for all established the teaching of the Church about the fundamental dogmas of the Christian faith - the Trinity and the Incarnation. All Christians saw in these dogmas a “mystery” beyond human understanding and inexpressible in human language. In formulating the conciliar definitions, the bishops did not at all imagine that they had clarified the mystery; they only tried to eliminate some false ways of talking and thinking about these things. In order to warn God's people against error and heresy, they erected a fence around the mystery. Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware)

On Divine Guard

At various times, Ecumenical Councils met to clarify issues of faith, misunderstanding or inaccurate interpretation of which caused unrest in the Church and gave rise to heresies. They also developed the canonical rules of general church life.

Saint Basil the Great, who first used the term “dogma,” considered it close in meaning to the term “Holy Tradition,” which has always lived in the Church. The Holy Tradition was not and is not limited only to dogmas, but the latter have become the standard of faith with the help of which we separate truth from error.

In modern secular society, in the age of progress and liberalism, the term “dogma” is often perceived as a synonym for immobility and inertia. But for us, Orthodox Christians, the dogmas of faith are like guiding stars, showing earthly travelers the way to the Heavenly Fatherland. Change the dogma - and the road will lead you in a completely different direction...

Heresies, each in their own way, tried to distort the revealed teaching about the Triune God and the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ. By distorting triadology (the doctrine of the Trinity), Christ was portrayed as less than God (Arianism); being mistaken in Christology (the doctrine of the Person of Jesus Christ), they separated His humanity from the Divinity, thereby dividing Him into two personalities (Nestorianism), or represented Him as not a real person (Monophysitism and Monothelitism). But every Ecumenical Council affirmed: Christ is true God and true Man.

Church Councils

Church councils grew out of the very nature of the Christian faith. Since its founding, the Church has always understood itself as a community. The main decisions here were made collectively, for example, the election of seven deacons (see: Acts 6: 1–6).

The first serious internal church problem that hindered the gospel, the question of whether the Gentiles should be “circumcised and commanded to keep the law of Moses,” was brought to the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem. And he made an important decision, proclaiming the universal character of the Christian Gospel (see: Acts 15: 1-29). It was here that words were spoken about the providential nature of such meetings: “according to the Holy Spirit and us,” which will be repeated at every Ecumenical Council.

“The Council of the Twelve in Jerusalem,” says the outstanding theologian, Protopresbyter John Meyendorff, “was the highest and supreme testimony to the truth of the Resurrection of Christ: the joint proclamation of the Gospel by the eyewitnesses themselves. Later, however, when the eyewitnesses were scattered, the “apostolic” faith they proclaimed had to be preserved by the Churches. Therefore, the need arose to maintain consensus, unity, and close connections between the Local Churches. This task will be carried out by the councils.”

We know about many Local Councils that took place in Asia Minor, Antioch, Carthage and other places. But only the First Ecumenical Council made this practice universal: a council of bishops was to be convened in each province twice a year to discuss unresolved church issues and resolve conflicts (First Ecumenical Council, rules 4 and 5).

Ecumenical Councils were convened on behalf of the entire Church, since the fullness of truth belongs only to the conciliar consciousness of the entire Church as a whole, which found its outer expression at the Ecumenical Councils.

The era of the Ecumenical Councils

The first three centuries in the life of the Church were an era of persecution. The best sons of the Church suffered torture and death for confessing the name of Christ. But the power of weapons could not defeat the power of spirit. The Roman Empire bowed before the humble sign of the Cross of Christ when, at the beginning of the 4th century. Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine the Great reigned, under whom the persecution of Christians ceased.

But less than ten years had passed since the proclamation of the Edict of Milan, according to which Christianity received official recognition by the state, when the Church faced an equally serious threat. In Alexandria, the second most important city of the empire, the destructive Arian false teaching began to spread, captivating the minds of many Christians and even church hierarchs.

The founder of this heresy, Arius, was a learned theologian and eloquent preacher, whose exorbitant ambition was until time hidden under the guise of righteousness. He argued that the Son of God was created by God the Father and is just His highest creation. Despite the admonitions of the Bishop of Alexandria, Alexander, the proud presbyter persisted in his heresy.

First Ecumenical Council

The church unrest caused by the heresy of Arius grew so much that Emperor Constantine, on the advice of church hierarchs, was forced to convene the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in 325.

Nicaea, now the poor Turkish village of Iznik, was at that time the main coastal city of the Bithynia region. It is difficult now to name the exact place where the meetings of the Council took place. However, local residents retained the name “sinodos” (su,nodoj - Greek cathedral - Author), which is one of the districts of the village, and where the meeting palace of the First Ecumenical Council was probably located.

318 bishops arrived at the Council along with presbyters and deacons. Among the Orthodox majority were: Alexander of Alexandria, Hosius of Corduba, Eustathius of Antioch, Macarius of Jerusalem, James of Nizibia, Spyridon of Trimythous and Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in Lycia.

The Arian side was heard first. The monk of the Studite Monastery, John, tells that during a speech at the Council of Arius, many of the hierarchs refused to listen to the heretic, and Saint Nicholas, in a fit of pious jealousy, hit him on the cheek. The Fathers of the Council were forced to deprive the saint of his episcopal rank, but, enlightened by a miraculous vision, they reversed their decision.

As a result, the Council condemned Arianism and adopted the famous Nicene Creed, in the text of which the decisive role was played by the word “consubstantial,” asserting the equality of God the Son and God the Father.

The Council also considered questions of the visible organization of the Church, identifying three main centers: Rome, Alexandria and Antioch. In addition, the First Ecumenical Council adopted twenty canons on issues of church discipline and established the time for the celebration of Easter: on the first Sunday following the spring equinox, after the Jewish Passover.

Second Ecumenical Council

Orthodoxy has triumphed. But the Arian turmoil troubled the Christian world for a long time. The inexperience in theology of Emperor Constantine the Great, his non-Orthodox successors, and the indecisiveness of the eastern episcopate in accepting the new term “consubstantial” played a role in this.

The Second Ecumenical Council, held in 381, was convened by Emperor Theodosius in the new capital of the Christian state - Constantinople.

By that time, Arianism had “evolved” and spread the false teaching that the Son of God is not in everything like God the Father, which gave rise to another false teaching that denied the Divinity of the Holy Spirit (Dukhoborism).

One hundred and fifty bishops were present at the Council. Among them were the great saints of that time: Meletius of Antioch, Gregory of Nyssa, Cyril of Jerusalem and Gregory the Theologian. The first meetings took place under the chairmanship of Meletius of Antioch. At this time, at the request of the emperor and the people, Saint Gregory the Theologian was elected by the Council to the vacant See of Constantinople. Soon Meletius died, and the newly elected bishop of the capital became the chairman of the Council.

The main result of the Second Ecumenical Council was the adoption of the Creed, known in the history of the Church under the name of Nicene-Constantinopolitan. It appeared as a result of the addition and clarification of the Nicene Creed. These 12 dogmatic statements are the quintessence of the Orthodox faith. The Symbol of Faith sounds during the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism, during the Liturgy and in the home prayers of Christians.

The Apostles Peter and Paul worked hard in spreading the faith of Christ and are rightly revered together as the “pillars” of the Church of Christ and the Supreme Apostles. They both died as martyrs in Rome under Emperor Nero, and their memory is celebrated on the same day.

Apostle Peter- brother of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called. He was a simple fisherman, his name was Simon, and he received the name Peter (which means stone) from the Savior. He was next to Christ all the time, was especially strongly attached to Him, and was the first to unconditionally believe in His Divine mission. For this he was awarded special closeness to the Lord. Thus, with the apostles James and Peter, he saw the glory of the Lord on Mount Tabor during the Transfiguration, and remained with Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane on the eve of His betrayal by Judas. But, despite all his love and devotion, Peter did not escape the most terrible sin - apostasy from God, which later redeemed his whole life.

His sincere repentance was accepted by the Lord. Appearing to the apostles after his Resurrection, Christ again confirmed Peter in the apostolic title, repeating three times: “Feed my sheep.” And Peter became one of the boldest preachers of the Gospel. Already on the day of Pentecost, he converted first 5,000 and then another 3,000 people to the faith of Christ. The Apostle Peter became famous for his many healings, the resurrection of the dead, fearlessly testified for Christ before the court of the Sanhedrin, and suffered martyrdom - crucifixion upside down.

Apostle Paul(Heb. Saul), born into a Jewish Pharisee family. Originally a zealous persecutor of Christians, Paul experienced a miraculous vision on the road to Damascus, received holy baptism and became a devout preacher of Christianity among the pagans. For his extraordinary missionary and theological services to Christianity, Paul, who was not one of the twelve apostles, is revered as the first apostle. The Apostle Paul, as a Roman citizen, was not subject to crucifixion and was beheaded.

Remembering the lives of the apostles Peter and Paul, we can learn a lesson about how a person overcomes his sinful past and reaches the Kingdom of Heaven. After allEverything is possible with the Lord, and no matter how serious our sins may be, we must trust in His ineffable mercy.

And our example is the holy Supreme Apostles, one of whom, having first renounced Christ, then became an unshakable stone of faith; and the other, at first a persecutor of the Church, became a great evangelist of God's Love.

Based on materials from Orthodox media

12.07.2007

The priest of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Father Boris KULIKOVSKY, spoke about the significance of the holiday of the glorious and all-validated chief apostles Peter and Paul:

All the apostles worked on the organization of the Church of Christ, but the now honored saints Peter and Paul worked most of all and for their fiery zeal and ardent love for the Lord and their neighbors were called supreme as worthy of all praise.

Apostle Peter, formerly called Simon, was the son of the fisherman Jonah from Bethsaida of Galilee and the brother of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called, who led him to Christ. Saint Peter was married and had a house in Capernaum. Christ called him while fishing. Being passionate by nature, Peter immediately saw God in Jesus and immediately repented that he was a sinner and not worthy to sit in the same boat with the Lord. And Christ said to him: “From now on you will be a fisher of men.”

Peter always expressed special devotion and determination, for which he was awarded a special approach to the Lord along with the apostles James and John the Theologian. Strong and fiery in spirit, he naturally took an influential place in the ranks of Christ's apostles. He was the first to decisively confess the Lord Jesus Christ as the Messiah and for this he was awarded the name Stone (Peter). On this stone of Peter’s faith, the Lord promised to create His Church, which the gates of hell will not overcome.

The Apostle Peter washed his threefold renunciation of Jesus Christ after the Last Supper with bitter tears of repentance, as a result of which the Lord again restored him to apostolic dignity. Apostle Peter was the first to promote the spread and establishment of the Church of Christ after the descent of the Holy Spirit, making a fiery speech to the people on the day of Pentecost and converting more than 3,000 souls to Christ. Some time later, having healed a man who was lame from birth, with a second sermon he converted another 5,000 Jews to the faith. The spiritual power emanating from the Apostle Peter was so strong that even his shadow, overshadowing the sick lying on the street, healed them (Acts 5:15).

In 42 after R. X., the grandson of Herod the Great, Herod Agrippa the First, launched a persecution against Christians. He killed the Apostle Joakov of Zebedee and imprisoned the Apostle Peter. Christians, foreseeing the execution of the Apostle Peter, fervently prayed for him. At night, a miracle happened: an Angel of God came to Peter in prison, freed him from his shackles, and he left the prison unhindered, unnoticed by anyone.

The Holy Apostle Peter was condemned to crucifixion by Emperor Nero. But, considering himself unworthy to accept the same death as Jesus Christ, he asked to be crucified upside down, which was done.

Apostle Paul, originally bearing the Hebrew name Saul, belonged to the tribe of Benjamin and was born in the Cilician city of Tarsus (in Asia Minor), which was then famous for its Greek academy and the education of its inhabitants. Being a Roman subject, Paul received an excellent upbringing and education, which he continued in Jerusalem at the rabbinical academy with the famous teacher Gamaliel, who was considered an expert in the Law and, despite belonging to the Pharisees, was a free-thinking man and a lover of Greek wisdom.

Young Saul, apparently, was preparing for the position of rabbi (religious mentor), and therefore, immediately after completing his upbringing and education, he showed himself to be a strong zealot for the Pharisaic traditions and persecutors of the faith of Christ. He may have witnessed the death of the first martyr Stephen, and then received the power to officially persecute Christians even outside Palestine in Damascus.
The Lord, who saw in him “a chosen vessel for Himself,” miraculously called him to apostolic service on the way to Damascus. While traveling, Saul was struck by a bright light that caused him to fall blind to the ground. A voice came from the light: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” To Saul’s question: “Who are you?” - The Lord answered: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” The Lord commanded Saul to go to Damascus, where he would be told what to do next. Saul's companions heard the voice of Christ, but did not see the light. Brought by the hand to Damascus, the blind Saul was taught faith and on the third day baptized by Ananias, receiving the name Paul. At the moment of immersion in water, Paul received his sight. From that time on, he became a zealous preacher of the previously persecuted teaching.

The Apostle Paul wrote 14 epistles, representing a systematization of Christian teaching. These messages, thanks to his wide education and insight, are distinguished by great originality.

The Apostle Paul, like the Apostle Peter, worked hard in spreading the faith of Christ and is rightly revered along with him as a “pillar” of the Church of Christ and the supreme apostle. They both died as martyrs in Rome under Emperor Nero in 67, and their memory is celebrated on the same day. Prepared

Svetlana Nosenkova,
Kaliningradskaya Pravda, No. 75 (17203), July 12, 2007

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