The Generations after the Apostles
Categories: church-history
Date: 24 August 2008 02:33:56
One of the many joys about my journey in the Orthodox Church is discovering the lives of the people, and the life of the Church, after the first Apostles were either martyred or died of natural causes. I had not given much thought before as to who was involved or what occurred past the recorded events in Acts, and past the letters of Ss Paul, Peter and John: I did not think of them at all. I knew some names -- Ignatius, Polycarp, Irenaeus: but even these I only had the most basic knowledge of. I am not sure I have progressed much in terms of in-depth knowledge, but my horizons have been broadened somewhat.
Today, among many other Saints and events, we remembered the life of Hieromartyr Eutyches [a hieromartyr is a martyr who was also a member of the clergy at any level]. Hieromartyr Eutyches was a Disciple of St John the Theologian [the name the Orthodox give to the Disciple and author of the Fourth Gospel, his three Epistles and the Revelation]; too me I find it amazing to know that he was taught by the Beloved Disciple, a disciple taught by Christ Himself. Imagine being part of their early Christian community, and knowing those who knew the Lord. As I said, I find it truly amazing to ponder.
And this forms part of what the Orthodox call "Tradition": the 'passing down' of the Truth, the Wisdom, the Revelation of God through Jesus Christ our Lord, from person to person. And we continue this today, all of us, in teaching others, in teaching a new generation the eternal and life-giving Truths of our salvation through Christ. This was particularly brought home to me as I read the below on Word from the Desert. It is by St Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 115 - 202), who who was a student of St Polycarp, Hieromartyr and Bishop of Smyrna (c. 69 - 155), who was a student and was baptised by St John the Theologian. Through their prayers, the prayers of Hieromartyr Eutyches, and the prayers of all the Saints, may the Lord bless us, sustain us and guide us in the way of Christ.
The Church, though dispersed through our the whole world, even to the ends of the earth, has received from the apostles and their disciples this faith: [She believes] in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, who proclaimed through the prophets the dispensations of God, and the advents, and the birth from a virgin, and the passion, and the resurrection from the dead, and the ascension into heaven in the flesh of the beloved Christ Jesus, our Lord, and His [future] manifestation from heaven in the glory of the Father “to gather all things in one,” and to raise up anew all flesh of the whole human race, in order that to Christ Jesus, our Lord, and God, and Savior, and King, according to the will of the invisible Father, “every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess” to Him, and that He should execute just judgment towards all; that He may send “spiritual wickednesses,” and the angels who transgressed and became apostates, together with the ungodly, and unrighteous, and wicked, and profane among men, into everlasting fire; but may, in the exercise of His grace, confer immortality on the righteous, and holy, and those who have kept His commandments, and have persevered in His love, some from the beginning [of their Christian course], and others from [the date of] their repentance, and may surround them with everlasting glory.”“As I have already observed, the Church, having received this preaching and this faith, although scattered throughout the whole world, yet, as if occupying but one house, carefully preserves it. She also believes these points [of doctrine] just as if she had but one soul, and one and the same heart, and she proclaims them, and teaches them, and hands them down, with perfect harmony, as if she possessed only one mouth. For, although the languages of the world are dissimilar, yet the import of the tradition is one and the same. For the Churches which have been planted in Germany do not believe or hand down anything different, nor do those in Spain, nor those in Gaul, nor those in the East, nor those in Egypt, nor those in Libya, nor those which have been established in the central regions of the world. But as the sun, that creature of God, is one and the same throughout the whole world, so also the preaching of the truth shineth everywhere, and enlightens all men that are willing to come to a knowledge of the truth. Nor will any one of the rulers in the Churches, however highly gifted he may be in point of eloquence, teach doctrines different from these — for no one is greater than the Master; nor, on the other hand, will he who is deficient in power of expression inflict injury on the tradition. For the faith being ever one and the same, neither does one who is able at great length to discourse regarding it, make any addition to it, nor does one, who can say but little diminish it.”
Irenaeus, Against Heresies 1.10. 1-2