Saint Paisios and the Soul of Old Thanasis

 

“As  soon  as  I  went  to  live  at  the  skete,”  recalls  Saint  Paisios, “an elderly  gentleman  whom everyone referred to as old Thanasis and who worked  for  Philotheou  Monastery  as  a  forester,  found  out  about  it  and came  to  see  me.  He  was  a  friend  of  mine,  and  he  brought  me  some blessings, since I had just moved to the skete, and I did not have anything. I  thanked  him,  and  I  told  him  to  write  down  the  names  of  his  departed relatives,  so  that  I  could  commemorate  them.  Influenced  by a certain Jehovah’s  Witness,  he  replied,  ‘When  someone  dies,  there  is  nothing else — after death everything is lost.’

Holy Scripture and the Church

 

Metropolitan Paul of Siatista (+ 2019) once met with a famous singer who was a Jehovah's Witness.

"What is the subject you want to talk about, sir?" asked the Metropolitan.

"But of course the Bible," the singer replied.

"And from where did you get the Bible for us to talk about?

"What do you mean, Father?"

A Pastoral Encyclical Concerning the Jehovah's Witnesses

 

 

The Sacred Metropolis of Patras

From Patras on the 4th of December 2020

Num. Prot. 454

Encyclical 373

To the Sacred Clergy and pious People 

of the Sacred and Apostolic Metropolis of Patras

My beloved brethren and children in the Lord,

During this time the so-called Jehovah's Witnesses, taking advantage of the difficult situations faced by the Greek people, have flooded private and public institutions, businesses and even schools with electronic messages by which to proselytize, with the purpose of influencing with their ill-intentioned and very dangerous beliefs, the people.

When Two Jehovah's Witnesses Approached Saint Gabriel the Confessor

One time two female Jehovah's Witnesses approached Saint Gabriel [the Confessor of Georgia and Fool for Christ]. They had been sent to him in order for Father Gabriel to lead them on the path of truth. When they entered his cell, the Saint shouted with a mysterious tone in his voice:

"The hail has come and found the stone!"

He then began to cry for a long time. The women, unable to bear it anymore, asked him why he was crying.

The Celebration of Christmas (5 of 5)

Continued from part four...

5. On the Celebration of Birthdays and the Sanctification of Space

Regarding another thing they say, that Christians should not celebrate birthdays, making reference to the World Book Encyclopedia, that early Christians did not celebrate the birthday of anyone because they considered it a pagan custom, we have the following to say:

Alright, we do not disagree. The Orthodox Church does not celebrate birthdays. Rather, we celebrate our rebirth/regeneration in the Lord. This regeneration is associated with the new name God gave a person, not with the birth of a person. As for the Lord Jesus Christ, whose birth we do celebrate, the Lord is not simply any man. He is God who became man! And herein lies the core of the issue. He is not simply a man, but the GOD-MAN. Such reasoning does not apply to Him for the celebration of His birth. Therefore, there is no pagan celebration, but a celebration of honor for the person of our Lord, as well as the entire activity of the Church, which is an action of the Grace of God, bestowing sanctification through the event of His own incarnation both in time and space.

It is precisely this sanctification of creation that is pursued by the Church and her individual members, and for this reason we celebrate all of these divine events, including the very important event of the Divine Incarnation that the Christian Church celebrates during the feast of Christmas.

As we previously emphasized, the climax and center of the celebration is the Divine Eucharist, the Lord's Supper, and in this there is no objection and doubt. Within this event, Christians celebrate the entire Divine Economy, which of course includes all the stages and phases of the Divine Incarnation, and the salvation of the human race which it entails. However, let us look at this important event through some passages of Holy Scripture.

First, let us look in the book of Exodus (3:5). There God says the following to Moses, where He appeared amid the flaming yet unburnt bush: "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." Therefore, the place was sanctified by the appearance and presence of the Lord.

6. The Sanctification of Time and Feasting

Time is also sanctified in a similar fashion. We will refer to a small example from the book of Nehemiah (8:8-11): "They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read. Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, 'This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.'" And we note here, that this day was the first day of the eighth month. This was not an established feast of the Law. Here takes place a happy occasion, an occasion which is related to the return of the Israelites from Babylonian captivity, and the people of God define it as a holy day, and in this way it is essentially legislated by the people of God and sanctified, thus sanctifying time. We return to the text: "For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. Nehemiah said, 'Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.' The Levites calmed all the people, saying, 'Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.'" We see then, how they established this day as holy, as a feast day, and how Nehemiah and Ezra urged the Israelites to celebrate. Therefore, what was the way by which it was suggested indirectly by God to celebrate this holy day? It was the reading and interpretation of the Law, the word of God, as well as physical delight, and this was done by means of a table with foods and drinks. At the same time, this table had character and was social, showing mercy to those who did not have the means to feast.

The holy day, the feast of the Lord, includes the joy of all people, and so all Christian feasts should be celebrated. Of course one should abstain from drunkenness and debauchery which removes one from the purpose of the feast, and it should rather be one of praise and glory to the Lord, but also physical delight.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

The Celebration of Christmas (4 of 5)

Continued from part three...

4. Should Christians Have Holidays?

And now we come to the second point, where they say that in the Bible, especially in the New Testament, feast days are not mentioned, nor that Christians are to celebrate holidays, except the celebration of the "Lord's Supper".

First off, we want to mention that Holy Scripture is full of feasts to the Lord. The Lord Himself, in the Old and New Testament, established feasts, and through these feasts He sanctified time.

But let us start from the beginning:

The first feast mentioned in the New Testament is itself the holiday we are speaking about today, the Birth of our Lord. In the Gospel of Luke (2:6-14), the following is said (summarized in excerpts): "But the angel said to them [the shepherds], 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.'" The angel therefore brings the joyful news to the shepherds, and even says that it is of "great joy". The joy is in the event of the Divine Incarnation. And indeed it is not only for them, but "for all the people", as the angel goes on to say. It goes on to even say that this joy is not only for the shepherds and the people, but for the angels as well. "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good pleasure.'" We therefore observe a joyful and festive event, celebrated by people and angels, with praises to God.

At this point, the so-called Jehovah's Witnesses through the Watchtower Society objected on December 15, 1991 (page 5) in Awake, saying: "Alas, if we celebrated every event for which the angels praised God! For the angels rejoiced when the earth was created. Should we thus celebrate the creation of the earth every year?"

The Christian response to this is as follows:

Indeed, for the Lord established the Sabbath day for Israel "as a day of rest from all His work", a day on which all of creation rejoiced for the fact that the Creator completed His creation. Christians have never ceased to honor this event. But how? On the day of re-creation, within the framework of the Resurrection of our Lord. All of the joy of the angels for creation, is included in the renewal of creation and the universe, which is the day of the Resurrection of the Lord. All of these things, the Resurrection and Creation, the recreation, the prospect of the future life, the Incarnation of our Lord, all these things are included at the gathering around the table of the Lord's Supper, or as we call it, the Eucharistic Gathering. This is the ultimate celebration. Especially in the Lord's Supper, which is a gathering of the Kingdom and the joy of the Kingdom, and it includes everything: the Birth of Christ, His journey to earth, His Death and Resurrection and Ascension, and the recreation.

Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

PART FIVE

The Celebration of Christmas (3 of 5)

Continued from part two...

3. Pagan Origins?

We will consider first the objection that holidays in general (including Christmas) have pagan and non-Christian origins, and that they are accompanied by actions such as drunkenness and prostitution.

It is true that it may seem some holidays may coincide at a time when ancient peoples celebrated their own holidays. It seems also that supposedly these holidays have origins related to idolatrous and pagan customs and manners and actions. However, it is also true that there are a lot of things that have their origins in paganism and we make use of them. One example is our calendar! The month of January, for example, is named after a particular ancient god. August is an honorary title for a pagan emperor. Many times, there are couples who celebrate their wedding anniversaries, but this was done by couples among ancient peoples who were pagans. These are in use by even the so-called Jehovah's Witnesses. Even marriage rings have pagan roots. There are other similar symbols used by people for their everyday business. Perhaps we have to sort through all the small and big things to find out what is their origins and roots, and in this way we can reject them? Is this the aim of our Christian journey? Perhaps this may bring to mind the Pharisees who "strain out a gnat but swallow a camel", looking to find what is clean and unclean? Is this the goal of our salvation?

At this point the Watchtower Society says: "No, we need to have a balance", and there is an article in the magazine Awake from 22 December 1976, on pages 12-15, that makes a very specific reference to this: "The fact that other religions can use certain things that are of the nature God created, and use them as symbols in the worship of idols, does not mean that these things are prohibited for true worshipers, who use them differently." Anyone who visited the Temple of God built by Solomon, could perceive that the worshipers of God did not worship the embellishments that decorated the walls. Therefore, a Christian needs not to primarily focus on a certain symbol, and think what this could mean and what it meant thousands of years ago, or how did they consider it on the other side of the planet. Rather they should focus on WHAT IT MEANS NOW, for most people, among whom Christians live. This is what the magazine Awake said in 1976, and the Watchtower Society stated the same thing on May 15, 1972. If an object is an idol or not, it primarily depends on how one sees it.

This shows something very basic. The Watchtower Society stresses that:

1. Shapes and symbols per se are not necessarily bad if used today, even if at times they are used by pagans during false worship.

2. That it is a waste of time, and it is not necessary, to determine what every object on earth meant in the past and means today.

And here we see the inconsistency of the Watchtower Society. No Christian holiday celebrates ANYTHING that was celebrated by ancient pagans. And if a date of a Christian holiday coincides with a pagan holiday, it has no such significance today for us. Let us take Christmas as an example. Long before Christians began to celebrate the birth of Christ, pagans celebrated the sun on December 25th. It was the day of the winter solstice. It was for them a time in which they gave gifts and there was also debauchery. When Christians began to celebrate the birth of Christ, all these practices were replaced. The old holiday of Emperor Aurelius that began in the third century, the Christians made their own. Now what shall we say? That the current holiday is related to and a remnant of the ancient holiday? Do Christians mean today with the celebration of Christmas, what the ancient pagans meant? Perhaps it follows therefore that we worship the sun? No! For some it may indeed be a time of debauchery. But this isn't the Christian message. For us, the glory of the Sun of Righteousness, who dawned on the world, our Lord Jesus Christ, who was born for us as man, has no relation with the honor that was given to the sun (the created sun) by its ancient worshipers.

Therefore, the Jehovah's Witnesses have confronted and contradicted themselves, as they have written in their official publications, that history does not characterize as worship an instrument used, but worship characterizes the instrument in the way it is used and performed. They say, therefore, that it is not necessary on the one hand to examine in detail the objects used, if it had pagan origins, and secondly that if one uses them in ways or methods in the worship of the true God, in a similar way they were probably used in the past by non-Christian peoples, this does not alter the performance of worship. Therefore, based on what they themselves have said, we can say that the holiday of Christmas, like every other Christian holiday, ascribes glory, honor, worship and praise to the true God, and therefore there is no need to examine or deal with the who or what or when in the past, when pagans probably celebrated on similar days their gods.

Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

PART FOUR

The Celebration of Christmas (2 of 5)

Continued from part one...

2. Objections to the Celebration of Christmas

However, there are many who are called "Christians" who refuse (as strange as it may seem) to celebrate this moving yet joyous event in the history of mankind. We have in mind the so-called Jehovah's Witnesses who raise their objections about whether to celebrate this event of the Incarnation of our Lord, and as space allows, we can answer these in turn, while also giving the true dimension of this joyous event.

Let us start by addressing the key questions and analyzing them. The first question is: should we celebrate Christmas? In general: should there be feasts in the Church? Is it thus appropriate for Christians to celebrate certain religious events?

This will be followed by the next question, which has many facets, and can be put forward as follows: when and how and what should Christians celebrate? Of course, this question we can center around the feast of Christmas. Another question follows this, which is: from what time did Christians begin to celebrate Christmas? We do not posit this only for the historical dimension of the issue, but because the so-called Jehovah's Witnesses try to demonstrate historically that this holiday supposedly arose much later and in this way they try to justify their refusal to celebrate it. An additional question or issue that comes into play and is related to this feast of Christmas, is in regards to the adoration of the Magi and the star which led them to seek and worship the king of Jews.

Finally, we will investigate when Christmas should be celebrated, because this objection has also arisen from the aforementioned group of people, who say that the traditional date is not the correct date (in December), but they believe the Nativity of Christ took place in October. These and other questions surrounding these issues concerning the celebration of the birth of Christ we will investigate and answer. And we will be very specific, because it is important to examine the positions of these small groups of so-called Christians such as the so-called Jehovah's Witnesses.

The first objection given, is the following: holidays generally, and especially the Nativity of the Lord, are not what they seem, but they are pagan, of a non-Christian origin, often associated with libertine actions and activities, such as drinking wine, drunkenness, prostitution and more.

A second objection put forward, is that holidays are not mentioned in the Bible except under adverse circumstances, such as birthday gatherings, where one is always put to death. And they argue their case in regards to the birthday of Pharaoh where people were killed, and the birthday of Herod when John the Baptist was killed. They display instead the notion that the only celebration commanded by the Lord, is the "Lord's Supper".

The last argument and reasoning they put forward is that holidays generally idolize something or someone besides God, and the Bible says to "flee idolatry" and that Christians are to be in the world but not of the world. Therefore, why celebrate something that idolizes anything at all?

Finally, in regards to Christmas, they argue that Christ was not born on December 25th, so why celebrate it, which is in fact a date that coincides with the winter solstice and was celebrated in ancient times by those who worshipped the sun?

These objections come straight out of the literature they distribute.

Before we examine these objections, let us look at some principles, general first principles, that the so-called Jehovah's Witnesses and Christians agree on, that are essential and not amenable to further negotiation. Then we will look at the interpretations given by the so-called Jehovah's Witnesses regarding their objections, and will reveal the inconsistency of the Watchtower Society and their failure to understand Christianity.

First, let us say that Holy Scripture is very clear when it says certain things, that we all accept, such as: we are not of this world. And we do believe that we should not have a worldly mindset, as John 17:16 says. That we should abstain from evil, according to the exhortation of the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:22. That we do not participate, and should avoid participating in unfruitful works of darkness, according to Paul's epistle to the Ephesians (5:11; 13:12). And that there is no communion between light and darkness, according to the Apostle Paul's second letter to the Corinthians (6:14). All who claim to be Christians actually believe, and want to live according to these principles. The controversy begins with how these principles are interpreted and implemented in everyday life.

Let us therefore examine in more detail the objections mentioned above:

Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

PART THREE

A Statement on the Jehovah's Witnesses in Greece

The following statement was issued on June 16, 2013 by the Holy Metropolis of Kifisia regarding an event planned by the Watchtower Society in that Metropolis for June 21, 2013:

The Watchtower Society (an organization of so-called "Christians" also known as Jehovah's Witnesses), which operates even within our Holy Metropolis, these past days have issued invitations to the entire Christian congregation of our Holy Metropolis to attend an event on 06/21/2013, with the theme: "Truth: Where Can You Find It? How Can It Benefit You and Your Family?"

Our local Church, under our pastoral care and for the care of the faithful people, must be informed of the issue of our salvation as it is taught in Holy Scripture and in our Orthodox Church, highlighting the following:

First, truth exists and is found only in the God-man and singular Person of Jesus Christ. Only through Christ was truth revealed to the world and only through Him can man know God and be saved.

Second, Christ with His Incarnation, His Death on the Cross, and His Resurrection founded the Church, of which He is the Head and She His Body, according to the teaching of the Apostle Paul (Eph. 1:23; 5:23). The Apostle of the Nations characterizes the Church as "the pillar and the ground of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15). In contrast to the above, Holy Scripture emphasizes that certain people or groups of people will leave the Church, and will deny Her salvific truth which amounts to a denial of Christ Himself. Thus they are led into error and are lost, which is why the Apostle Peter describes them as false prophets and false teachers (2 Pet. 2:1). The truth, therefore, belongs and exists only within the Body of the Church, which is the Body of Christ, and not with individuals or heretical groups such as the Jehovah's Witnesses.

The official teaching of the Society has been condemned synodically (although the Society was established much later) as early as 325 AD by the First Ecumenical Synod and in particular through the extreme unscriptural false teaching fanatically supported by Arius, that Christ is not the God-man, but simply a man, though the best creation of God the Father.

Third, the uncovered truth, which the Church received from Her same Founder, Christ, as well as the Apostles, is not an abstract philosophical truth delivered by a man, but the salvific teaching which in order to be revealed the Almighty Son of God had to be slaughtered on the Cross. For this reason, salvific truth is revealed in the Church, according to the complete biblical teaching (Jude 3), that is, once for all in a unique way and indestructible. In the same way the Church, according to Matthew the Evangelist, is established on the rock of Truth and even the gates of Hades will not be able to overcome it (Matt. 16:18). Here the true biblical teaching is in stark contrast to the Jehovah's Witnesses, but also the religious beliefs of other heretical groups who proclaim that the Church has lost the truth, and after many centuries they found it on their own behalf.

Fourth, truth, according to the teachings of Holy Scripture which is authentically and inviolably in our Orthodox Church, apart from the above, is constant and unchangeable, because it does not change or modify the faith once delivered, which empirically it lives as a Body from one age to another. That which the Church received from Christ and the Apostles, this it strongly follows with suffering and agony, in full consciousness that the slightest change, alteration or modification of the Orthodox Faith will have dire consequences for Her people.

This is what the Brother of God James means when he says: "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (James 1:17), that is, every good thing which is given to humanity and every perfect gift comes from heaven, coming down from the Father of lights, with Whom there is no variation or change of shadow.

In contrast, those who hold to truths of the Watchtower Society do alter and modify, presenting their various interpretations inconsistently to its followers - the victims of this organization - as it considers appropriate to serve the respective interests of the organization.

Taking serious heed of the above, and with a high sense of responsibility in Christ as well as pastoral responsibility towards the honorable and pious members of the ecclesiastical body of this local area, we present this information in order to define the teachings of Christ's Church from the threat of heresy, so that everyone remains constant and steady lovers of God, with faith in the God-man, without endangering their salvation.

Therefore, our local Church, with love for mankind, prohibits her entire Christian congregation from any participation in the aforementioned meeting of the so-called "Christian" Jehovah's Witnesses. At the same time, it urges people to study the word of God, Holy Scripture, with prayer, diligence, a spirit of humility and patience, and above all participation in the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church. These build Christians in their Orthodox Faith, and protect them from the risk of turning away from the truth and being trapped and made captive in the space of delusion and bondage.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos