Миссионерские письма. Святитель Николай Сербский - о священстве - текст песни, слова, перевод, видео

You heard the heretics say: “All Christians are priests, and therefore we do not need special priests. For each baptized in baptism received priestly dignity. Consequently, every Christian or Christian can perform priestly actions that only ordained priests do now! ”

Know that this is a great misconception. In this case, one could say that all Christians are apostles, but we know that our Lord has chosen special people into the apostles. The apostles, in turn, first ordained deacons, then priests and bishops or patriarchs. This was clearly written in the acts of the Apostolic (see: Acts 6, 6; 14, 23) and in the epistles of the Holy Apostle Paul (see: 1 Tim. 3; 4, 14; 5, 17, 22; Tit. 1, Tit. 1, 5). And the Holy Apostle Jacob claims that the Elders of the Church - the Presbyts of the Church - are given the power to commit priesthood. Read the words of his message: whether any of you is sick, let him call the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with bare in the name of the Lord (James 5, 14). As you can see, such an order of the Church was given by the Holy Apostles, so that the elders who have power from the Holy Spirit commit the Sacraments of God and led the people baptized and led to salvation. Thank God this is so! For if the commercial of God had not been so established, then everyone could be called a priest and the split of Christianity would have occurred at the very beginning. There would have been a split both in faith and in church order; Would the church ship overcame these schisms of all past nineteen centuries like nineteen stormy oceans?

And according to the law of the Old Testament, not everyone could be a priest, but only one who was set and dedicated. But even in those days, rebels appeared, who lawlessly assigned themselves the power to perform priestly duties. So we read about Korea, Daphan and Aviron, who rebelled on Moses and Aaron, exclaiming: all the holy, and among them the Lord! Why do you put yourself above the people of the Lord? (Num. 16, 3). But the Lord was angry with them and brutally punished them, and the land opened their mouth and absorbed them and their houses, and they went alive to the underworld, and covered their land (cf.: Numbers 16, 32–33).

So, we see that both covenants say one thing: there is no will of God to ensure that all believers are priests. But there is one dignity above the priestly, which is available to all faithful if they want to acquire it. This is holiness. The apostles are called saints of all real Christians. The names of the saints are entered in the calendar and in the book of eternal life. Many and many peasants, artisans, the lack of earthly priestly dignity did not stop entering the list of God of God. And to some priests-observers and schismatics and the priestly rank did not help to escape from eternal death.

Peace to you and health from the Lord.