EDITOR’S NOTE (Nick Stamatakis): Tomorrow is the 13th Sunday of Luke, a loyal reader of Helleniscope from Mt.Athos reminded me… What an excellent occasion to bring to the attention of the “Archons” of the Patriarchate these beautiful teachings of the Luke Gospel!! And also to warn those unworthy “leaders” who make them feel so important in our Church, so to put their wealth front and center at the expense of the rest of the faithful.
The Archons can take the teachings of Luke 18:18-30 literally (“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God”)… Or they can do a more “liberal” interpretation as follows: If you make money and wealth the central essence of your existence, there is no way to save your soul… And furthermore: If the main reason you became an “Archon” was to increase your “business network” and even worse, to benefit from a tax write-off, then you are not a real “Archon of the Church of Christ” but a servant of the Antichrist. The sooner you realize this and move away, the better off we will all be…
I went through a whole list of Archons and I asked people who knew them well, personally… “They are a party club”, was the common response… I could not find ANY “Archon” that avoided the trap I described above!! What a shame!…
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Christ and the Rich Young Ruler (Luke 18:18-30)
18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’[a]”
21 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.
22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”
27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
28 Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!”
29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”
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Original Text From the Bible In Alexandrian Greek (Luke 18:18-30)
Καὶ ἐπηρώτησέ τις αὐτὸν ἄρχων λέγων· Διδάσκαλε ἀγαθέ, τί ποιήσας ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσω; 19 εἶπε δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν; οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς, ὁ Θεός. 20 τὰς ἐντολὰς οἶδας· μὴ μοιχεύσῃς, μὴ φονεύσῃς, μὴ κλέψῃς, μὴ ψευδομαρτυρήσῃς, τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα σου. 21 ὁ δὲ εἶπε· Ταῦτα πάντα ἐφυλαξάμην ἐκ νεότητός μου. 22 ἀκούσας δὲ ταῦτα ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ἔτι ἕν σοι λείπει· πάντα ὅσα ἔχεις πώλησον καὶ διάδος πτωχοῖς, καὶ ἕξεις θησαυρὸν ἐν οὐρανῷ, καὶ δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι. 23 ὁ δὲ ἀκούσας ταῦτα περίλυπος ἐγένετο· ἦν γὰρ πλούσιος σφόδρα. 24 Ἰδὼν δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ Ἰησοῦς περίλυπον γενόμενον εἶπε· Πῶς δυσκόλως οἱ τὰ χρήματα ἔχοντες εἰσελεύσονται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ! 25 εὐκοπώτερον γάρ ἐστι κάμηλον διὰ τρυμαλιᾶς ραφίδος εἰσελθεῖν ἢ πλούσιον εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰσελθεῖν. 26 εἶπον δὲ οἱ ἀκούσαντες· Καὶ τίς δύναται σωθῆναι; 27 ὁ δὲ εἶπε· Τὰ ἀδύνατα παρὰ ἀνθρώποις δυνατὰ παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ ἐστιν. 28 Εἶπε δὲ ὁ Πέτρος· Ἰδοὺ ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν πὰντα καὶ ἠκολουθήσαμέν σοι. 29 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐδείς ἐστιν ὃς ἀφῆκεν οἰκίαν ἢ γονεῖς ἢ ἀδελφοὺς ἢ γυναῖκα ἢ τέκνα ἕνεκεν τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ, 30 ὃς οὐ μὴ ἀπολάβῃ πολλαπλασίονα ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τούτῳ καὶ ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τῷ ἐρχομένῳ ζωὴν αἰώνιον.
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Modern Greek Translation / interpretation…
Ὁ πλούσιος νεανίσκος.
Κάποιος ἄρχων τῆς συναγωγῆς ἠρώτησε τόν Κύριον καί εἶπε·
«Διδάσκαλε ἀγαθέ, τί νά κάμω γιά νά κληρονομήσω ζωήν αἰώνι-
ον;». Εἶπε δέ πρός αὐτόν ὁ Ἰησοῦς· «γιατί μέ ἀποκαλεῖς ἀγα-
θόν; Κανείς δέν εἶναι ἀγαθός, παρά μόνον ὁ Θεός». Γνωρίζεις τίς
ἐντολές· νά μή μοιχεύσης, νά μή φονεύσης, νά μή κλέψης, νά μή
ψευδομαρτυρήσης, νά τιμᾶς τόν πατέρα σου καί τήν μητέρα σου.
Καί ἐκεῖνος εἶπεν· ὅλα αὐτά τά ἐφύλαξα ἀπό τά νεανικά μου
χρόνια.
̔́Οταν ἤκουσε τά λόγια αὐτά ὁ Ἰησοῦς, τοῦ εἶπεν· «ἀκόμη ἕ-
να σοῦ λείπει· πώλησε ὅλα, ὅσα ἔχεις, καί μοίρασέ τα στούς πτω-
χούς καί θά ἔχης θησαυρόν στόν οὐρανόν· καί ἔλα νά μέ ἀκολου-
θήσης». Αὐτός ὅταν ἤκουσε τά λόγια αὐτά ἐλυπήθη, διότι ἦταν
πολύ πλούσιος καί δέν ἤθελε νά τά ἀποχωρισθῆ. Ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὅταν
τόν εἶδε νά γίνεται περίλυπος εἶπε· «αὐτοί πού ἔχουν τά χρήματα
πόσον δύσκολα, θά εἰσέλθουν στήν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ!». Ἀναρω-
τήθησαν οἱ ἀκούσαντες καί εἶπαν· καί ποιός ἠμπορεῖ νά σωθῆ; Ὁ
δέ Κύριος εἶπεν· «ἐκεῖνα, πού εἶναι ἀδύνατον νά γίνουν μέ τήν
ἀσθενῆ δύναμιν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, αὐτά εἶναι κατορθωτά καί δυνα-
τά διά τῆς χάριτος καί τῆς δυνάμεως τοῦ Θεοῦ».
Αὐτός ὁ ἄρχων προσῆλθεν στόν Χριστόν θέλοντας νά μάθη
γιά τήν αἰώνιον ζωήν, ἐάν ἦταν δυνατόν νά εὑρίσκεται καί ἐκεῖ
παντοτινά πλούσιος, ὡς φιλοχρήματος πού ἦταν καί φιλάργυρος·
καί ἐνόμιζεν πῶς ὁ Χριστός θέλει τόν διδάξει κανένα τρόπον καί
μέθοδον, νά ζήση παντοτινά, νά ἀπολαμβάνη τόν πλοῦτον του καί
τά χρήματα. ̔́Οταν ἤκουσε ὅτι εἶναι ἀνάγκη νά στερηθῆ τόν πλοῦ-
τον γιά τήν αἰώνιον ζωήν, μετεμελήθη πού τόν ἠρώτησε, καί ἐπι-
κράνθη ἀπό αὐτήν τήν ἀπάντησιν, διότι ἐπεθύμει νά ἔχη αἰωνίως
τά χρήματα καί νά μή τά στερηθῆ οὐδέποτε.
2
Πρῶτα διορθώνει ὁ νόμος τά βαρύτερα ἁμαρτήματα, τήν ἐ-
πιθυμίαν καί τόν θυμόν, καί ἔπειτα ἀναφέρει τήν κλεψίαν καί τήν
ψευδομαρτυρίαν· διότι ἀπό τήν ἐπιθυμίαν γεννᾶται ἡ μοιχεία, καί
ἀπό τόν θυμόν ὁ φόνος.
Πολλές φορές κινούμεθα ἀπό δόξα καί ἔπαινον, καί δίδομεν
σ’ ἄλλους ἐκεῖνα πού ἔπρεπε νά δίδωμεν στούς πτωχούς, μέ ἀ-
ποτελέσμα νά μή μεταχειριζώμεθα καλά τήν οἰκονομίαν, καί νά
ἁμαρτάνωμεν μεγάλως. Λοιπόν, ἐπειδή δύσκολα ἀποφεύγει κά-
ποιος τίς παγίδες τοῦ διαβόλου, ἡ πτώχεια καί ἀκτημοσύνη εἶναι
ἡ ἀσφαλεστέρα ὁδός, γιά νά εἰσέλθη ὁ καθένας στήν Βασιλείαν
ἀνεμπόδιστα.
Ἀρκεῖ σὲ μᾶς νά θελήσωμεν τό καλόν τῆς ψυχῆς μας, καί τοῦ
Θεοῦ εἶναι νά τό τελειώση ὡς παντοδύναμος. Ἀφοῦ δέν ἠμπο-
ροῦμεν νά πωλήσωμεν ὅλα μας τά ὑπάρχοντα καί νά τά μοιρά-
σωμεν στούς πτωχούς, ἄς δώσωμεν, ἄν ὄχι τά μισά τά ὀλιγώτερα
ἤ καί ἐλάχιστα, γιά νά μᾶς τά ἀνταποδώση ὁ Χριστός ἑκατοντα-
πλάσια.
Ἄς τιμῶμεν τούς γονεῖς, καί ἐξαιρέτως τούς πνευματικούς
μας πατέρες καί διδασκάλους, διότι ἀπό αὐτούς φωτιζόμεθα καί
ὁδηγούμεθα πρός τήν ὁδόν τῆς σωτηρίας.
« ̔Ρίζα πάντων τῶν κακῶν ἡ φιλαργυρία ἐστί», καί ὅποιος
τήν ἔχει δέν ἠμπορεῖ νά ἀκολουθήση τόν Χριστόν, διότι εἶναι ἀδύ-
νατον νά εἴμεθα φιλόχρυσοι καί φιλόχριστοι.
Ἄς μισήσωμεν τόν πονηρόν, καί ἄς ποθήσωμεν τόν ἀγαθόν
καί παντελεήμονα Χριστόν, πού μᾶς ἔπλασε καί ἀνέπλασε· καί
ἄς τόν ἀκολουθήσωμεν πρόθυμα, πολιτευόμενοι κατά τίς θεῖες
του ἐντολές, γιά νά μᾶς ἀξιώση νά ἀπολαύσωμεν τοῦ οὐρανίου
ἐκείνου θησαυροῦ τά ἄῤῥητα ἀγαθά· νά συνευφραινώμεθα μαζί
του, σὲ ἐκείνην τήν ἄφατον ἀγαλλίασιν. Ἀμήν.
It’s tragic, many Archons I’ve met never care to read New Testament or understand tenets of Orthodox Christianity. One Archon even gets a kick out of gay parades.
It’s their glorified country club
My husband and I read Luke (18:18-30) just the other day as a reminder of Christ’s principles to keep us grounded in God’s laws of order.
Even more sad is the fact that there are no Bibles in the Orthodox Church pews for the congregation to read. The Devine Liturgy book is all you will ever find in the pew pockets along with envelopes for offering. The Devine Liturgy is man’s written interpretation of a religious ritual repeated in triplicate as if by pure repetition it makes it more meaningful. This is one of the great deceptions within the GO Church.
Religiosity, cultural and ethnic pride, egotism, elitism, exclusionary practices of Orthodoxy and traditions and rituals rooted in “modern antiquity” established by the heads of the church are the antichrist, just like that of the Catholic Church today. Thus none of this is of any surprise to God.
Both “religious” institutions are riddled with corruption and immorality. We are all prayer intercessors if we choose. There is great power in group prayer. We must pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth in order to put an end to the corruption of mind and soul by the leaders, Archons and Hierarchy of the Orthodox Church.
Hypocrisy is saying one thing and doing the exact opposite. Lord, today I pray with humility and complete surrender in recognition of my own shortcomings and forgive others whose shortcomings have led the faithful flock astray. Lord I pray that your light shine upon the faithful following so that they may choose YOU and YOU alone over the antichrist within the Orthodox Church.
It appears, like so many in the Greek Archdiocese are VERY poorly educated in the beliefs and teachings of our Holy Orthodox Church. Your mind is filled with Protestant heresy, “Sola Scriptura” heresy. The Church of Christ existed almost 500 YEARS before the “Bible” as we know it today was assembled. There were many different books (gospels and epistles) floating around the ancient world. Finally, to solve many problems, the bishops of the Church came together to decide what is inspired scripture and what was not.
Something else you don’t seem to know or don’t seem to pay attention to, is that the Divine Liturgy is REPLETE with direct and indirect quotes from the Holy Scriptures! (See the attached pdf on the Bible in the Divine Liturgy https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8ftMsMSkG2OazIwQUlWdkdjaW8/view?usp=drivesdk ) The entire book of Psalms (the Psalter) is read in the Church every week, twice a week during Great Lent! We have to pay deep attention to the words of the Divine Services, prayers and hymns. As the priest and/or deacon proclaims the verses of the litanies, we must absorb these words in our hearts and pray along silently with the priest or deacon. We must listen profoundly to the words of the hymns chanted by the chanters or choir. You have much to learn about the Orthodox Faith.
The Holy Orthodox Church is established on the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ and through the
Holy Apostles and Holy fathers who endured martyrdom for their faith in Jesus CHRIST. The Church was literally founded, and NOURISHED by the blood of these Saints. The Majestic and Divine
Liturgy is based on the Word of God. Those who truly know the Bible recognize it and many convert
From Protestant faiths to the One Holy Orthodox Church. Orthodoxy is not a fast food faith. We are
challenged to look deeper into the Word of God and challenge our passions such as self righteousness
spiritual and false pride. Humility is the key to Paradise as the Fathers teach us. Who are we to
judge others? First we must judge ourselves . The very gates of hell will not prevail against the
Holy Orthodox Church. Beware of the foolishness of the Pharisee……..
A Geronda from Mount Athos said, that if all holy scripture were destroyed, no bibles left, the holy sanctified Saints would repeat every scripture because they’re Nous was fully immersed, in divine fusion with all holy scripture
Pame hameni—o thio joe tora -me olla ta hallia -evale ta transgender paidia proto priority! Klisame ellinikia skolia-as ta nixomen pali na sosomen ta paidia pou tha halastoun sta public schools oi diavoli Marxists…