The Russian Church under the Communist regime

Translated from the original by Costas Balomenos

As is well known, Karl Marx, the "father" of Communism, said the famous phrase that "the religion is the opium of the people", that is used by the ruling class to lulls the masses and keeps them pauperized. It is therefore the debt of Communists, when they will be able and they will seize power, to eliminate this "opium", releasing the people, to lead him to happiness that will be held through Communism...

Simon Bar-Kokhba : The Messiah of the Jews

Translated from the original by Costas Balomenos

The relief of Bar – Kokhba adorns Knesset (Jewish Parliement)

For entire centuries the Jews were nurtured in the idea that they are the chosen one people of God, to whom God will send his divine Messiah, to redeem him from evil and death and so begin a new era for them, but also for all humanity.

And indeed, when God decided, he sent his Messiah in the person of Christ Jesus, which the Jews not only did not recognized and did not accepted, but they proceeded much more, exterminating him by death on the cross, a crime for which the Jewish authorities pioneered...

Why the Roman State did not accept Christianity as a rightful religion (RELIGIO LICITA)?

Translated from the original by Costas Balomenos

Contrary to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who with the help of Jewish apostates has tried in 167 BC to introduce the Greek pagan religion, by placing the statue of Zeus in the temple of Jerusalem and to force the Jews to the observance of Greek customs, leading to the outbreak of the revolution of Maccabees, the Romans - when captured Judea - not only respected the unique monotheistic religion of the ancient world, but also the rules of everyday life of the Jews, arising from this...

THE MORALS OF CHRISTIANS IN THE 2ND AND 3RD CENTURY

Translated from the original by Costas Balomenos

The Christians was believed about themselves that they are the new Israel (=people of salvation), Israel of God, that guided by the spirit and the grace˙ that they are not citizens of the Roman Empire, but  they constitute a new nation - certainly within its territory - for this reason moreover was praying for the stability of the state and its Governor. They (for the Romans) were saying that they are alien residents and pilgrims - as highlighted very nicely in letter to Diogniton - in this world, for which they believed that will soon be elapsed because it was going to come the Second Coming of the Lord...

The narration of Harrowing of Hell, in the apocryphon Gospel of Nicodemus

Translated from the original by Costas Balomenos

“Apocrypha” books of the New Testament are named several texts from the 2nd century onwards, from Christians or heretics authors. They refer to it the life of Christ, for the action of the Apostles, or contain various revelations. Each one of them has a name of a known person from the early Church, for example, "At Thomas Gospel," "Acts Peter," "Letter of eleven Apostles" "Revelation Paul", etc. The “Apocrypha” are many and were written either to cover - with fantastic episodes - the gaps in the history of Christ or the Apostles, or to disseminate heretical ideas. The Christians, to distinguish the original texts of the Apostles from the inauthentic circulating then, stood out the 27 books as authentic, which have been the body of the books of the New Testament called “Canon”...

THE WORD CHRIST AND HIS MEANINGS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Translated from the original by Costas Balomenos

T

he word "Christ" is a translation of the Aramaic word MESHICHA, which also is derived from the Hebrew word MASHIACH, which in the Hellenistic years hellenized in Messiah. In the New Testament, the Greek word Μεσσίας (Messiah) is encountered twice and even is accompanied with the translation “Christ”: «First, he finds his brother Simon and tells him, “We have found the Messiah, which translated means Christ”»  John 1:41 and «He saith to him the woman “I know that will come the Messiah, the so-called Christ”» John 4:25.

The Greek word χριστός(christos) is produced from the verb χρίω(chrio), meaning anoint and was formed by the verbal adjectives ending in –τος(-tos), of the Greek language. As an adjective, the word christos is found in the ancient Greek poets of tragedy. Apart from tragedians poets, we meet this and in the “Septuagint” (O’), who - as we know - they translated the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek...

The pre-Christian religion of the Slavs

Translated from the original by Costas Balomenos

The God Dabog of the Slavs

T

he beliefs and rituals of Slavic peoples namely of Bulgarians, Serbs, Croats, Czechs, Poles and Russians are difficult to describe, due to the limited number of their sources. However, what is common in these is the word "Bong" which means the God and by linguistic aspect is related to the Indian word “Baghavata” (Lord), quite literally meaning “scrumptious” and was attributed to Vishnu and Krishna, Gods of Hinduism.

Some information about the religion of the Slavs gives us the Byzantine historian Procopius (500-565 AD). Among other things he writes the following: «Because they consider one God, this of lightning as creator and master of all and they sacrifice to him oxen and all sanctuaries ... they respect and the rivers and the nymphs and other such demons, and they sacrifice to all these, and they are making these sacrifices in divination» (Procopii opera,  J. Haury. Bellum Gothicum, III 14, Lipsiae 1906, p. 357 – 358)...

The heretic Apelles and Mr. Barthelemy - The calumny of "anti - Ecumenists"

Translated from the original by Costas Balomenos

The Ecumenical Patriarch. Mr. Barthelemy Α’

W

ith the beginning of the 20th century and specifically in 1902, the then Patriarch of Constantinople Joachim III, sent to the heads of the Orthodox Churches a text, in which he urged them to develop a dialogue with the heterodox churches.

In their reply, the Orthodox Churches stressed the need for unity, but they pointed to the difficulties which existed. The Greek Church, in fact, added that in the past had made similar attempts, but they had failed.

In January 1920 the Ecumenical Patriarchate addressed a circular letter “to the Churches of Christ around the world”, in which called them for establishing of a “society” of Churches, according to the standards of the “League of Nations” (the current UN)...

ORTHODOX DIVINE LITURGY: A BORING CEREMONY?!

Translated from the original by Costas Balomenos

«And (Jesus) spoke to them for many things in parables. He was saying to them, “Again the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant who is looking for good pearls. And when, find a precious pearl, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it”»  Matthew 13: 3.45 - 46.

S

uch a pearl, like that described by the Lord in the parable above, we have in our hands the Orthodox Christians, which unfortunately we do not appreciate duly. And it is none other than the Divine Liturgy, because the Orthodox Church is eminently worshipful Church. Doctrine and Worship keep pace...

My impressions on the annual international convention of Jehovah's Witnesses

by Alexia Krinitis

The annual international convention of Jehovah's Witnesses took place in Athens on 27-29 June, atthe Olympic Stadium (a.k.a OAKA). If you live in Athens or if you visited the “famed city” the weekprior to the convention, probably you noticed groups of Jehovah's Witnesses, from different nations and countries,  wearing their badges and walking around Athens. Also, you might noticed anincreased activity in the field service. Within 5 days, I received three times the invitation to their international convention!...