[doctor_faustus]

EPISTOLA CĂTRE MAGNEZIENI
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"3. [...]It is becoming, therefore, that ye also should be obedient to your bishop, and contradict him in nothing; for it is a fearful thing to contradict any such person. For no one does [by such conduct] deceive him that is visible, but does [in reality] seek to mock Him that is invisible, who, however, cannot be mocked by any one. And every such act has respect not to man, but to God. For God says to Samuel, "They have not mocked thee, but Me." And Moses declares, "For their murmuring is not against us, but against the Lord God." No one of those has, [in fact, ] remained unpunished, who rose up against their superiors. For Dathan and Abiram did not speak against the law, but against Moses, and were cast down alive into Hades. Korah also, and the two hundred and fifty who conspired with him against Aaron, were destroyed by fire. Absalom, again, who had slain his brother, became suspended on a tree, and had his evil-designing heart thrust through with darts. In like manner was Abeddadan beheaded for the same reason. Uzziah, when he presumed to oppose the priests and the priesthood, was smitten with leprosy. Saul also was dishonoured, because he did not wait for Samuel the high priest. It behoves you, therefore, also to reverence your superiors."

Din acest fragment se vede că aşa cum cei care au atentat la preoţia Vechiului Testament rânduită de Dumnezeu au fost pedepsiţi de Dumnezeu, tot aşa şi cei care vor atenta la preoţia Noului Testament, la preoţia acelor episcopi şi preoţi rânduiţi de Iisus Hristos, Fiul lui Dumnezeu, tot aşa vor fi socotiţi ca impostori, uzurpatori, şi atacatori nu ai rânduielii preoţeşti întemeiate de anumiţi oameni, ci ai rânduielii preoţeşti a Noului Testament rânduită de Iisus Hristos !!

"6. Since therefore I have, in the persons before mentioned, beheld the whole multitude of you in faith and love, I exhort you to study to do all things with a divine harmony, while your bishop presides in the place of God, and your presbyters in the place of the assembly of the apostles, along with your deacons, who are most dear to me, and are entrusted with the ministry of Jesus Christ. He, being begotten by the Father before the beginning of time, was God the Word, the only-begotten Son, and remains the same for ever; for "of His kingdom there shall be no end," says Daniel the prophet. Let us all therefore love one another in harmony, and let no one look upon his neighbour according to the flesh, but in Christ Jesus. Let nothing exist among you which may divide you; but be ye united with your bishop, being through him subject to God in Christ."

Acest fragment vorbeşte solemn despre statutul, poziţia preoţiei sacramentale a Noului Testament, întemeiată de Iisus Hristos: Episcopul prezidează Biserica în locul lui Dumnezeu iar prezbiterii/preoţii în locul adunării apostolilor. Bineînţeles că preoţia sacramentală a Noului Legământ din Biserica lui Hristos nu tăgăduieşte preoţia Marelui Arhiereu Iisus Hristos, ci din contră o confirmă pentru faptul că este întemeiată pe preoţia Marelui Arhiereu. Însă din acest fragment, scris de un episcop al Bisericii Creştine primare, imediat după trecerea apostolilor la cele veşnice, reiese rolul fundamental pe care îl au în Biserica lui Hristos episcopii şi preoţii/prezbiterii !! Aşa cum a mai spus mai sus Ignatie, cine atentează şi încearcă să substituie preoţia succesorilor în har, putere şi autoritate ai apostolilor, de fapt încearcă să atenteze la ordinea din Biserică pe care chiar Dumnezeu a pus-o cu voia Sa.

Chapter VII.-Do Nothing Without the Bishop and Presbyters

"As therefore the Lord did nothing without the Father, being united to Him, neither by Himself nor by the apostles, so neither do ye anything without the bishop and presbyters. Neither endeavour that anything appear reasonable and proper to yourselves apart; but being come together into the same place, let there be one prayer, one supplication, one mind, one hope, in love and in joy undefiled. There is one Jesus Christ, than whom nothing is more excellent. Do ye therefore all run together as into one temple of God, as to one altar, as to one Jesus Christ, who came forth from one Father, and is with and has gone to one."

altă traducere:

"As therefore the Lord does nothing without the Father, for says He, "I can of mine own self do nothing," so do ye, neither presbyter, nor deacon, nor layman, do anything without the bishop. Nor let anything appear commendable to you which is destitute of his approval. For every such thing is sinful, and opposed [to the will of] God. Do ye all come together into the same place for prayer. Let there be one common supplication, one mind, one hope, with faith unblameable in Christ Jesus, than which nothing is more excellent. Do ye all, as one man, run together into the temple of God, as unto one altar, to one Jesus Christ, the High Priest of the unbegotten God."

Acest fragment vorbeşte evident de obligaţia ca în Biserica lui Hristos nimic să nu se facă fără episcopi şi prezbiteri (într-o variantă) şi ca nimeni să nu facă nimic, nici prezbiterii, nici diaconii, nici laicii (mirenii) fără episcop. De aici se vede cât de mare este în Biserica lui Hristos autoritatea episcopilor şi că toţi, inclusiv prezbiterii/preoţii trebuie să asculte de el şi să nu facă nimic fără el, fără încuviinţarea lui. Poate oricine să compare cu ziua de azi, când fiecare cult/sectă, pe baza unei autorităţi închipuite, dată de nimeni ci luată cu de la ei putere, face lucruri care nu ascultă cu nimic de Episcopii Bisericii, ba chiar se împotrivesc învăţăturii şi harului Bisericii.

Chapter IX.-Let Us Live with Christ

"If, therefore, those who were brought up in the ancient order of things have come to the possession of a new hope, no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord's Day, on which also our life has sprung up again by Him and by His death--whom some deny, by which mystery we have obtained faith, and therefore endure, that we may be found the disciples of Jesus Christ, our only Master--how shall we be able to live apart from Him, whose disciples the prophets themselves in the Spirit did wait for Him as their Teacher? And therefore He whom they rightly waited for, being come, raised them from the dead."

altă traducere:
"If, then, those who were conversant with the ancient Scriptures came to newness of hope, expecting the coming of Christ, as the Lord teaches us when He says, "If ye had believed Moses, ye would have believed Me, for he wrote of Me; " and again, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it, and was glad; for before Abraham was, I am; " how shall we be able to live without Him? The prophets were His servants, and foresaw Him by the Spirit, and waited for Him as their Teacher, and expected Him as their Lord and Saviour, saying, "He will come and save us." Let us therefore no longer keep the Sabbath after the Jewish manner, and rejoice in days of idleness; for "he that does not work, let him not eat." For say the [holy] oracles, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread." But let every one of you keep the Sabbath after a spiritual manner, rejoicing in meditation on the law, not in relaxation of the body, admiring the workmanship of God, and not eating things prepared the day before, nor using lukewarm drinks, and walking within a prescribed space, nor finding delight in dancing and plaudits which have no sense in them. And after the observance of the Sabbath, let every friend of Christ keep the Lord's Day as a festival, the resurrection-day, the queen and chief of all the days [of the week]. Looking forward to this, the prophet declared, "To the end, for the eighth day," on which our life both sprang up again, and the victory over death was obtained in Christ, whom the children of perdition, the enemies of the Saviour, deny, "whose god is their belly, who mind earthly things," who are "lovers of pleasure, and not lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." These make merchandise of Christ, corrupting His word, and giving up Jesus to sale: they are corrupters of women, and covetous of other men's possessions, swallowing up wealth insatiably; from whom may ye be delivered by the mercy of God through our Lord Jesus Christ!"

Aici se vorbeşte, în primul fragment de ţinerea Duminicii, iar în al doilea, de ţinerea în mod duhovnicesc a Sâmbetei urmată neapărat de ţinerea Duminicii, a Zilei Învierii Domnului Hristos.