The apostolic zeal for the salvation of man had no limits; it even went so far as to sacrifice one's life. The apostles were surrounded on all sides by hostile people. They were in an atmosphere of hatred for the new divinely revealed teaching, since many representatives of that era could not accept the gospel of Christ; the soil of their hearts, on which the seeds of good were sown, was not yet suitable for the reception of Divine truth. That is why all the mighty "of this age" rose up so fiercely against the preachers of the word of God, giving them over to many tortures and torments (5:256). The malice of these people in strength and subtlety surpassed any measure of cruelty. The rulers of many countries of the ancient world, striving to prevent the spread of salvific truths, which "the most grievous torments and terrible deaths have not been invented." They put preachers in prisons, starved them, led them naked through the streets, poured boiling tar, brimstone and oil over them, burned them in red-hot furnaces, etc. But all these tortures could not shake the faith of the followers of Christ; on the contrary, tested in the crucible of torments and temptations, their faith grew stronger and stronger, and they attracted an increasing number of new followers. In this way, the blood of the martyrs became a solid foundation in the spread and establishment of the Church of Christ (5:256-258).

In such severe trials, human nature would not be able to resist the devil's malice, if the Savior of the world, for Whom Christians suffered, did not help and strengthen their weak strength with His almighty power (5:259). Finally, by the grace-filled action of the All-Holy Spirit, all the "wise men of this age" submitted to the holy teaching. "And so the King of glory, Jesus Christ, entered into the cities and villages, and into their villages; and "... having seen the salvation of our God to the ends of the earth" (Psalm 97:3). And the name of Jesus began to be glorified in all the ends of the earth" (5:256).

Thus, the holy apostles "founded the Church of God" (3:132) and set up in it, by command from above, "bishops and presbyters" (4:362). Being in constant communion with Christ, the apostles showed their followers the path they must follow in order to gain Christ. Preaching a highly moral teaching, they themselves lived in accordance with their preaching, and they demanded the same from their successors. In their activity, the first place was occupied by love for people, because it is this virtue that is an irresistible weapon in the hands of the servants of Christ. That is why the teaching of the apostles was such a great success. The apostolic preaching, in accordance with the commandment of the Saviour, spread"... even to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8), and all the families of the earth received it and partook of the Kingdom of God through it.

Chapter IV

The Church of Christ is the Place of Salvation of Man

1. The Necessity of the Church of Christ in the Salvation of Man

Having accomplished the work of salvation of the human race on earth, the Saviour of the world thereby removed all the barriers that had existed before, separating man from God, and united into one flock not only the earthly, but also the heavenly. Leaving the earth after His redemptive feat, Jesus Christ founded upon it a grace-filled Kingdom — His Church, which is, in the words of St. Tikhon, "the spiritual Body of Christ" (3:30). Believers – members of the Church – are as closely united with Christ as a vine branch is with a vine: "I am the true vine, and my Father is a worker" (John 15:1). "To this true Vine are the births that are attached," says the saint, "to His faith, which by faith and love are joined to the Vine, by the juice of its grace they are quickened, watered, and bring forth fruit" (3:31). Creating His Church for the purpose of sanctifying and saving people in it, Christ forever remained the Head and Source of life in it. He Himself invisibly governs it, uniting all the faithful into one body. "Christ is the Head of the Church" (3:185), "Her sons... are spiritual spirits, the most blessed Head, having and acknowledging Christ, and united in faith and love to the Head" (3:30). Revealing the salvific significance of this grace-filled organism, the archpastor says that the word "Church" translated from Greek (ekkA, t|oCha) means "evoking"; for the faithful who are in the Church are called out of the realm of Satan into the Kingdom of Christ, from darkness into His wondrous Light, as the Apostle teaches: "Ye are the chosen generation... O people of renewal, that ye may proclaim out of darkness out of darkness Him who called you into His wondrous light" (1 Peter 2:9) (3:30).

Further revealing the concept of the Church, the saint teaches that the Church should not be understood as something abstract; it is "an assembly of the faithful, living throughout the whole world, right in God and Christ the Son of God, and true believers, enlightened by the preaching of the word of God, and containing the holy Mysteries of the right" (3:30). The Church of Christ is founded on the apostolic teaching, by means of which it is "enlightened, instructed, built, saved. And from the deplorable vale of this world, to the heavenly and heavenly Zion... is transmigrated, with the help of the Holy and Life-Giving Spirit, where, not by faith, but face to face, he is vouchsafed to see His purest and holiest goodness" (3:133). The holy Apostles, by the command of God, united all nations into the Church of Christ. The archpastor of Zadonsk, in order to express this idea more clearly, points to the image of Noah's Ark. "In Noah's ark were gathered together various beasts, cattle, and birds: so in the Holy Church the various nations, like wild beasts, were gathered... It is wonderful that in Noah's ark the beasts of Lutia were meek and agreed: "To God... And so they put off their ferocity and ferocity, otherwise they could not have been accommodated. Thus those who have entered the Holy Church put aside their former morals, like bestial and bestial, and are meek, harmonious and peaceful" (4:300). After the "shadow of the law" had passed, the Church of Christ became the principle that united "all the tribes of the earth," began to contain within itself the fullness of Christ's teaching, which is guarded not by individuals, but by the whole Church in everything. Century.

As Christ is one, so the Church is one, because all who know the truth believe, worship and glorify the one God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Church is also one because it is founded on one foundation – Jesus Christ, and is also enlightened by the one teaching of the word of God and is saved by the one Divine mysteries. In addition, Christians have one firm hope for the resurrection of the dead and the grace-filled life that follows it in the abodes of the Heavenly Father (3:34). Substantiating his thought with the words of the Apostle Paul: "One body, one spirit, as you were called in one hope of your calling; there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; there is one God and Father of all, Who is over all, and through all, and in us all" (Ephesians 4:4-6), the Holy Father says: "For though the faith and holiness of God be scattered over the face of the whole earth, yet they constitute one blessed community" (3:34).

The concept of the unity of the Church is not violated by the name of her militant or triumphant. "The Holy Church, which exists on earth in this world, is called militant, because with the help of God it struggles against its enemies: the devil, the flesh, the world, and sin" (3:34). And whoever conquers them and constantly strives to abide in purity and holiness, after the separation of the soul from the body, dwells in the triumphant Church, where he is vouchsafed eternal joy from the Redeemer of the world. And this is natural, because the Saviour of the world, after His ascension to heaven, which had previously been closed, opened to the children of the earthly Church the entrance to the heavenly abodes for blessed and eternal life. And since then, the Church militant and triumphant has been a single grace-filled society, united and spiritualized by the one Source of all good things, the Savior of the world (3:35). And with "the general resurrection and the end of the universal judgment of Christ, there will be one triumphant Church, which will endlessly see God face to face: and from this she will rejoice, be glad, shout out, and in joy of spirit praise His infinite goodness" (3:35) together with the angelic powers (3:34).

Having revealed the concept of the unity of the Church, the saint points to her holiness: she is the dwelling place of God, purified and sanctified "by the blood of the Only-begotten Son of God" (3:270). In this dwelling the Lord always dwells with His faithful servants, sanctifying and protecting them from all the wiles of the enemy (3:30). It follows that the Church is holy by virtue of being sanctified by Christ's blood (3:28). "The Holy Church as it was, and is, so it will be to the end of the age" (3:34). In this courtyard, all people, like sheep, become meek, gentle, loving, and this because they live under the grace-filled protection of the Good Shepherd, Christ, Who feeds them "in the place of grass... on the waters of rest" (Psalm 22:1-2) (3:31). The Church, as a grace-filled society, anticipates the heavenly joy even here on earth, being in close communion with the Giver of all good things, God. Having as its main goal the salvation of people, the Church of Christ teaches them the divinely revealed truths of the faith, directs them along the right path and, with the help of the salvific Sacraments given to her by the Redeemer of the world, sanctifies them and, thus, contributes to the attainment of the Kingdom of Heaven. In connection with this, the Zadonsk saint exclaims: "Quite happy (a Christian) is when you live in the house of God, which is the living Church of God, — and you are a cohabitant with the saints, and eternal to God, and the household of Christ, although you live in a hut or in a cave, or have no place to lay your head" (4:108). The Holy Father calls the Church a mother who gives birth to her children from water and the Spirit, not for perishable, but for eternal grace-filled life (3:31). And since the saint considered it very comforting to be in unity with the Church, he calls upon all Christians to preserve the purity of this sacred body and to show it sincere filial love. "If the Church of Christ is the Mother of the faithful, (then) as it should... to love her, to honor her..." (3:33). Those who are in the Church are united with Christ in the closest way, like a rod with a head, and are mysteriously married to Christ, as a bride to a bridegroom. True followers of Christ become cohabitants of the "most glorious city," "the mountain of heaven," and "sheep having the Good Shepherd" (3:32–33). In the Church, as in a ship, all the faithful followers of Christ rest and find salvation, although they make their dangerous voyage on the stormy sea of life. Here the Savior of the world Himself shows His care for them and leads them to the predestined goal – salvation. The Church, in the words of the saint, "as long as there is in the world, is subject to every storm of troubles, misfortunes and temptations, and is shaken by the temptations of this world, like waves, and suffers persecution from lovers of the world. But it is said of her for her consolation from the Helmsman, Jesus Christ: "And the gates of hell shall not prevail against her" (Matt. 16:18) (4:299). The Church of Christ, although in constant danger, is constantly striving for "quiet... where "rest" awaits it (4:299; cf. 3:31).

The salvation of man is accomplished only in the Church of Christ. Just as the righteous Noah and his family were saved in the ark from the universal flood, and all outside it perished, so "and now they will only be saved from the flood of sin, the wrath of God and eternal damnation, which are in the Holy Church and remain its true sons: but all the rest, who dwell outside, perish and are drowned in the flood of the abyss of hell" (3:32; cf. 4:300). Pointing to the dismal situation of those outside the Church, St. Tikhon at the same time warns Christians to avoid sinful defilement and not to "anger... Christ," because by doing so a person can very easily remove himself "from the ark of salvation" and fall under eternal damnation and thus lose his blessed life (3:33). In order to remain within the salvific fold of the Church of Christ, a Christian must constantly struggle with temptations. And in order to conquer them completely, he must cry out from the depths of his heart to his Creator and Redeemer for help. And just as sailors who find themselves in trouble at sea hasten to lower their anchor into the depths of the sea and thereby save themselves and the ship from wreck, so all those who are subjected to numerous trials must have recourse to the Helmsman, Jesus Christ and His mercy (4:300). The Lord, according to the archpastor, will always give a helping hand to those who call upon His holy Name, and instead of sorrows, He will establish joy and peace in their souls. "And thus, in the midst of the fiercest temptations of the waves, be bold and say with the Apostle: 'Who shall separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord' (Rom. 8, 35–39)"(3:32).

In the Church of Christ, in this spiritual hospital, there are all the means for the healing of a person's spiritual ailments. However, the Lord, Who dwells in it, does not give these healings without the permission of the person himself. It is necessary that he himself earnestly and with deep faith desire this and implore Christ, the Giver of all blessings, and only in this case will the soul be able to acquire healing and tranquility (4:137). At the same time, the saint compares the Church to a hospital. Just as in the hospital the sick receive help and healing, so in the Church of Christ the sick are healed and sanctified through faith and holy Baptism. And just as in a hospital the attending physician visits his patients, looks after them and gives them medicine so that they recover more quickly, so in the Church the holy Physician of souls and bodies – the Savior of the world – heals Christians, the spiritually ill, visits them and teaches them to abstain from "that which hinders their spiritual healing and the receipt of eternal salvation" (4:137).

The Church gives its faithful followers spiritual healing, contributes to the change of morals by its grace-filled influence, ennobles evil and vicious people, makes them meek and loving (4:300). Healing the soul, the Church, by virtue of the closest unity of the soul and body of man, exerts a healing effect on his bodily composition (4:139).