Jehovah's Witness: There are moral requirements for those who perform various services in Christian congregations: "But a bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife, sober, chaste, decent, honest, loving strangers, teachable, not a drunkard, not a murderer, not quarrelsome, not covetous, but quiet, peaceable, not covetous, ruling his house well, keeping his children in obedience with all honesty; for whoever does not know how to govern his own house, will he take care of the Church of God?

He must not be one of the new converts, lest he become proud and fall into condemnation with the devil. It behooves him also to have a good testimony from those without, so that he may not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil" (1 Tim. 3:2-7). It seems to me that such requirements are not always taken into account in modern Orthodoxy. For example, as far as I know, all your bishops are monks.

And here it is said, "The bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife." Celibacy clergy are a problem in Christendom today. For many, it ends in a moral crisis. Suffice it to recall the recent noisy scandals around some Catholic and Orthodox bishops. Orthodox: Celibacy in the Church is established for those "who can contain, let him contain," as it is written: "There are eunuchs who are castrated from men; and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven. Whosoever is able to bear, let him receive" (Matt. 19:12).

The purpose of celibacy is expediency in the matter of church service. Up. Paul was clear on the matter: "And I want you to be careless. He who is unmarried cares about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but a married man cares about worldly things, how to please his wife..." (1 Corinthians 7:32-33); and above he said: "Nevertheless, even if you marry, you will not sin; and if a virgin marries, she will not sin.

But such will have sorrows in the flesh; And I feel sorry for you. I say to you, brethren, the time is short, so that those who have wives must be as if they had none" (1 Corinthians 7:28-29). We do not implore the importance of marriage, but at the same time we remember that it is necessary to marry in order not to be inflamed: "To the celibate and widows I say, It is good for them to remain as I am. for it is better to marry than to be inflamed" (1 Corinthians 7:8-9).

But let us return to the question of ordination. It is said: "And no one accepts this honor of his own accord, but he who is called of God, even as Aaron was" (Hebrews 5:4). Let us compare this text with another: "Do not neglect the gift that abides in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of hands of the priesthood" (1 Tim. 4:14). Thus, it is obvious that a person cannot place himself in a priestly position and sanctify (ordain) himself

but is ordained by God "according to prophecy," "with the laying on of hands of the priesthood." In the historical Christian churches it is known exactly from which of the apostles and through which bishops the succession of ordination is preserved to the present day. And this is a historically established fact of the continuity of the presence of the gift of God – charisma – in the Church of Christ: "For this reason I remind you to stir up the gift of God, which is in you through my ordination" (2 Tim. 1:6).

When it comes to moral problems in the clerical environment, we should all be more attentive to the words an. Paul: "Do not lay your hands on anyone hastily, and do not become a partaker of the sins of others. Keep thyself pure" (1 Tim. 5:22). But at the same time, the Scriptures warn us to be wary of unverified rumors about the clergy: "Receive no accusation against a presbyter except in the presence of two or three witnesses" (1 Tim. 5:19).

On the other hand, grace also works through the unworthy. It is said: "But what about that? No matter how Christ is preached, feigned or sincere, I rejoice and will rejoice" (Phil. 1:18). The Lord Jesus Christ once said: "On the seat of Moses sat the scribes and Pharisees; therefore whatsoever they command you to observe, observe and do; but do not do according to their works, for they speak and do not" (Matt. 23:2-3)

– Апостолы не идеализировали и самих себя. Так, например, ап. Иаков говорил: «Братия мои! не многие делайтесь учителями, зная, что мы подвергнемся большему осуждению, ибо все мы много согрешаем...» (Иак.3,1-2). Ап. Павел подчеркивал, что служители не всегда соответствуют тому, чем они должны быть. Иначе, он говорил о фактическом несоответствии: «...

для того, чтобы нам показаться, чем должны быть; но чтобы вы делали добро, хотя бы мы казались и не тем, чем должны быть» (2 Кор.13,7). Вера в собственную безгрешность, кстати, свойственную многим сектам, апостолы почитали лживым лицемерием: «Если говорим, что мы не согрешили, то представляем Его лживым, и слова Его нет в нас» (1 Ин.1,10). А о себе самом ал.

Павел говорил: «Ибо не понимаю, что делаю: потому что не то делаю, что хочу, а что ненавижу, то делаю... Ибо знаю, что не живет во мне, то есть в плоти моей, доброе; потому что желание добра есть во мне, но чтобы сделать оное, того не нахожу. Доброго, которого хочу, не делаю, а злое, которого не хочу, делаю» (Рим.7,15-19). 4. О исповеди Православный: Как мы видим, проблема греха – это серьезная проблема и сами апостолы стремились ее разрешить.

Действительно, а как вы решаете эту проблему? Свидетель Иеговы:  14 нисана 33 года Иисус отдал жизнь свою «для искупления многих» (Мк.10,45). Сказано: «Ибо един Бог, един и посредник между Богом и человеками, человек Христос Иисус, предавший Себя для искупления всех. Таково было в свое время свидетельство» (1Тим.2,5-6). Смертью Иисуса Иегова Бог совершил акт справедливости. В законе сказано: «Твердыня!

совершенны дела Его, ибо все пути его праведны. Бог истины, и нет неправды в Нем, Он правдив и верен» (ПАМ Втор.32,4). Закон требовал компенсации за грех, и она была удовлетворена кровью человека Христа Иисуса по принципу: «Да и все почти по закону очищается кровью, и без пролития крови не бывает прощения» (Евр.9,22). «Которого Бог предложил в жертву умилостивления в Крови Его через веру, для показания правды Его в прощении грехов, соделанных прежде, во время долготерпения Божия, к показанию правды Его в настоящее время, да явится Он праведным и оправдывающим верующего в Иисуса» (Рим.3,25-26).