Later, he was ordained to serve as an evangelist in the Church: "As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then they fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, and sent them away" (Acts 13:2-3). The ordination gave Ap. Paul has the right of a bishop to ordain others: "And having ordained to them presbyters for each church, they prayed with fasting, and committed them to the Lord, in Whom they believed" (Acts 14:23).

  Sectarian: In our translation, this text sounds somewhat different: "They also appointed elders for them in every congregation, and after prayer and fasting they committed them to Jehovah, in whom they believed" (Acts 14:23). As you can see, there is no word "ordination" here. In Greek, the word ceirotonevw means, as it is said in the dictionary of A.D. Weisman, giving a vote in the people's assembly by raising a hand or electing, confirming someone in office.

  Orthodox: This is not entirely true, because in the Apostolic Church, as well as now, consecration was performed through the laying on of hands, this tradition came from the Old Testament. We've read about it. If we look at the text about Paul's ordination, we can see this: "While they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.

Then they fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, and sent them away" (Acts 13:2-3). Here in Greek it says: ejpiqevnte " ta ; " cei ' ra " , which literally means: ejpiqevnte " (put, laid, piled - from the Greek verb "ejpitivqhmi") ta ; " cei ' ra "   (hands). There are no other options in this case, and therefore the Synodal translation is correct when it speaks of ordination.

It is also known from the history of the Church that the election of candidates for the priesthood always preceded ordination. It is strange that the translators of Novy Mir confused the first with the second. So, let's continue. Apostles or their successors , bishops, could ordain and confirm (Acts 8:14-17; 1 Tim. 5:22). Not only presbyters and bishops were ordained, but also deacons: "They set them before the Apostles, and having prayed, they laid hands on them" (Acts 6:6).

Not all Christians perform pastoral service: "And some God has ordained in the Church, first, apostles, secondly, prophets, thirdly, teachers; furthermore, to others He gave miraculous powers, as well as the gifts of healing, help, guidance, and various tongues. Are all the Apostles? Are all prophets? Are they all teachers? Are all miracle workers? Does everyone have the gifts of healing? Does everyone speak in tongues? Are all interpreters?" (1 Corinthians 12:28-30).

  Sectarian: 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 beater, not quarrelsome, not covetous, but quiet, peaceful, 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. He must also have a good testimony from those without, lest he 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." Clibate 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 bear," 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).

Цель безбрачия — целесообразность в деле церковного служения. Ап. Павел ясно высказался по этому вопросу: «А я хочу, чтобы вы были без забот. Неженатый заботится о Господнем, как угодить Господу; а женатый заботится о мирском, как угодить жене...» (1 Кор. 7, 32-33); и выше он сказал: «Впрочем, если и женишься, не согрешишь; и если девица выйдет замуж, не согрешит.

Но таковые будут иметь скорби по плоти; а мне вас жаль. Я вам сказываю, братия: время уже коротко, так что имеющие жен должны быть, как не имеющие» (1 Кор.7, 28-29). Мы не умаляем значение брака, но при этом помним, что жениться надо, чтобы не разжигаться: «Безбрачным же и вдовам говорю: хорошо им оставаться, как я. Но если не могут воздержаться, пусть вступают в брак; ибо лучше вступить в брак, нежели разжигаться» (1 Кор. 7, 8-9).

Но вернемся к вопросу о рукоположении. Сказано: «И никто сам собою не приемлет этой чести, но призываемый Богом, как и Аарон» (Евр. 5, 4). Сравним этот текст с другим: «Не неради о пребывающем в тебе даровании, которое дано тебе по пророчеству с возложением рук священства» (1 Тим. 4, 14). Итак, очевидно, что человек не может сам себя поставить на священническую должность и освятить (рукоположить)

самого себя, но поставляется от Бога «по пророчеству», «с возложением рук священства». В исторических христианских церквах точно известно, от кого из апостолов и чрез каких епископов преемство рукоположения сохраняется до настоящего времени. И это является исторически установленным фактом непрерывности присутствия дара Божия — харизмы в Христовой Церкви: «По сей причине напоминаю тебе возгревать дар Божий, который в тебе через мое рукоположение» (2 Тим. 1, 6).

Касаясь нравственно-моральных проблем в клерикальной среде, мы все должны внимательнее относиться к словам an . Павла: «Рук ни на кого не возлагай поспешно, и не делайся участником в чужих грехах. Храни себя чистым» (1 Тим. 5, 22). Но при этом Писание предупреждает нас осторожно относиться к непроверенным слухам по поводу духовенства: «Обвинение на пресвитера не иначе принимай, как при двух или трех свидетелях» (1 Тим. 5, 19).