Approved for publication by the Publications Board of the Russian Orthodox Church PB Р15-505-0293
Priest Daniel Sysoev. Why Do Believers Quarrel? Talks on the First and Second Epistles of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians. In 12 books. Book 1. — New Jersey, Daniel Sysoev Inc, 2016. — 224 pp.
ISBN 978-5-4279-0061-6
This edition is dedicated to the five-year anniversary of the author's martyric death. How to avoid divisions in the Church while attuning the mind and heart to unity in Christ. Grace is to be sought from God, not from men. Can Christ really be divided? If Christ cannot be divided, how can His Body—the Church— be divided? Vainglory fuels quarrels, and man-worship in the Church leads to terrible consequences. Protected by copyright law. Reproduction of this book in whole or in part is prohibited. Any violations of this law will be prosecuted.
© Daniel Sysoev Inc, 2016 © Yulia Sysoeva, 2016
CONTENTS Preamble by Fr. Daniel Sysoev. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 The Call to Sanctity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 The Advantages of Sanctity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Schisms and Quarrels in the Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 The Foolishness of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Understanding the Wisdom of God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Carnal Christians. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 How to Judge the Works of Believers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 How to Avoid Divisions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Bibliography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
If you cannot be a fisher of men, catch fish to feed fishers of men. Saint Macarius (Glukharev)
PREAMBLE BY FR. DANIEL SYSOEV
This epistle was written during Great Lent in the year 57 after the Nativity of Christ, in Ephe sus, and was addressed to Corinth. The city of Corinth exists to this day on an isthmus between the Peloponnesus and Central Greece. In this city the apostle Paul founded a Christian church. Corinth itself is an ancient city. According to leg end it was founded 1400 years before the Nativ ity of Christ by a king of great renown, whose name was Sisyphus. You have heard of the “tor ment of Sisyphus”? For a long time the city was involved in various rebellions and wars, and was ravaged on multiple occasions. It was destroyed by the ancient Romans, then later the Romans themselves rebuilt it. Corinth, like Olympus and several other cities, was one of the chief centers for athletic games in Greece. At the same time Corinth was in every sense a trade center and a seaport. Corinth was renowned for its wealth, and its inhabitants—for their love of luxury and their depraved morals. For this reason whenever a person was accused of unseemly behavior he was often asked, “What are you, a Corinthian?”— implying that he had just left a brothel. 5
Why Do Believers Quarrel?
I have been to the ruins of ancient Corinth, which have survived to this day—the ruins of a city of the greatest depravity, a seaport, a city of idolatry, a melting pot of all different nations, a city where athletic games were the chief focus (these phenomena were largely interrelated). And in this city—a center for this kind of deprav ity—the apostle Paul preached for 18 months. If you have read the Acts of the Apostles you will recall that after Paul was driven out of Thessalonica he went to Berea and founded a church there. When the apostle was driven out from there as well by the Jews who were persecu ting him he went to Athens, and from Athens to Corinth. In Corinth he began to preach in the synagogue, but the Jews revolted against him. The apostle Paul was on the verge of leaving the city, but the Lord said to him, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city (Acts 18:9—10). At this same time he met Aquila and Pris cilla. They lived together because they plied the same trade, the apostle Paul being a maker of tents. He made tents mostly for soldiers, who lived in them during campaigns, just as they 6
Priest Daniel Sysoev
Why Do Believers Quarrel? Talks on the First and Second Epistles of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians In 12 books Book 1 Translator and Editor-in-chief Deacon Nathan Williams Cover Igor Yermolaev Proofreader Deacon Anthony Williams Danielsysoev.com mission-shop.com mission379@gmail.com