St. Paul speaks to us today about unity and schism in the Church. Increasingly, we see that our society is polarized, that there are many things that divide us on moral and ethical grounds between believers and unbelievers. Sadly, this is true even in the Church, whenever other sources of identity—political, ethnic, or other, or disobedience or lack of submission to the divine teachings of the Church, cause us to prefer our own way over Christ’s way. Any division can cause great harm to our unity and the mission of the Church, and lead many astray.
In today’s Epistle, St. Paul pleads with the brethren to be like-minded, to “speak the same thing,” that there may be “no divisions among you.” The word that he uses here to warn them in the original Greek is “skismata,” schism. St. John Chrysostom commenting on this passage, says, “the emphatic force of the word, ‘schism’… the name itself, was a sufficient accusation.” In other words, it was enough to put the fear of God in them so they’d take notice and repent.
The ‘fear’ of being labeled ‘schismatics’ may seem strange to us today: after all, many, particularly in America where we have a very strong independence streak, are used to thinking that even as Christians we can believe whatever we want and still be faithful. Be assured, in the early Church and throughout the Church’s history, being a schismatic, a “divider,” one who separates people from the Church, from the truth of the Orthodox Faith in Christ, was on par with being a heretic, one who outright preaches or teaches doctrines or morality contrary to the Gospel. Both lead to ex-communication, separation from the koinonia, communion, with Christ and the Body, the Church—the ark of our salvation in Christ.
Why was schism so strongly condemned and seen on par with heresy? Because both heresy and schism lead the beloved people of God away from life with and in Him, and therefore, lead them away from their salvation, away from growth in the knowledge and love of God, from communion with Him.
In the case of today’s Epistle, St. Paul wasn’t accusing the Corinthians of being schismatics, but he is warning them that if their divisions and competing identities continue, and if they let those divisions divide their communion from each other, that this was where it would lead—separation from Christ, separation from His Church, and a break in communion with each other.
Our culture’s values and beliefs are constantly changing; sadly, at this time, they’re not changing in the direction of Orthodoxy, but away from God’s truth. Those who stand in the way of so-called ‘progress’ are labeled by our culture ‘bigots,’ ‘narrow-minded,’ or worse.
Many of the Church’s teachings today stand in stark contrast to that which our culture thinks of as acceptable, good, or even laudable: abortion, practicing homosexuality and sex outside marriage, vulgarity, failing to believe that we’re created in God’s image, just to name a few of the many moral and theological issues where dominant and vocal elements within our culture stand in opposition to the truth that God has revealed to us through His Church.
The pluralism of this culture divides us when we allow those forces and beliefs to infiltrate the Church and change our beliefs from what God has revealed for our good—“the faith that was once delivered to the Saints (Jude 1:3). When that happens, we no longer share that same faith that unites us together with all other Orthodox believers around the world, as well as all our beloved ancestors in the faith with whom we also share communion. In a sense, we rip ourselves away from Christ, the Saints, and those loved ones. When we allow the temporal beliefs and identities of this particular time and culture to define us, we separate ourselves and each other from that eternal great communion with Christ and His Church that is salvation.
The “glue” that holds us together as Orthodox believers is precisely the opposite of what our culture teaches: it’s not conformity to the culture, but holding ‘all things in common’ in the truth of Christ, which unites us. Our unity of faith means we can be united with Christ and with one another in that truth. Through our profession and our striving to live the truth that Christ is, to submit ourselves to the Church and her teaches, we’re given a share in that unbroken and unchanging communion with God the Holy Trinity, Who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We as Orthodox are the inheritors and evangelists of that revelation of the Good News of new life and participation in the life of God, which is salvation for us, for all mankind.
Contrary to those who see the Church as a ‘divider’ for not changing with the times, the Church is in reality the upholder of unity among people. The Church invites all people into this communion of love and life with God the Holy Trinity who never changes—regardless of race, gender, political preferences, ethnicity, culture, time, geography—whatever otherwise divides secular humanity. In Christ we’re all called into unity with each other by virtue of this new identity, our new relationship with God and with one another. We’re all invited into a loving relationship with the God who made all things, sustains all things, and gives us new birth.
So submitting ourselves to Christ and the Church means that even while we may wrestle or struggle with aspects of the Faith or the Church’s teachings, we do so while humbly submitting ourselves to it, praying for deeper understanding, because we know the testimony of countless who have come before us is true. We can see through their testimony, through the way these Saints lived their life, the truth of Christ, of what Christ promises us as we put our trust in Him.
Today, we commemorate St. Jacob Netsvetov, Enlgihtener of Alaska, whose deep love for God and for his flock was evident in everything he did. Father Jacob’s preaching often brought together in the Holy Faith tribes who were enemies. One example from his journal reads:
Beginning in the morning, upon my invitation, all the Kol’chane and Ingalit from the Yukon and the local ones gathered at my place and I preached the word of God, concluding at noon. Everyone listened to the preaching with attention and without discussion or dissent, and in the end they all expressed faith and their wish to accept Holy Baptism, both the Kol’chane and the Ingatit (formerly traditional enemies). I made a count by families and in groups, and then in the afternoon began the baptismal service. First I baptized 50 Kol’chane and Ingalit men, the latter from the Yukon and Innoko. It was already evening when I completed the service. March 21, 1853.
The baptism and transfiguration of our culture can happen, if we, the Orthodox Christians in this land, stand together, united, prayerful, humbly articulating and living to the best of our abilities and with God’s help, the timeless Truth of Christ as He’s revealed it to His holy Church. It begins here, in our church, Holy Archangels, in our obedience to Christ and His Church, which is our love for God, our love for one another, and our growing love and concern for our neighbors, those we work or study with, those we see in town on a regular basis, at the grocery store, as we live our lives. Pray this day that St. Jacob will beseech Christ God to give us this same fervor for the Gospel that His great love for Christ gave Him, and that together we will build up Christ’s Church.
The same God who fed the 5,000 and healed their diseases is alive and at work in you and in me to His glory. When the disciples, seeing all the people in need of food, turn to Christ to act, He says to them, “YOU give them something to eat.” God is constantly pushing us to act, to be His hands and feet, His evangelists, His apostles, His healers, to be the “lovers of mankind” that each of the Saints is. Why? Because in this way, you and I grow in faith, in Christ-likeness, and in our participation in the life that He alone is.
Fr. Robert Miclean
Holy Archangels Orthodox Church
26 July 2015
Schism and Unity; St. Jacob Netsvetov, Feeding of the 5,000
Epistle: I Cor. 1:10-18; Ph. 3:7-14
Gospel: Matt. 14:14-22; John 20:11-18
