ECF's -Which ones were right?

[Ramon96]

Anglian,

I want to say thank-you Brother for your enlightening posts about Theosis [and your other posts]. Probably others are less familiar with the Orthodox doctrine of Theosis, but you have explain it very well. Like you said, we can see how the ECFs take up an important theme from Scripture and illuminate our understanding of it. The Holy Spirit never left the Church; he have use the Holy Fathers of the Church to tell us which books belong in the Holy Bible and to deepen our understanding of the Holy Bible.

As someone had told me before: "You know, we Christians need to stop thinking we were the first ones who have ever read and study the Holy Scriptures. We have a huge amount of knowledge left behind by our Ancestors. You see, we have the key, all we need to do is unlock the door."

After studying the Holy Fathers for several years, reading there commentaries [and other works], I have to say that now I see several Scriptures in new lights, especially after reading Saint John Chrysostom's Commentaries/Homilies of various books of the Holy Bible. They have illuminated my understanding of Scriptures. And not only I, but millions, if not billions, of Christians around the world have gain much from reading the writings of Holy Fathers. Unfortunately, they are many [particularly Protestants/Pop-Evangelicals] who have a personal bias agaisnt the Holy Fathers of the Church.

As you said, and I agree:

Instead of taking the approach which focuses on where the ECFs disagree and asking which of them was right, an attempt is being made here to show how, more typically, their writings, based upon the Church's understanding of Scripture, enlarge our own reading of the same - as well as helping form the doctrines through which the Church has tried to hold at arm's length heretical notions.

Blessings,
Ramon

 

[Anglian]

Dear Ramon,

I am glad that you find the posts on theosis useful; I am currently working up my notes on Origen, which I hope to post later.

Those who feel that they are personally-inspired to read and understand Holy Scriptures by their own light are doing no more than the tradition of which they are part has done for a few centuries now; but they, too, have access to the Church Fathers. Those who feel they have nothing to learn from such may well be right; those of us who do learn something from the ECFs will remain grateful to them.

Peace,

Anglian