О христианских добродетелях
What are Christian Virtues?
Christian virtues are good deeds that flow from faith, evidenced by obedience to God's commands out of love for God and neighbor.
Question 3. What understanding should one have of Christian virtues or good deeds? Answer. Good deeds, or Christian virtue, are the fruit born from faith, just as a good tree bears good fruit, for it is written: "By their fruits you will know them" (Matthew 7:16). And elsewhere: "By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). And in John's letter: "And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments" (1 John 2:3). To help each understand more clearly what Christian virtue is, we say that good deeds consist in fulfilling God's commandments, which a person observes willingly with God's help and the cooperation of their own reason and will, out of love for God and neighbor, without any obstacle, properly so-called, from any source.
The Essential Virtues
Faith, hope, and love are the three most essential virtues for salvation, with love being the greatest, and the chapter will now focus on love.
Question 4. Which Christian virtues are most essential? Answer. The most essential virtues, without which no one can be completely saved, are three: faith, hope, and love. The Apostle lists them in these words: "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" (1 Cor. 13:1–5). Regarding the first two virtues, that is, i.e., we have spoken sufficiently, according to our intention, in the first two parts of the Orthodox Confession. Now, in the light of the Spirit of God, let's talk about love, examining God's commandments.
The Fruits of Love
Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are born from faith, hope, and love, becoming pleasing to God.
Question 5. What other virtues are born from these three main and foundational virtues? The answer. The following three: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These three, growing from faith through Hope, which is animated by Love, become pleasing to God.
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Вопрос 3. Какое понятие должно иметь о Христианских добродетелях или о добрых делах?
Ответ. Добрые дела, или Христианская добродетель есть плод, рождающийся от веры как от хорошего дерева, ибо написано: «от плод их познаете их» (Мф. 7, 16). И в другом месте: «о сем разумеют вси, яко Мои ученицы есте, аще любовь имате между собою» (Ин. 13, 35). И в послании Иоанна: «И о сем разумеем, яко познахом Его, аще заповеди Его соблюдаем» (1Ин. 2, 3). Но дабы каждый удобнее мог понять, что есть Христианская добродетель, говорим, что добрые дела состоят в исполнении заповедей Божиих, которые человек соблюдает охотно при помощи Божией и при содействии собственного разума и воли, из любви к Богу и ближнему, не имея ниоткуда никакого препятствия, собственно так называемого.
Вопрос 4. Какие из Христианских добродетелей наиболее необходимы?
Ответ. Необходимейшие добродетели, без которых никто совершенно не может спастись – три: вера, надежда и любовь. Апостол исчисляет оные в сих словах: «ныне же пребывают вера, надежда, любы, три сия: болши же сих любы» (1Кор. 13:1–5). О первых двух добродетелях, т. е. о вере и надежде, мы, по преднамерению нашему, довольно сказали в первых двух частях Православного Исповедания. Теперь, при свете Духа Божия, будем говорить о любви, рассматривая заповеди Божии.
Вопрос 5. От сих трех главных и начальных добродетелей какие другие добродетели рождаются?
Ответ. Следующие три: молитва, пост и милостыня. Они, произрастая от веры посредством Надежды, одушевляемой Любовию, соделываются благоприятными Богу.
Orthodox Confession (Pravoslavnoe Ispovedanie) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit