Об откровении Божественном
The Necessity of Divine Revelation
Divine revelation is the essential means by which God communicates Himself to humanity, overcoming the limitations imposed by our sinful nature.
Where does the teaching of the Orthodox faith come from? From Divine revelation. What do we mean by the term divine revelation? That which God Himself has revealed to human beings, so that they might believe in Him rightly and unto salvation, and honor Him worthily.1 Did God give such a revelation to all people? He gave it for all people, as something necessary and salvific for everyone; but since not all people are capable of receiving revelation from God directly, He employed special heralds of His revelation, who would pass it on to all people who wish to receive it. Why can't everyone receive revelation from God? Because of sinful impurity and the weakness of spirit and body.
The Heralds of the Word
God has historically used prophets and ultimately His own Son, Jesus Christ, to perfectly reveal His mysteries to the world.
Who were the heralds of God's revelation? Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and the other prophets received and proclaimed the early beginnings of God's revelation; but the incarnate Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, brought that revelation to earth in its fullness and perfection, spreading it throughout the world through His disciples and apostles. The Apostle Paul writes at the beginning of his Epistle to the Hebrews: In many portions and in many ways God spoke of old to the fathers through the prophets; in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he also made the ages. The same apostle writes to the Corinthians: We speak the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery, which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age understood.✦ But God has revealed it to us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God (1 Cor. 2:7–8, 10). The Evangelist John writes in the Gospel: No one has ever seen God; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known (John 1:18).✦ Jesus Christ himself says: No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him (Matt. 11:27).✦
The Limits of Natural Knowledge
While creation offers a glimpse of God's power and wisdom, it serves only as a preparatory step toward the fullness of faith found in revelation.
Is it truly impossible for a person to know God without a special revelation from Him? A person can come to know God by considering the things He has created, but this knowledge is imperfect and insufficient; it can only serve as a preparation for faith or as a help toward knowing God through His revelation. For His invisible things, from the creation of the world, being contemplated through the things that are made, are clearly seen—both His everlasting power and Godhead (Rom 1:20).✦ And He has made from one blood every nation of mankind to live over all the face of the earth, having set appointed times and the boundaries of their dwelling, so that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might feel after Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us: for in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts✦ 17:26–28).✦ Regarding faith in God, what comes first is the thought that God exists—a thought we gain through created things. By carefully considering the creation of the world, we come to know that God is wise, almighty, and good; we also come to know all His invisible attributes.✦ In this way, we accept Him as the Supreme Ruler. Since God is the Creator of the whole world, and we are part of that world, it follows that God is our Creator, too. After this knowledge comes faith, and after this faith comes worship. (Basil2 the Great, Epistle3 232).
Read the original Latin
Откуда почерпается учение Православной веры? Из откровения Божественного.
Что разумеется под именем Божественного откровения? То, что Сам Бог открыл человекам, дабы они могли право и спасительно веровать в Него и достойно чтить Его.
Всем ли человекам дал Бог такое откровение? Он дал оное для всех человеков как для всех нужное и спасительное, но поелику не все человеки способны непосредственно принять откровение от Бога, то Он употребил особенных провозвестников откровения Своего, которые бы передали оное всем человекам, желающим принять оное.
Почему не все человеки способны принять откровение от Бога? По греховной нечистоте и немощи духа и тела.
Кто были провозвестниками откровения Божия? Адам, Ной, Авраам, Моисей и другие пророки приняли и проповедали начатки откровения Божия; в полноте же и совершенстве принес на землю откровение Божие воплощенный Сын Божий, Господь наш Иисус Христос, и распространил оное по вселенной чрез Своих учеников и апостолов. Апостол Павел говорит в начале своего Послания к Евреям: многоча́стнѣ и҆ многоѡбра́знѣ дре́вле бг҃ъ гл҃авый ѻ҆тцє́мъ во прⷪ҇ро́цѣхъ, в҃ въ послѣ́докъ дні́й си́хъ гл҃а на́мъ въ сн҃ѣ, є҆го́же положѝ наслѣ́дника всѣ̑мъ, и҆́мже и҆ вѣ́ки сотворѝ. Тот же апостол пишет к коринфянам: глаго́лемъ премⷣрость бж҃їю, въ та́йнѣ сокрове́ннꙋю, ю҆́же пред̾ꙋста́ви бг҃ъ пре́жде вѣ̑къ въ сла́вꙋ на́шꙋ, ю҆́же никто́же ѿ кнѧзе́й вѣ́ка сегѡ̀ разꙋмѣ̀. На́мъ же бг҃ъ ѿкры́лъ є҆́сть дх҃омъ свои́мъ: дх҃ъ бо всѧ̑ и҆спытꙋ́етъ, и҆ глꙋбины̑ бж҃їѧ (1Кор. 2:7—8,10). Евангелист Иоанн пишет в Евангелии: бг҃а никто́же ви́дѣ нигдѣ́же: є҆диноро́дный сн҃ъ, сы́й въ ло́нѣ ѻ҆́ч҃и, то́й и҆сповѣ́да (Ин 1:18). Сам Иисус Христос глаголет: никто́же зна́етъ сн҃а, то́кмѡ ѻ҆ц҃ъ: ни ѻ҆ц҃а̀ кто̀ зна́етъ, то́кмѡ сн҃ъ, и҆ є҆мꙋ́же а҆́ще во́литъ сн҃ъ ѿкры́ти (Мф 11:27).
Неужели человек не может иметь познания о Боге без особенного откровения Божия? Человек может познавать Бога из рассматривания сотворенных от Бога вещей; но сие познание бывает несовершенно и недостаточно и может служить только приготовлением к вере, или некоторым пособием к познанию Бога из Его откровения. Неви̑димаѧ бо є҆гѡ̀, ѿ созда́нїѧ мі́ра творе́ньми помышлѧ́єма, ви̑дима сꙋ́ть, и҆ прⷭ҇носꙋ́щнаѧ си́ла є҆гѡ̀ и҆ бжⷭ҇тво̀ (Рим 1:20). Сотвори́лъ же є҆́сть ѿ є҆ди́ныѧ кро́ве ве́сь ꙗ҆зы́къ человѣ́чь, жи́ти по всемꙋ̀ лицꙋ̀ земно́мꙋ, ѹ҆ста́вивъ пред̾ꙋчинє́наѧ времена̀ и҆ предѣ́лы селе́нїѧ и҆́хъ, взыска́ти гдⷭ҇а, да понѐ ѡ҆сѧ́жꙋтъ є҆го̀ и҆ ѡ҆брѧ́щꙋтъ, ꙗ҆́кѡ не дале́че ѿ є҆ди́нагѡ коегѡ́ждо на́съ сꙋ́ща: ѡ҆ не́мъ бо живе́мъ и҆ дви́жемсѧ и҆ є҆смы̀ (Деян. 17:26—28). В рассуждении веры в Бога предшествует помышление то, что Бог есть; которое (помышление) мы снискиваем чрез сотворенные вещи. Прилежно рассматривая творение мира, познаем, что Бог премудр, всемогущ, благ; познаем также и все невидимые Его свойства. Таким образом Его яко Верховного Правителя приемлем.
Поелику всего мира Творец есть Бог, а мы составляем часть мира: следственно, Бог есть Творец и наш. За сим познанием следует вера, и за сею верою поклонение. (Вас. Вел. Посл. 232).
Scripture echoes
- ↩1Cor.2.7-1Cor.2.8 — But we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom that God foreordained before the ages for our glory. 1Cor.2.8 — None of the rulers of this age understood it; for if they had understood, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
- ↩John.1.18 — No one has ever seen God; the only-begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, that one has made him known.
- ↩Matt.11.27 — All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
- ↩Rom.1.20 — For since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes have been clearly perceived, being understood through the things that have been made: both his eternal power and divine nature. So they are without excuse.
- ↩Acts.17.26-Acts.17.28 — And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined appointed times and the boundaries of their dwelling place, Acts.17.27 — that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might grope for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. Acts.17.28 — For in him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also his offspring.'
- ↩Acts.17.26-Acts.17.28 — And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined appointed times and the boundaries of their dwelling place, Acts.17.27 — that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might grope for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. Acts.17.28 — For in him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also his offspring.'
- ↩Rom.1.20 — For since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes have been clearly perceived, being understood through the things that have been made: both his eternal power and divine nature. So they are without excuse.
Notes
- 1 ↩Russian «право и спасительно веровать» is rendered as «believe… rightly and unto salvation» to keep both orthodoxy of belief and its saving purpose; «спасительно» is adverbial (unto/for salvation), not merely «savingly’ as a vague intensifier.
- 2 ↩Abbreviation fragment of the patristic citation «Вас. Вел. Посл. 232» = Basil the Great, Epistle/Letter 232; sentence split across s3–s6.
- 3 ↩«Посл.» may render as Epistle or Letter; both are standard for Basil’s correspondence. Epistle matches traditional catechetical citation style.
The Longer Catechism of the Orthodox, Catholic, Eastern Church (Catechism of St Philaret) 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