Theology – Page 3 – Faith Unto Ages

Is the Eucharist only a Symbol? The Testimony of Abba Daniel the Pharanite

This is what Abba Daniel, the Pharanite, said, ‘Our Father Abba Arsenius told us of an inhabitant of Scetis, of notable life and of simple faith; through his naivete he was deceived and said, “The bread which we receive is not really the body of Christ, but a symbol.”

Two old men having learnt that he had uttered this saying, knowing that he was outstanding in his way of life, knew that he had not spoken through malice, but through simplicity. So they came to find him and said, “Father, we have heard a proposition contrary to the faith on the part of someone who says that the bread which we receive is not really the body of Christ, but a symbol.”

The old man said, “It is I who have said that.” Then the old men exhorted him saying, “Do not hold this position, Father, but hold one in conformity with that which the catholic Church has given us. We believe, for our part, that the bread itself is the body of Christ and that the cup itself is his blood and this in all truth and not a symbol. But as in the beginning, God formed man in his image, taking the dust of the earth, without anyone being able to say that it is not the image of God, even though it is not seen to be so; thus it is with the bread of which he said that it is his body; and so we believe that it is really the body of Christ.”

An Orthodox Apologia for the Intercession of Saints

Concerning the Orthodox Church’s teaching on the intercession of saints, heretics often argue that it is both idolatrous and unbiblical. When the Orthodox Christian is challenged on this matter, they are forced to respond to at least one of the following objections: ‘How could the saints hear your prayers if they are dead?’, ‘praying to saints is idolatry!”, “where is that in the Bible?”, & “the Bible says that there is only one Mediator between God and Man.”

It is important to note that the Holy Orthodox Church does not by any means disagree with the latter statement presented above, given that this comes directly from Divine Revelation itself (c.f. 1 Timothy 2:5, Heb 8:6, 9:15, 12:25, etc). Before we address the objections to the doctrine of the intercession of the saints, it is necessary to first define Christ’s role as the Mediator between God and man in detail.

The Early Church Fathers: Were they Miaphysite?

A common misconception about the Oriental Orthodox Church is that it’s Christology is ‘Monophysite’, meaning, that She followers the erroneous teachings of Eutyches of Constantinople that Jesus’ humanity had disappeared into His Divinity.

On the contrary, the Church teaches that Jesus Christ is Fully God and Fully Man; but One Concrete and Composite Nature from Two. This form of Christology is known as ‘Miaphysitism’, which has its basis in the teachings of the Early Church Fathers.

Below is an explanation of our Church’s Christology is more detail by His Holiness Pope Shenouda the Third, followed by a Florilegium on this dogmatic teaching.