Conversion of a High Priest into a Christian WorkerGolden, M. (Meletios)
Religion
Conversion of a High Priest into a Christian Worker
Golden, M. (Meletios)
Golden, M. (Meletios)
The Cirei were buildings oblong in shape, used for public games, races,
and beast-fights. The Theatra were edifices designed for dramatic
exhibitions: the Amphitheatra (double theatres, buildings in an oval
form) served for gladiatorial shows and the fighting of wild animals.
That which was erected by the Emperor Titus, and of which there still
exists a splendid ruin, was called the Coliseum, from a colossal statue
of Nero that stood near it. With an excess of luxury, perfumed liquids
were conveyed in secret tubes round these immense structures, and
diffused over the spectators, sometimes from the statues which adorned
the interior. In the arena which formed the centre of the amphitheatres,
the early Christians often endured martyrdom by being exposed to
ravenous beasts.
In modern Rome there are various things to excite the curiosity of the
stranger, but in my observations I could only see four elements
predominating above everything, monks, nuns, priests and beggars. They
form a continued procession all day long of the most spectacular
carnival that could be seen in any of the Babylons of the world.
And now while in Rome, we might ask the question: Who founded the church
at Rome? The question is equally interesting, if not important to the
Protestant and to Catholic. The Romish church assigns the honour to
Peter, and on this grounds an argument in favour of the claims of the
Papacy. But strict search in and about all the obtainable sources of
knowledge, it does give no sufficient reason for believing that Peter
was ever even so much as within the walls of Rome. Thus, by all inspired
documents there is one title clear left to Pope and his scheme,
"unaccountable falsifier." As an ordained High Priest in the Greek
Orthodox Church, I have been for many years studied in this particular
subject. The Libraries in Mount Athos gave me all the opportunities that
the high and exalted position, which I held, could afford, to find the
truth concerning the claims of the Pope. The Fathers of the Church,
Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostomus, and all the
host of Ecclesiastical authorities agree unanimously that the Lord Jesus
never intended to concede any right of supremacy, to Peter, over the
other apostles. Otherwise He (Jesus) would never have said those
wonderful words (Matt. 20, 25, etc.), and Peter himself disclaiming the
assertions of the Papacy (Pet. 1, 5, 3, etc.). And it is certain that
there is no instance on record of the apostle's (Peter) having ever
claimed or exercised this supposed power, but on the contrary, he is
oftener than once represented as submitting to an exercise of power upon
the part of others, as when, for instance, he went forth as a messenger
from the apostles assembled in Jerusalem to the Christians in Samaria,
and when he received a rebuke from Paul. Now as a matter of fact, if
Peter was ever Great, that was, when he repented for denying his Master.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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