Episodes

  • Bible Study - Revelation Session 2

    Bible Study - Revelation Session 2
    Sep 19 2024
    Revelation, Session Two Christ the Savior, Anderson SC Fr. Anthony Perkins Sources: The translation of the Apocalypse is from the Orthodox Study Bible. Lawrence R. Farley, The Apocalypse of St. John: A Revelation of Love and Power, The Orthodox Bible Study Companion (Chesterton, IN: Ancient Faith Publishing, 2011), Bishop Averky, The Epistles and the Apocalypse (Commentary on the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament, Volume III. (Holy Trinity Seminary Press, 2018). Andrew of Caesarea, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ed. David G. Hunter, trans. Eugenia Scarvelis Constantinou, vol. 123, The Fathers of the Church (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2011). Venerable Bede, The Explanation of the Apocalypse, trans. Edward Marshall (Oxford: James Parker and Co., 1878). William C. Weinrich, ed., Revelation, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005). Correction from Last Week Revelation was removed from active use because it was being used to support the Marcionists, not the Gnostics [or Montanism as I said in the class!]. The Orthodox Study Bible; “[I]n the second and third centuries Revelation was widely twisted and sensationally misinterpreted, and the erroneous teachings brought troublesome confusion to Christians – a trend that continues to this day.” Review of Last Week The Church wants us to be aware of the Last Judgement but from WITHIN the sacraments and the “good defense” God gives us through them. Authorship and Dating of the Work The author was St. John the Theologian St. John’s disciple Papias of Hierapolis, St. Justin the Martyr (lived in Ephesus), St. Irenaeus (disciple of Polycarp of Smyrna who was a disciple of St. John), St. Hippolytus (disciple of St. Irenaeus), St. Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian and Origen were early leaders of the Church who knew and witnessed to this. The work itself (see 1:2; also exile on Patmos). The date of the work is AD 95/96 St. Irenaeus; Against Heresies (5.30.3) Purpose of the Work To show things that must shortly come to pass (1:1). Pastoral protection and encouragement to the early Church against state persecution and (internal) heresy. Apokalypsis means uncovering of something that has been hidden. Style and Interpretation of the Work Apocalyptic Literature. A “visceral” (Fr. Lawrence) and heavily symbolic genre. It is meant to be prophetic in every sense of the word. “It is a human work. But it is also an apostolic work, and as an apostle, John tells the truth, striving to convey to us the substance and power of what the Lord revealed to him for our sake.” (Fr. Lawrence) What are we to make of the diverse interpretations offered by saints? Not to be taken literally in the modern sense; “Thus, for example, a literalistic understanding of the images of this book has given occasion, and even now continues to give occasion, for the false teaching of “Chiliasm” – the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth.” (Bishop Averky) Bishop Averky says four main categories of interpretation (and calls for a combination): Visions and symbols of the “last times” (end of the world, the anti-christ, second coming) Description of the historical pagan Roman persecutions against the Church in the first century. Look for realization of the prophecies in recent history. Allegorical and moral meaning. The Orthodox Study Bible: “Faithfulness in tribulation” is the main theme, with subthemes of Divine Judgment of human wickedness and The symbolic presentation of most major New Testament teachings concerning eschatology, the study of the last things. 1:1. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants – things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John. Andrew of Caesarea. “An apocalypse is the manifestation of hidden mysteries when the intellect is illuminated either through divine dreams or according to waking visions from divine enlightenment. To be given to Christ, it says, making this statement about him especially with respect to his human , since in the Gospel he above all others dwelt on the sublime and things that befit God. And here, the magnitude of the divinity of Christ is shown through the attending angel, and through the name of the teaching servants, for “all things are his servants.” The must come to pass soon means that some of the predictions concerning them are to come to pass immediately thereafter and the things regarding the end are not to be delayed, because “one thousand years” to God is “like yesterday’s day, which is reckoned as having elapsed.” St. Bede. The revelation of Jesus Christ. The progress with which the Church that had been founded by the Apostles was to be extended, or the end with which it was to be perfected, had need to be revealed, in order to strengthen the preachers of the faith against the ...
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    57 mins
  • Homily - Don't Recreate the Law

    Homily - Don't Recreate the Law
    Sep 16 2024

    (Galatians 2:16-20) Fr. Anthony kept close to his notes this week so as to avoid last week’s “hostage situation.” He addressed the temptation to recreate the Old Testament Law using The Way of Orthodoxy. This would be similar to the Judaizing and Babelizing temptation he warned against last week. Enjoy the show!
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    15 mins
  • Bible Study - Introduction to Revelation

    Bible Study - Introduction to Revelation
    Sep 16 2024
    Sources: Andrew of Ceasarea: Commentary on the Apocalypse Bishop Averky, The Epistles and the Apocalypse, Commentary on the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament (Volume III) Fr. Lawrence R. Farley. The Apocalypse of St. John; A Revelation of Love and Power St. Bede. Explanation of the Apocalypse; Letter of Bede to Eusebius Fr. Thomas Hopko: AFR podcast - A Walk Through the Apocalypse (three parts) Dr. Jeanie Constantinau: Search the Scriptures Live – Series Fr. Stephen De Young; The Whole Counsel of God; Series on Revolution Oca.org (Rainbow Series) There was a certain hesitation on the part of the early Church to include the book of Revelation in the canonical scriptures of the New Testament. The reason for this was obviously the great difficulty of interpreting the apocalyptic symbols of the book. Nevertheless, since the document carried the name of the apostle John, and since it was inspired by the Holy Spirit for the instruction and edification of the Church, it came to be the last book listed in the Bible, although it is never read liturgically in the Orthodox Church. [Comment on historical reasons why!] It is indeed difficult to interpret the book of Revelation, especially if one is unfamiliar with the images and symbols of the apocalyptic writings of the Bible, that is the Old Testament, and of the Judeo-Christian Tradition. There exists, however, a traditional approach to the interpretation of the book within the Church which offers insight into its meaning for the faithful. The wrong method of interpreting the book of Revelation is to give some sort of exclusive meaning to its many visions, equating them with specific, concrete historical events and persons, and to fail to understand the symbolical significance of the many images which are used by the author following biblical and traditional sources. First of all, the letters to the seven churches have both a historical and a universal meaning. The messages are clear and remain relevant to situations which have always existed in the Church and which exist today. For example, many older churches in all ages of history can he identified with the Church of Ephesus. Those under persecution can be compared with the Church in Smyrna. And not a few—perhaps some in America right now—can be judged with the Church in Laodicea. The seven letters remain forever as “prototypical” of churches that will exist until Christ’s kingdom comes. The visions and prophecies of the main body of the book of Revelation present great difficulties, but mostly to those interpreters who would attempt to apply them to one or another historical event or person. If the general vision and prophecy of the book is seen as revealing the correlation between events “in heaven” and events “on earth,” between God and man, between the powers of goodness and the powers of evil, then, though many difficulties obviously remain, some will also immediately disappear. In the book of Revelation, one comes to understand that the Kingdom of God is always over all and before all. One sees as well that the battle between the righteous and the evil is perpetually being waged. There are always the faithful who belong to the Lamb, being crowned and robed by Him for their victories. There are always the “beasts” and the “dragons” which need to be defeated. The “great harlot” and the “great Babylon” are forever to be destroyed. The “heavenly Jerusalem” is perpetually coming, and one day it will come and the final victory will be complete. One notices as well that there is a universality and finality about the symbols and images of the book of Revelation, a meaning to be applied to them which has already been revealed in the scriptures of the Old Testament. Thus, for example, the image of Babylon stands for every society which fights against God, every body of persons united in wickedness and fleshliness. The image of harlotry universally applies as well to all who are corrupted by their passions and lusts, unfaithful to God Who has made them and loves them. The symbolic numerology also remains constant, with the number 666 (13.18), for example, symbolizing total depravity, unlike 7 which is the symbol of fulness; and the number 144,000 (14.3) being the symbol of total completion and the full number of the saved, the result of the multiplication of 12 times 12—the number of the tribes of Israel and the apostles of Christ. Thus, through the images of the book of Revelation, a depth of penetration into universal spiritual realities is disclosed which is greater than any particular earthly reality. The insight into the meaning of the book depends on the inspiration of God and the purity of heart of those who have eyes to see and ears to hear and minds willing and able to understand. In the Orthodox Church, the book of Revelation has great liturgical significance. The worship of the Church has traditionally, quite consciously, been patterned after the ...
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    58 mins
  • Homily - Judaizing Circumcision & Babelizing Nationalism

    Homily - Judaizing Circumcision & Babelizing Nationalism
    Sep 10 2024
    Galatians 6:11-18. In today's episode, Fr. Anthony jokes that this homily might get him fired. He drew on St. John Chrysostom’s homily on these verses to make the case that what Circumcision is to Judaizing, Nationalism is to Babel. Both the Jewish law AND the division of people into nations have lost their justification thanks to the Incarnation and Pentecost. (Note: both Judaizing and ethnophylatism are heresies). Even though his point could have been made in half the time, and he gets lost in the weeds a few times, he made some important points, glory to God! Enjoy the show!
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    28 mins
  • Homily - Teaching Liturgy (Full Length)

    Homily - Teaching Liturgy (Full Length)
    Sep 2 2024

    In this episode, we are taken through a teaching liturgy in its full length. Enjoy the show!
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    1 hr and 21 mins
  • Homily - Teaching Liturgy

    Homily - Teaching Liturgy
    Sep 2 2024
    Before the service. After attending the Divine Liturgy at Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, emissaries of St. Volodymyr, the King of Kyivan-Rus’ reported: “We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth. One thing we understood, was that God was in our midst!” This is the experience that is available to all of us when we come to Divine Liturgy; but as with all things, this experience will be greater the more we prepare for it and the more we understand and open ourselves up to it. The time of preparation is over – now is the time to grow in our understanding of it and to open ourselves up to it. For the next hour or two you can relax, open yourself up, and be vulnerable; you can’t really do that at school or work; you may not even be able to do it with your friends. You certainly can’t do it on social media. But if you do it here, you open yourself up NOT to the risk of hurt or manipulation but to the love and transformational mercy of God. The words, hymns, and actions of the Divine Liturgy are the way that God has chosen to work with us to accomplish His will that “all be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.” Through these words, hymns, and actions, He will strengthen our hearts, heal our pain, and help us realize just how good it is to be alive. Today’s Liturgy is a Teaching Liturgy; I will be taking time at various points in the service in order to explain what is going on. Right now, I encourage you to strap in and prepare yourself for the powerful way God has chosen to meet and help us, His children: the Divine Liturgy. After the First Antiphon Right now, this may still look like a former medical center in downtown Anderson. But it is not; it is now a place of power. The barrier between earth and heaven has dissolved. This is what is known in mythologies and fairy tales as a “thin place.” But this is no mere story. Our reality is being merged with the reality of the constant and eternal worship that surrounds God’s throne. The beauty of the icons and altar, the music, the chanting, the vestments, the incense, the cloud of confessors, and the angels who came here with us; all these are part of the majesty of heavenly worship into which we are being drawn; this experience merging with that of the tens of thousands of angels, the thousands of archangels and the cherubim and seraphim who do this at the throne of God 24/7. We are like the Prophet Isaiah, the Prophet Daniel, the Apostle Paul, or St. John the Theologian, allowed to live through things that the eye cannot see nor the mind comprehend. If we open our hearts to this reality, we will be transformed by this mystical journey. After the Second Antiphon. Why do we repeat things? Because they are important. Because they make us part of something greater. They pattern our souls according to the logic of love. When we pray, we are part of something magical: God working through us and with us to transform this world. Our every moment throughout the preceding days has been transformed by prayer; this is the continuance and crowning of that prayer. Before the EntranceThe Divine Liturgy did not always look exactly like it does now. For one, there used to be a lot more movement. Instead of singing the first antiphons in church, we would have sung them on the way to church. The service would have begun as the Gospel was brought from the outside into the sanctuary. Now the ritual of bringing the Gospel out of the altar to the people reminds us of something very important: that Christ God has come from heaven to be in our midst! This is what we are celebrating and confirming when we kiss the Gospel and exchange the words; “Christ is in our midst – He is and shall be.” God did not just take on flesh two thousand years ago, He lives in the Church and its voice is His voice. After the “Holy God”, Before the Epistle In conversations, especially in conversations with people wiser and more knowledgeable than us, we should spend more time listening than speaking. Our liturgical dialogue with God is the same. Up to this point, we have been doing most of the talking, sharing our litanies of concerns with Him and asking for His mercy. Now it is time for us to stop talking and listen to His Word. The Epistles and Gospel readings are like food for our hungry souls. Before each reading, the deacon says; “Let us be attentive!” This is not the time for us to let our minds wander or count the number of tiles in the ceiling but rather a time to ask what God is trying to say to us and think of how we can improve our lives by putting His words into practice. After the Gospel Reading For today’s homily, I want to address a common question that many of us have but are afraid to ask out loud: “Why do we do this every week?” We sometimes forget that the central action of the Divine Liturgy is a ritualized “meal”, when we all eat the “Mystical ...
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    16 mins
  • Homily - Building Relationships

    Homily - Building Relationships
    Aug 25 2024

    In today's epistle reading from 1 Corinthians 3:9-17, St. Paul instructs us to build carefully upon our foundation - Jesus Christ. Wrapping up on his series on relationships, Fr. Anthony expounds upon St. Paul's lesson. He reminds us that all work we put in to build relationship will become manifest daily in the face of temptation. Fr. Anthony tells us how we must build every relationship upon Christ if it is to endure that tempation. Enjoy the show!
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    24 mins
  • Homily - Is Christ Divided

    Homily - Is Christ Divided
    Aug 18 2024

    In today's epistle reading from 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, St. Paul calls for unity in the body of Christ. In his homily, Fr. Anthony tells us how, without Christ, division is our natural state; how, without Christ, our gifts become occasion for division. He explains that opinions should not divide those who profess and live in Christ, and reminds us that if we are becoming holy, we are becoming united. Enjoy the show!
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    17 mins