"...and the disciples in Antioch
for the first time
to be called Christians." ()

Christian- a person trying to become like Christ, a member of the Church created by Him. A Christian has a clear hierarchy of values, the highest of which is the God-man Jesus Christ, and everything else matters only to the extent that it relates to Him and brings us closer to Him.
In Holy Scripture the name Christian appears three times (), (), ().

Phrase unchurched Christian - an oxymoron like married bachelor. One who is preparing to become a Christian is called catechumen or , after baptism he falls into the category. Anyone who does not receive communion for more than 3 weeks in a row without good reason goes into the category (of God, His Church and salvation). Excommunicated— bearing in the form of a ban on receiving communion for a certain period.

About the reasons for the appearance of the term Christian writes: “As long as the followers of the Galilean Preacher Jesus, executed in Jerusalem around 30, did not leave Palestine, they did not have the slightest need for any special self-identification. After all, let us remember this, they did not at all intend to “found” a new religion, but considered themselves the most faithful of the Jews, who were able to recognize and recognize the Messiah when He finally appeared. In their own circle, among their own, everything was simple: for each other they are “brothers”, in general relation to the Teacher they are “disciples”, for hostile rabbinical authorities they are “renegades” (Heb. "minim"). But when the area of ​​their preaching, spreading to the north, reached the capital on the Orontes, then they needed some more generally meaningful, more term-like name that would express their place among strangers, in the wider world, and would record the status of the movement along with other movements, religious or otherwise.”

About a third of the world's inhabitants profess Christianity in all its varieties.

Christianity arose in the 1st century. AD on the territory of the Roman Empire. There is no consensus among researchers about the exact place of origin of Christianity. Some believe that this happened in Palestine, which was at that time part of the Roman Empire; others suggest that it happened in the Jewish diaspora in Greece.

Palestinian Jews were under foreign dominion for many centuries. However, in the 2nd century. BC. they achieved political independence, during which they expanded their territory and did a lot to develop political and economic relations. In 63 BC. roman general Gney Poltey brought troops into Judea, as a result of which it became part of the Roman Empire. By the beginning of our era, other territories of Palestine had lost their independence; administration began to be carried out by a Roman governor.

The loss of political independence was perceived by part of the population as a tragedy. IN political events saw a religious meaning. The idea of ​​divine retribution for violations of the covenants of the fathers, religious customs and prohibitions spread. This led to a strengthening of the position of Jewish religious nationalist groups:

• Hasidim- devout Jews;
• Sadducees, who represented conciliatory sentiments, they came from upper strata Jewish society;
• Pharisees- fighters for the purity of Judaism, against contacts with foreigners. The Pharisees advocated compliance with external standards of behavior, for which they were accused of hypocrisy.

In terms of social composition, the Pharisees were representatives of the middle strata of the urban population. At the end of the 1st century. BC. appear zealots - people from the lower strata of the population - artisans and lumpen proletarians. They expressed the most radical ideas. Standing out from their midst sicari - terrorists. Their favorite weapon was a curved dagger, which they hid under their cloak - in Latin "sika". All these groups fought the Roman conquerors with more or less persistence. It was obvious that the struggle was not going in favor of the rebels, so aspirations for the coming of the Savior, the Messiah, intensified. It is the first century AD that dates back to the most ancient book New Testament - Apocalypse, in which the idea of ​​retribution to enemies for unfair treatment and oppression of Jews was so strongly manifested.

The sect is of greatest interest Essenes or Essen, since their teaching had features inherent in early Christianity. This is evidenced by those found in 1947 in the area. Dead Sea V Qumran caves scrolls. Christians and Essenes had common ideas messianism - waiting for the Savior to come soon, eschatological ideas about the coming end of the world, interpretation of the idea of ​​human sinfulness, rituals, organization of communities, attitude towards property.

The processes that took place in Palestine were similar to the processes that took place in other parts of the Roman Empire: everywhere the Romans plundered and mercilessly exploited the local population, enriching themselves at their expense. The crisis of the ancient order and the formation of new socio-political relations were experienced painfully by people, caused a feeling of helplessness, defenselessness in front of the state machine and contributed to the search for new ways of salvation. Mystical sentiments increased. Eastern cults are spreading: Mithras, Isis, Osiris, etc. Many different associations, partnerships, so-called colleges appear. People united based on professions, social status, neighborhood, etc. All this created favorable conditions for the spread of Christianity.

Origins of Christianity

The emergence of Christianity was prepared not only by the prevailing historical conditions, it had a good ideological basis. The main ideological source of Christianity is Judaism. The new religion rethought the ideas of Judaism about monotheism, messianism, eschatology, chiliasma - faith in the second coming of Jesus Christ and his thousand-year reign on earth. The Old Testament tradition has not lost its meaning; it has received a new interpretation.

The ancient philosophical tradition had a significant influence on the formation of the Christian worldview. In philosophical systems Stoics, Neopythagoreans, Plato and Neoplatonists mental constructs, concepts and even terms were developed, reinterpreted in New Testament texts and the works of theologians. Neoplatonism had a particularly great influence on the foundations of Christian doctrine. Philo of Alexandria(25 BC - c. 50 AD) and the moral teaching of the Roman Stoic Seneca(c. 4 BC - 65 AD). Philo formulated the concept Logos as a sacred law that allows one to contemplate existence, the doctrine of the innate sinfulness of all people, of repentance, of Being as the beginning of the world, of ecstasy as a means of approaching God, of logoi, among which the Son of God is the highest Logos, and other logoi are angels.

Seneca considered the main thing for every person to achieve freedom of spirit through awareness of divine necessity. If freedom does not flow from divine necessity, it will turn out to be slavery. Only obedience to fate gives rise to equanimity and peace of mind, conscience, moral standards, and universal human values. Seneca recognized the golden rule of morality as a moral imperative, which sounded as follows: “ Treat those below you the way you would like to be treated by those above you.” We can find a similar formulation in the Gospels.

Seneca’s teachings on the transience and deceitfulness of sensual pleasures, caring for other people, self-restraint in the use of material goods, preventing rampant passions, the need for modesty and moderation in life had a certain influence on Christianity. Everyday life, self-improvement, gaining divine mercy.

Another source of Christianity was the various parts Eastern cults of the Roman Empire.

The most controversial issue in the study of Christianity is the question of the historicity of Jesus Christ. In solving it, two directions can be distinguished: mythological and historical. Mythological direction claims that science does not have reliable data about Jesus Christ as historical figure. The Gospel stories were written many years after the events described; they have no real historical basis. Historical direction claims that Jesus Christ was a real person, a preacher of a new religion, which is confirmed by a number of sources. In 1971, a text was found in Egypt "Antiquities" by Josephus, which gives reason to believe that it describes one of the real preachers named Jesus, although the miracles he performed were spoken of as one of the many stories on this topic, i.e. Josephus himself did not observe them.

Stages of the formation of Christianity as a state religion

The history of the formation of Christianity covers the period from the middle of the 1st century. AD until the 5th century inclusive. During this period, Christianity went through a number of stages of its development, which can be summarized as follows:

1 - stage current eschatology(second half of the 1st century);

2 - stage devices(II century);

3 - stage struggle for dominance in the empire (III-V centuries).

During each of these stages, the composition of believers changed, various new formations emerged and disintegrated within Christianity as a whole, and internal clashes constantly raged, which expressed the struggle for the realization of vital public interests.

Stage of actual eschatology

At the first stage, Christianity had not yet completely separated from Judaism, so it can be called Judeo-Christian. The name “current eschatology” means that the defining mood of the new religion at that time was the expectation of the coming of the Savior in the near future, literally from day to day. The social basis of Christianity became enslaved, dispossessed people suffering from national and social oppression. The hatred of the enslaved for their oppressors and the thirst for revenge found their expression and release not in revolutionary actions, but in the impatient anticipation of the reprisal that would be inflicted by the coming Messiah on the Antichrist.

In early Christianity there was no single centralized organization, there were no priests. Communities were led by believers who were able to accept charisma(grace, the descent of the Holy Spirit). Charismatics united groups of believers around themselves. People were singled out who were engaged in explaining the doctrine. They were called didaskals- teachers. Special people were appointed to organize the economic life of the community. Originally appeared deacons who performed simple technical duties. Later appear bishops- observers, guards, and elders- elders. Over time, bishops occupy a dominant position, and presbyters become their assistants.

Adjustment stage

At the second stage, in the 2nd century, the situation changes. The end of the world does not occur; on the contrary, there is some stabilization of Roman society. The tension of expectation in the mood of Christians is replaced by a more vital attitude of existence in the real world and adaptation to its orders. The place of general eschatology in this world is taken by individual eschatology in the other world, and the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is being actively developed.

Social and National composition communities Representatives of wealthy and educated segments of the population are beginning to convert to Christianity different nations who inhabited the Roman Empire. Accordingly, the doctrine of Christianity changes, it becomes more tolerant of wealth. The attitude of the authorities towards the new religion depended on the political situation. One emperor carried out persecution, the other showed humanity if the internal political situation allowed it.

Development of Christianity in the 2nd century. led to a complete break from Judaism. There were fewer and fewer Jews among Christians in comparison with other nationalities. It was necessary to solve problems of practical cult significance: food prohibitions, the celebration of the Sabbath, circumcision. As a result, circumcision was replaced by water baptism, the weekly celebration of Saturday was moved to Sunday, the Easter holiday was converted to Christianity under the same name, but was filled with a different mythological content, just like the Pentecost holiday.

The influence of other peoples on the formation of the cult in Christianity was manifested in the borrowing of rituals or their elements: baptism, communion as a symbol of sacrifice, prayer and some others.

During the 3rd century. The formation of large Christian centers took place in Rome, Antioch, Jerusalem, Alexandria, in a number of cities in Asia Minor and other areas. However, the church itself was not internally unified: there were differences among Christian teachers and preachers regarding the correct understanding of Christian truths. Christianity was torn apart from within by the most complex theological disputes. Many trends emerged that interpreted the provisions of the new religion in different ways.

Nazarenes(from Hebrew - “to refuse, to abstain”) - ascetic preachers of ancient Judea. External sign Belonging to the Nazirites was a refusal to cut hair and drink wine. Subsequently, the Nazirites merged with the Essenes.

Montanism arose in the 2nd century. Founder Montana on the eve of the end of the world, he preached asceticism, a ban on remarriage, and martyrdom in the name of faith. He regarded ordinary Christian communities as mentally ill; he considered only his adherents spiritual.

Gnosticism(from the Greek - “having knowledge”) eclectically connected ideas borrowed mainly from Platonism and Stoicism with Eastern ideas. The Gnostics recognized the existence of a perfect deity, between whom and the sinful material world there are intermediate links - zones. Jesus Christ was also included among them. The Gnostics were pessimistic about the sensory world, emphasized their chosenness of God, the advantage of intuitive knowledge over rational knowledge, did not accept the Old Testament, the redemptive mission of Jesus Christ (but recognized the saving one), and his bodily incarnation.

Docetism(from Greek - “to seem”) - a direction that separated from Gnosticism. Corporality was considered an evil, lower principle, and on this basis they rejected the Christian teaching about the bodily incarnation of Jesus Christ. They believed that Jesus only appeared to be clothed in flesh, but in reality his birth, earthly existence and death were ghostly phenomena.

Marcionism(named after the founder - Marcion) advocated a complete break with Judaism, did not recognize the human nature of Jesus Christ, and was close to the Gnostics in his basic ideas.

Novatians(named after the founders - Rome. Novatiana and carf. Novata) took a tough position towards the authorities and those Christians who could not resist the pressure of the authorities and compromised with them.

The stage of the struggle for dominance in the empire

At the third stage, the final establishment of Christianity as the state religion occurs. In 305, the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire intensified. This period in church history is known as "era of martyrs". Places of worship were closed, church property was confiscated, books and sacred utensils were confiscated and destroyed, plebeians recognized as Christians were enslaved, senior members of the clergy were arrested and executed, as well as those who did not obey the order to renounce and honor the Roman gods. Those who yielded were quickly released. For the first time, burial places belonging to communities became a temporary refuge for the persecuted, where they practiced their cult.

However, the measures taken by the authorities had no effect. Christianity has already strengthened sufficiently to provide worthy resistance. Already in 311 the emperor Galleries, and in 313 - emperor Konstantin adopt decrees on religious tolerance towards Christianity. Especially great importance has the activities of Emperor Constantine I.

During the fierce struggle for power before the decisive battle with Macentius, Constantine saw in a dream the sign of Christ - a cross with the command to come out with this symbol against the enemy. Having accomplished this, he won a decisive victory in the battle in 312. The Emperor gave this vision a very special meaning - as a sign of his election by Christ to establish a connection between God and the world through his imperial service. This is exactly how his role was perceived by Christians of his time, which allowed the unbaptized emperor to take an active part in resolving intra-church, dogmatic issues.

In 313 Constantine issued Edict of Milan, according to which Christians become under the protection of the state and receive equal rights with pagans. The Christian Church was no longer persecuted, even during the reign of the emperor Juliana(361-363), nicknamed Renegade for restricting the rights of the church and proclaiming tolerance for heresies and paganism. Under the Emperor Feodosia in 391, Christianity was finally consolidated as the state religion, and paganism was prohibited. The further development and strengthening of Christianity is associated with the holding of councils, at which church dogma was worked out and approved.

Christianization of pagan tribes

By the end of the 4th century. Christianity established itself in almost all provinces of the Roman Empire. In the 340s. through the efforts of Bishop Wulfila, it penetrates to the tribes ready. The Goths adopted Christianity in the form of Arianism, which then dominated the east of the empire. As the Visigoths advanced westward, Arianism also spread. In the 5th century in Spain it was adopted by the tribes vandals And Suevi. in Galin - Burgundians and then Lombards. The Frankish king adopted Orthodox Christianity Clovis. Political reasons led to the fact that by the end of the 7th century. In most parts of Europe, the Nicene religion was established. In the 5th century The Irish were introduced to Christianity. The activities of the legendary Apostle of Ireland date back to this time. St. Patrick.

The Christianization of barbarian peoples was carried out mainly from above. Pagan ideas and images continued to live in the minds of the masses of the people. The Church assimilated these images and adapted them to Christianity. Pagan rituals and the holidays were filled with new, Christian content.

From the end of the 5th to the beginning of the 7th century. The power of the Pope was limited only to the Roman ecclesiastical province in Central and Southern Italy. However, in 597 an event occurred that marked the beginning of the strengthening of the Roman Church throughout the kingdom. Dad Gregory I the Great sent Christian preachers led by a monk to the pagan Anglo-Saxons Augustine. According to legend, the pope saw English slaves at the market and was surprised at the similarity of their name with the word “angels,” which he considered a sign from above. The Anglo-Saxon Church became the first church north of the Alps to be subject directly to Rome. The symbol of this dependence became pallium(a scarf worn on the shoulders), which was sent from Rome to the primate of the church, now called archbishop, i.e. the highest bishop, to whom powers were delegated directly from the pope - the vicar of St. Petra. Subsequently, the Anglo-Saxons made a great contribution to the strengthening of the Roman Church on the continent, to the alliance of the Pope with the Carolingians. Played a significant role in this St. Boniface, a native of Wessex. He developed a program of profound reforms of the Frankish church with the goal of establishing uniformity and subordination to Rome. Boniface's reforms created the Roman Church as a whole in Western Europe. Only the Christians of Arab Spain preserved the special traditions of the Visigothic church.

The topic related to the emergence of early Christianity is quite interesting and deep. Let's try to understand as briefly as possible the question of who Christians are and when this arose. And it all started with the events of the Gospel, with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth.

Who are Christians

Christians are those people who believed in the teachings of Jesus and that he was the long-awaited messiah who came to save people. Christianity is the most widespread and largest world religion in terms of the number of adherents, numbering about two billion believers.

The first Christians appeared on the land of Palestine in the 1st century among the Jews as a messianic movement of Old Testament Judaism. At the time, Christianity was preached in a creed that is rooted in Old Testament Judaism.

Ancient Christians

Jesus Christ was circumcised, attended synagogue on the Sabbath, kept the Torah and Religious holidays, in general, he was brought up as a real Jew. His disciples, who later became apostles, were Jews. Three and a half years after the death of the first martyr Stephen and after the crucifixion of Jesus, Christianity began to spread throughout the Holy Land and throughout the Roman Empire.

From the Gospel in the text of the Acts of the Apostles, the word “Christians” was first designated, and it was interpreted as “people who supported the new faith in Antioch” (a Syrian-Hellenistic city of the 1st century).

A few decades later, a huge number of followers of the faith appeared. These were the first Christians from pagan peoples, who became such, largely thanks to the Apostle Paul.

Edict of Milan

For three whole centuries, Christians were persecuted and martyred if they did not renounce the teachings of Jesus and refused to sacrifice to pagan idols.

When asking who Christians are, it must be said that Christianity as a state religion was first established in 301. In 313 the Edict of Milan was signed. This letter was also endorsed by the Roman emperors Constantine and Licinius. The document itself became important point on its way as the official religion of the Empire.

Until the 5th century, Christianity spread mainly within the Roman Empire and then in the sphere of cultural influence in Armenia, Ethiopia, eastern Syria, and in the second half of the first millennium it came to the Germanic and Slavic peoples. And later, from the 13th to the 14th centuries, to the Finnish and Baltic peoples. Into the new and modern times Christianity spread outside Europe thanks to missionary activity and colonial expansion.

Split of the Christian Church

In the topic entitled “Who are Christians,” it is also necessary to note the fact that in 1054 a schism occurred: the Christian Church was divided into Orthodox and Catholic. In turn, the latter, as a result of the reformation movement in the 16th century, formed a Protestant branch. Orthodox Church before today retained its relative unity. Thus, three major Christian movements emerged: Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism.

Became a single organism controlled from general center- Vatican. And here Orthodox churches many, the largest of them is Russian. Among them there is Eucharistic communion, which presupposes the possibility of celebrating liturgies together.

As for Protestantism, it has become that motley Christian movement, which consists of large number independent denominations with varying degrees of recognition by other areas of Christianity.

Russian Orthodoxy

By the 9th century, Orthodox Christians appeared in Rus'. The proximity to the powerful Byzantium influenced this process. The first preachers were Cyril and Methodius, who were engaged in educational activities.

Also, Princess Olga of Kiev was the first to be baptized (in 954), and then her grandson, Prince Vladimir, baptized Rus' (988).

The word “orthodoxy” itself is translated from Greek as “correct teaching,” “judgment,” or “glorification” (“glorification”). In Rus', the earliest use of this word in writing was found in the first Russian (1037 - 1050) in the “Sermon on Law and Grace”. But the term “Orthodox” itself began to be used in the official language of the church in Rus' by the end of the 14th century and was already actively used in the 16th century.

Christianity came to Kievan Rus with the name of the faithful after the schism in the Christian world:
* The Western, Christian Church with its center in Rome, began to be called Catholic i.e. Ecumenical,
* Eastern, Greek-Byzantine church with a center in Constantinople (Constantinople) - Orthodox i.e. Faithful.

Immediately after the split, they declared anathema to each other and constantly sent curses. When the Vatican redirected its fourth Crusade to Palestine - Paleny Stan (there were 10 crusades, but finally Jerusalem - RUSALIM failed to recapture the Vatican from the Muslims) to Constantinople, the central office of the Orthodox Eastern Church migrated to Kiev and Ryazan. Constantinople was destroyed and completely plundered. Only after the arrival of the Eastern Church in Rus' did the purge of Slavic culture and Vedic Orthodoxy of the ancient Rus. From that moment on, the Slavs began to forget who they were, where they came from, and what the culture and life of their ancestors were like.
The word Orthodoxy itself means:
Glorification (this is ancient word supplanted by false storytellers from colloquial use) with the kind word of the Glorious World of Rule, i.e. The World of the Light Gods and Our Ancestors.

An opinion has formed that a Russian is necessarily an Orthodox Christian. This formulation is fundamentally incorrect. Russian means Orthodox, this concept is undeniable. But a Russian is not necessarily a Christian, because not all Russians are Christians. Many never accepted the slave philosophy, and only because of the fear of being burned at the stake, they visited temples..
The faithful could not come to terms with the fact that Christianity was present in Rus', especially in Muscovy, only formally. The priests decided to absorb Vedic Orthodoxy in order to put an end to it once and for all. And the very name Orthodox was appropriated by the Christian church hierarchs cynically, brazenly, without any consent of the Russians. This is how Christian Orthodoxy appeared in Rus' (instead of Vedic). The Vedic Orthodoxy of the ancient faith burned out on the fires of cruel Christianity, along with the ancient texts and the spiritual leaders of the Vedic Orthodoxy - the Magi. In Vedic culture, there was no centralized power similar to that in religions, striving for usurpation and enrichment. Vedic Orthodoxy was not a religion, but a Faith. It didn't build expensive temples, because he thought it was nothing. The Slavs kept their gods in their hearts. Statues were placed only at crossroads and on the outskirts of settlements. They never went to atone for their sins, since they had never sinned. The Rus ethnos are peaceful, hardworking people who achieved everything only through their own labor. Consequently, they had no reason to atone for their sins, to justify their actions before the gods.

The Greeks highly valued the moral culture of the Russians. Here is the testimony of Byzantine historians of the seventh century:
Our soldiers captured three foreigners who had citharas (harps) instead of weapons. When the emperor asked who they were, the foreigners replied: “We play the harp, and loving music, we lead a peaceful and calm life.” The emperor marveled at the quiet disposition of these people, their great stature and strength, and treated them to food while observing their manners. Amazed by the high culture of behavior, he allowed him to return to his fatherland.

Arab chronographer Al Marwazi wrote:
“When the Russians turned to Christianity, religion dulled their swords and closed the doors of knowledge to them, and they fell into poverty and a miserable existence.”

Modern scientists, historians and theologians continue to try to impose on the world that Rus', they say, became Orthodox, with the baptism and spread of Byzantine Christianity among the dark, wild, mired in ignorance, kind of Slavs. This formulation is very convenient to use to distort the history and belittle the significance of the most ancient culture, colorful folklore and rich in all kinds of traditions, of all peoples of Vedic Orthodoxy. From which Christianity, poor in its traditions and rituals, borrowed a lot of things, and subsequently ascribed them to itself without any shame. Just two centuries ago, Easter eggs, embroidered shirts, and harp were under the strictest prohibition from the clerical side. Christian leaders were so stupid that they said that women have no soul. What could Christian missionaries know about the culture and Faith of the Slavic peoples? As carriers of Christianity, they could understand the culture of the Northern peoples with
* a different mentality, devoid of the concepts of money-grubbing and violence;
* different worldview, the Slavs lived in harmony with environment in a creative, constructive frame of mind?!
Here is an example of a description of the life of the Slavs as presented by one of the Christian missionaries:
“The Orthodox Slovenians and Rusyns are wild people and their lives are wild and godless. Naked men and girls lock themselves together in a hot heated hut and torture their bodies, slashing each other with tree branches mercilessly to the point of exhaustion, then they run out naked and jump into an icy hole or snowdrift. And, having cooled down, they again run to the hut to torture themselves with rods.”
How else could the Greek-Byzantine missionaries understand the simple Orthodox rite- visiting a Russian bathhouse. In their narrow imagination, it really was something wild and incomprehensible. Who can, in fact, be considered savages: those who regularly visited baths, or those who never washed in their lives?!

The cunningly wise servants of Christ always rely on falsification. So in this case, it seems like the earliest written use of the word “Orthodoxy”, which on the territory of Rus' is recorded in the “Sermon on Law and Grace” (1037-1050) by Metropolitan Hilarion:
Let us praise with the laudable voices of the Roman country Peter and Paul, who believed in Jesus Christ, the Son of God; Asia and Ephesus, and Patm of John the Theologian, India of Thomas, Egypt of Mark. All countries and cities and people honor and glorify each of their teachers, who taught me the Orthodox faith...
In the quote - I believe more Orthodox - the word Orthodox simply could not exist. Because it was only in 1054 that Christianity was divided into Catholics and Orthodox Christians (non-Orthodox).

At first, the teaching of Jesus was called the teaching of the fisherman. Later, the fish symbol was sometimes used. Just as the Gauls used the symbol of a red rooster, and the Jews - a goat.
And in the official language of the Christian Church on the territory of Rus', the term “Orthodox” began to be used only at the end of the 14th - beginning of the 15th century. The terms “Orthodox” and “Orthodoxy” came into use most actively only in the 16th century. This is how easy it is for storytellers to lie and introduce false information into history.

Insofar as too many questions have arisen regarding the word Orthodoxy, then everyone, if desired, can independently unravel this tangle of contradictions by examining the chronology of this word.

Biblical mythology, as such, had not yet taken place by the 11th century. It was in fragmentary versions with many significant contradictions. And until the end of the 15th century (and possibly until the end of the 16th century), biblical mythology in modern sense, was completely absent. Not only in the East, but also in the West. Even in the 13th century (not to mention the 11th), the Pope said that people had already learned too much. If they also learn everything that is narrated in various texts and in various books, then this will be a source of great danger, for they will begin to ask questions to which the clergy will not have answers. And the Bible will begin to be called mythology. And finally, in 1231, Gregory IX, with his bull, forbade the laity to read the Bible. Moreover, the ban was formally lifted only by the “Second Vatican Council,” opened on the initiative of Pope John XXIII in 1962. Historical documents report that there were repeated attempts to allow access to the reading of biblical mythology to a wider audience, but each time new prohibitions emerged. All this suggests that the church was afraid of exposing biblical texts that were copied from the Aryan Avesta. Historians wrote: "The Church prohibits the distribution of books scripture among the laity and considers it a serious crime to translate these books from incomprehensible Latin into popular languages." From time to time, more and more forbidden decrees were issued. Thus, at the Council of Beziers in 1246, we find: "As for divine books, the laity are not even allowed to have them. Latin; As for divine books in the vernacular, they should not be allowed at all among clergy or laity." The edict of Charles IV at the end of the 14th century says: "According to canonical regulations, it is not appropriate for laity of both sexes to read anything from the scriptures , at least for in native language". In Rus', although not in such an open form as in Catholic countries, calls were heard: “Forbid commoners from reading the Bible.” But most likely, all the prohibitions were because biblical mythology, as such, had not yet taken place. It was in fragmentary versions with many significant contradictions. And until the end of the 15th century (and possibly until the end of the 16th century), biblical mythology in the modern sense was completely absent. Not only in the East, but also in the West.
The famous church historian A.V. Kartashev wrote:
“The first handwritten Bible for the entire East (even before the advent of the printing press) was the Bible of 1490, created by Archbishop Gennady of Novgorod... Such an early interest in mastering the complete biblical text appeared in Rus' in the 15th century,” p.600.

If at the very end of the 15th century the awakening of interest in the complete Bible is regarded by experts as very early (!), then what can we say about the 14th or XIII centuries? At that time, as we see, no one in the East was even interested in Biblical mythology. But in the West they didn’t read it because it was “forbidden.” The question arises: who read it in those centuries? Yes, it simply did not exist. But the tellers of lies wandered so far in their falsification that they began to date the Bible, you will simply be surprised, to the 1st century.
The schism in Christianity, after which the Church was finally divided into Catholic and Orthodox, occurred in 1054. The division caused by the schism has not been overcome to this day, despite the fact that in 1965 the mutual anathemas and curses on each other were mutually lifted by Pope Paul VI. The first time anathemas and curses were lifted was before the first crusade (the campaign of the poor in 1096). Just as the Vatican alone, without the financial support of Byzantium, could not have overcome the Muslims. They were forced to unite, facing one common enemy. Disagreements arose over issues of dogmatic and canonical, as well as liturgical and disciplinary nature, and began long before 1054, however, it was in 1054 that Pope Leo IX sent envoys to Constantinople. The immediate reason was the closure of the Latin churches in Constantinople in 1053. Moreover, Patriarch Michael Cerularia instructed his henchman to throw out the Holy Gifts, prepared according to Catholic custom from unleavened bread, from the tabernacles, and trample them underfoot, openly, in the presence of a large crowd. All this clearly demonstrates low culture and the primitive mentality of Christian officials. And we are surprised at the bloody crusades against the civilian population of the Baltic countries, and the bonfires of the Inquisition blazing throughout Europe, and the country torture huts for the disobedient...

Christianity was persecuted and many of its supporters were simply killed with impunity. The fourth century was a turning point in the history of Christianity. In the fourth century, power was seized by the largest Arab-Semitic community at that time, led by the Flavinian Semite Flavius ​​Valerius Aurelius Constantine. Under him, Christianity became a permitted religion, thanks to the Edict of Milan in 313. Under Constantine, the First Ecumenical Council took place in Nicaea, at which the Creed was formulated ( summary dogmas used in the liturgy) - the doctrine of the consubstantial Trinity. Thus, a modified trinity, from the Vedic Orthodoxy of Rus', appeared in Christianity: Father-Son-Holy Spirit. The concept of the trinity (triglav) has existed since time immemorial, and in Hindustan for several millennia. This is the first symbol that was borrowed by the priests from the ancient Vedic culture. Since that time, many sects and trends in Christianity have appeared. It was as if someone had thrown them out of a bag. The most aggressive struggle was waged with a sect called Arianism. Arianism appeared in the 4th century after its creator - an Alexandrian priest named Arius. He argued that Christ was created by God, and therefore, firstly, had a beginning of his existence; secondly, he is not equal to him: in Arianism, Christ is not consubstantial with God, as Arius’s opponents, the Alexandrian bishops Alexander and then Athanasius, argued, but is only co-essential with him. What the Arians asserted was the following: God the Father, after the creation of the world, became the cause of the birth of the Son and, according to His will, embodied His essence into another, created from nothing, into a new and different God; and there was a time when the Son did not exist. that is, he introduced hierarchical relationships into the Trinity. In the same century, the formation of monasticism took place. During the reign of Julian (361-363), the persecution of Christians was again organized. For this he received the nickname "Renegade". In the 5th century the first major schism occurred in the Church. The Fourth Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon was not accepted by some Churches. They were given the name - Pre-Chalcedonian. During the first millennium, a number of Ecumenical Councils took place in the Church, at which the dogmatic and canonical teaching of the Christian Church was more clearly formed.
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Credibility- the “correct faith” of Christians according to the old rite before the Nikon reform. During the time of Nikon in 1666, persecution began against their own brothers in Christ who did not accept the innovations. The first who refused to accept the innovations was Archpriest Avakum. Everyone knows about the innovation of three fingers, instead of the two with which they were baptized (two fingers were adopted from the Old Believers). But that wasn't the main thing. The most important trick is the destruction of the old elite and the introduction of a new one, plus the replacement of the concepts of “Orthodoxy” with “Orthodoxy”. After all, even in the Fourth Menaion (Christian service books that existed before the advent of the Bible, which appeared in the late 18th, early 19th centuries as a book, and before that there were the Fourth Menaion) there is a phrase: “of this thou art the land of Rousse, and the orthodox Christian faith.” , i.e. not the Orthodox faith, but the Orthodox faith. Avakum said, “Let us not become like the pagans who honor the ancient Gods,” i.e. here “pagan” sounds like a representative of another faith. And for this they began to be physically destroyed and some fled to Pomorie, to the White Sea, and some to the Old Believers in Siberian Belovodye. And the Old Believers began to give shelter to the Old Believers, not because the faith was one, but because they were united by blood.

Orthodoxy- Rule the praise, i.e. glorification of the World of Rule - the World of the Gods who have acquired the body of Light. Correct glorification of the Almighty (Ramhi), and not the Jewish tribal god of Hosts-Jehovah-Yahweh, who cares only about the Jews. This term was appropriated by Christians who claim that Orthodox Christianity is more than a thousand years old and refer to the “Sermon on Law and Grace of Metropolitan Hilarion”, where the translation is distorted. Chronicles of the X-XIV centuries. convincingly testify that Christianity came to Rus' from Greece under the name “Christian faith”, “new faith”, “true faith”, “Greek faith”, and most often - “orthodox Christian faith” ". The word “Orthodoxy” appears for the first time in the “Epistle of Metropolitan Photius of Pskov” from 1410-1417, that is, 422 years after the introduction of Christianity. And the phrase "" Orthodox Christianity"" and even later - in the Pskov First Chronicle under 1450, 462 years after the baptism of Rus'-Ukraine. Question. Why haven’t Christians themselves used the word “Orthodoxy” for half a millennium? It's simple. Christians became Orthodox in the 17th century under the reform of Patriarch Nikon, who ordered changes to be made in the chronicles. When the Church split in 1054, the western one began to be called “Roman Catholic, Ecumenical with its center in Rome, and the eastern “Greek, Orthodox (Orthodox) with its center in Constantinople (Constantinople). From Greek "orthodoxy" means "right belief." “Orthos” means “correct”, “direct”, “doxos” means “thought”, “belief”, “faith”. That is why in the Western world Christians of the Eastern rite are called “Orthodox”. Greco-Orthodoxy in the 16th century, after the capture of the Ruthenian lands by Poland, found itself in a tough struggle with Roman Catholicism. Therefore, looking for support for itself, the church came to the only saving solution - to partially adopt the Vedic spiritual customs of the Rusins. First of all, they turned the “orthodox Christian faith” into “ holy orthodoxy", and with this they attributed all the exploits of pre-Christian Orthodoxy to themselves. Although those who glorify the Rule have nothing to do with Christianity. This church reform under Nikon was also aimed at destroying dual faith (Orthodoxy and Orthodoxy). Later they stopped fighting the Vedic Orthodox customs and accepted as their own: the cult of the Ancestors, Green Christmastide, Kupala Christmastide, Intercession, Kalita, Kolyada, Strecha (Candlemas) and others. Which is what the Catholic Church notes, that their eastern neighbor has acquired pagan cults. This church reform under Patriarch Nikon caused a split into those who supported Nikon's church reform (Nikonians) and those who did not support - schismatics. The schismatics accused Nikon of the trilingual heresy and indulgence in paganism, i.e. old Orthodox Faith. On April 17, 1905, by decree of the Tsar, the schismatics began to be called Old Believers. They call themselves righteous Christians. The split weakened the power and in order to avoid large-scale religious war Some provisions of Nikon's reform were repealed and the term "orthodoxy" began to be used again. For example, in the Spiritual Regulations of Peter I of 1721 it is said: “And as a Christian Sovereign, the orthodoxy of everyone in the church Saints of the Deanery guardian..." There is not a word about Orthodoxy, nor in the Spiritual Regulations of 1776 and 1856. Christians themselves say that their church is called Orthodox because... it rightly glorifies God. The Byzantine monk Belisarius in 532 (456 years before the baptism of Rus'), describing the Russian bathhouse, calls the Slavs Orthodox Slavs and Rusyns.
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“The sorrows of the past cannot be counted, but the sorrows of the present are worse. In a new place you will feel them. Together. What else has God sent you? Place in God's world. Don't count the feuds as past. Surround the place in the world of God that God has sent you with close rows. Protect it day and night; not a place - a will. Reward him for his power. Her children are still alive, knowing whose they are in this world of God.

We will live again. There will be service to God. Everything will be in the past, we will forget who we are. Where you will be, there will be children, there will be fields, wonderful Life- let's forget who we are. There are children - there are ties - let's forget who we are. What to count, Lord! Rysiyuniya enchants the eyes. There is no escape from it, no cure. More than once we will hear: you, whose you will be, trotters, what honor is for you, helmets in curls; talking about you. Not yet, we will be Her in this world of God.”
Inscription on both sides of the Phaistos Disc

According to one of the last calendars of our ancestors, it is now 7524 Summer from S.M.Z.H. (before this, the stellar heritage of the ancestors totals 1.5 billion YEARS from the arrival on Midgard of the first colonists of the Great Race of the Celestial Family) ..

According to Hebrew 5777.. Feel the difference!
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Christianity (from the Greek Christos, literally - anointed one) is one of the three world religions that arose in the 1st century AD. in Palestine, in the center of which stands the image of the God-man - Jesus Christ, who atoned for the sins of humanity with his martyrdom on the cross and opened the way for the latter to reunite with God. IN modern times this term is used to characterize the three main directions of Christianity: Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism. Now, according to the UN, there are 1.5 billion Christians in the world, according to UNESCO 1.3 billion.

Unlike other religions, Christianity was given to man by God. Any Christian will tell you this, because this position is part of his faith, but people somewhat far from Christianity (or simply curious scientists), after conducting a comparative analysis of the history of religious teachings, came to the conclusion that Christianity has absorbed various ethical and philosophical ideas other religions, for example, such as Judaism, Mithraism and the views of ancient Eastern religions.

Christianity came out of the Jewish environment. One of the confirmations can be the following words of Christ: “Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets; I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:27) and the very fact that Jesus was born into the Jewish people, which within the framework of Judaism and waited for his Messiah. Subsequently, Judaism was rethought by Christianity in the direction of deepening the moral religious aspect, which established love for all things as the basic principle.

Jesus Christ is a historical figure. This is the opinion of representatives of one of the main schools studying this issue. Representatives of the other believe that Jesus is a rather mythological person. According to the latter, modern science lacks specific historical data about this person. In their eyes, the Gospels lack historical accuracy, since they were written many years after the events occurred, repeat other eastern religions and sin a large number contradictions. Actually, the historical sources of the beginning of the 1st century do not at all reflect either the preaching activity of Christ or information about the miracles he performed.
The historical school cites the following facts as evidence of the real existence of Jesus Christ: the reality of the characters spoken of in the New Testament, a number of historical sources containing information about Christ, the most famous of which is considered to be “Antiquities” by Josephus.
It is worth noting that in last years Most religious scholars, as well as Christians themselves, take the position that Jesus Christ really existed.

In Christianity, there are 10 basic commandments that a person must live by. Written on stone tablets, they were given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai.
1. I am the Lord your God... You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. Don't make yourself an idol.
3. Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Dedicate the seventh day to the Lord your God.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. Don't kill.
7. Do not commit adultery.
8. Don't steal.
9. Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. Do not covet anything that your neighbor has.

The Sermon on the Mount is of great importance for Christian understanding and guidance in life. The Sermon on the Mount is considered to be the core of the teachings of Jesus Christ. In it, God the Son gave the people the so-called beatitudes (“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted,” “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (hereinafter - Matthew 5:3 -16) and revealed the understanding of the 10 commandments. Thus, the commandment “You shall not murder; whoever kills shall be liable to judgment” turns into “Whoever is angry with his brother without cause will be liable to judgment” (Matthew 5:17-37), “You shall not commit adultery” - in “...everyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart...” (Matthew 5:17-37) It was in the Sermon on the Mount that the following thoughts were heard: “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you.” you and pray for those who curse you" (Matthew 5:38-48; 6:1-8), "Judge not, lest you be judged..." (Matthew 7:1-14), "Ask, and it will be given to you "Seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you; for everyone who asks receives" (Matthew 7:1-14). "In everything therefore, whatever you want people to do to you, do so also to them; For this is the law and the prophets" (Matthew 7:1-14).

The Bible is the holy book of Christians. It consists of two parts: Old Testament and the New Testament. The latter, in turn, consists of four Gospels: Matthew, John, Mark and Luke, the Acts of the Apostles and the Revelation of John the Evangelist (known as the Apocalypse).

The main provisions of the Christian faith are 12 dogmas and 7 sacraments. They were adopted at the first and second ecumenical councils in 325 and 381. The 12 dogmas of Christianity are usually called the Creed. It reflects what a Christian believes in: in one God the Father, in one God the Son, in the fact that God the Son came down from heaven for our salvation, in the fact that God the Son was incarnate on earth from the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin, that God the Son was crucified for us, rose again on the third day and ascended into heaven to God the Father, at the second coming of God the Son for the judgment of the living and the dead, in the Holy Spirit, in the one Holy Catholic Apostolic Church, in baptism and, finally, in resurrection and the future eternal life.
The seven Christian sacraments are currently recognized by both the Orthodox and Catholic churches. These sacraments include: baptism (acceptance of a person into the bosom of the church), anointing, communion (drawing closer to God), repentance (or confession), marriage, priesthood and consecration of oil (for deliverance from illness).

Symbol Christian faith is a cross. The cross in Christianity is adopted in memory of the martyrdom of Jesus Christ. The cross decorates Christian churches, clothing of clergy, church literature and is used in the performance of Christian rituals. In addition, believers wear a cross (mostly consecrated) on their bodies.

An important place in Christianity is given to the veneration of the Mother of God. Four of the main Christian holidays are dedicated to her: the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, the Entry into the Temple of the Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary and the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, many churches were erected in her honor and icons were painted.

Priests did not appear in Christianity immediately. Only after the final break with Judaism and a gradual change in the social layer of early Christian society, a clergy appeared in the Christian environment, who took full power into their hands.

Christian sacraments and rituals were not formed immediately. The sacrament of baptism was determined only at the end of the 5th century, after which the sacrament of communion (Eucharist) was formed. Then, over the course of several centuries, chrismation, consecration of oil, marriage, repentance, confession and the priesthood gradually began to appear in Christian rituals.

For a long time, images of saints were prohibited in Christianity. Just as any objects of veneration were prohibited, in the worship of which a number of Christians saw idolatry. The dispute over icons came to a logical conclusion only in 787 at the seventh (Nicene) Ecumenical Council, which allowed the depiction of sacred persons and events associated with them, as well as the worship of them.

The Christian Church is a special divine-human organization. But it is in no way historical. The Christian Church is a mystical formation, which, along with God, includes both living and dead people, and, more simply, souls that, according to Christianity, are immortal. At the same time, modern theologians, of course, do not deny the social component of the Christian church, however, for them it is not the main point for determining its essence.

The spread of Christianity in Rome was associated with the crisis of ancient society. This socio-historical factor, which caused a sense of uncertainty in society in the ancient system of the world order and, as a result, criticism of ancient orders, had a direct impact on the spread of Christianity within the Roman Empire. The disunity between different layers of Roman society, which represented antagonistic pairs, for example, such as free people and slaves, Roman citizens and provincial subjects, also increased the general instability in society and helped the advancement of Christianity, which affirmed among needy people the idea of ​​​​universal equality and salvation in another world .

In the Roman Empire, Christians were always persecuted. From the very beginning of the emergence of Christianity and right up to the 4th century, this was the case, then the imperial power, sensing a weakening of control over the country, began to look for a religion that would unite all the peoples of the empire, and eventually settled on Christianity. In 324, the Roman Emperor Constantine declared Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire.

There has never been unity within Christianity. Representatives of the Christian faith constantly held discussions on Christological topics that touched upon three main dogmas: the trinity of God, incarnation and atonement. Thus, the first Council of Nicaea, having condemned the Arian teaching, which believed that God the Son is not consubstantial with God the Father, established a unified Christian understanding of this dogma, according to which God began to be defined as the unity of three hypostases, each of which is also an independent person. The third ecumenical council, called the Ephesian Council, in 431 condemned the Nesterian heresy, which rejected the idea of ​​​​the birth of Jesus Christ from the Virgin Mary (the Nestorians believed that a man was born from the Virgin Mary, and then the deity moved into him). The fourth (Chalcedon) Ecumenical Council (451) was dedicated to the substantiation of the dogma of atonement and incarnation, which affirmed the equal presence in the person of Christ of both human and divine, united inseparably and inseparably. The issue of depicting Jesus Christ was resolved even later - in the 6th century at the fifth (Constantinople) Ecumenical Council (553), where it was decided to depict the Son of God in the form of a man, and not a lamb.

There have been several major schisms within Christianity. Differences in religious views, as a rule, led to differences in the social and religious life of different Christian communities. Thus, in the 5th century in Byzantium, the teaching of the Monophysites arose, which did not want to recognize Christ as both man and God. Despite the condemnation of this doctrine by one of ecumenical councils(415) it spread to some Byzantine provinces such as Egypt, Syria and Armenia.
One of the largest is considered to be the schism of the 11th century, which occurred during the division of the Roman Empire into Western and Eastern. In the first, in connection with the fall of the emperor's power, the authority of the Roman bishop (pope) greatly increased; in the second, where imperial power was preserved, the patriarchs of the churches were deprived of an approach to power. Thus, historical conditions formed the basis for the division of the once united Christian church. In addition, certain dogmatic and even organizational disagreements began between the two churches, which led to the final break in 1054. Christianity split into two branches: Catholicism (Western Church) and Orthodoxy ( Eastern Church).
The last split of Christianity took place within catholic church during the period of the Reformation. The anti-Catholic movement that formed in Europe in the 16th century led to the separation of several European churches from Catholicism and the creation of a new direction in Christianity - Protestantism.