Having entered the Christmas season, we ask those who find the work of the Mystagogy Resource Center beneficial to them to help us continue our work with a generous financial gift as you are able. As an incentive, we are offering the following booklet.

In 1909 the German philosopher Arthur Drews wrote a book called "The Myth of Christ", which New Testament scholar Bart D. Ehrman has called "arguably the most influential mythicist book ever produced," arguing that Jesus Christ never existed and was simply a myth influenced by more ancient myths. The reason this book was so influential was because Vladimir Lenin read it and was convinced that Jesus never existed, thus justifying his actions in promoting atheism and suppressing the Orthodox Church in the Soviet Union. Moreover, the ideologues of the Third Reich would go on to implement the views of Drews to create a new "Aryan religion," viewing Jesus as an Aryan figure fighting against Jewish materialism. 

Due to the tremendous influence of this book in his time, George Florovsky viewed the arguments presented therein as very weak and easily refutable, which led him to write a refutation of this text which was published in Russian by the YMCA Press in Paris in 1929. This apologetic brochure titled "Did Christ Live? Historical Evidence of Christ" was one of the first texts of his published to promote his Neopatristic Synthesis, bringing the patristic heritage to modern historical and cultural conditions. With the revival of these views among some in our time, this text is as relevant today as it was when it was written. 

Never before published in English, it is now available for anyone who donates at least $20 to the Mystagogy Resource Center upon request (please specify in your donation that you want the book). Thank you.



November 29, 2024

November: Day 29: Holy Martyr Paramonos


November: Day 29:
Holy Martyr Paramonos
 
(One Should Always Tell the Truth)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Martyr Paramonos, who is now commemorated, suffered during the reign of the Roman Emperor Decius, in the third century. At that time, the ruler of the eastern provinces of the empire was the nobleman Aquilinus, a persecutor of Christians. Once, while traveling through Bithynia, Aquilinus was leading 370 Christian martyrs to be imprisoned. When they passed by a pagan temple, Aquilinus wanted to force the Christians to sacrifice to the idols, but the Christians refused. By chance, a pious man named Paramonos was passing by, and seeing such a multitude of Christians who were awaiting torture, he exclaimed: “Oh, how many righteous people the impious ruler kills innocently! And for what? Because they do not bow down to mute and soulless idols.” Aquilinus ordered his servants to seize Paramonos and kill him, which was done: they pulled out his tongue and pierced his body with spear points. Then the 370 martyrs who refused to sacrifice to the idols were beheaded with the sword in 250 A.D.

II. Brethren! Following the example of the Holy Martyr Paramonos, who was not afraid to tell the truth to the terrible tormentor that he was acting impiously in killing innocent Christians, let us also always speak only the truth.

a) Is it necessary to explain how necessary truth is? “Imagine that you are surrounded by people who do not speak the truth, do not do the truth, that, consequently, assurances of goodwill cannot be trusted, that promises cannot be relied upon, that the one you call upon, or send on a matter, will say: 'I will go,' and will not go; that the debtor will say: 'I will pay,' and will not pay; that the one who listened to your request for protection will say: 'I will protect,' and will not protect. Is it possible to spend even a day calmly and safely among such people? Do you not see that it is impossible to live without truth?

b) Will you say: 'I allow myself only a small untruth, from which there will be no great disaster?' The Wise One answers you: 'He who humiliates a small thing will fall little by little' (Sir. 19:1). If today you allow yourself an untruth in a small word, tomorrow in a small deed; if others, noticing this, will answer you in the same way; if the superior does not observe the truth in the order, the subordinate in the execution of the command; if the one coming to court allows himself to bring unjust requests, and to tempt the judge with gifts, and the judge gives in to the temptation: then the untruth can imperceptibly grow into such a mountain, which, collapsing, will bury many under the ruins.

c) However, truth would not be perfect if it were observed only out of fear of disaster and destruction. Let us love and practice truth because it is lovely in itself; because it is akin to our soul, and even more so because 'the Lord loves the righteous' (Psalm 145:8)” (see the sermon of Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, Vol. V, 1885 edition).

III. Through the prayers of the holy lovers of truth, may the Lord help us to avoid untruth in all our words and deeds. Amen.

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
 

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