Prologue in Sermons: December 23

Christians Are Soldiers Appointed To Battle

December 23
 
(A Certain Peter's Words About Resisting Everything.)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

The Holy Apostle Paul calls a Christian a soldier and points out that he must suffer much in war. "Therefore," he says, "you must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (2 Tim. 2:3). So, a Christian is a soldier. But who are his enemies, and what harm have they done to him? And what should a Christian do to defeat his enemies?

The word of the Church says: "First, the Lord created righteousness in men. Then, unrighteousness arose within them from the devil and began to war against and persecute righteousness. And men accepted unrighteousness and rejected righteousness, and righteousness abandoned them, and they began to live of their own free will, only to perish. And so, debauchery arose against virginity and destroyed virginity. And impurity arose against purity, malice against meekness, and hatred against love. Gluttony arose against fasting, and drunkenness against sobriety. Resentment arose against humility, and robbery against brotherly love. Stinginess arose against generosity, and disfavor against mercy. And lawlessness arose against the preservation of the law and against all good deeds."

January: Day 22: Holy Apostle Timothy

 

January: Day 22:
Holy Apostle Timothy
 
(On Obedience to Spiritual Mentors)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. When the Holy Apostle Paul preached in the city of Lystra and performed a miracle there, healing a lame man, many of the inhabitants of that city believed in the Lord, including one Jewish woman. She, having received the Holy Apostle into her home, asked him to take her son as one of his disciples. The youth was called Timothy, whose memory is celebrated today. The Apostle Paul gave Timothy instructions; leaving Lystra, he entrusted him to other Christians and then, seeing that the youth was filled with faith and love for the Lord, he took him with him.

From that time on, Saint Timothy became the faithful companion of the Holy Apostle Paul and his beloved disciple. He labored with him and suffered persecution, visited Ephesus, Corinth, and many other cities and regions of Greece and Asia Minor with him, and zealously helped him spread the word of God. Sometimes, the Apostle Paul, fully trusting his beloved disciple, sent him to newly converted people to strengthen them in the faith. He was sent with such a mission to the Thessalonians and Corinthians. To Timothy himself, the Holy Apostle Paul wrote two epistles, filled with love and wise teachings. “But you, O man of God,” he says among other things, “flee the love of money, and strive to make progress in righteousness, piety, faith, love, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Tim. 6:11, 12).

Saint Timothy the Apostle Resource Page

 

St. Timothy the Apostle (Feast Day - January 22)

Verses

Adorned with a wreath of divine eros Timothy,
You were beaten with clubs that painted the earth with your blood.
On the twenty-second your spirit was raised Timothy.

 

Holy Apostle Timothy of the Seventy 

 

Holy Apostle Timothy as a Model for our Lives

 

Holy Apostle Timothy in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church 

 

Introductory Homily on First Timothy (St. John Chrysostom)

 

Why Did Saint Paul Write a Second Epistle to Timothy? (St. John Chrysostom) 

 

Skull of the Apostle Timothy To Travel To Russia From Italy

 

 

Why Did Saint Paul Write a Second Epistle to Timothy? (St. John Chrysostom)

By St. John Chrysostom

What is the reason of his writing this second Epistle to Timothy? He had said, "I hope to come unto you shortly" (1 Timothy 3:14), and as this had not taken place, instead of coming to him, he consoles him by a letter, when he was grieving perhaps for his absence, and oppressed by the cares of the government, which he had now taken in hand. For even great men, when they are placed at the helm, and are charged with the direction of the Church, feel the strangeness of their position, and are overwhelmed, as it were, by the waves of business. This was particularly the case when the gospel was first preached, when the ground was everywhere unturned, and all was opposition and hostility. There were, besides, heresies commencing from the Jewish teachers, as he has shown in his former Epistle. Nor does he only comfort him by letters, he invites him to come to him: "Do your diligence," he says, "to come shortly unto me," and, "when you come, bring with you the books, but especially the parchments" (2 Timothy 4:9-13). And he seems to have written this Epistle when his end was approaching. For he says, "I am now ready to be offered up"; and again, "At my first defense no man stood with me" (2 Timothy 4:6-16).

- Excerpt from Homily 1 on Second Timothy