Church order cements faith

Editor's note: This is the latest guest column in The Post and Courier's occasional examination of the nature of church leadership. Next week, a Baptist pastor's view.

Since the time that Jesus Christ established his Church upon the Earth, the nature of church leadership — or, better put, church polity or government — has never been subject to variation in the Orthodox Church. For those unfamiliar with church history, this vital aspect of church life also was not subject to any form of debate or "reformation" in the first 1,500 years of Christianity in the West. Why is this so? What is the church order that was divinely ordained? Is there a head bishop?

There is a beautiful icon from the 15th century, painted by St. Andrei Rublev, which has come to be known as the Old Testament Trinity — or, more simply, Rublev's Trinity. This stunning masterpiece shows us very clearly, very biblically, very theologically, just what the government of the Church is to be: an incarnation of the life of the Holy Trinity. Perfectly hierarchical. Perfectly conciliar.

Rublev's Trinity is a deep theological reflection on the wonderful story of Abraham and Sarah, who were visited — according to the account in Genesis 18 — by three holy angels, who came to announce that the barren and aged (100!) Sarah would bear a son. She laughed at the announcement, and thus the son — who indeed was born — was named Isaac, the Hebrew name for "laughter." In this inspiring story of both faith and hospitality, the angels are three and yet one, one and yet three. It is fascinating to read the biblical text to see the interplay between the various uses of singular and plural subjects and verbs.

In Rublev's icon, the angels are depicted in a perfect circle around a table — leaving one open place — for you, for me, for the viewer. Within the icon, there is perfect hierarchy and perfect conciliarity. The hierarchy is seen in the hands of and gazes of the angels. The angel to the left (as we view it) represents (not depicts) God the Father, and is the font and source of all blessing. He also is the rock of faith, indicated by the temple rooted behind his shoulders. He gazes toward both the other angels, and his right hand blesses the central angel, who represents Jesus Christ.

The central angel, in turn, blesses both the chalice beneath his hand (the blood of Christ), and us who stand at the open place at the table.

The third angel receives the blessing also from the central figure, and sends it out to us, again, in the center. Both the Christ-Angel and the third one (representing the Holy Spirit) are inclined toward the Father-figure, indicating that they do nothing apart from Him. "I must be about my Father's business."

The conciliarity is seen specifically in the circular arrangement, and the fact that the Head figure is on the left, and not in the top-center. They act as one; they are one. There is no taking sides here. We are drawn in, enveloped, welcomed, by the three-in-one, one-in-three.

The Church's order is precisely this, both by divine, biblical decree and by description. The Church is both hierarchical and conciliar. The Church is grounded by bishops who are ordained according to the tradition of the Church, as testified in the Holy Scriptures. Their task is to pass along what they have received, "rightly dividing the word of Truth."

There is, indeed a "head" bishop, just as the father is the head of the Trinity. In the Church on Earth, in the first centuries, this head bishop was the Bishop of Rome, the most prominent See, and where saints Peter and Paul were martyred. In the year 451, at the fourth Ecumenical Council held in Chalcedon, this honor was accorded to the See of Constantinople, called "New Rome," as the center of the empire shifted. Since that time, the Patriarch of Constantinople has enjoyed the place of Primus — first hierarch.

However, in the divine plan, in perfect imitation of the Holy Trinity, the Primus — first hierarch — is not first alone. He is chief-among-equals, or primus-inter-pares. There can only be one head to a body — but the head functions in perfect harmony with the body, and the body with the head. So, since the beginning of the Christian church, there has always been a head bishop, but one who leads conciliarly — in step, as if one, with the others. Neither the head nor the members act alone; they are committed to this dance, and called to teach what has always been taught — to pass along the "faith once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3).

Surely they will fail in their efforts from time to time. One only is perfect: the Holy Trinity. Sometimes, the chief will assert that he is the boss alone. He is not, and by divine order. Sometimes the brother bishops will teach something other than they have received. This is a scandal.

Nevertheless, the order of the church is its order, precisely because we are called to imitate God, and because our Lord Jesus Christ commanded his disciples to follow him. Even when a bishop errs, the unchanged faith remains unchanged, and we must return to it. If someone began to teach that Jesus was a woman, that doesn't change the fact he was a man; we have no obligation to teach anything other than the Truth, and we should not be surprised that sinners attempt to change things! We try it all the time.

The Church cannot have conciliarity without hierarchy. This results actually in anarchy. The Church cannot have hierarchy without conciliarity. This results in a dangerous ecclesiastical monarchy, which is foreign to the God-head.

Rather, from the beginning (don't trust me, read the history!) the Church is both hierarchical and conciliar. God is One-in-three, and Three-in-one. It is the way that God gave us to know, understand, worship and adore Him — it is the way to true life.

Father John Parker is priest-in-charge of Holy Ascension Orthodox Church in I'On. To read more, visit www.holyascension.blogspot.com. E-mail him at frjohn@ocacharleston.org.