Praying to Smoke???

Since I began attending an Orthodox Church in 2009, I have encountered a number of misunderstandings of Orthodox Christianity -- that we worship Mary (we do not), that icons are idols (they are not), that we substitute Scripture with tradition (we supplement, not substitute, Scripture with Holy Tradition, which does not replace or contradict Scripture).  However, the strangest misunderstanding that I have encountered is that we pray to smoke. It is true that we typically have many candles burning during an Orthodox service, and that incense is an important part of the service; of course, both candles and incense produce smoke. But why would anyone claim that we pray to smoke?

The Orthodox Church building is modeled after the Old Testament Tabernacle and Temples as well as the description of Heaven as found in Revelation. As for the connection between smoke and prayer, it is found in two passages in Revelation.  The first is, "And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints (Revelation 5:8)."  While this does not explicitly mention smoke -- the "golden vials full of odours" could be filled with perfume, for example, they could also be filled with the smoke of incense, which becomes the obvious interpretation in light of the second passage.  

And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.  And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand (Revelation 8:3-4).

Thus, in Heaven, the smoke of the incense was offered with the prayers of the saints and ascended up to the Lord. In like manner, in the Orthodox Church, the smoke of the incense, as well as that of the candles, is offered up to the Lord with our prayers, and the prayers of all saints, and becomes a symbol of prayers ascending up to the Lord throughout our service. We do not pray to smoke; rather, the smoke represents our prayers.

Confession

The Apostle John wrote, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9)."  This does not address to whom we are to confess our sins; this could be satisfied by confessing our sins to God alone.  Certainly, we are to confess our sins to God, but is this sufficient?  James wrote, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed (James 5:16a)."  Thus, the Protestant practice of confessing sins to God alone is not Biblically sufficient.  In the early Church, Christians openly confessed their sins to the entire congregation; however, as you can imagine, this created a great deal of problems.  Therefore, the tradition became to confess before an ordained priest who was sworn to keep the confession private.

Being "Good"

Our pastor at New City Church downtown, Keith Watson, frequently says that it does not hurt God when we are evil, and does not benefit God when we are "good"; that, since God is perfect and complete in himself, he gains or looses nothing due to our action or inaction. However, this is not a point of theology that must be deduced from God's perfection; it is a point that is explicitly stated.

Job 35:6 If you have sinned, what effect do you have against him?
If your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?
(7) If you are righteous, what do you give him?
Or what does he receive from your hand?

Thus, we are not to be "good" because our being "good" somehow benefits God; we are to be "good" because that is his command for us.

Matthew 22:37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ (38) This is the first and great commandment. (39) A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (40) The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

Job's Soliloquy on Wisdom

I have been reading the book of Job; Job 28:28 is one of the most profound verses in the entire Bible.

Job 28:1 “Surely there is a mine for silver,
and a place for gold which they refine.
(2) Iron is taken out of the earth,
and copper is smelted out of the ore.
(3) Man sets an end to darkness,
and searches out, to the furthest bound,
the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.
(4) He breaks open a shaft away from where people live.
They are forgotten by the foot.
They hang far from men, they swing back and forth.
(5) As for the earth, out of it comes bread;
Underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
(6) Sapphires come from its rocks.
It has dust of gold.
(7) That path no bird of prey knows,
neither has the falcon’s eye seen it.
(8) The proud animals have not trodden it,
nor has the fierce lion passed by there.
(9) He puts forth his hand on the flinty rock,
and he overturns the mountains by the roots.
(10) He cuts out channels among the rocks.
His eye sees every precious thing.
(11) He binds the streams that they don’t trickle.
The thing that is hidden he brings forth to light.
(12) “But where shall wisdom be found?
Where is the place of understanding?
(13) Man doesn’t know its price;
Neither is it found in the land of the living.
(14) The deep says, ‘It isn’t in me.’
The sea says, ‘It isn’t with me.’
(15) It can’t be gotten for gold,
neither shall silver be weighed for its price.
(16) It can’t be valued with the gold of Ophir,
with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
(17) Gold and glass can’t equal it,
neither shall it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
(18) No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal.
Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
(19) The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it,
Neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
(20) Where then does wisdom come from?
Where is the place of understanding?
(21) Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living,
and kept close from the birds of the sky.
(22) Destruction and Death say,
‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’
(23) “God understands its way,
and he knows its place.
(24) For he looks to the ends of the earth,
and sees under the whole sky.
(25) He establishes the force of the wind.
Yes, he measures out the waters by measure.
(26) When he made a decree for the rain,
and a way for the lightning of the thunder;
(27) then he saw it, and declared it.
He established it, yes, and searched it out.
(28) To man he said,
‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom.
To depart from evil is understanding.’”

NCCd -- What We Believe, Part 3: The Godhead

"What We Believe"

the Godhead

We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--co-eternal in being, co-eternal in nature, co-equal in power and glory, having the same attributes and perfections.

Supporting Scripture

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one:

2 Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.

Commentary

That there is one God is established by Deuteronomy 6:4, "Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one." That God is triune, existing in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is established by 2 Corinthians 13:14, which mentions all three persons in such a manner as to make it clear that they are three distinct persons, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen."

Note that "What We Believe" asserts that God is "eternally existing" and that the three persons of God are "co-eternal in being, co-eternal in nature, co-equal in power and glory, having the same attributes and perfections"; however, it offers no scripture to support these assertions and does not elaborate on what these "attributes and perfections" are. We will examine these issues in a future post.

NCCd -- What We Believe, Part 2: The Scriptures

"What We Believe"

the Scriptures

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible, and God-breathed.

Supporting Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16 Every writing inspired by God is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction which is in righteousness, (17) that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Peter 1:20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation. (21) For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 5:18 For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished.

John 16:12 "I have yet many things to tell you, but you can't bear them now. (13) However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming."

Commentary

All Christian theology begins with the Scripture, with the belief that "the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments" are "the verbally inspired word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, [and] infallible". Note that I have omitted the final phrase, "and God-breathed", not because it is in error--it is most certainly true, but because it is redundant; it simply restates the first phrase, "the verbally inspired word of God".

Some may assert that Christian theology actually begins with Jesus Christ, or go back further to assert that it begins with God. However, we cannot study either God or Jesus Christ directly; we must study the Scripture in order to study God. If we begin our theology apart from the Scripture, with what we think about God or what we think Christianity should be, we are building our theology on a foundation of sand. If we believe that the Scripture is simply a guide, but not the final authority for faith and life, we reduce Christianity from a religion to just another philosophy. If we do not insist on the inerrancy and infallibility of the Scripture, we free ourselves to revise our theology as we please; the result may look more or less like Christianity, but it can only be a mockery of true Christianity.

It is only after we accept the Scripture as "the verbally inspired word of God, ... inerrant in the original writings, [and] infallible" that we can use Scripture to testify for itself. We find that the Scripture is "the verbally inspired word of God" in 2 Peter 1:21, "For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit.", taking "prophecy" to be synonymous with "Scripture" in this context. That the Scripture is "the final authority for faith and life" is found in 2 Timothy 3:16 and 17, "Every writing inspired by God is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction which is in righteousness, (17) that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." That the Scripture is inerrant and infallible, we must accept on faith.

Psalm 1

My favorite Psalm is the first.

1 Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stand in the way of sinners,
nor sit in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in Yahweh’s law.
On his law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water,
that brings forth its fruit in its season,
whose leaf also does not wither.
Whatever he does shall prosper.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For Yahweh knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked shall perish.

"... his delight is Yahweh's law"--not the law, as in a book of rules, but the Bible as the Lord's Word. "On his law he meditates day and night." That's what a wise man does--what we should do--meditate on the Bible day and night. "Whatever he does shall prosper." Of course, in this world, what the wise man does doesn't always prosper, but the wise man doesn't live for this world.

"The wicked are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away." True, the wicked may "prosper" for a time, but in the scheme of things, that time is fleeting. "Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment" and "the way of the wicked shall perish." A most horrible fate.

I want to be the wise man, not the evil one.