Questions to Priest Daniel Sysoev. Вопросы священнику на английском языке

On our spiritual journey, how often do we find our­selves in need of a timely answer to this or that question that is troubling our soul. We believe that if we pray to God be­fore asking advice from a priest, the Lord will give us the right answer by way of His servant. This is always a source of comfort and strengthening on our path to eternity. This book is comprised of answers to questions posed to Father Daniel during talks devoted to the explanation of the Bible. Father Daniel gives clear, logical answers to questions of a most interesting and vital nature.

CONTENTS

1. Is God omniscient?
2. What is the rite of repentance to the Royal Martyrs?
3. Will unbaptized infants go to hell?
4. What response can we give to skeptics?
5. In what language was the first epistle to the Corinthians written? What is the exact translation of the word “love” in chapter 13 of that epistle?
6. What is evil?
7. What is the meaning of the Savior’s words: “shake off the dust of your feet"?
8. What sorts of miracles were there during the persecutions of the Church in the 20^lh century?
9. How is faith different from hope?
10. Why did God allow revolution and war in Russia?
11. Do the unbaptized have a guardian angel?
12. What is the difference between pride and arrogance?
13. Is post-mortem anatomy dissection of a human being a sin?
14. Is it not a sin to make money on the stock exchange?
15. What is your opinion on so-called sanogenic thought?
16. What is the correct way to read the Psalter for the living and the departed?
17. How should one struggle against doubts about the faith?
18. How often may pregnant women commune?
19. Was the Theotokos actually taken up to heaven along with her body, and when did this occur?
20. What do “choir of the cherubim” and “mystically represent” mean?
21. How is one to do good works in God’s name?
22. How long does one have to seek God?
23. What should one repent of during one's final moments of life?
24. Do we need to call a sin by its name?
25. Can love for one’s neighbor cover that person’s sins?
26. How should one understand the words “Know ye not that we shall judge the angels”?
27. Does man himself participate in his own salvation?
28. What is the correct way to convey the word of God?
29. How can we pray in such a way that after praying it would be impossible to curse?
30. How can we learn to truly love God?
31. What should one do if one continually doubts the sincerity of one's faith? 32. How did the recluses commune?
33. How does one preach the gospel?
34. How did Herodias die?
35. Who instituted Holy Communion?
36. What does it mean to love one’s neighbor as oneself?
37. What sorts of miracles are happening in our times?
38. What sorts of works should the rich and the poor do?
39. What is the relationship between a spiritual father and his spiritual child?
40. How were the apocryphal books selected?
41. Why did the Lord command that a stone be placed on the bottom of the Jordan in place of the ones taken out at His command (book of Joshua)?
42. Why did the Hebrews not practice circumcision during their 40-year journey in the wilderness?
43. When was the first book of the Bible written?
44. Should we invite people to come to church and commune if they do not know the Symbol of Faith?
45. What if a person gets very angry and annoyed after Communion?
46. Will sinners suffer eternal torment for momentary wickedness?
47. Which of the holy fathers speaks about the divine nature?
48. Who are the Goths, and what is their relation to Satanists?
49. At the crucifixion, where were the nails driven in?
50. How should the Lord’s words concerning prophets be explained?
51. Can we give advice to those who have gone astray?
52. Can a loving person slander and insult someone he loves?
53. Is it possible to repent and then sin?
54. Is it permitted to make confession and receive unction during one’s monthly?
55. May we judge Catholics and Protestants or members of other religions?
56. How should one interpret the verse from Psalm 10: “He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor...when he draweth him
into his net”?
57. What are practice and habit?
58. Could the economic crisis be a sign of the antichrist’s coming?
59. Why did Christ say “Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven?
60. What is a parental blessing?
61. What was the fate in the afterlife of those people who died in the Great Flood?
62. Do the tollhouses exist?
63. Did the monks of Solovetsky Monastery do the right thing during the time of Patriarch Nikon?
64. What are the fruits of Catholicism and Protestantism?
65. How should we respond to our children?
66. How should we understand Christ’s words “And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also”?
67. If sins that have already been confessed trouble our thoughts, should we confess them again?
68. Why do troubles arise when the gospel is being preached?
69. What does it mean when they say that a person must have a simple mind? 70. Why is there a division into men’s and women’s monasteries?
71. Why are there differences in the Greek and Hebrew texts of the Bible?
72. Is it true that due to their corrupt life only the West and the western half of Russia suffered during World Warll?
73. Where does it say to keep the first day of the week, Sunday, holy?
74. Where in the Bible does it speak about judgment and justice?
75. Where in the Bible does it say that Eber refused to build the tower of Babel? 76. What is civil marriage?
77. How should one behave during a service?
78. What is a priestly blessing?
79. What is the correct way to end the prayer “Our Father”?
80. In what manner did saints enter monasteries?
81. Explain the meaning contained in these lines: “O Theotokos, Virgin...rejoice, cloak of boldness for the naked.”
82. How should a martyr conduct himself when faced with death?
83. What is biblical parallelism?
84. Why is it that God does not give the grace of faith to unbelievers?
85. Why is it that the Europeans establish themselves so well on the earth?
86. What will happen in the time of the antichrist?
87. What is a catacomb church?
88. For what reason was Leo Tolstoy excommunicated?
89. Why are we called Christians?
90. Why do people die unbaptized?
91. Why do people sin again after receiving Communion?
92. How did repentance occur in the Old Testament?
93. Does predetermination exist between God and man?
94. What is the marriage bed?
95. How is hell different from gehenna?
96. Who was it that acted immorally during the Civil War—the White Army or the Red?
97. Must we always obey the authorities?
98. How does nationalism combine with Christianity?
99. What is ancestral sin?
100. What is the point of miracles?
101. Explain Abrahams action toward his wife
102. How should “one star differeth from another star in glory” be interpreted?
103. Is it only Christians whom we have to help?
104. In what way are the Catholics heretical?
105. In what way are the Jews delusional?
106. Why was Khodorkovsky’s spiritual father defrocked?
107. Why did the Hebrews practice circumcision?
108. Why should we dress modestly?
109. Is the devil evil itself?
110. Explain the meaning of the Lord’s wounds
111. How should one behave during a church service?
112. Why does God allow people who are going to perish to live?
113. What is the meaning of the Gospel saying “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine?”
114. How is one to pray correctly and unceasingly?
115. How can we have revenge on someone for not wanting to repent?
116. How does a martyr’s prayer for his executioners manifest itself?
117. Are we for God, or is God for us?
118. Do we punish ourselves, or does God punish us?
119. On how many people did the Holy Spirit descend on the day of Pentecost?
120. Why is the loss of a fetus in utero not equivalent to murder?
121. What does the word “mission” signify?
122. How does missionary work differ from catechesis?
123. Why is missionary work necessary?
124. What reward does a missionary receive?
125. Whom is it useless to missionize?
126. What is the spiritual significance of missionary work?
127. What is natural Revelation?
128. Is science objective?
129. Is a scientific picture of the world possible?
130. What are the causes of sciences falsity?
131. How can one disprove the myth about the supremacy of scholarship?
132. What is supernatural Revelation?
133. What does God reveal in prophecies?
134. What are the forms of divine Revelation?
135. Which is the true faith?
136. How does distortion of the faith manifest itself?
137. Are there people who are unable to know God?
138. What is the main thing God requires of us?
139. What does faith reveal?
140. Is God material?
141. From whom did God originate?
142. Where in the Bible is the Most-holy Trinity mentioned?
143. How can we prove Jesus Christ s divinity?
144. Is the Holy Spirit God?
145. What are the errors in the theory of emanation?
146. What are the errors in the theory of the uncreatedness of the world?
147. In what way is the theory of deism invalid?
148. What are the errors in the theory of uniformism?
149. What are the errors in the theory of inflation?
150. How can we disprove the theory that man descended from apes?
151. Where does false doctrine come from?
152. What are the reasons for sickness?
153. What evidence is there in Holy Scripture that Jesus was sent by the God of the Old Testament?
154. Who governs the fates of the nations?
155. Is there continuity between the Old Testament and the New?
156. Why does God need sacrifice?
157. For whom did Christ suffer?
158. Does reincarnation exist?
159. What is the purpose of the Olympic games?
160. Where did Christ go right after His death?
161. Was anyone in the Old Testament saved before Christ descended into hell?
162. Why was Jesus Christ s body incorrupt?
163. Why did Christ arise on the first day of the week?
164. Why was Christ crucified on a Friday?
165. Why did Jesus lie in the tomb on Saturday?
166. Why is it not known at what point in time Christ arose?
167. What is the Church?
168. How many times is the word “church” used in the New Testament?
169. What obedience did God give Prophet Hosea?
170. What is the Church’s logic regarding salvation?
171. What is a sacrament?
172. What must precede baptism?
173. What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit?
174. What does chrismation impart?
175. What are the fruits of the Holy Spirit?
176. What does chrism consist of in the Orthodox Church?
177. How many realities does Christ s body have?
178. What is Communion and why do we need to commune?
179. Which biblical texts speak of the Eucharist?
180. Where should one look for Christ today?
181. Was it possible to receive full remission of sins in the Old Testament?
182. How many stages are there in the Christian sacrament of repentance?
183. Which sins are unforgiveable?
184. Where in the Old Testament is priesthood mentioned for the first time?
185. What is a priest s main task?
186. What is the main task of the bishops?
187. Where in Holy Scripture does it speak of the tollhouses?
188. What is hell?
189. Why is the Church unable to pray for the unbaptized?
190. Why does there have to be an end of the world?
191. What are the signs of the end of the world?
192. Will the second coming of Christ be evident to everyone?
193. Why is it Christ in particular Who will judge people?
194. How many kingdoms of God does Holy Scripture mention?
195. Explain the interpretation of the Law of God that says that before the Fall Adam and Eve ate only the fruit from the tree of life
196. Explain the meaning of the words “twice have I heard this” in Psalm 62
197. Who are enchanters and what is the meaning of the word “prelest”?
198. What was the reason for Saint John Chrysostoms exile? Where and how did he die?
199. How are we to understand the biblical expression “two-edged sword”?
200. How are we to understand the Bible verse that says that the sun, moon, and stars sing to the Lord?
201. What is currently located on the site of the once-majestic city of Babylon?
202. Why was none of the pagan wise men able to interpret the mysterious writing on the wall for King Belshazzar?
203. If an Orthodox Christian is praying at liturgy but has not prepared for Communion, may he leave the church at the words “catechumens, depart”?
204. How are we to understand the word “heaven” in Holy Scripture?
205. Why was Prophet Daniel not with the three youths when they were thrown into the furnace?
206. Which angel went down into the pit to Prophet Daniel
207. How do sorcerers die?
208. Why are those who worship the devil always deceived by him?
209. We know that the Jewish people have a protector — Archangel Michael; whom do the Russians have?
210. Do martyrs have to desire death?
211. What is spiritual hearing?
212. Is the city of Antioch named in honor of the tyrant Antiochus Epiphanes?
213. Why does Fr. Andrei Kuraev speak out as an avid apologist of Harry Potter?
214. What is the meaning behind the sin of “insatiable overeating”?
215. What is “bestial confusion of thoughts"?
216. To whom must Christians show charity?
217. Why does our Church relate differently to traditional religions (Islam, Buddhism, Judaism) than to non-traditional ones?
218. Are we permitted to pray with the heterodox?
219. If I have to eat with Protestants, may I say a prayer and bless the food?
220. If a missionary comes up against a person whose heart is not seeking the truth, is it in anyway possible to change him?
221. Where is the line between man’s personal efforts and God’s mercy in the work of salvation?
222. How do we keep a new convert who has only just started coming to church from being frightened off by the parish customs and leaving?
223. How should missionary work be organized?
224. What can you say about the method of catechesis developed by Fr. Georgiy Kochetkov?
225. What are some outstanding contemporary missionaries you could name?
226. In dire situations can a layman baptize someone?
227. Is it possible for punishment to precede a sin?
228. Is Joseph the betrothed a descendant of David?
229. Was Christ really pierced in the heart while on the Cross?
230. After His Resurrection, did Christ resurrect martyrs?
231. Will Christ s wounds heal after the Last Judgment?
232. What is the angels’ nature— corporeal or incorporeal?
233. Was the Inquisition really as cruel as they say it was today?
234. Why is it that before their death some martyrs prayed for their tormentors, while some asked God for vengeance?
235. Can a person who is not ready for martyrdom decline it?
236. Is it possible to be saved without martyrdom?
237. Is it not a sin to work in a casino?
238. What advice can we give to those who have converted to Orthodoxy from Islam and are badly received in Orthodox circles?
239. How are we to understand terrorism as being the scourge of God?
240. Is it true that the Holy Spirit cannot fully appear on earth because He is hindered by the flow of time?
241. During the time of the antichrist, how long will the things attested by Prophet Elijah continue?
242. Does a person fall away from the Church when he commits a sin?
243. Is the antichrist able to repent?
244. Will the Orthodox patriarch crown the antichrist king?
245. Can we say that blasphemy against God is the norm today?
246. Is it permitted to watch television sometimes?
247. What should a believing Christians attitude be toward the coming of the antichrist?
248. What will the antichrist s name be when he appears?
249. Will it be possible to wash away the seal of the antichrist in the lake of George the Trophy-bearer?
250. When will the Apocalypse begin?
251. Does Satan know that he will not defeat Christ?
252. In John the Theologians Revelation, it says that seven angels have seven wounds. Do they have these wounds on their bodies?
253. What is the best way to combat the Masons’ conspiracies?
254. What are the three mortal sins for which God destroys nations?
255. There is an opinion that the time of the Last Judgment will be the Six Psalms
256. What is the main task of church councils?
257. What is the principle of irreducible complexity?
258. Is science necessary?
259. How do you feel about L.N. Gumilyov’s theory of ethnogenesis?
260. Are there any historical works that tell truthfully how God, the angels, and demons have been involved in the history of mankind?
261. When two nations are at war, what happens with their guardian angels?
262. In what way does sin impede human reason?
263. In a normal, unfallen world, would recorded Revelation be necessary?
264. How is Roman Catholic practice inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible?
265. Does love of truth constitute a dislike of oneself?
266. Is God the Father mentioned in Revelation?
267. What size is God?
268. Is there support in the Bible for the veneration of icons?
269. Under what circumstances does God hear people?
270. What false ideas about God are to be found today among those in the Church?
271. Can a person be indifferent toward God?
272. Why is it that man cannot have descended from apes?
273. Are paradise and the heavenly kingdom one and same place?
274. Who are Neanderthals?
275. Did the Theotokos have ancestral sin?
276. What does the devil “feed” on?
277. Why does the Church see heresy as a mortal sin?
278. Why is death a blessing for fallen man?
279. It is said that there is no authority that is not from God. But if an authority is in opposition to God, is that authority from God as well?
280. What does it mean that God determined times for each nation and the boundaries of their habitation?
281. Why did God reveal Himself to the pagan, Pharaoh, in the book of Genesis?
282. Where in the Bible is the price for Christ’s betrayal mentioned?
283. Where did the money from Christ’s betrayal go? How was it spent?
284. What is the meaning of these words from the book of Zechariah: “break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel"?
285. In Scripture, why does Jesus call Himself a worm?
286. What does redemption (ransom) mean in the Bible?
287. Why are some people upset by the Cross of the Lord?
288. Why were the Old Testament sacrifices necessary?
289. What is the Church’s stance on interfaith marriage?
290. Is conversion to Islam considered a sin?
291. What is suggested reading for those who have decided to be baptized?
292. How long should one prepare for baptism?
293. What is the primary goal of Christian life?
294. Is a spiritual father necessary, and how is one to be found?