Priesthood is authority, but it is authority of word and conviction. This is the distinctive mark of Christian power. Kings compel, and pastors convince. The former act by orders, the latter by exhortations. Pastors appeal to human freedom, to human will and call for decisions. As Chrysostom used to say himself, “We have to accomplish the salvation of men by word, meekness, and exhortation.” The whole meaning of human life for Chrysostom was in that it was, and had to be, a life in freedom, and therefore a life of service. In his preaching he spoke persistently about freedom and decision. Freedom was for him an image of God in man. Christ came, as Chrysostom used to remind, precisely to heal the will of man. God always acts in such a way as not to destroy our own freedom. God Himself acts by calls and exhortations, not by compulsion. He shows the right way, calls and invites, and warns against the dangers of wickedness, but does not constrain. Christian pastors must act accordingly. By temperament, Chrysostom was rather a maximalist, sharp and rigoristic, but he was always against compulsion, even in the struggle with heretics. Christians are forbidden, he used to insist, to apply violence even for good aims: “Our warfare does not make the living dead, but rather makes the dead to live, because it is conducted in the spirit of meekness and humility. I persecute by word, not by acts. I persecute heresy, not heretics. It is mine more to be persecuted, than to persecute. So Christ was victorious as a Crucified, and not as a crucifier.” The strength of Christianity was for him in humility and toleration, not in power. One had to be strict about oneself, and meek to the others.
- Fr. George Florovsky
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Sizing
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Description
All our t-shirt designs use Bella+Canvas 3001 shirts. These shirts are made with only the highest-quality Airlume cotton: a combed, ring-spun and long-staple cotton that feels softer to the touch than just about any other shirt on the market. We aim to have the quality of the texture of the fabric be just as remarkable as the designs printed on them!
Features
- 100% Airlume combed and ringspun cotton (fiber content may vary for different colors)
- Light fabric (4.2 oz/yd² (142 g/m²))
- Retail fit
- Tear away label
- Ribbed-knit collars, to support shaping
- Runs true to size
- Dual side-seams hold the garment's shape longer
- Shoulder taping for better fit over time
