www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology The Monarchy of God the Father

Following is a thread starter I posted on a United Methodist BB today. While I've studied Orthodox theology off and on for years I want to check in with you to see where I need to strengthen or correct. I want the Light of the East not the dullness of Dan to be shed upon our Western brothers and sisters, or at least friends. You will note that the only Father I cited was a Pope. Perhaps I could site some others, but I think St. Gregory the Great is loved by both East and West.

"One of the things I left behind and happily so is "thology" done as though humans are the center of the universe. I started this treck upon reading St. Gregory the Great's, Pastoral Disciplines in which he emphasised our first priority as the worship of God and secondly the salvation of man. I took his teaching to heart and believe that the Stewards of God Mysteries do best when they lead people in the worship of God. It wasn't until I was unshackled from Protestant humanism that I could free myself to fully worship God.

Salvation will follow quite well from that but to start with a clamor for salvation before we know the one who saves is like trying to lift oneself in a basket. It can't be done.

The Orthodox emphasise the Monarchy of God. That is, their insistence with St. John recorded in his gospel chapter 15, that all things proceed from the father is the essential ingredient both of worship and of salvation.

Here's part of a note I sent someone recently. It's about the monarcy of the Father.

"All comes back to the Father. John 15 teaches us that all things proceed from the Father. He is the Monarch of monarch. From Him even proceeds the Trinity itself. I thought everyone knew this. What you need is a good course in Christian Theology. I'm serious. Most Methodist I've known over the years know virtually nothing about Theology. Most of our second graders know more Theology and know God better than most adult Methodist or Baptist or virtually any Protestant.

But you really did think you were telling something previously undiscovered when you pasted those partial Scriptures to the bb. My this is a kettle of fish. You are probably typical of most of the posters. Things that are fairly rudamentary are seen as startling new revelations. It isn't your fault. You've never been taught.

Everything proceeds from the Father. He made the Church from before the creation and chose us to be part of it. It is upon Christ sacrifice that the Church exists and He resides in the Church. He points to the Father because He proceeds from the Father. We are grafted into the Church, become children of the Father and brothers and sisters of Christ and even the Trinity is bound together by the power of the Holy Spirit. We commune with all members of the Church by the power of the Holy Spirit. But this communing takes us back to the Father because He is the Monarch."

Christ the King has now brought us back to the path to the Father. By sharing His life with us we are now allowed to share in the life of the Father. It's called variously Theosis, Divinization, Deification, or Sanctification.

But Worship comes first. Then we are saved in Him."

Dan L

dearest dan,
well, the bible speaks of the monarchy of god but, god is not an authoritarian. he is a loving father so, don't worry about he monarchy of god, just think of his fatherhood. he is a loving father who watches over his children
you brother in christ
bro. francis mary, o.s.f.
franciscan catholic monk

I think that Dan may be referring to monarchy of the Father as the sole cause (aitia) of the hypostasis of the Son and the hypostasis of the Spirit.

Apotheoun,

Correct. My overall point is that the way we know God is not just from principles derived from past events or from hoped for events in the future but is to be found in the Father's present love that is the source of all. In this way I'm trying to knock any support for dispensationalism into the abyss.

Brother Francis,

Thanks but that is not what I'm defending. "You no longer need to ask in my name for the Father Himself loves you" seems to flow from "the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father."

Dan L