Athonite Audio
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Sharing in Christ's sufferings: the necessary Christian path
30:44
What the video says
The speaker teaches that participation in Christ's sufferings is the necessary path for every Christian, citing 1 Peter 4:13 and St. Isaac the Syrian. Christ's entire life was affliction, abandonment, poverty, slander, betrayal, and death, and He promises His followers the same tribulations. Thomas à Kempis is quoted on the few who bear the cross compared to the many who desire consolation.
The Christian views all pain through the God-man Jesus, accepting tribulation as the means to mortify sin and be conformed to Christ's death, so that His life may be manifested in the body. St. Paul's sufferings illustrate this fellowship, and the apostle rejoices because his afflictions fill up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the Church.
The cross becomes a title of glory, not shame, and daily co-crucifixion with Christ transforms suffering into active practice. St. Basil the Great and St. John Chrysostom affirm that present hardships prepare eternal reward. Finally, eucharistic communion unites believers to Christ's body and to one another, making them partakers of the divine nature and heirs of glory, as St. Gregory of Nyssa proclaims in his resurrection sermon.
Key moments
- The speaker opens with St. Isaac the Syrian and 1 Peter 4:13: rejoicing in proportion to participation in Christ's sufferings, with great gladness at His second coming.
- Christ's words guarantee tribulation for His followers: 'If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you' (John 15:20) and 'let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me' (Matthew 16:24).
- Christ's sufferings were not only the cross; His whole life was pain, abandonment, poverty, slanders, hatred, scorn, blows, humiliations, loneliness, doubts, disputes, persecutions, betrayal, and death.
- Thomas à Kempis is quoted: Jesus has many lovers of His kingdom but few bearers of His cross; many desire His consolation but few His tribulation; many follow to the breaking of bread but few to the cup of His passion.
- Paul's desire in Philippians 3:10-11: to know Christ, share His sufferings, be conformed to His death, and so attain the resurrection from the dead.
- Co-crucifixion with Christ means daily participation in His suffering; pain becomes active practice, and the believer crucifies the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24).
- The pain of Christ's crucified body is the pain of the Church; Paul fills up in his flesh what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of His body, the Church (Colossians 1:24).
- Complete fellowship comes through the Eucharist: the cup of blessing is communion in Christ's blood, the bread broken is communion in His body, making believers one body and partakers of the divine nature (1 Corinthians 10:16-17; 2 Peter 1:4).
The speaker teaches that participation in Christ's sufferings is the necessary path for every Christian, citing 1 Peter 4:13 and St. Isaac the Syrian on rejoicing in proportion to that participation. Christ's entire life was affliction, abandonment, poverty, slander, betrayal, and death, and He promises His followers the same tribulations.
Thomas à Kempis is quoted on the few who bear the cross compared to the many who desire consolation. The Christian views all pain through the God-man Jesus, accepting tribulation as the means to mortify sin and be conformed to Christ's death so that His life may be manifested in the body. St. Paul's sufferings illustrate this fellowship; the apostle rejoices because his afflictions fill up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the Church.
The cross becomes a title of glory, not shame, and daily co-crucifixion with Christ transforms suffering into active practice. St. Basil the Great and St. John Chrysostom affirm that present hardships prepare eternal reward. Finally, eucharistic communion unites believers to Christ's body and to one another, making them partakers of the divine nature and heirs of glory, as St. Gregory of Nyssa proclaims in his resurrection sermon.