Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Gangra - Canon 20

If any one shall, from a presumptuous disposition, condemn and abhor the assemblies [in honor] of the martyrs, or the services performed there, and the commemoration of them, let him be anathema.

Services in which martyrs were remembered had been common in the early church in order to commemorate their sacrifice and acknowledge them as part of the "great cloud of witnesses" (Heb 12:1).  Eustathians had set out to disregard such recognitions.  Protestants reading this will probably side with Eustathius in this regard, but one needs to remember that his teaching was directed at puffing up one's spiritual self.  If that be the case, his condemnation of these assemblies in an act of false piety is worth no more than worthless slag.

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