Suffering ( grief , soreness , passion ). The concept of suffering is very important in the Orthodox teaching of salvation . The apostle Paul also taught:
 | by many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. ( Acts 14:22 ) |  |
Through suffering, the Lord teaches the believer and cleanses his soul and body from sins in order to make the whole person righteous ( Heb. 12: 4–13 ). Although righteousness is granted by God to man in vain, by faith ( Rom. 4: 3 ), but on the part of man, the work of faith or the patient transfer of suffering is required to accept this righteousness.
Content
- 1 Suffering in Orthodox Theology
- 2 Passion (suffering) of Jesus Christ
- 3 Misfortune in monasticism
- 4 The root cause and inevitability of suffering in this world
- 5 Eternal suffering
- 6 References
Suffering in Orthodox Theology
(According to the "Exact Statement of the Orthodox Faith" of St. John of Damascus , Book 2, Chapter 22) - First of all, suffering is opposed to action :
- Suffering is a movement in one thing, produced by another thing. Action is an amateur movement.
- Action is movement consistent with nature; suffering is movement contrary to nature.
Distinguish between bodily suffering (illness and wounds) and mental ( anger and lust ).
It is noted that not suffering is painful, but a feeling of a suffering state. And for such a sensation to take place, suffering must be worthy of attention, i.e. significant in strength.
The Passion (Suffering) of Jesus Christ
According to the Orthodox faith, through His sufferings on the cross and death, Christ redeemed the entire human race from sin and eternal death. Now any person, if he grafts the cross of his suffering to the cross of Christ, can inherit eternal life .
Misery in Monasticism
Although, according to Orthodox doctrine, to achieve salvation, it is enough with gratitude to endure involuntary sorrows that are found on a person, but monks to achieve great levels of Christian perfection impose arbitrary sorrows on themselves. These sorrows are painful fasting, vigil, prayer , humility , virginity , obedience , poverty, and so on. The theological basis of such behavior is the opposition of the old, carnal, human to spiritual ( 2 Cor. 4:16 ). Accordingly, with the mortification of the flesh and enslavement of its spirit, one can achieve higher spiritual states, which is the goal of monasticism.
The root cause and inevitability of suffering in this world
The history of this world began with the fall of the ancestors of mankind - Adam and Eve - who ate the fruit of a forbidden tree. As a result of this sin, women were sentenced to painful childbirth , the earth was cursed, and a man sentenced to painful cultivation of this land, which produces thorns and thistles ( Genesis 3: 16-24 ). Also, people were expelled from Paradise and sentenced to death . The expulsion from Paradise, as some understand, is the alienation of man from God and the cut off from God communion, which in the exact sense is the death of the soul and the greatest suffering for man. This communion of God was restored by Christ , who, after the end of the world , will wipe away every tear from their eyes ( Rev. 21: 4 , Rev. 7:17 ).
Eternal suffering
According to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, unrepentant sinners after their bodily death await eternal suffering in hell .