Do we follow Jesus or our Our ancestors???? 2
PRAISE THE LORD
1. We believe that kumbasaram and taking of qurbana will relieve all sins that have been kumasariked (repented) Because the achen is authorized by the resurrected Jesus under John 20: 21-23 to untie the bondage of sin.
B; Ngano belaheenanum papiyum.
Ans: The priest is upholding 1 John 1: 8-10 which says "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us."
Again in Romans 7 : 13 - 24. Here St Paul says "For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, It is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present within me, the one that wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warning against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God- through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh of the law of sin."
So if a priest claims that he does not sin, he makes Jesus a liar. Again the greatest of all miracles that our Lord did in this world is that as a normal human youth; HE DID NOT SIN. Any true Christian would confess that he is tempted by sin. For this reason the pentacostals gave the new unchristian blasphemy "once saved, saved for ever". But the bible teaches that anybody can become an apostate. Remember that the New Testament is not the result of the Old Testament. The New Testament is the reason for the OT. The story of Solomon and all those who run away from faith still exists in the NT.
Coming back to the achens; after accepting himself as a sinner, he turns around to God and recites Psalms 26 and 27; saying " VINDICATE me O Lord, For I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the Lord; I shall not slip".
He further challenges God exactly like Moses did in Exodus 32:32 "Yet now if You will forgive their sin-but if not, I pray, blot me out of your book which You have written" and Psalms 106: 23 " Had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach, To turn away his wrath, lest He destroy them"
The achen challenges God the exact same way saying Ps 26:2-3 "Examine me O Lord, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart....And I have walked in YOUR Truth".
This is the situation of our achens. As the pillar of faith St. Gregory Nizanzius (oration 2 "In defence of his plight to Pentus) said The bishop should not compare himself to other believers. He can only compare himself to the chief shepherd; Jesus. He should not boast about the good things he did; but only lament about the good things he could have done, but failed to do. He can only take the Kings Highway, that even when he falls he can only fall in to Holiness.
So, when an achen accepts himself as a sinner in front of the flesh and blood of our savior denouncing self-righteousness, He challenges Almighty God about his integrity and truthfulness.
Mamodiesa onnu mathram for the remission of sin
In mamodisa we partake in the deathe and resurrection of Jesus. The water represents the earth in which He was buried. After mamodisa we receive the chrism (moron) anointment (abhisheka thailam) of the holy priest hood; "MHAIMNO" the first order. His death equals our life.
Then we receive the Qurbana. The three sacraments are coexisting; not contradictory. The inherited sin is gone by baptism (adamia papam) The aquired sin by the kumbasaram and qurbana.
Priesthood.
If you look further deep we see that levi priest hood was only like a susrushakaran. The priesthood went to Aaron. Even now if a disentent of Aaron, (usually has a last name KOHN = Kohono=achen) is present in the synagogue; he is the elder even if he is only 12 years old.
Our priesthood is of the order of both Machezadek and Aaron. Because Jesus is eternal priest; and because He accepted the priesthood of Aaron in the river Jordan through John the Baptist, the son of Zechariah. Now; see that John was delivering the baptism of REPENTANCE. Jesus never sinned. For this reason, John was reluctant to baptize Him. Then Jesus was upholding the Aaronic priesthood by subjecting himself for baptism. Then the Holy Spirit dissented on Him. The proclamation from God the Father came. Likewise the achen breath on the one to be baptized and anoint him with the Holly Moron. The blood of Jesus is administered to the baptized.
2. The other criticism I have come across is; How can Moses give priesthood to Zachariah. This is a biblical tradition. In the book of Luke Elizabeth, wife of Zachariah is referred as one of the daughters of Aaron.
Is there a difference between an achen and a methranachen.
Absolutely No; in terms of priesthood. An achen is a non-multipliable bishop. The meaning of methran is somevarthakan; the one who can multiply. The burial prayers are the same for both. The office of achen was created in the later centuries so that the bishop can have jurisdiction over more than one parish. (see the first verses of the book of Philippians) The achen can only do Qurbana under the direction of the bishop, as Our Lord is the eternal CHIEF PRIEST; only methran is authorized to do Qurbana.
Welcoming further questions, Monsy