Pagans - who are they? Gods of the pagans. What did the pagans believe in?

Main

First of all, we note that paganism is a very ancient religion that existed among the Slavs before the adoption of Christianity. It is safe to say that this is a whole universal system of views that fully gave the general picture of the world to the inhabitants of those times. Our ancestors had their own pantheon of gods, which was hierarchical. And the people themselves were confident in the close connection between the inhabitants of the parallel world and the ordinary one. The pagans believed that spirits always controlled them in everything, so not only the spiritual, but also the material part of life was subordinated to them.

What is Paganism - meaning, definition in simple words.

In simple terms, Paganism is a belief in one of the many ancient religions based on the worship of various gods or supernatural beings that are not Christianity, Islam or Judaism. Thus, paganism can include: Druidism, shamanism, animism, various Slavic, European and Asian spiritual practices or beliefs. In general, everything that is not a traditional religion is paganism from the point of view of Christianity.

A little history

At the end of the first millennium AD, at a time when Christianity was adopted in Rus', everything related to paganism was suppressed and eradicated. They burned pagan temples and sent ancient idols floating on water. They tried to completely get rid of these beliefs. However, we can say with confidence that this was done very poorly. Indeed, to this day, elements of pagan rituals have been preserved in the Orthodox faith, creating an amazing symbiosis of Byzantine culture and paganism. It must also be said that the first memories of these beliefs appeared in medieval manuscripts, when the papal curia actively attracted people to Catholicism. The pagans also fell under this action (who they are is known). The entries in the diaries of Catholics were mostly condemning. As for the Russian chroniclers, they did not want to talk about paganism at that time, emphasizing that it practically does not exist.

Facts about Paganism.

• Pagans do not believe in the Christian concept of God, but it was Christian mythology that borrowed much of its ideas from pagan beliefs.
• Pagans do not believe in the devil or Satan. This concept originated with Christianity.
• Pagans are not Satanists. Satanism was born out of a response to Christianity. This has nothing to do with the pagan mythologies that predate Christianity.
• Pagans do not sacrifice people or animals. In ancient times, all religions, including Christianity, performed sacrificial rituals. Today's pagans have left this part of their ancient belief system behind.
• Many holidays come from paganism. For example: Christmas, Easter and Halloween.
• The pagans don't hate Jesus, but they don't worship him. Most people think he was a good man who tried to make the world a better place. But the pagans do not consider him a god.
• For Pagans, magic and spells are acts of focused prayer with clear intention.

As a result, we can only say that paganism is a very ancient belief system that contributed both to the formation of “main” religious movements and to the culture of various nations as a whole. In a sense, it is in paganism, in traditions and rituals, that many of the key factors are stored that have shaped peoples as they are at the moment. And even only from a historical point of view, these belief systems are of great value both for certain peoples and for all of humanity as a whole.

About faith

So, pagans: who were they, what did they believe? It is worth saying that their very system of beliefs was almost ideal and completely inseparable from nature. She was revered, worshiped and given generous gifts. For the Slavs, the center of the entire Universe was Mother Nature. It was understood as a kind of living organism that not only thinks, but also has a soul. Her powers and elements were deified and spiritualized. However, this is not surprising, because Nature is so natural that special wisdom can be traced here without any problems. Moreover, the pagans (who they are, we, in principle, considered) considered themselves children of nature and could not imagine their life without it, for the Vedic system of knowledge and beliefs assumed close interaction and coexistence in harmony with the surrounding world. What was the faith of our ancestors? The Slavs had three main cults: the Sun, Mother Earth and the veneration of the elements.

Where it occurs[edit]

Literature[edit]

• "PLiO": Old God - pedal to the floor, into the asphalt, crust, mantle and further all the way to Australia. There are so many gods, each tree has its own, that it is impossible to unify them or even name them. This faith is professed by the First People - they either have feudalism with tribal remnants (northerners), or a pure tribal system (Free People, highlanders of the Northern and Moon Mountains, skags). They tried to convert the Northerners to Septrianism - unsuccessfully, they even had their own noble religious scholar Theon Stark, who said: “The Septonian faith is a deformity” - and nailed his shield to the gates of Andalos beyond the Narrow Sea. Martin conveys the pros and cons of paganism with a bang. In the era of the First Men, Westeros was covered with tiny tribalist states, from which only in the North they managed to glue together some kind of single kingdom, and even then it was far from as united as the Abrahamic-Andal southern kingdoms: even in the era of the books (the collapse of a large empire and the reconstruction of that very Northern Kingdom - it was anything but united and not conciliar; the only thing they were united in was that “we are not the South.” Wild and bloody rituals with sacrifices were also there, but (among the northerners) very long ago. On the other hand, the Old Gods never practiced religious wars, did not try to massively convert the Septan enclave of White Harbor. In turn, the Manderlys turned a blind eye to rituals in the godswoods in their domain, and the Sons of the Warrior (Septan knightly order) did not receive permission to open commandery in White Harbor. And when attempting mass conversion to Glorianism, the Free People, in typical pagan fashion, keep a fig in their pocket and accept dual faith - Glorianism for the newly minted masters, good old customs for the people.

Video games[edit]

• Crusader Kings - at your choice, you can be a representative of Tengrism, Zunnism, Germanic, Slavic, Finno-Ugric, West African, Baltic paganism, as well as Hinduism.
• Allods online. — Playable class pagan. Capable of beating rough magicians, healing with herbs, and has a pet nearby (the Kanians have a druid, the Gibberlings have a healer, the Praidens have a trapper, the Imperials have a Huntsman, the orcs have a shaman) (they once took away from them unique potions that only they could brew)

Board games[edit]

• Warhammer Fantasy is full of them. The same Empire only pretends to have a pseudo-Christian SFK, but in fact there are a lot of gods and reflects such features of paganism as different perceptions of gods in different regions, disputes about who is the most important and coolest, and even the borrowing of other people’s cults with justification in the spirit that The elven Khaine is the illegitimate son of the human Taal and Ekata.
• Warhammer 40,000 - the planet Fenris, the stronghold of the Order of the Space Wolves, SFC Vikings.

Cult of the Earth

The pagans believed that the Earth was the mother of everything. Here everything is explained quite simply, because, according to the ancient Slavs, it is the center of fertility: the Earth gives life not only to plants, but also to all animals. Why they called her Mother is also not difficult to explain. Our ancestors believed that it was the earth that gave birth to them, it gives them strength, you just have to bend down to it. Let us note that many of the rituals that exist today have come to us since those times. Let us recall, for example, the need to take a handful of one’s own land to a foreign land or to bow to the ground at a wedding for young parents.

New in blogs

The answer to the question of who is a pagan can be both simple and complex.

The simple answer is this: every person who is not a Jew is a Gentile.

But to understand the words of the New Testament, we need to understand the context and meaning of the words used in it.

"Pagans" and "Hellenes"

For example, let's turn to 1 Corinthians in the King James Version (KJV) and notice the inconsistency in the verses talking about the Gentiles. (The argument is based on a comparison of equivalents in two different versions of the Bible in English. In both cases, I quote the Synodal translation, replacing the commented word with equivalents corresponding to the author's intention)

1 Corinthians 10:20

...The pagans, when making sacrifices, sacrifice to demons, and not to God. But I don't want you to be in communication with demons.

1 Corinthians 12:2

You know that when you were pagans, you went to silent idols, as if they were leading you.

1 Corinthians 12:13

For we were all baptized into one body by one Spirit, Jew or Gentile, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink.

1 Corinthians 10:32

Give no offense to the Jews, to the Gentiles, or to the Church of God. (In this case, the Synodal Translation uses the equivalent of “Greeks”)

In the above verses, we first read that the pagans offer sacrifices to demons.

Then we read that the people Paul was speaking to were formerly Gentiles (and Ceased to be Gentiles).

Then we read that both Jews and Gentiles are baptized into ONE body, and therefore we must be careful not to offend the Gentiles.

What are we talking about here? Let's look at these same verses in the New International Version (NIV).

1 Corinthians 10:20

...Idol worshipers, when making sacrifices, sacrifice to demons, and not to God. But I don't want you to be in communication with demons.

1 Corinthians 12:2

2 You know that when you were idolaters, you went to silent idols, as if they were leading you.

1 Corinthians 12:13

13 For we were all baptized into one body by one Spirit, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink.

1 Corinthians 10:32

32 Give no offense either to the Jews or to the Greeks, or to the church of God.

We see that the word “Gentiles” in four passages of the King James Bible is two different words in the New International Translation: “idolaters” and “Greeks.” Strong's Symphony gives the following definitions:

Strong's Dictionary of the Greek Language , article 1484 : Ethnicity, ethnos, possibly from 1486 (Greek) - race (with the same customs), i.e. tribe, particular. foreign [non-Jewish] (usually used in the meaning idolaters): - pagans, idolaters, people, nation.

Strong's Dictionary of the Greek , article 1672 . Ellin, El-lin, from 1671 (Greek), Hellene (Greek) or inhabitant of Hellas; extended meaning - Greek-speaking person, esp. non-Jew, pagan, Greek.

Thus, “ethnos” is an idolater, and “Hellene” is a Greek.

There's nothing wrong with being a pagan Greek, but there's nothing good with being an idolater, is there?

No, not at all. In the tenth chapter of the Book of Acts we read about some Gentiles to whom Peter comes.

Acts 10:44

And the believers from the circumcision who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out also on the Gentiles.

Note that both the King James Bible and the New International Translation use the word “Gentiles” here.

Why doesn't the New International Translation use the standard terms "idolaters" or "Greeks" here?

Because the word here is “ethnos,” which the New International Translation usually translates as “idol worshippers.”

Who were these “pagans”, and why was the word “ethnos” used here and not “Hellenic”?

God Fearers

Let's look at the context of this verse.

Acts 10:1-4

In Caesarea there was a certain man named Cornelius, a centurion from a regiment called Italian, who was pious and feared God with all his household, who gave much alms to the people and always prayed to God. In a vision, he clearly saw at about the ninth hour of the day an Angel of God who came to him and said to him: Cornelius! He looked at him and was frightened and said: What, Lord? The angel answered him: Your prayers and your alms have come as a memorial before God.

In the 1st century, pagans were divided into several categories. Among them were idolaters who did not know the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; there were also proselytes who converted to Judaism.

But in addition to these two categories of pagans, there were also those who fear God, who, although not completely converted to Judaism, nevertheless believed in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

They were also called righteous pagans.

As we saw in the previous article, the school of Shammai did not believe that the ethnos (pagans not fully converted to Judaism) had a share in the world to come.

Because Cornelius was a centurion, army regulations would not have allowed him to be circumcised.

Therefore, from Shamai’s point of view, he had to be considered an idolater.

Kill and eat

Let's continue reading the Book of Acts.

Acts 10:5-13, 14-17, 18-28

So send people to Joppa and call Simon, who is called Peter. He is visiting a certain Simon the tanner, whose house is located by the sea; he will tell you words by which you and your whole house will be saved. When the angel who spoke with Cornelius departed, he called two of his servants and a pious warrior from those who were with him and, having told them everything, sent them to Joppa. The next day, as they walked and approached the city, Peter, at about the sixth hour, went up to the top of the house to pray. And he felt hungry and wanted to eat. While they were preparing, he went into a frenzy and sees the open sky and a certain vessel descending towards it, like a large canvas, tied at the four corners and lowered to the ground; in it were all four-legged creatures of the earth, animals, reptiles and birds of the air. And a voice came to him: Arise, Peter, kill and eat.

Many people refer to this verse when trying to show that God has “done away” with the laws of kosher food, but as we will see, this event has nothing to do with the laws of kashrut.

Rather, God is teaching Peter an important lesson about attitudes toward other nations, and how the influence of Shammai's school has created an isolation of Judaism that God does not support.

Let us pay attention to the words of Peter in response to the offer to eat from unclean animals.

But Peter said: No, Lord, I have never eaten anything bad or unclean. Then another time a voice came to him: what God has cleansed, do not consider unclean. This happened three times; and the vessel rose again to heaven. When Peter wondered within himself what the vision he saw meant, behold, the men sent by Cornelius, having inquired about Simon's house, stopped at the gate.

Notice that Peter could not understand the meaning of this vision.

He was well aware that God does NOT change the kosher food laws.

If so, what then did God want to tell him?

We continue reading from verse 18:

...And they shouted and asked: Is Simon, who is called Peter, here? While Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him: Behold, three men are looking for you; get up, get down and go with them, without any doubt; for I have sent them. Peter, going down to the people sent to him from Cornelius, said: I am the one you are looking for; What business did you come for? They said: Cornelius the centurion, a virtuous man who fears God, approved of by all the people of Judea, received a command from the holy Angel to call you to his house and listen to your speeches. Then Peter, inviting them, treated them. And the next day he got up and went with them, and some of the brethren of Joppa went with him. The next day they came to Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them, having called his relatives and close friends. As Peter entered, Cornelius met him and bowed down at his feet. Peter raised him up, saying: Arise; I'm also a human being. And talking with him, he entered the house and found many gathered. And he said to them: you know that it is forbidden for a Jew to communicate or become close to a foreigner; but God revealed to me that I should not consider any person base or unclean.

Again, notice how Peter himself interpreted his vision.

He did not consider that God was telling him to stop following the commandments of kashrut.

He realized that God was against people being considered bad or unclean.

As we will see later, if the Jews had continued this tradition, God's plan to redeem Israel would never have been realized.

But what law does Peter mean when he says that “It is forbidden for a Jew to associate or associate with a foreigner”?

This law CANNOT be found in the Torah, this law is among the 18 edicts of Shamai.

These included a ban on entering the house of a pagan, so as not to become desecrated. In addition, eating together was prohibited.

Kosher Pagan

Let's go to Acts 8:26-31 :

And to Philip the Angel of the Lord said: Get up and go at noon, to the road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza, to the one that is empty. He got up and went. And so, the husband of the Ethiopian, the eunuch, the nobleman of Candace, the queen of Ethiopia, the keeper of all her treasures, who came to Jerusalem to worship, returned and, sitting on his chariot, read the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip: Come and dock with this chariot. Philip came up and, hearing that he was reading the prophet Isaiah, said: Do you understand what you are reading? He said: How can I understand if someone does not instruct me? and asked Philip to come up and sit with him.

Why was there no ban on communicating with THIS pagan?

Because he, unlike Cornelius, went through the entire process of conversion to Judaism. The Ethiopian eunuch was considered "kosher" because he was a complete convert to Judaism.

A few years later, something completely different began to happen, which surprised the disciples of Yeshua (Jesus).

Acts 11:18

Having heard this, they calmed down and glorified God, saying: apparently, God has given repentance to life to the pagans.

What do the words “repentance unto life” mean?

We are talking about eternal life, or life after death.

They all wanted to understand the question of whether a pagan has a destiny in the “world to come.”

And here we again become witnesses to the confrontation of two opinions in Jewish thought.

The school of Shammai rejected the concept of the "righteous pagan", while the school of Hillel accepted it. Who is a “righteous pagan”?

This is a pagan who fulfills the seven laws of Noah.

Although he is not a complete convert to Judaism, he nevertheless adheres to some principles.

Chaim Klorfen and Yakov Rogalsky write in the book “The Path of the Righteous Pagan”:

Regarding God's commandments, all humanity is divided into two main types: the children of Israel and the children of Noah. The Children of Israel are Jews, descendants of the patriarch Jacob. They are commanded to fulfill the 613 commandments of the Torah. The children of Noah consist of the seventy original nations of the world and their offshoots. They are commanded with seven general laws, also known as the Seven Laws of the Children of Noah or the Seven Laws of Noah. These Seven include the prohibitions of idolatry, blasphemy, murder, theft, unrighteous sexual relations, the prohibition of eating the flesh of a living animal, as well as the commandment to establish fair trials.

Can such a pagan decide to fully convert to Judaism? Certainly. But according to the school of Hillel, pagans should not be forced to convert to Judaism or force them to move beyond the areas of their choice.

With this in mind, let's look at the "Jerusalem Council" described in Acts 15 and try to understand what the debate is about.

Acts 15:3, 4-5, 6-10, 13-20, 21

So, having been escorted by the church, they passed through Phenicia and Samaria, talking about the conversion of the pagans, and caused great joy in all the brethren. What did the pagans turn to? Let us remember that at this time there was no separate religion called “Christianity”. It talks about pagans who converted to Judaism and believed that Jesus was the Messiah. Upon arrival in Jerusalem, they were received by the church, the Apostles and elders, and announced everything that God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the pagans. Then some of the Pharisees who believed in the heresy rose up and said that the Gentiles should be circumcised and commanded to keep the law of Moses.

Communication issue

Note that although Yeshua (Jesus), apparently, came from the school of Hillel, among those who believed in his messiahship were representatives of the school of Shamai, who did not allow communication with pagans BEFORE their COMPLETE conversion to Judaism.

The apostles and elders gathered to consider this matter. After a long discussion, Peter stood up and said to them: Men and brethren! you know that from the first days God chose me from among us, so that from my mouth the pagans would hear the word of the Gospel and believe; and God, the Knower of the Heart, gave them a testimony, giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he has given us; and made no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Why are you now tempting God, wanting to place on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither our fathers nor we could bear?

What kind of heavy yoke are we talking about, and who does it fall on?

Is this saying that God's commands are very difficult to obey?

No, that's not what we're talking about.

The yoke being discussed is not for the Gentiles, but for the disciples. The followers of Yeshua (Jesus) from the school of Shammai advocated that the Gentiles be forced to obey the law before they were ready for it.

They said that a Gentile must fully convert to Judaism before entering into fellowship with them.

They (representatives of the Shamai school) placed a yoke on the necks of the disciples (representatives of the Hillel school).

After they were silent, Jacob began speaking and said: Men and brethren! listen to me. Simon explained how God initially looked upon the pagans in order to make them into a people for His name. And the words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written: Then I will return and rebuild the fallen tabernacle of David, and what is destroyed in it I will rebuild, and I will repair it, so that the rest of the people and all the nations among whom my name will be proclaimed may seek the Lord, says the Lord, who does all this. All His works have been known to God from eternity. Therefore, I decide not to make it difficult for the pagans who turn to God, but to write to them so that they abstain from what is defiled by idols, from fornication, strangulation and blood, and so that they do not do to others what they do not want for themselves.

James sets the minimum requirements for entering into fellowship, saying that Gentiles do not have to fully convert to Judaism before entering into fellowship with them. If Pagans begin to meet the minimum requirements, they can enter into fellowship and continue their education. For the law of Moses from ancient generations has had those preaching it in all cities and is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.

Gentiles were allowed to attend synagogue every Sabbath to continue their studies, but they could not be forced to do more than they chose. This has been God's order from the beginning.

Exodus 12:43-51

And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: no foreigner shall eat it; and every slave bought with money, when you have circumcised him, may eat of it; the settler and mercenary should not eat it. One must eat it in one house, [do not leave it until the morning,] do not take the meat out of the house and do not break its bones. The whole congregation of the [sons of] Israel must perform it. If a stranger settles with you and wants to celebrate the Passover to the Lord, then circumcise all his males, and then let him begin to celebrate it and be like a natural inhabitant of the earth; but no one who is uncircumcised shall eat it; Let there be one law both for the natural inhabitant and for the stranger who has settled among you. And all the children of Israel did: as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. On this very day the Lord brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt according to their armies.

Many people who took part in the exodus from Egypt along with the children of Israel were unable to participate in the Passover meal. However, if they chose to fully convert to Judaism, they were allowed to participate in Passover. In fact, this was a very correct step, but they had to decide on it THEMSELVES.

Romans 2:25-29

Circumcision is beneficial if you keep the law; and if you are a transgressor of the law, then your circumcision has become uncircumcision.

So, if an uncircumcised man keeps the statutes of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted against him as circumcision?

And he who is uncircumcised by nature and keeps the law, will he not condemn you, a transgressor of the law under the Scripture and circumcision?

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that is outwardly in the flesh; but he who is a Jew inwardly, and that circumcision which is in the heart, is in the Spirit, and not in the letter: his praise is not from men, but from God.

Romans 3:1-2

So, what is the advantage of being a Jew, or what is the benefit of being circumcised? A great advantage in all respects, but especially in the fact that they are entrusted with the word of God.

Again, we need to keep in mind the context of the issue being discussed.

A Jew from the school of Shammai would not associate with an uncircumcised Gentile.

A Jew from the school of Hillel accepted a pagan who sought God's obedience, but had not yet accepted circumcision.

It was believed that a “righteous Pagan” could find salvation (find his destiny in the world to come).

Paul in no way said that circumcision has no value.

He did not say that a pagan should not seek the opportunity to be circumcised.

Paul, among other things, said that the Gentiles would play an important role in the redemption of Israel (the lost northern kingdom).

Acts 13:47-48

For this is what the Lord commanded us: I have made You a light to the Gentiles, so that You may be a source of salvation to the ends of the earth. The pagans, hearing this, rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and all who were ordained to eternal life believed.

How could this group of Jewish followers, many of whom believed in the need to fully convert to Judaism BEFORE receiving salvation, turn into a “Church” that believes that in order to be saved, one must REJECT Judaism?

We will try to find the answer to this question by studying the path of Christianity from the Synagogue to the Church.

Sun worship

The sun in the beliefs of the ancient Slavs acts as a symbol of all-conquering good. It must also be said that pagans were often called sun worshipers. People at that time lived according to the solar calendar, paying special attention to the dates of the winter and summer solstice. It was at this time that important holidays were celebrated, such as, for example, Ivan Kupala Day (end of June). It will also be interesting that the inhabitants of those times revered the sign of the swastika, which was called the solar Kolovrat. However, this symbolism did not carry any negativity at that time, but personified the victory of good over evil, light and purity. This sign of wisdom was also a talisman endowed with cleansing power. It was always applied to clothing, weapons, and household items.

Honoring the Elements

The pagan Slavs treated such elements as air, water and fire with the greatest respect. The last two were considered purifying, as powerful and life-giving as the earth itself. As for fire, it is, according to the Slavs, a powerful energy that establishes balance in the world and strives for justice. Fire purified not only the body, but also the soul (indicative in this regard are jumping over a blazing fire on Ivan Kupala). The flame was of great importance at funerals. At that time, bodies were burned, exposing not only the earthly shell of a person to the cleansing power of fire, but also his soul, which after this ritual easily went to the ancestors. In pagan times, water was highly revered. People considered her the only source of strength and energy. At the same time, they respected not only rivers and other bodies of water, but also the heavenly waters - rain, believing that in this way the gods would grant power not only to the earth itself, but also to its inhabitants. People were purified with water, they were treated with it (“living” and “dead” water), they even used it to tell fortunes and predict the future.

Past

Russian pagans also treated their past, or rather, their ancestors, with great respect. They revered their grandfathers and great-grandfathers and often resorted to their help. It was believed that the souls of ancestors do not disappear anywhere, they protect their family, helping people from a parallel world. Twice a year the Slavs celebrated the day when they honored their dead relatives. It was called Radonitsa. At this time, relatives communicated with their ancestors at their graves, asking for the safety and health of the entire family. It was necessary to leave a small gift (this ritual still exists today - a funeral service at the cemetery, when people bring sweets and cookies with them).

Vikhlyantsev's Bible Dictionary

pagans are all non-Jews by origin (Ps 105.35; Gal 2.15), as well as those who worship not the true God, but idols (Ps 135.15; 1 Cor 10.20; 1 Thess 4.5), and some Jews can also be considered such when they depart from God (Eze 20.32; 1 Cor 12.2). The Holy Scripture everywhere calls “pagans” only those people from other nations who surrounded and somehow touched the Jews, regardless of their attitude towards them. These are always the descendants of Japheth, the son of Noah, who, according to his prophecy (Genesis 9.27), could even move “into the tents of Shem,” that is, join the people of God, which we see in history and about which there are some indications in the Bible. It is characteristic that the first spread of official “Christianity” in the Middle East, northern Africa and Europe approximately coincided with the distribution area of ​​the descendants of Japheth. Even the gathering of pagan nations that attempted to attack the Israelites and was destroyed by fire from heaven (Eze 38.2-6,22; 39.4) was entirely from the descendants of Japheth (“northern nations”). Representatives of some distant peoples (Asia, Australia, America) are never even mentioned and, obviously, are not meant. From here we can understand the words of the Savior: “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5.44), for many of the hostile pagans who lived nearby and understood the Jews could at any time turn to God and become “proselytes” or “aliens,” that is, included law in their midst. Of course, His disciples also had enemies among the Jews themselves. Ap. Paul, while saying that he at one point addressed himself to the “Gentiles” (Acts 13:46), was in fact addressing “proselytes” and the God-worshipping Gentiles living among the Jews (Acts 13:16,26). He met other pagans who knew nothing about God and the law of the Jews only once, and not of his own free will, in the Areopagus, where he was literally dragged and where he never returned. These people from the Areopagus are not called pagans and he did not mention the Scriptures there (but he did mention their poets). Therefore, it is completely unclear why ap. Paul is called the Apostle of the “Gentiles.” This name seems deliberate, artificial. For illustration, it is very useful to compare two very similar speeches by the ap. Paul - a speech to these "full" or "distant" pagans in the Areopagus with a speech to the Jews mixed with proselytes in the synagogue. Here is his speech to the Athenians in the Areopagus. “Athenians! I can see from everything that you seem to be especially devout. For, passing and examining your shrines, I also found an altar on which is written “to the unknown God.” This, which you honor without knowing, I preach to you. God, who created the world and everything in it, He, being the Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by hands and does not require the service of human hands, as if He needed anything, Himself giving to all life and breath and everything. From one blood He brought forth the entire human race to inhabit the whole face of the earth, assigning predetermined times and limits to their habitation, so that they would seek God, lest they sense Him and find Him, although He is not far from each of us: for in Him we live and we move and exist, just as some of your poets said: “We are His generation.” So, we, being the race of God, should not think that the Divinity is like gold, or silver, or stone, which received its image from the art and invention of man. So, leaving the times of ignorance, God now commands people everywhere to repent, for He has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness, through the Man He has appointed, having given proof to all by raising Him from the dead.” When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said: We will listen to you about this at another time. (Acts 17.22-31,32). Next is his speech to the assembly of Jews, proselytes and strangers in the synagogue. “Men and brethren, children of the family of Abraham, and those who fear God are among you! the word of this salvation has been sent to you. For the inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders, not recognizing Him and condemning Him, fulfilled the prophetic words read every Saturday, and, not finding in Him any guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to kill Him. When they had fulfilled everything that was written about Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead. For many days He appeared to those who came with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem and who are now His witnesses before the people. And we preach to you that God fulfilled the promise given to the fathers to us, their children, by raising Jesus, just as it is written in the second psalm: You are My Son: today I have begotten You...” When they left the Jewish synagogue, the pagans asked them to talk about this same next Saturday. When the meeting was dissolved, many Jews and worshipers of God, converted from the pagans, followed Paul and Barnabas, who, talking with them, convinced them to abide in the grace of God. (Acts 13.26-33,42-43). In the meeting of the “full” (“distant”) pagans, St. Paul could not, and would not, prove anything from the Scriptures, as he constantly did in the synagogues. The attitude of Jews towards the pagans surrounding them on all sides has always been negative, isolationist. The Jews, the direct descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob (Israel), have always lived compactly and completely separately. Upon entering the promised land, inhabited by pagan tribes (the Canaanites, descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham, who was cursed by Noah), the law commanded them to destroy or expel all the natives with their idols and in no case mix with them (Deut 7.1-2) . Therefore, throughout their entire history, their attitude towards the pagans was similar to their attitude towards dogs (cf. Mt 15:26). In this sense, the act of the prophet Jonah is very characteristic, who rather agreed to be drowned than to go to the pagans with a sermon, even at the command of God. Jews have never preached and do not preach their religion and do not missionary around the world, and in recent “free” times, when some did appear from among them, they are very hostile towards them (for example, towards the well-known sect “Jews for Jesus”). As the Scripture says, they live separately and are not counted among the nations (Numbers 23.9). But the law allowed them to accept “proselytes” and “strangers” into their midst and commanded them, therefore, to treat such as brothers. Just as reverently as they treated their law and their religion, they always treated God, Who, they believed, created everything visible and invisible and holds everything in His hands. Out of reverence for Him, they never spoke His name aloud, but replaced it with another, because they knew that this great God had chosen only their people so that His name would be among them (Deut 7.6). Therefore, Christ, born according to the flesh in one of the tribes of Israel, came only for the sake of his own people, the sons of Israel, as He clearly stated (Matt. 15.24). The same was repeated by the apostle. Peter (Acts 3.20, cf. Matthew 1.21). It should be especially noted here that in the New Testament, consisting half of the Epistles of St. Paul, there was some suspicious transformation of concepts in relation to the pagans. The most obvious example is Iol 2.32 -> (Acts 2.21) -> Rom 10.13. If you carefully read Iol 2.12-32, it becomes completely obvious that we are talking (as in all other similar places - after all, Scripture cannot contradict itself) only about the people of God, only about our own. In Acts 2.14-21 ap. Peter, in his address to those present (and again only his own were present - vv. 9-11) repeated the same words (however, in v. 20 the word “terrible” was replaced by “glorious” and it is not clear whether by the Apostle Peter himself or by the scribes ). But in Romans 10.11-13 we see a complete transformation of clear and precise words and concepts. Here ap. Paul (or someone for him) is usurping fundamental principles in favor of any Gentiles. He does not even remember or comment in any way on Christ’s words that He came for His own sake and for those whom the Lord would call (Jol. 2.32; Jn. 6.44). This very app. Paul (or someone for him) provided a wide opportunity for the pagans to independently decide issues of salvation, to “bring heaven down to earth” (Dostoevsky). With the emergence of official pagan Christianity, the pagans famously took up the name of God and rushed all over the world, calling left and right to “come to God,” to “accept Christ into your heart,” forgetting that only those whom He Himself draws to Himself can come to God. If they try to do this for God, then they forget that for those whom God Himself does not attract to Himself, His name is closed and such, for sure, understand by the name “God” something else, for example, the god of luck who helps them get settled in life, because there are many gods and lords (1 Cor 8.5). Many are confused by another statement by the apostle. Paul that God is also the God of the Gentiles (Rom 3.29). But even in this case, this term must be understood, as stated at the very beginning of this short article about the pagans. One should never be embarrassed by individual discrepancies and misunderstandings; one should always adhere to one truth—the words of Christ (we repeat, the words of God cannot contradict themselves). Only in two places in the New Testament (John 10.16; 17.20) are the Lord’s own words given, in which one can see a hint of sheep other than the sheep of the house of Israel, but again this is not decided by the sheep themselves, for the New Testament was concluded by God only with the house of Israel (Ps 147.8-9; Isa 42.6; Jer 31.31-34; Am 3.2). Do any of the pagans want to believe that God will join them to His chosen people and save them from the coming judgment? Let him humbly wait and hope for God to do this (Rom 8.24-25; Heb 11). This is faith. If he himself begins to do something for his salvation, he will certainly remain with this large crowd of enthusiasts. This is religion. The pagans in the Holy Scriptures in some places are also called “external” (see), but the external ones also include infidels (false disciples and ministers). (See Adam, God, external, human will, Galilee, Paul the Apostle, Scripture, stranger, proselyte, Church, church, man).

Pantheon of Gods

First of all, I would like to say that the gods of the pagans represent one or another element or natural force. So, the most important gods were Rod (who created life on earth) and Rozhanitsy (goddesses of fertility, thanks to whom after winter the earth was reborn to new life; they also helped women give birth to children). One of the most important gods was also Svarog - the creator and ruler of the universe, the Father-Progenitor, who gave people not only earthly fire, but also heavenly fire (the Sun). Svarozhichi were such gods as Dazhdbog (god of the Sun) and Perun (God of thunder, lightning, thunder). The solar deities were Khors (a circle, hence the word “round dance”) and Yarilo (the god of the hottest and brightest summer sun). The Slavs also revered Veles, the god who was the patron of livestock. He was also the god of wealth, because previously one could become rich only thanks to livestock, which brought good profits. Among the goddesses, the most significant were Lada (goddess of beauty, youth, love, marriage and family), Makosh (giver of life to the harvest) and Morana (goddess of death, cold, winter). People in those days also revered brownies, goblins, water spirits - spirits that guarded everything that surrounded a person: house, water, forests, fields.

CHAPTER I. Biblical teaching on the attitude towards the pagans

Chapter I. Biblical teaching on the attitude towards the pagans

The Gospel teaching on preaching began with a general call: “...do not go into the way of the pagans...” (Matthew 10:5).

The Old Testament attitude towards the pagans was quite definite: for example, in four places of the Pentateuch there are warnings about following their vicious lifestyle (Lev. 18, 3; 20, 23; Deut. 12, 30-31; 18, 9-12). First of all, the paganism of the Egyptians is condemned: “Do not act according to the affairs of the land of Egypt in which you lived...”, but then more is said about the reprehensible way of life of the pagans of the “land of Canaan” (Lev. 18: 3). It is forbidden to follow the “customs of the people” (20, 23) and, above all, their form of alien service dedicated to other gods (Deut. 18, 12).

Alien service (Heb. avodah zara) is represented as any form of service or cult that is not related to the service and cult of the God of the Israelites. It is not the existence of the pagan cult as such that is rejected, but its effectiveness, its mystical reality (Isa. 66:3). Later, such an attitude towards the pagan cult will find a place in the New Testament texts themselves. Ap. Paul taught about idols and pagan worship: “...an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but One. For although there are so-called gods, either in heaven or on earth, since there are many gods and many lords, we have one God...” (1 Cor. 8:4-6). Such words are directed specifically against dual believers who combine faith in the One God with faith in the effectiveness of pagan mysteries, ceremonies and rituals. Throughout the Old Testament we are faced with similar dual faith, a combination of serving God and serving idols. About the son of King David it is said: “And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statute of David his father; but he also offered sacrifices and incense on the high places” (1 Kings 3:3). Ap. Paul categorically opposes this practice: “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship has righteousness with wickedness? What does light have in common with darkness? What agreement is there between Christ and Belial? Or what is the complicity of the faithful with the infidel? What is the relationship between the temple of God and idols? (2 Cor. 6, 14-16). This harsh attitude towards dual faith was continued in the church canons themselves. Ap. Paul, not recognizing the significance (reality) of pagan idol worship (“an idol is nothing in the world”), guessed that evil spirits could use idolatry for their own purposes: “... the pagans, when they sacrifice, sacrifice to demons, and not to God. But I do not want you to have fellowship with demons” (1 Cor. 10:20). But such a danger for him exists only in relation to two-believers. The believers themselves, in his understanding, cannot become defiled by the very thing sacrificed to idols, the eating of which, rather, should be prohibited for the sake of those who are weak in the faith: “But if anyone says to you, “This is sacrificed to idols,” then do not eat for the sake of the one who told you, and for the sake of your conscience. For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness of it” (1 Cor. 10:28). Ap himself. Paul seems to have a very different principle: “To the pure all things are pure; But for those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but their mind and conscience are defiled” (Titus 1:15). Later in the history of the Church, eating something sacrificed to idols will border on, and sometimes even be an open form of renunciation of Christ[1].

So, starting precisely from New Testament times, the attitude towards the pagans changes. Although at the beginning of His preaching activity Christ called on the apostles: “...and commanded them, saying: Do not go into the way of the pagans...” (Matthew 10:5); and He Himself first rejected the Canaanite woman who came to Him (Matthew 15:22-27). He approved of her humility and faith with the words: “...oh, woman! great is your faith; let it be done to you according to your desire...” (Matthew 15:28). Christ said something similar to the Roman centurion: “... truly I say to you, even in Israel I have not found such faith” (Matthew 8:10). Further, the Lord added to what was said to the pagan centurion: “I tell you that many will come from the east and west and lie down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 8:11). He says something similar when he learns about the interest shown in Him by the Greeks (Hellenes): “... the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (John 12:23). It seems that the words spoken by Saint John the Baptist at the Jordan: “...for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones” (Matthew 3:9) referred to the Roman centurions who guarded a large gathering of people at the Jordan, where they kept order.

The following text from the Gospel of Luke, which begins with the direct speech of Christ, deserves our attention here: “Truly I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up for three years and six months, so that there was a great famine throughout the whole land. , and Elijah was not sent to any of them, but only to a widow in Zarephath of Sidon; There were also many lepers in Israel under the prophet Elisha, and not one of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian. When everyone in the synagogue heard this, they were filled with rage” (Luke 4:25-28). Such an attitude of the Son of God towards the pagans could not but worry the scribes and Pharisees. On the other hand, the words of Christ: “Do not give what is holy to dogs and do not throw your pearls before swine...” (Matthew 7:6) apply, from our point of view, to both pagan “dogs” and Hellenized Jews “pigs.” And yet, the preaching of Christ’s Gospel ends with a call to begin the work of gloriously converting the pagans to the true faith: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you...” (Matt. 28, 19-20).

The Holy Apostle James invites “the twelve tribes that are scattered to rejoice” (James 1:1). It should be noted that aggadic (Easter) joy was inherent in the entire apostolic age. Conversion to Christianity was perceived by Orthodox believers as an escape from sinful Egypt. This was the new Exodus. And now it had meaning not for one nation, but for all the children of God “who are scattered abroad.” At this time, the ancient prophecy about the tents of Shem was fulfilled: “May God spread Japheth, and may he dwell in the tents of Shem” (Genesis 9:27). This was the great beginning of the conversion of the pagans to the true faith, about which the holy Apostle Peter would later say: “once not a people, but now the people of God; who once received no mercy, but now have received mercy” (1 Pet. 2:10). Therefore, the words of St. James, addressed to those in dispersion, does not make sense to perceive as the words of the Bishop of Jerusalem, addressed only to his Jewish flock (James 1: 1). Yes! He speaks like the patriarch of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem as the universal apostolic capital, from the walls of which the great missionary call of Christ the Savior sounded: “...go throughout the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved...” (Mark 16:15-16).

The Holy Apostle Paul (aka the Apostle of Languages) wrote about himself: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). He exclaimed: “I say to you, the Gentiles. As the Apostle of the Gentiles, I glorify my ministry” (Rom. 11:13). For the sake of preaching among the pagans, Paul and Barnabas even shake the dust from their feet against the Jews in order to go to the pagans and there preach the faith of Jesus Christ (Acts 31:51). There are even two directions in church-wide missionary work, as if two new forms, about which the ap. Paul says: “...I have been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, as Peter was to the circumcised, for He who helped Peter in his apostleship to the circumcision also helped me to the Gentiles” (Gal. 2:7-8).

The book of “The Acts of the Holy Apostles” tells about the centurion Cornelius (possibly a proselyte, but not a Christian). It is said about him: “pious and fearing God with all his household, giving much alms to the people and always praying to God” (Acts 10:2). Ap. Paul, when he was in Athens and examined the Areopagus filled with idols, did not throw a so-called “pious” hysteria there (so typical of modern supporters of “black PR” in the field of religious studies), but thought about the souls of the unfortunate pagans. It is said: “And Paul stood among the Areopagus and said: Athenians! From everything I see that you seem to be especially devout. For as I passed through and examined your shrines, I found an altar on which was written: “To an unknown God.” This, whom you ignorantly revere, I preach to you” (Acts 17:22-23)[2]. It is difficult to imagine what kind of fuss modern “Orthodox” religious scholars would make if an Orthodox missionary priest, for example, in a Hare Krishna ashram said something similar. But we need to take a closer look at the words of the Apostle in the Areopagus. First of all, he speaks very carefully, fearing that he himself might sin. He does not say: “you ... are especially devout,” but adds the words “as if.” And by this, having won the pagans over to himself, at the same time he does not sin against his own faith. Further, when he says: “examining your shrines,” he places emphasis precisely on the words “your shrines,” meaning that for him all these “shrines” are pagan abominations. Blessed Theophylact explains: “I found in the city not the Divine book, but a standing temple and, using the inscription on the temple, destroyed the temple itself. So what could he do? The Greeks were all unbelievers. If he began to talk with them on the basis of the Gospel teaching, they would begin to laugh at him; if on the basis of the prophets, they would not have confidence in him. He subdued the enemy with his own weapons. This is what he is talking about: “he was... to those who are strangers to the law, as one who is stranger to the law” (1 Cor. 9:21)[3].

Later in early Christian literature some pagans will be spoken of as Christians before Christ. So, for example, St. Justin Martyr wrote about pagan philosophers: “And everything that has ever been said and revealed good by philosophers and legislators, all this was done by them according to the extent of their finding and contemplation of the Word (i.e. Christ - O.S.) ... from those who lived before Christ, according to His humanity... The most firm of all of them in this matter (i.e., knowledge of the Truth - O.S.) is Socrates”[4].

Such a transformation of attitudes towards pagans from sharply negative (Old Testament) to tolerant and even benevolent (Christian) was due to the serious intention of converting the lost pagans themselves to the true faith. Already in the 18th century, it was possible for an Orthodox missionary to say about his relationship with pagan tribes: “I am a nanny for the people there”[5]. Only such a friendly attitude towards the lost could contribute to their conversion to the true faith. It was the friendly attitude towards pagan foreigners (their language, culture and way of life) that determined the success of the Orthodox mission in China and Japan in the 19th century.

It was the New Testament Christian teaching about salvation that wrested soteriology from the narrowly nationalistic clutches of Judaism. But, sad as it is, the Phariseic leaven nevertheless penetrated into the Christian world (Matthew 16:6), where there have always been supporters of a more than strange attitude towards preaching to “not our own”; such people still adhere to the principle: “Orthodoxy is only for the Orthodox.” In this they stand very close to Talmudic Judaism, the only creed that frowns upon the conversion of “outsiders” to one’s own faith.

The apogee of Christian soteriology, which knows no national-ethnic boundaries, is the famous text from the Book of Revelation by St. John the Theologian: “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude of people, which no one could number, from all nations and tribes and peoples and languages, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes and with palm branches in their hands. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Rev. 7:9-10).

“If a Christian brings oil to a pagan temple, or to a synagogue, on their holidays, or lights a candle, he will be excommunicated from church communion” (Apostolic Canon 71); “We must not celebrate with the pagans and join in their atheism” (Rule of the Holy Local Council of Laodicea 39th); “It is well-decreed that the children of those in the clergy should not have intercourse with pagans or heretics” (Rule of the Holy Local Council of Carthage, 30th)[6].

[1] Rules 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th St. local cathedral of Ancyra. Ibid., p. 116-117.

[2] St. John Chrysostom wrote about the ap. Paul: “And yet, having such love for Christ, he did not subject anyone to offense, coercion, or anathema: otherwise he would not have attracted so many peoples and entire cities to God... Oh, fatherly heart! He called the Greeks pious - idolaters, wicked. Why? Because they, like the pious, performed their worship, thinking that they were honoring God, being themselves sure of it. I exhort you all to imitate this (the behavior of the Apostle Paul - O.S.), and with you, myself.” See: John Chrysostom, St. Creations. St. Petersburg, 1898. T. 1. P. 764-765.

[3] Commentary of the blessed one. Theophylact on the Apostle. M., 2002. S. 17, 22-23.

[4] Justin Martyr, St. Apology two. M., 1995. P. 115.

[5] Saying attributed to St. Herman of Alaska.

[6] See: Canons, or Book of Rules, of the Holy Apostles, Holy Councils, Ecumenical and Local, and Holy Fathers in Russian.
St. Petersburg: “Society of St. Basil the Great”, 2000. P. 25, 144, 167. Page generated in 0.03 seconds!

Rituals

Various pagan rituals were also important. As already mentioned, they could be cleansing for the body and soul (using water and fire). There were also security rituals that were carried out in order to protect a person or house from evil spirits. Sacrifice was no stranger to the Slavs. Thus, gifts to the gods could be both bloodless and bloody. The first ones were given as gifts to ancestors or beregins. Blood sacrifices were needed, for example, by Perun and Yarila. At the same time, birds and livestock were brought as gifts. All rituals had sacred meaning.