My experience in what I have heard and learned throughout my childhood into my adulthood in the Orthodox church has always been that as Christians must give to others in various ways such as, pray for others, be sacrificial toward others in our community, be sacrificial in our marriage, give money to others, etc. You get the point! The idea is to think of “me” or “I” less and think of “others” more. There is seldom a focus on “self-care.” The practice of thinking of one self and caring for one self is lost in the life of the church. The fault lies with the laity and clergy. The Church has always emphasized a balance of “self-care” and “helping others.”

The words, “how much more” used in the English language denote a comparison of two objects. For example, the leaves are starting to fall and create a mess around my home. I could use a broom to sweep up the leaves, but “how much more” better can a leaf blower do the job. Much better! Without question! Another example could be the cell phones I use and have used. I remember getting a cell phone in 2002 when I was in NY, attending St. Vlad’s Seminary. It was a basic phone; but back then all cell phones were basic compared to what we have now. So, “how much more” better are the cell phones of today compared to the cell phones of yesterday? Again, without question! Much better!

The Apostle Paul’s ministry was defined by his opposition to circumcision. (Galatians) The disciples of Christ were of course Jews and for them believing in Christ did not constitute a new faith. It was for them a continuation of the Jewish way but now with Christ as the Messiah. The development of theology and the rise of the church as a solid visible structure would only emerge later, even if the Church began on the day of Pentecost. Therefore, the Mosaic Law was to be followed as it was before. The dietary restrictions and circumcision of the foreskin of a man were still deemed necessary, to mention a few. None of this was an issue, until such observances and laws became a question of mandatory adherence for the Gentiles who were entering into the newly formed faith of believers. The consensus of the Apostles and the Jews of the early Church, as read in the Acts of the Apostles, was that Gentiles should first become Jews and then become Christian. St. Paul vehemently opposed this. He believed, wholeheartedly, that Gentiles should not have to endure such a heavy burden, one for the physical pain that it would cause, second for the reason that it was not consistent with the teachings of Christ. It was not consistent because the circumcision was not necessary for eternal life, that is, salvation. It was, however, an outward sign that God had initiated as a covenant between Himself and man--the Jewish people. But, in itself, circumcision had no power to save. In fact, by itself, it had no power to do anything other than cause pain. Further, Christ was the final circumcision. That is, His pain and suffering brought to an end the need for circumcision. The covenant that God had with his people was fulfilled in Christ. So, circumcision was no longer necessary.