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The Pastoral Epistles of Saint Paul
Talk by Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen), part 26, Colossians 1
December 20, 2022

Topics include: 
(1) Theosis leads Christians to a position even higher than the angels: in Christ, enthroned with God the Father on His eternal throne; 
(2) A discussion of the meaning of the Cherubic Hymn and the Great Entry: an entrance into the angelic Liturgy at the throne of God. The Liturgy is a complex vision of the ascent to the throne of God in His Kingdom; 
(3) The Church is the union of God with His creation, the reality of God recapitulating the creation in Himself. Through Jesus the fullness of God also dwells in the creation and is lifted to the throne of God; 
(4) Struggling and toiling with the energy/grace God gives us towards maturity in Christ; 
(5) On the Kingdom of God: the foundational reality of the spiritual realm: we step into this eternal realm in the celebration of Christ's kingship in the Liturgy. In the higher levels of prayer we also ascend into the spiritual realm; 
(6) On demons and Satanic opposition: demons are attacking us. They are imprisoned here in this world. But Christ has the victory over Satan. Demons are trying to make us fall, but we don't need to pay a whole lot of attention to them.