Well, duh!
(I offer this exclamation totally in jest.
) The Apostles and the other saints you name all died centuries before the Iconoclastic Controversy ever required a Seventh Council. Do you think they would have the foresight to recognize that the EO would need to call a Seventh Ecumenical Council and call the Church the "Church of the Seven Councils" centuries in advance? We call ourselves the "Church of the Seven Councils" in a way synonymous with calling ourselves the "Eastern Orthodox Church"--it's more of a label that (sadly) shows how we are separate from the "heterodox" churches (one major communion of whom many EO today believe never was heterodox despite our misunderstanding).
I beleive our brother had a very ligitimate
point to his question which you failed to see.
It seems to me that his
point was that:
The apostles did not call themselves the church of the "first council" which they conviened in Jerusalem where very key decisions were made in the name of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. They did not seems to need to make a distinction between those who were to follow the orders set at the 1st council and those who would not follow the decisions and remain with business as usual prior to the 1st council.
This would stand to impart that the apostles
did not start this sort of 'scoring card' concept the west has now.
This 'scoring card' concept is a "johnny-come-lately" having NO apostolic origin at all.
This terminology (church of the 7 councils) is a pontification whenever used as if to look down on all others on earth while saying to all that "WE - THIS IS THE TRUE CHURCH and YOU ARE NOT". It smacks of the kind a of Roman-Catholicness people have come to disrespect.
The Church established by Christ and His chosen apostles is Holy, Universal and apostolic; orthodox in our Lord Jesus Christ. Any councils we may have are subject to that which is already established. Thus we are "orthodox". WE are not orthodox outside of the Holy Universal Church. So to say church of the 7 councils is moot to serious orthodox doctrine and respect for Holy tradition and order sent down to us from the beginning since all councils and all activity is a product of the church and takes place
within the church. THe church can not change. NO man has the power to change the church.
So I re-assert the question: Why the need to say church of the 7 councils?
It is in my view
arrogance and
upity high mindedness ,
a we-are-the truely-blessed-and-they-are-not attitude that is behind this insensitive and un-necessary term. Which is to be expected from the western mind. You can see the
we-are-better-than-all-others on earth exuding in every facit of life today from the west. This attitude is the epicenter of western culture. You would be at a loss to find a place on earth today that has not been destroyed or obliterated by the exploits of the mighty west. Two world wars pretty much speak the truth of this point.
Such terminology to me is completely objectionable having no spiritual power. The terminology is bitter. It has the visage of a frowning face
Such terminology cannot offer anyone anything but emnity and confusion. A self serving terminology which reaks of the stinch of utter hopelessness
Such are contrary to the teachings that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ established in His church.
The church of the 7 councils is a very unfortunate...pitiful use of words when speaking about the true Church of Christ since Christ's Church does not need to be
defined by councils....the councils however need to be defined by Christ and His church.
Obey God Church!
Love one another Church!
Return good for evil Church!
Withstand each other with patience; perservering all things with love and unity Church.
Divide the faith (not the church) equally among all the church (church here is singular) so that no man falters. And if one falls; pick him up. Let the weak be carried by the stronger Church!
Pray for each other! forgive one another! as you would want God to forgive you Church!
If we all can actually begin to adhere to any of the above "churches" we would begin to see God and His mercy which he has for all of us who are his true followers which is the only real thing that joins us over the significance of councils.
God help us!
Your Servant
Deacon Amde Tsion