The eternal council of the Holy Trinity is the beginningless, timeless (occurring before the age, before time - “before” the age, “before” time) God’s plan for the world He created.

The eternal council of the Holy Trinity is called eternal because it takes place outside the time inherent in our created world. The eternal council of the Holy Trinity is carried out in Divine eternity, preceding the existence of all created things and events. At the eternal council of the Holy Trinity, the Divine concept of each being who is to receive life from God was determined. The Eternal Council is called a council, because all the Persons of the Most Holy Trinity participate in it.

Eternal advice is special advice. The Persons of the Holy Trinity participating in it exist inseparably and possess a single Divine will. The ideas and plans of the eternal council are the ideas and plans of a single omnipotent Being, which are always fulfilled and put into practice. Therefore, the word “advice” in this case is closer to the concept of a volitional decision, an expression of will, understood as a thought, plan or idea that will certainly and immutably come true.

According to St. John of Damascus, God “contemplated everything before its existence, but each thing receives its existence at a certain time, in accordance with His eternal willful thought, which is predestination, and image, and plan.” Divine thoughts, plans and images are the “eternal and unchangeable council” of God, in which “everything predetermined by God and strictly accomplished before his existence is outlined.” Divine counsel is unchangeable, eternal and immutable, for God Himself is eternal and unchangeable.

At the eternal Divine Council of the Holy Trinity, a decision was made on the creation of man, which is reflected in the words of Scripture: “Let us make man in our image and in our likeness” (Gen. 1:26). At the eternal Divine Council of the Holy Trinity, a decision was made on the Incarnation of the Son of God and the salvation of humanity.

The eternal council for the salvation of the human race is the plan for the Incarnation as the union of Divine and human nature in the God-man Jesus Christ, for the salvation and redemption of the human race through His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. This plan is the most important part of God’s general plan for the entire created world.

The divine plan for the salvation of the human race is an eternal plan, like all the plans of God. Foreseeing the fall of man before the creation of the world, God determined the salvation of mankind in eternity.

The First Person of the Holy Trinity, God the Father, acted as the forerunner of this decision.

From the editors of RN: Icon of the Holy Trinity- the peak expression of this Spiritual Reality in world culture— created by prp. Andrei Rublev as a spiritual response to the Battle of Kulikovo and “praise” to St. Sergius of Radonezh. The article by A. Saltykov talks about who and what is depicted on this Icon.

Author Alexander Saltykov — now an archpriest, dean of the Faculty of Church Arts of PSTGU, a famous art critic, one of the first scientific employees of the Andrei Rublev Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art, a member of the Union of Artists of Russia.

This article "Iconography of "Trinity" by Andrei Rublev"published (abbreviated)in the publication of the Temple of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi at the State Tretyakov Gallery "Tolmachevsky leaf" No. 30 for 2009.

The image of the “Trinity” in the form of three angels is based on the text of chapter 18 of the book of Genesis: “And the Lord appeared to Abraham at the oak grove of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three When he saw the man, he ran towards them from the entrance of the tent and bowed down to the ground, and said: Master, if I have found favor in Your sight, do not pass by Your servant; rest under this tree, and I will bring bread, and you will strengthen your hearts; then go on your way; they said, “Do as you say.” And Abraham hurried to Sarah’s tent and said to her: quickly knead three loads of fine flour and make unleavened bread. And Abraham ran to the herd, and took a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant, and he hastened to prepare it, and took the butter and the milk and the cooked calf, and set it before them. stood by them under the tree. And they ate. And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? He answered: here, in the tent. And one of them said: I will be with you again at this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son. ... And those men arose and went from there to Sodom and Gomorrah; Abraham went with them to see them off."

“The Old Testament Trinity” is the only dogmatic subject in Eastern Christian art that is presented in the form of a biblical scene. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account that in each image of the “Trinity” two levels of content are combined: narrative and dogmatic. The different ratios of these two levels determine the variety of compositions.

The Trinity icon was painted by St. Andrei Rublev in the first third of the 15th century. for the Trinity Church in St. Sergius Lavra. St. Nikon of Radonezh [*] instructs the icon painter to paint a temple icon for a memorial purpose: “in praise of his father Sergius the Wonderworker.”

[*] St. Nikon of Radonezh is the favorite student of St. Sergius of Radonezh, who before his death appointed him as his successor. St. Nikon was the abbot of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra in 1392-1426.

St. Sergius of Radonezh was glorified as having special “boldness towards the Holy Trinity.” The creators of hymns in his honor called it “Trinity indwelling.” The image in his “praise” was supposed to be of a purely speculative, philosophical nature, in contrast to the previous images of the “Trinity”, at least without the forefathers (before St. Andrei Rublev, there were several types of image of the Trinity, differing in the composition of angels and forefathers, including without forefathers (Abraham and Sarah). However, there were few of the latter and, mainly, these were images in small plastic works and miniatures).

The "Old Testament" Trinity. Icon of the Novgorod school. XV century. (Rublev’s coloristic idea becomes especially clear when comparing the Rublev icon with the Pskov Trinity" from the Moscow Assumption Cathedral and the Novgorod "Trinity" from the collection of the State Russian Museum. There, the cinnabar-scarlet dominant in the attire of angels speaks not of reconciliation, not of bright sadness. It is a fiery beginning , scorching with the greatness of the deity who appeared to man).

Beginning with Rublev's "Trinity", an abstract type of "Trinity" appears in Rus'. The later, very numerous images of this type no longer have any content other than the image of the Trinity Itself.

The low prevalence of images of the Trinity without forefathers in pre-Rubble times is apparently explained by the fact that iconography only gradually and in parallel with the development of dogmatics revealed ideas about the revealed Divinity. Created by Rev. Andrei Rublev's version had a huge influence on further Russian iconography. If the “Trinity” with the forefathers is a biblical-historical image, then the “Trinity” without them, even before Andrei Rublev, was a revelation of the trinity itself - so essential for Christian dogmatics.

Apparently, before the writing of the Trinity, St. Andrei Rublev in the monastery the main temple image was the icon of the “Trinity” with the forefathers. Rublev undoubtedly knew her and, according to Nikon’s plan, should have surpassed her.

The first Lavra “Trinity” was an ordinary five-figure image - three angels appeared to Abraham and Sarah. Rublev needed to express that pure idea of ​​trinity, which, under the influence of Sergius, became the highest expression of the ideals of the era.

In the “pre-Rubble” “Trinity”, Abraham and Sarah are depicted approaching the divine meal, which emphasizes the Eucharistic [*] and at the same time “household” meaning of the event.

[*] The meal of angels is a prototype of the greatest sacrament of the New Testament Church - the Eucharist (Greek thanksgiving), in which, under the guise of bread and wine, believers partake of the True Body and Blood of Christ.

The Eucharistic content of Rublev's "Trinity" is a further development of earlier ideas. It should be said that Rublev’s Lavra predecessor was an experienced and thoughtful master; he was aware of contemporary artistic and theological ideas and searches. It was not easy to surpass him.

However, Rublev found new opportunities to express the idea that possessed him and created worthy “praise” for Sergius.

COMPOSITION "TRINITY"

The composition “Trinity” is especially perfect. There is a huge literature on the composition of Rublev’s “Trinity”, and many subtle observations have been made. Those are listed here necessary features, which are not repeated in monuments “without forefathers” and determine the essence of the “temporary” development of the event captured in the icon.

Trinity. 1427 (A. Rublev)

The most significant, from our point of view, compositional technique of St. Andrei Rublev is that the angels are brought to the foreground to the utmost. Compared to his “Trinity,” in other compositions of the same name, the figures are usually moved back somewhat. In Rublev's icon, the desire to push the figures to the extreme led to a feature already noted in the literature: it seems that the middle angel is in the foreground. [V.I.Lazarev. Andrei Rublev and his school. M., 1969, p. 39.].

At one time, M.V. Alpatov noted that angels are inscribed in a circle. It can be assumed that Rublev used a rhythm characteristic of images on panagia, but the mechanical transfer of a circular composition onto a rectangular plane, of course, is completely insufficient to create a work of art. As L.A. Uspensky noted, in panagias the arrangement of figures in a circle is determined by the shape of the object, and not by dogmatic thought. Andrei Rublev took old elements from the well-known iconographic versions of the “Trinity”, but “harmonized” them in a new way, subordinating them to the main idea of ​​​​the image.

The protrusion of the angels “towards the viewer”, the reduction in the scale of landscape elements, the cutting of the wings of the right and left angels, the bringing together of the bases at an acute angle - all this contributes not only to the introduction of various rhythms into the composition, but also serves to clearly define the position of the viewer, always oriented towards the direct presence of the middle to an angel.

Once again, attention should be paid to the choice of the “temporary” moment. The angels seem to have passed the tent of Abraham and are making a covenant again, but not only with the forefather of Israel, but with the viewer, who, standing before the cup, “closes” the circle underlying the composition on the fourth side.

WHO DO ANGELS SYMBOLIZE?

Let's move on to the main thing - the image of the angels themselves. In art history literature, it has become a stable tradition to talk about the amazing sophistication of the lines of the silhouettes of angels, so corresponding to the quiet harmony of their images. The geometric correctness of sinusoids and parabolas of contours is often noted, which was first discussed with enthusiasm by Yu.A. Olsufiev. The idea is often put forward that “each of the angels is silently immersed in himself. They are not connected by their gaze either with each other or with the viewer”[*].

[*] See: Yu.A. Olsufiev. Iconographic forms as synthesis formulas. Sergiev, 1926, p. 10-12.; "History of Russian Art", vol. III. M., 1955, p. 152.

However, such observations, for all their accuracy and subtlety, do not answer the question: what is the hidden thought that comes through in the barely noticeable actions of angels? To try to answer it, let us first turn to the image of the middle angel.

The middle angel symbolizes God the Son

The compositional position - in the center - and the frontal turn, unlike others, make his image the main one for direct perception. This position of the angel is determined by the fact that he depicts the second Person of the Trinity - the Son of God. This is fully consistent with tradition [*].

[*] The issue of the relationship of angels with hypostases, which has caused a lot of controversy in literature, is easily resolved if you carefully study the iconography, in which, as a rule, the middle angel has the attributes of the Son of God - primarily a cross-shaped halo, as well as some others. Exceptions like the “Zyryan Trinity” are apparently so unconventional that they required inscriptions above the angels, denoting the Persons of the Trinity. It would be completely unhistorical to imagine that Andrei Rublev would arbitrarily change the canonical arrangement of hypostases, which he, as a monk and leading Moscow icon painter, should have considered immutable.

The middle angel bows his head to the right, i.e. in the direction of the first angel. This obviously expresses attention to the first angel, whose right hand is represented in a gesture of blessing. The response of the second angel to the blessing of the first is not limited, however, to bowing his head. M.V. Alpatov noted the elevation of the left knee of the middle angel. The right knee remains in place. Obviously, the angel stands up, listening to the first angel. This significant feature escaped the attention of researchers. Smooth, harmonious lines only “mask” the speed of his movement. To see this, let's look carefully at his silhouette, at the contours of his shoulders. They are almost symmetrical. But this symmetry is achieved by the fact that the shoulders are given in a complex spread: the left shoulder goes deep into the image, which is emphasized by the vertically extending back folds of the himation (himatium - outer clothing); the right shoulder moves forward along with the arm.

The intensity of the action, the hidden movement is conveyed by the features of the clothing - the shape of the sleeve, the position of the draperies, the features of the neckline of the chiton of the middle angel.

The combination of peace with stormy movement, conveyed with such skill by Rublev, creates a feeling of harmony. The degree of tension of the middle angel reaches its maximum through a combination of opposing movements, although the artist hides the nakedness of the action with amazing perfection and thereby enhances its effect.

In constructing the figure of St. Andrei Rublev seems to deviate quite a bit from the traditional image of the middle angel, for example in the first Lavra “Trinity”, where we see the same triangular arrangement of the figure. But there are no marked elements of dynamics. These elements are present in a similar combination in Byzantine and Balkan images of angels of a different type - in the scenes of "The Myrrh-Bearing Wife at the Holy Sepulcher", where we see a number of the same details - the turn of the shoulders, in which the folds of the himation "go" vertically along the far shoulder, the neckline on the shoulder that comes forward, the sleeve is rounded by the movement of the arm.

The image created by Rublev combines elements of different iconographic types of angels. The spreads he uses go back to ancient sculpture, but transformed more deeply than those of the Byzantines - the form is subordinated to a much greater extent to the line, which, in turn, is characterized by the calm rhythm of geometrized forms.

Where is the middle angel going? What commission of the first angel is he in a hurry to fulfill? Before answering this, let us turn to the image of the first and third angels.

The first angel symbolizes God the Father

The angel sits more upright than the others; In addition to the blessing gesture, we also note the direct positioning of the rod (“measure”), which is pushed forward in contrast to the bowed rods of the second and third angels. The hands are moved almost close together; this gesture expresses composure and purposefulness. Like the second angel, his leg is slightly raised. We will dwell on the meaning of this movement below.

Signs of power symbolize God the Father. His blessing applies not only to the second, but also to the third angel.

The third angel symbolizes God the Holy Spirit

The latter personifies the greatest peace; there is a peaceful concentration in it, even some relaxation and softness. The position of the third angel's rod is characteristic; it lies on the shoulder, and in the lower part is located comfortably and steadily between the slightly spread knees and crossed legs of the angel. This position corresponds to the pose of thoughtful, leisurely reflection.

Contrasting with the general peace of the figure of the third angel is the position of his wings. If the first and second angels have generally calm and even wings, then the third one has them inclined varying degrees, which indicates movement. The rise of the left wing directs the viewer's gaze to the mountain, thereby achieving vertical unity of all elements of the image.

The movements of the wings express spiritual uplift, complementing the image of spiritual peace. As in other angels, the third angel combines states of movement and rest, and movement is expressed primarily in symbols,

whereas in the middle angel their combination is expressed through the “discreteness” of the forms of the figure itself, and in the first their opposition is almost smoothed out, at the same time the second and third angels are opposed to each other as the primary carriers of both movement and rest.

However, according to one of the classical formulations contained in the works of Basil the Great, “The Son is the image of the Father, and the Spirit is the image of the Son.” This definition is generally very important for medieval art, since it occupies a prominent place in the Byzantine theory of the image as a common basis artistic creativity, formed especially during the period of struggle against iconoclasm. In Rublev’s “Trinity” it finds broad and complete expression, primarily through the likeness of angels. This resemblance has a certain artistic complexity. Some traits bring the first and second angels closer together, others - the second and third.

As is constantly noted in publications, the heads of the second and third angels are inclined towards the first. If we mentally reconstruct the “real” position of all three angels around the table, then this declination will be a sign of symmetry. Other similar signs will be hand positions. In the second and third, they are slightly apart, the right is on the table, the left is on the knee, and in the first, the hands are raised and brought together. The position of the bowed wands is also symmetrical. The design of the angels' clothes has mirror symmetry. In the second, the himation is thrown from left to right, and in the third, from right to left. However, the blue spots on the clothes correspond to "repeated" symmetry. The discrepancy between the symmetry of form and the symmetry of color is one of the techniques of ancient Russian art that complicates the image. For the first angel, the clothing on both shoulders lies the same, i.e., symmetrically with respect to the second and third angels when reconstructing the “real” position.

The above observations on symmetry allow us to say the following. If with ordinary - plane - perception the second angel is the natural center, in relation to which the first and third are symmetrical, then with spatial perception any angel becomes central, and the other two form a symmetrical figure in relation to it. Thus, the ideal ratio of angels can be roughly likened to the equality of angles in a triangle.

The same transformation occurs with the elements of the landscape, since they are inseparably linked with the space of each figure. Moved during mental reconstruction after the figures, these elements form an outer circle behind the Trinity. Thus, the Trinity is, as it were, in the center of the cosmos, and the center of the Trinity is the chalice.

As a result of spatial understanding of the composition, it is possible to answer the previously posed question about the meaning of the movement of the middle angel: the Father sends the Son into the world, and the motive of love for the world is especially important [*]. The artist remains within the framework of biblical historicism, but the depiction of forefathers becomes optional.

[*] This is indicated, in particular, by N. Demina (see N. Demina. Andrei Rublev and the artists of his circle. M., 1963, p. 48) based on the text: “For God so loved the world that he gave his Son His Only Begotten... so that the world might be saved through Him" ​​(John 3:16-17).

Rublev depicts the moment before one of the angels sent the other two to Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18, 21-22). The son instantly agrees to fulfill what was assigned (“the word became flesh”),

therefore, the turbulence of his movement expresses love and obedience. The ascent of the angel depicts his descent into the world and readiness for the atoning sacrifice. As is known, the symbols of his sacrifice are seen in the icon as a tree and a bowl; Compositionally, the angel is presented among them. Historical and transhistorical meanings intersect in both symbols, and the tension of the angel’s movement receives justification in the semantic tension revealed through the symbols.

ETERNAL COUNCIL OF THE HOLY TRINITY

Rublev's work is a complete artistic reflection of the Eastern Christian teaching about the Trinity. It should be noted that in this work the artist depicted, of course, not the hypostases themselves, but angels, in whose actions and attributes they (the hypostases) appear.

Created by Rev. Andrei Rublev can call the iconographic type the image of the “Trinity - the Eternal Council”[*].

[*] The Eternal Council - a mysterious decision Divine Persons, which preceded the creation of man: “And God said: Let us make man in Our image and in Our likeness” (Gen. 1:26). The Slavic word “council” means “expression of will,” and not “conference,” for “conference” in its meaning means the coordination of several wills, whereas in God the will is one.
God created man as a free being who is capable of abusing his freedom and turning his back on his Creator. God foresaw that man would misuse his freedom and sin. And having sinned, he will need Atonement. Therefore, God determined to save man and chose the necessary means for this. These means are the incarnation of the Son of God, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, and His atoning sacrifice.

The essence of the Council is the voluntary consent of the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity to offer Himself as an atoning sacrifice for the salvation of man and the whole world.

The Holy Spirit assimilates to redeemed sinners the fruits of Christ's sacrifice and, with His assistance, accomplishes the work of salvation in human hearts: “God from the beginning, through the sanctification of the Spirit and faith in the truth, chose you for salvation” (2 Thess. 2:13).

In this case, it is clear why the middle angel is depicted in the icon without the usual cross-shaped halo.

All of the above does not exclude the active social significance of the Trinity. We should agree with those researchers who see in “Trinity” a symbolic response to the Battle of Kulikovo.

In his work, Rev. Andrei contrasted the “hateful discord of this world” with the ideal of harmony and love; he was able to tell his contemporaries something completely new in both the form and content of the “Trinity,” while completely remaining within the traditional elements of both form and content. This is how the brilliant artist and great thinker gave “praise to Sergius” and the entire ancient Russian culture ancient Rus' Andrey Rublev.

PAOLA VOLKOVA: BRIDGE OVER THE ABYSS. ANDREY RUBLEV "TRINITY"

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THE HIDDEN MEANING OF THE “GRAND INQUISITOR”:

THE IDEA OF ETERNAL COUNCIL IN THE STRUCTURE OF THE WORK*

Number 1 :

19 For it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell in Him,

20 and so that through Him reconcile everything with you,

pacifying through Him, the Blood of His cross, both earthly and heavenly.

The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ into the world

Pre-eternal birth and incarnation of the Son of God
(John 1:1-14)

While the evangelists Matthew and Luke tell about the earthly birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, St. John begins his Gospel with an exposition of the doctrine of His pre-eternal birth and incarnation as the Only Begotten Son of God. First three evangelists begin their narratives with the events thanks to which the Kingdom of God received its beginning in time and space , and St. John, like an eagle, ascends to the eternal foundation of this Kingdom, contemplates the eternal existence of the One Who is only in "last days"(Heb. 1:1) became a man.

The second person of the Holy Trinity - the Son of God - John calls " In a word". Here it is important to know and remember that the Greek “logos” means not only the word already spoken, as in the Russian language, but also the thought, reason, wisdom expressed by the word. Therefore, calling the Son of God “Word” means the same as the name His title is “Wisdom” (see Luke 11:49 and cf. Matt. 23:34). St. Paul in (1 Cor. 1:24) calls Christ - "Divine Wisdom".

The doctrine of the “Wisdom of God” is undoubtedly set forth in the same sense in the book of Proverbs (see the especially remarkable passage in (Prov. 8:22-30). After this, it is strange to assert, as some do, that St. John borrowed his the doctrine of Logos from the philosophy of Plato and his followers, in particular, St. John wrote about what he knew from the sacred books. Old Testament and what he, the beloved disciple, learned from his Divine Teacher Himself and what was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit.

"In the beginning it was(be)Word" means that the Word coeternally God, and then St. John explains that the Word is not separated from God in regard to His being and that, therefore, He is consubstantial with God, and finally, he directly calls the Word God: "And the Word was God". Here the word “God” is used in Greek without a joint, and this gave rise to the Arians and Origen to argue that the Word is not the same God as God the Father. However, this is just a misunderstanding. In fact, there is hidden here the deepest thought about non-merger persons of the Holy Trinity. The absence of a joint indicates that we are talking about the same subject that was discussed before; therefore, if the Evangelist had also used the clause “o Theos” (in Greek) in the phrase "The Word was God", then one would get the wrong idea that the “Word” is the same God the Father, who was mentioned above. Therefore, speaking about the Word, the Evangelist simply calls it “Theos,” thereby indicating His Divine dignity, but also emphasizing that the Word has an independent hypostatic existence, and is not identical with the hypostasis of God the Father.

As noted by Blessed. Theophylact, St. John, revealing to us the teaching about the Son of God, calls Him the Word, and not the Son, “so that we, having heard about the Son, would not think about passionate and carnal birth. For this reason, He called Him the Word, so that you would know that, as the word is born from the mind dispassionately, so He is born of the Father dispassionately."

Words "all things came into being through Him" do not mean that the Word was only an instrument in the creation of the world, but that the world originated from the First Cause and Primary Source of all being (including the Word Himself) - God the Father through the Son, which in itself is already the source for everything, what began to be(as soon as possible), but not for Himself and not for the other persons of the Divine.

"In Him was life" - what is meant here is not life in the usual sense of the word, but life spiritual, encouraging intelligent beings to rush to the Creator of their existence, to God. This spiritual life is given only through communication and unity with the hypostatic Word of God. Consequently, the Word is the source of genuine spiritual life for any rational creature.

"And life was the light of men" - here we mean that this spiritual life, which comes from the Word of God, enlightens a person with complete, perfect knowledge.

"And the light shines in the darkness" ... The Word, which gives people the light of true knowledge, does not cease to guide them even in the midst of sinful darkness, but that light is not received by the darkness; people who persist in sin choose to remain in the darkness of spiritual blindness. But "the darkness did not embrace it [the light]"- did not limit its action and distribution.

Then the Word took extraordinary means to introduce people living in sinful darkness to His Divine light: John the Baptist was sent, and, finally, the Word itself became flesh.

"There was a man sent from God; his name was John" -"to be" in Greek it is said "egeneto" ("became"), and not "in", as is said about the Word; that is, John “came into being,” was born in time, and did not exist eternally as the Word. "He was not the light, but was sent to testify to the Light". That is, the prophet John the Baptist was not an original light, but shone only with the reflected light of that one True Light, which is "enlightens every person who comes into the world".

The world has not known the Word, although it owes its existence to Him. "I came to my people", that is, to His chosen people Israel, "And his own did not accept Him", - not all, of course.

"And to those who received Him" with faith and love, He "gave power to become children of God", that is, he gave them the beginning of a new spiritual life, which, like the carnal one, also begins through birth, but birth not from carnal lust, but from God, by the power from above.

"And the Word became flesh" . Under flesh here is meant not one human body, but the whole, complete man - in the sense in which the word "flesh" is often used in Holy Scripture(eg Matthew 24:22). That is, the Word became a complete and perfect man, without ceasing to be God. “And he dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.”. By grace we must mean both the goodness of God and the gifts of God’s goodness, which open people up to a new spiritual life, i.e. gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Word, dwelling with us, was also filled with Truth - perfect knowledge of everything that concerns the spiritual world and spiritual life.

“And we have seen His glory, the glory as of the only begotten from the Father.” . The apostles truly saw His glory in the transfiguration, resurrection and ascension into heaven; glory in His teaching, miracles, works of love and voluntary self-abasement. He is the “only begotten of the Father,” for He alone is the Son of God essentially, according to His Divine nature. These words indicate His immeasurable superiority over the sons and children of God by grace, believers, which was mentioned above.

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Eternal Council of the Holy Trinity- a beginningless, timeless (occurring before the century, before time - “before” the century, “before” time) plan for the world, God’s contemplation from eternity of the images of the world (the existence of the world).

The eternal council is called eternal because it takes place outside the time inherent in our created world. The eternal council of the Holy Trinity is carried out in Divine eternity, preceding the existence of all created things and events. At the eternal council of the Holy Trinity, the Divine concept of each being who is to receive life from God was determined. The Eternal Council is called a council, because all the Persons of the Most Holy Trinity participate in it.

Eternal advice is special advice. The Persons of the Holy Trinity participating in it exist inseparably and possess a single Divine will. The ideas and plans of the eternal council are the ideas and plans of a single omnipotent Being, which are always fulfilled and put into practice. Therefore, the word “advice” in this case is closer to the concept of a volitional decision, an expression of will, understood as a thought, plan or idea that will certainly and immutably come true.

According to St. , God “contemplated everything before its existence, but each thing receives its existence at a certain time, in accordance with His eternal willful thought, which is predestination, and image, and plan.” Divine thoughts, plans and images are the “eternal and unchangeable council” of God, in which “everything predetermined by God and strictly accomplished before his existence is outlined.” Divine counsel is unchangeable, eternal and immutable, for God Himself is eternal and unchangeable. At the eternal Divine Council of the Holy Trinity, a decision was made on the creation of man, which is reflected in the words of Scripture: “Let us create man in Our image and in Our likeness” (). At the eternal Divine Council of the Holy Trinity, a decision was made on the Incarnation of the Son of God and the salvation of humanity.

The eternal council for the salvation of the human race is the plan for the Incarnation as the union of the Divine and human natures in the God-man Jesus Christ, for the salvation and redemption of the human race through His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. This plan is the most important part of God’s general plan for the entire created world.

The divine plan for the salvation of the human race is an eternal plan, like all the plans of God. Foreseeing humanity before the creation of the world, God determined humanity in eternity.

The First Person of the Holy Trinity, God the Father, acted as the forerunner of this decision.

The Second Person of the Holy Trinity, the Son of God, for the sake of the salvation of mankind, expressed consent to, which is reflected in the words of Scripture: “You did not desire sacrifices and offerings, but you prepared a body for Me. Burnt offerings and sin offerings are displeasing to You. Then I said, “Behold, I come, as at the beginning of the book it is written about Me” (), as well as in the words “For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (

2. The Eternal Council of the Most Holy Trinity for the salvation of the human race. Participation of Persons Rev. Trinity in human salvation

Holy Scripture (Genesis 1:26) says that the creation of man was preceded by a certain mysterious meeting of Divine Persons. “And God said: Let us make man in our image and after our likeness.” In Orthodox theology, this meeting of Divine Persons on the creation of man received the name of the Eternal Council of God. This very word “advice” in relation to the eternal Divine plan for the salvation of man is found in St. Scripture (Acts 2:23). It should be borne in mind that the Slavic word “council” means “expression of will,” and not “conference,” for “conference” in its meaning means the coordination of several wills, whereas in God the will is one. What is the essence of this Council, why is man honored with such Divine attention?

God created man as a free being who is capable of abusing his freedom and turning his back on his Creator. Therefore, some modern theologians even talk about the creation of man as a kind of Divine “risk”. God foresaw that man would misuse his freedom and sin. And having sinned, he will need Atonement. Therefore, God determined to save man and chose the necessary means for this. These means are the Incarnation of the Son of God, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, and His atoning Sacrifice.

The essence of the Council is the voluntary consent of the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity to offer Himself as an atoning sacrifice for the salvation of man and the whole world. Without this consent, the creation of the world would have been just as impossible as without the creative action of the Father. The mystery of the economy is only partially revealed to us, to the extent that it is necessary and salutary for us. In particular, we are completely unaware of why God chose this particular means and not some other to save people, although if we assume that God is omnipotent, He could probably have found other ways to save people from condemnation. Why exactly in this way the Lord deigned to save a person, we do not know; It is no coincidence that the Apostle Paul (Eph. 1:9) speaks of Redemption as the mystery of the will of God. God's advice on the salvation of man is called the Eternal Council. In the creation of man, God as the Creator shows the greatest responsibility to His creation: endowing man with freedom, which includes the possibility of abusing it, God takes upon Himself responsibility for the consequences of this abuse, decides in the person of the Second Hypostasis of the Most Holy Trinity to take upon Himself and share with Himself man all the consequences of his fall. Holy Scripture says that this decision was pre-eternal, that is, God foresaw the fall of man and made a decision to save him even before the creation of the world. The Apostle Paul (Rom. 14:24) calls this decision a mystery, which “has been kept silent from eternity.” In Eph. 3:9 he speaks of the mystery “hid from eternity in God.” In Eph. 1:4 the apostle says that “God chose us in Him (that is, in Christ) before the foundation of the world.” And Christ Himself is called in St. Scripture by the Lamb, intended as a sacrifice from the creation of the world (I Pet. 1, 19-20 and Rev. 13:8).

What is the participation of the Persons of the Holy Trinity in the salvation of the human race?

God the Father has a gracious determination in the Council of God to save people through His Only Begotten Son:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Through the Incarnation and the atoning Sacrifice, the Son accomplishes our salvation. The Lord, during His earthly ministry, repeatedly said that He came to fulfill the will of the Father. “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work” (John 4:34). “The works that the Father gave Me to do, these very works that I do, testify of Me that the Father has sent Me” (John 5:36). “Therefore the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life in order to take it again; no one takes it away from Me, but I myself give it: I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it up again; I have received this commandment from My Father.” (John 10:17-18) The Apostle Peter (1 Pet. 1:18-19) says that we have been redeemed “from a vain life... by the precious Blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

The Holy Spirit assimilates to redeemed sinners the merits or, better to say, the redemptive fruits of the Sacrifice of Christ and with His assistance accomplishes the work of salvation in human hearts: “God from the beginning, through the sanctification of the Spirit and faith in the truth, chose you for salvation.” (2 Thess. 2, 13) Everywhere in St. Scripture, which speaks of the grace-filled sanctification of man, presupposes the action of the Holy Spirit. For example, In. 3, 5: “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”