Publication of the Armenian Missionary Association of America JAN/FEB 2001 - Vol. XXXV No. 1 (ISSN 1097-0924) Evangelical Theological Seminary of Armenia - Class of 2000 E D I T O R I A L M E S S A G E On the 1700th Anniversary of Armenian Christianity Some Reflections on the Great Event by Barkev N. Darakjian * here are events and peoples in the his- of the Christianization of Armenia should came second Ttory of nations which set most impor- be Christocentric rather than centered on to his mission tant and definitive milestones in their con- Armenian culture, politics, or even on the of evangelism. sciousness as well as in their national expe- church itself. This has to be our norm and He evange- rience. The Christianization of Armenia be- criterion while we try to evaluate that great lized because came a turning point in the history of Ar- event. As Anselm, the great archbishop of he believed that he was sent to Armenia to menia and the Armenians. After accepting Canterbury (1033-1109) says, “I believe, in evangelize; that was his calling. Even though Christianity as its national or State religion, order that I may understand.” Personal faith he was a Parthian by race, he loved Arme- Armenia was never the same religiously, in Jesus Christ is of paramount importance nia, having been brought up as an Arme- culturally, and politically. It is futile to raise if we want to understand the conversion of nian. Probably he had some foreboding questions such as, what would have hap- Armenia to Christianity. about his fate in Armenia because of the ex- pened if our King, Tiridates the 3rd had not The conversion of Armenia into Christian- isting ancestral feud (his father had killed met the young missionary from Cesarea, had ity was a process rather than an overnight the father of the then King Tiridates the 3rd not employed him as his secretary, had not accomplishment. The early seeds of the Chris- of Armenia). It was sheer madness to enter been informed that Gregory was none other tian faith were sowed by Jewish, Assyrian, into the service of the King who might one than a son of Anak Bartev who had killed and Greek indigenous or itinerant preachers. day be informed who he was; yet this fact his father? What if the King had not fallen There were also quite a number of heretical did not prevent him from doing what he was sick and had not been healed by that young teachers beside already existing pagan priests called to do. And he actually paid the price missionary? We can also raise questions on who continued their divergent activities dur- by being tortured by the King, and being the political situation in Armenia which may ing and after the Christianization of the land. thrown in a dungeon where he remained thir- have affected the King’s decision to endorse While the palace and the Church were jointly teen long and dreadful years. He took it as Christianity as the religion of his nation and working to banish pagan worship, new her- his cross as well as his glory. He left behind State. We can even defy the conviction of esies were invading the land, such as him a model of a true evangelist to be imi- our clergy and pious people that it was good Ebionitism (Jewish Christians who did not tated by his grandson, Gregorius, who was for Armenia and the Armenian people to be believe in the Divinity of Christ), Arianism, ordained by his father, Vertanes the converted to Christianity. But whatever que- Nestorianism, Adoptionism, etc. (All four Catholicos, as Catholicos of the Albanians. ries we may raise, the fact remains that our heresies emphasize the humanity of Jesus Young, energetic, and a puritan, Gregorius nation became Christian in 294 A.D., 301 Christ). The sword of the King and the cross was so articulate in denouncing their sins, A.D., or 314 A.D. as some Armenian histo- of Gregory the Illuminator worked hard to and preaching Christian love, charity, and rians suggest. eliminate these heresies, with little success. mercy, that the local rulers became suspi- It is unfortunate that we do not have any It was St. Nerces the Great Catholicos (329- cious of his designs, which they thought, modern book on the Christian interpretation 373), the great-great-grandson of Gregory were devised by the Armenian King for ul- of Armenian history. Neither do we have a the Illuminator, and the father of St. Sahag terior motives. So the “Albanians caused book on the history of Armenian Christian Catholicos, who instead of fighting the pa- Gregorius to be dragged to his death at a thought. Our people are being taught more gans and heretics, established a chain of wild horse’s tail…” about Armenian church history and tradi- Christian schools and educational centers. The Christian faith without social and hu- tion than about Jesus Christ the Savior and St. Nerces’ methods proved to be more suc- manitarian services will prove to be defec- Redeemer. The Apostle says, “For I re- cessful than the use of force applied by his tive and fruitless. This is shown most clearly solved to know nothing while I was with you predecessors. The lesson is obvious. The in the earthly life of our Lord. The Apostle except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1st right education and preaching are more ef- Peter testifies to this in one of his speeches, Cor. 2:2). This was the aim and purpose of fective than the use of force to eliminate the saying “You know about Jesus of Nazareth the missionary apostles of Armenia. This unwanted cults from our homeland. and how God poured out on him the Holy was also the objective of Gregory the Illu- True evangelism, that is, preaching the Spirit and power. He went everywhere, do- minator. This means that our interpretation Gospel of Salvation through Jesus Christ, is ing good and healing all who were under both a calling, and a means to spread the the power of the Devil, for God was with * Rev. Barkev N. Darakjian is the pastor of Christian faith. Gregory the Illuminator was him”, Acts. 10:38. Jesus gave a similar tes- the First Armenian Evangelical Church of a great evangelist, because he was a great timony about himself when he said to his Glendale, CA. He was the former editor of the believer. He was a man of prayer and ac- disciples during their last supper together, FORUM, the quarterly of the AEUNA. tion. His own person, like the Apostle Paul, “Who is greater, the one who sits down to AMAA NEWS - A publication of the Armenian Missionary Association of America, Inc., 31 West Century Road, Paramus, NJ 07652. Tel. (201) 265-2607; Fax (201) 265-6015; E-Mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.amaainc.org 2 AMAA NEWS, JAN/FEB 2001 eat or the one who serves him? The one who From then on God was worshipped in Ar- Jesus you, who used to be far away, have sits down, of course. But I am among you as menian, and the Armenian language became been brought near by the death of Christ.” one who serves”, Luke 22:27. Nerces the dominant in communication and education. Eph. 2:12,13. We believe that this is the Great became a Catholicos of great virtues In all this, we thank God the Father in His greatest event of which we have to be mind- and good deeds. His high academic educa- Son, Jesus Christ, for His great love and ful while celebrating the 1700th anniversary tion and military training made him indis- mercy which moved the hearts of the of Armenian Christianity. We should also pensable in the palace of the King. However, Apostles, Thaddeus and Bartholomew, Gre- thank God for all those who are presently he will be remembered not only as a person gory the Illuminator and the rest of His faith- engaged in the preparations for the oncom- of unusual skill and noble character, but ful messengers who made this great and his- ing celebrations. May all other consider- mostly for being a caring and loving Shep- toric event possible. Writing to the Church ations, be they ecclesiastical, cultural, po- herd of his flock. He was a reformer of the in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul says, “At that litical, or financial, occupy the back seats social structure and traditions of the country. time you were apart from Christ. You were so that all glory be given to God, and His The measures that he took to ameliorate the foreigners and did not belong to God’s cho- Son, Jesus Christ in whom, and for whom condition of his people would cover many sen people….But now, in union with Christ we shall hold all celebrations.G pages. He planned and built hospitals for the sick, refuges for lepers, homes for the blind and lame, and asylums for orphans and wid- AMAA CONTRIBUTES TO EARTHQUAKE ows. He put special emphasis and gave di- rectives to enhance the role of the church in RELIEF EFFORTS IN INDIA AND EL SALVADOR the civic and moral aspects of public life. he Armenian The AMAA and Today, more than ever, we need centers for TMissionary As- the Armenian social and humanitarian service and action, sociation of America Evan- gelical be it in our Homeland or in the Diaspora, and (AMAA) donated Churches world- the Church, all Armenian churches must as- an initial sum of wide share the sume their responsibilities following the ex- $10,000 to help the grief of those who ample of our Lord Jesus Christ.