Barsanuphius of Palestine about criterion of the truth and the gnoseological status creations of fathers of Church

For fathers of Church truth it not only gnoseological, but also ontologic category. The truth for them is God. Fathers of Church consider that the Truth (God) opens Itself by means of the Saint people who assimilated to It. Many of them left behind texts which are important help in knowledge of God. However Holy Fathers though Saints, but nevertheless people. Communicating good luck, they do not turn into the weak-willed unreasonable "receivers" which are mechanically broadcasting the Divine Revelation. In this regard there is also a question, main for this article: whether the person, let and the Saint, in the Divine Revelation received by him introduces something from himself, something that disguises the Truth? Otherwise: whether it is admissible to consider everything that was told and written by Holy Fathers, occurring from God? If is not present, then how to distinguish in their creations the Truth from human opinions or, we will tell more sharply: from delusions? The answer to this essentially important question was given Barsanuphius of Palestine (the 6th century). His reasonings on this subject are of great importance for patristical gnoseology and help to understand better its specifics as gnoseology religious. According to Barsanuphius of Palestine, the gnoseological status of creations of Holy Fathers is very high: they contain knowledge gained by Saints from God. At the same time, it is impossible to tell that everything that contains in creations of Holy Fathers, is Divine knowledge: except it Saints can state and the opinions of these or those people which are not corresponding to the truth acquired in the course of training. Criterion of distinction of the Divine truth and human opinions (it is frequent - false) are the instructions of Holy Fathers on the gnoseological status of the doctrine stated by them: in case of its Divine origin the Saint points to it. At the same time, as the person, direct communicating with the Truth, the Saint cannot neither be mistaken, nor deceive. Only concerning knowledge gained from people, the Saint can, without having asked God about their gnoseological status as the person to be mistaken. But also it is not an absolute obstacle for patristical gnoseology as what remains unchecked at one Saint, is surely checked by other Saints whose set of opinions on this or that question containing direct sendings to a source of knowledge is a reliable way of finding of the T ruth.

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