This Bible study looks at self-denial, humility, and the difference between repentance and self-hatred in Orthodox Christianity. The Orthodox Church teaches that self-denial does not mean rejecting the person God created. It means rejecting the false self, the selfish ego ruled by pride, fear, and the passions. Drawing from St. John Cassian and the Desert Father Abba Paphnutius, this discussion helps explain what true humility looks like in the Christian life.

The study explores why healthy self-denial leads to peace, while unhealthy self-rejection leads to despair. True repentance is honest about sin, but it does not lose hope in God’s mercy. The Fathers teach that self-reproach can be a medicine for the soul when it helps us repent and change. But when it becomes endless shame, it stops healing and begins to crush the heart.

This to ...