Introduction: Christianity and the Ancient “Mystery Religions”

Demeter depicted with her Eleusinian attributes, serpents, grain, and poppies

In the ancient world into which Christianity was born, religion was often expressed through what were called “mystery religions” — secret cults that promised initiates hidden knowledge and personal salvation through symbolic rituals known only to the few. Because Orthodox Christianity also speaks of Mysteries (μυστήρια) — the sacraments through which divine grace is imparted — some modern readers mistakenly assume that the Church is simply another form of mystery religion. In reality, the difference could not be greater. The mystery religions concealed their doctrines from outsiders and sought enlightenment through secrecy and ritual drama, while the Orthodox Church proclaims openly the one true Mystery of God revealed in Jesus Christ: “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The Mysteries of the Church are not hidden teachings for an elite few, but public and grace-filled acts through which the faithful encounter the living God. This lesson will explore what the ancient mystery religions actually were, why they appealed to so many, and how the Orthodox understanding of the Mystery of Faith stands apart as the revelation of divine truth to the whole world.

The Early Christian Apologists Dismiss Mystery Cults

In his First and Second Apologies, St. Justin Martyr (2nd century) offers one of the earliest and most profound Christian analyses of the pagan mystery cults. Writing to the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius and the Senate, Justin explains that the secret rites of the Greeks and Romans — such as those of Eleusis, Mithras, Dionysus, and Isis — were not divine revelations but demonic imitations of the true faith. According to Justin, the fallen angels, having foreseen in prophecy that Christ would be born of a Virgin, suffer, die, and rise again, deliberately inspired the pagans to invent myths and rituals that parodied these divine realities. For instance, he points out that the Mithraic initiation included a symbolic meal of bread and water, mimicking the Holy Eucharist, while the stories of gods dying and rising — such as Osiris or Dionysus — distorted the prophecy of Christ’s death and resurrection. In Justin’s view, these similarities were not coincidences but part of a calculated demonic strategy: “The demons, hearing it proclaimed through the prophets that Christ would come, caused those who worshipped them to set up similar things in the mysteries of Mithras.” (First Apology, ch. 66–67).

For Justin and other apologists like Athenagoras, Tatian, and Tertullian, the problem with mystery religions was not merely that they were false, but that they were diabolical counterfeits designed to confuse mankind and draw the soul away from the true revelation in Christ. Where the mystery cults promised salvation through secret rites and ecstatic experience, the Church proclaimed salvation through faith, repentance, and the public confession of the incarnate Son of God. The mysteries of paganism were shrouded in secrecy and reserved for the initiated few; the Mystery of Christ was preached openly to all nations. Thus, Justin’s apologetic goal was twofold: to defend Christians from accusations of impiety and novelty, and to expose the spiritual deception behind pagan religion. By unveiling the demonic inspiration of the mystery cults, Justin affirms that the Christian faith alone is the authentic fulfillment of humanity’s deepest longing for divine communion — the true Mystery revealed, not concealed.

A Thematic Summary of the Three Exorcism Prayers

Before the waters of baptism are blessed, the Orthodox Church begins with a series of three exorcism prayers, ancient invocations through which the catechumen is freed from the tyranny of the devil and prepared for union with Christ. In these prayers, the priest calls upon the power and authority of God to banish all evil influence, proclaims Christ’s victory over the forces of darkness, and entreats the Lord to heal and purify the soul of the one who is about to be illumined. Together, these prayers mark the soul’s passage from bondage to freedom — from the dominion of sin to the peace of Christ — so that the person may approach the baptismal waters cleansed, renewed, and ready to receive the grace of the Holy Spirit.

First Exorcism Prayer – The Sovereignty and Dominion of God

Theme: The absolute authority of God over creation and the subjugation of the devil.

Summary:

• The priest calls upon God’s transcendent power — “God, Who is holy, terrible and glorious in His works” — establishing divine supremacy over all creation.

• The devil is reminded of his defeat and condemned nature: that he has no true dominion, being cast down from heaven.

• The prayer invokes the power of Christ’s victory and the sign of the Cross to command all demonic powers to withdraw from the person preparing for baptism.

• The tone is judicial and declarative — the Church, speaking in Christ’s authority, proclaims sentence upon the adversary.

• The human being is reclaimed as God’s rightful possession, created for life, not bondage.

In essence:

The First Exorcism declares that God alone reigns — not the devil. The baptized person belongs to the Creator, and all dark powers are placed under divine judgment.

Second Exorcism Prayer – The Command of Christ and the Final Defeat of Evil

Theme: Christ’s direct command to the demons and the demonstration of His victorious might.

Summary:

• The prayer vividly recalls the authority of Christ in the Gospels, especially His command to unclean spirits (“Come out of the man…”).

• It names the devil as “impure, vile, loathsome, and alien,” exposing his impotence — “your might has no power even over swine.”

• The priest appeals to God’s creative acts — the making of heaven, earth, seas, mountains — to show that the entire cosmos stands under His command.

• The judgment imagery intensifies: the devil is warned of eternal punishment in Gehenna, where the worm does not die and the fire is unquenched.

• The candidate is declared one who has been “sealed in the Name of Jesus Christ” — no longer under the enemy’s dominion.

In essence:

The Second Exorcism proclaims Christ’s triumph and cosmic authority. It is the Church’s militant command that the devil depart from the one sealed for Christ, under threat of final judgment.

Third Exorcism Prayer – Healing, Purification, and Victory

Theme: God’s mercy and healing power completing deliverance from evil and preparing the soul for illumination.

Summary:

• Addressed to “the Lord of Sabaoth, the God of Israel, Who heals every malady and infirmity.”

• The prayer shifts tone: from confrontation to restoration — asking God to “prove him and search him,” to “root out every operation of the devil,” and to “purify the works of Thy hands.”

• It requests spiritual healing and the crushing of Satan “under his (her) feet,” echoing Genesis 3:15 and Romans 16:20 — the final promise of victory.

• The emphasis now lies on inner renewal, not merely exorcism: that the person may “partake of Thy heavenly Mysteries.”

• Ends with a doxology affirming that the dominion belongs to Christ, with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

In essence:

The Third Exorcism completes the deliverance by invoking God’s healing and sanctifying power. Evil is not only expelled — the person is purified, made whole, and made ready for the grace of baptism.

Overall Movement (Summary Table)

Prayer	Dominant Theme	Tone / Function	Theological Focus
First Exorcism	God’s Sovereignty	Judicial and declarative	God’s rule over all creation; judgment on Satan
Second Exorcism	Christ’s Authority & Final Defeat of Evil	Commanding and cosmic	Christ’s triumph, devil’s impotence, warning of Gehenna
Third Exorcism	Healing and Victory	Pastoral and restorative	Inner purification; preparation for communion with God

Summary:

The first proclaims God’s dominion,
the second commands the devil’s departure through Christ’s might,
the third heals and prepares the soul for sanctification —
together forming the arc of deliverance that precedes illumination.

The three exorcism prayers of the Orthodox baptismal rite form a sacred sequence of liberation, purification, and restoration, preparing the human soul to enter the life of grace. In the first, the Church proclaims the sovereignty of God over all creation and places the devil under divine judgment. In the second, she invokes the authority of Christ, the Conqueror of death and Hades, commanding the powers of darkness to depart in the name of the Crucified and Risen Lord. In the third, the tone turns pastoral and restorative, as God is entreated to heal, cleanse, and renew His creature, crushing Satan underfoot and restoring the divine image. Through these prayers, the person is reclaimed from the dominion of sin and darkness, becoming once again God’s rightful possession — a vessel prepared for the descent of the Holy Spirit. The exorcisms are therefore not merely acts of defense against evil but liturgical moments of divine conquest, marking the soul’s passage from bondage to freedom, from corruption to incorruption, and from the tyranny of the enemy to the peace of Christ. Thus cleansed and set free, the catechumen stands ready to renounce Satan and to confess faith in the Holy Trinity, entering the radiant waters of regeneration as a new creation in Christ.

The Renunciations : A Fourth Prayer

 

The Renunciations : A Fourth Prayer

Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: O Lord and Master, Who created man in Thine own likeness, and bestowed upon him the power of life eternal; Who also despisest not those who have fallen away through sin, but providest salvation for the world through the incarnation of Thy Christ; Do Thou, the same Lord, delivering also this Thy creature from the bondage of the enemy, receive him (her) into Thy heavenly Kingdom. Open the eyes of his (her) understanding, that the illumination of Thy Gospel may shine brightly in him (her). Assign to his (her) life an Angel of light who shall deliver him (her) from every snare of the adversary, from encounter with evil, from the demon of the noonday, and from evil thoughts.

 The Priest then breathes gently in the form of a cross over the mouth, brow, and breast, saying three times:

Expel from him (her) every evil and unclean spirit which hides and

makes its lair in his (her) heart. (3x)

Priest: The spirit of deceit, the spirit of evil, the spirit of idolatry and of every covetousness; the spirit of falsehood and of every uncleanness, which operates through the prompting of the devil. And make him (her) a reason-endowed sheep in the holy flock of Thy Christ, an honorable member of Thy Church, a consecrated vessel, a child of the light and an heir of Thy Kingdom, that having lived in accordance with Thy commandments, and preserved inviolate the seal, and kept his (her) garment undefiled, he (she) may receive the blessedness of the Saints in Thy Kingdom.

The sponsors with the child (or the one to be baptized if he be an adult) turn about and face the West, with their backs to the priest. The priest then asks the following question  three times:

Priest: Do you renounce Satan, and all his works, and all his angels, and all his service, and all his pride? (Three times)

And each time the sponsor, or the one to be baptized if he be an adult, answers:

Candidate: I do renounce him!

Priest: Have you renounced Satan? (Three times)

And each time the sponsor, or the one to be baptized if he be an adult, answers:

Candidate: I have renounced him!

Then the priest says:

Priest: Breathe and spit upon him!

The sponsors with the child (or adult) now turn about back to the East, and they stand facing the priest. The priest asks them three times:

Do you unite yourself to Christ? (Three times)

And each time the sponsor, or the one to be baptized if he be an adult, answers:

Candidate: I do unite myself to Christ.

Then the priest asks another question:

Priest: Have you united yourself to Christ?

Candidate: I have united myself to Christ.

Priest: Do you believe in Him?

Candidate: I believe in Him as King and God.

Thorough explanation — Fourth Prayer (Renunciation, Breathing, Turning, and Profession)

This fourth part of the baptismal rite is the liturgical pivot where the catechumen moves from being acted upon (exorcised, cleansed) to publicly repudiating Satan and personally (or vicariously, through sponsors) committing to Christ. It is dense with biblical, patristic, and sacramental symbolism: anthropology (image and likeness), soteriology (incarnation and redemption), ecclesiology (entrance into the Church), and eschatology (heirship of the Kingdom). I’ll unpack it element-by-element.

1) Opening sentence — Creation, Fall, and Incarnation

“O Lord and Master, Who created man in Thine own likeness… providest salvation for the world through the incarnation of Thy Christ…”

The prayer situates baptism in the whole drama of salvation:

• Created in God’s likeness: baptism restores the image of God disfigured by sin.

• Power of life eternal: baptism actualizes the gift God intended—communion with God and eternal life.

• Incarnation as the means of salvation: God’s becoming human is the definitive remedy for fallen humanity; baptism is how we are incorporated into that saving act.

The theological thrust: God does not abandon fallen creatures; through the Incarnation the path back to God is opened, and baptism is entry into that restorative economy.

2) Deliverance, illumination, and guardian angel

“Delivering also this Thy creature from the bondage of the enemy, receive him (her) into Thy heavenly Kingdom. Open the eyes of his (her) understanding… Assign to his (her) life an Angel of light…”

Key points:

• Deliverance — continuation of exorcistic action: the person is now handed over from bondage to freedom.

• Illumination — baptism is described as enlightenment: the Gospel’s light must open the eyes of the mind (Greek: νοῦς, nous or understanding).

• Guardian angel — the assignment of an “angel of light” is the Church’s affirmation of God’s providential care (guardian angel tradition, Psalm-like imagery). This angel protects against spiritual snares (“demon of the noonday,” evil thoughts).

Functionally, this paragraph bridges external liberation with the interior gift of grace and ongoing divine protection.

3) The priest’s breath in the form of the cross (threefold)

Priest breathes over mouth, brow, breast and says three times:
“Expel from him (her) every evil and unclean spirit… (3x)”

Meanings and layers of symbolism:

• Breath = life / Spirit: Genesis (God breathes life into Adam), and New Testament theology (Spirit as breath). The priest’s breath symbolizes the gift/invocation of the Holy Spirit as life and power against evil.

• Cross-shaped breath: the gesture invokes the Cross as the instrument of victory; the exorcistic action is enacted “in the name of the Cross.”

• Threefold action (mouth, brow, breast; repeated thrice):

• Mouth — speech/word (guard against blasphemy, false speech).

• Brow — mind/understanding (illumination, right belief).

• Breast/heart — affections, will, love.
  Repetition three times echoes the Trinity and the completeness/solemnity of the renunciation/cleansing.

• Exorcistic formula: the words explicitly banish hidden/unseen powers that might lodge in heart, mind, or tongue.

4) The catalogue of spirits to be expelled

“The spirit of deceit, the spirit of evil, the spirit of idolatry and of every covetousness… spirit of falsehood and of every uncleanness…”

This is a psychological and moral map of what baptism removes:

• Deceit/falsehood — the lies that distance us from truth.

• Idolatry/covetousness — orienting loves away from God toward created things.

• Uncleanness — moral impurity, passions that disfigure the soul.

The prayer is not only about spectacular possession but about the ordinary, subtle “spirits” that enslave people. Baptism is thus therapeutic: it cleanses the moral and spiritual disorders that prevent communion with God.

5) “Reason-endowed sheep in the holy flock of Thy Christ…” (anthropology & ecclesiology)

“Make him (her) a reason-endowed sheep in the holy flock of Thy Christ, an honorable member of Thy Church, a consecrated vessel, a child of the light and an heir of Thy Kingdom…”

Meanings:

• “Reason-endowed” (λογικὸν πρόβατον): affirms human nature’s rationality; the baptized is not animal but rational and capable of communion with God.

• Sheep in the flock: ecclesial language — baptism incorporates one into Christ’s flock (the Church), under the Good Shepherd.

• “Consecrated vessel”: Pauline imagery — vessels set apart for holy use (cf. 2 Tim. 2:21). Baptism consecrates the person for sacramental life.

• “Child of the light / heir”: baptism’s eschatological promise — present participation in the light of Christ and future inheritance in the Kingdom.

Theologically this is the positive flip-side of exorcism: not only are evil powers expelled, but the baptized is configured to Christ and to Church.

6) Sponsors, turning to the West, renunciation (threefold), and its meaning

Ritual action: sponsors face West (back to priest) and the priest asks three times:

“Do you renounce Satan, and all his works…?” — candidate/sponsor: “I do renounce him!”
Then “Have you renounced Satan?” — “I have renounced him!” (threefold)

Symbolism and theology:

• Facing West: West (sunset/darkness) is traditionally associated with darkness, the realm of the “prince of this world.” Turning toward the West and publicly renouncing is a symbolic rejection of the realm of darkness. (By contrast, turning East is turning to the rising sun, symbol of Christ’s Resurrection/light.)

• Threefold renunciation: repetition for solemnity, completeness, and reference to the Triune God — firm, irrevocable rejection. The renunciation catalogs what is renounced: the person, works, angels, service, pride — i.e., Satan himself, his deeds, his demonic associates, the service/obedience to him, and the fundamental vice (pride) that lies at the root of rebellion.

• Sponsors speak for infants: in infant baptism the sponsors (godparents) answer because the infant cannot. This is a vicarious catechesis: sponsors accept responsibility for raising the child in faith and renouncing the old life on the child’s behalf. In adult baptism the adult answers personally.

The renunciation is therefore both performative (a real, ritual repudiation) and covenantal (an entry into a new allegiance).

7) “Breathe and spit upon him!” — meaning of a difficult command

This phrase is jarring in modern sensibilities, so it deserves careful unpacking.

• Historical/ritual use of spittle: in ancient medical and ritual contexts spittle had symbolic power (healing or repelling disease). The Gospels also record Jesus using spittle in healings (e.g., healing the blind man by spitting and touching his eyes — John 9:6–7). Spitting in exorcism traditions was sometimes used to show contempt for the demon and to mark physical rejection.

• Function here: the command is not intended as disrespect to the person but as a ritual act of contempt and rejection toward evil, and a symbolic cleansing. It complements the breath (Spirit-breath) with a human gesture of repudiation aimed at the forces just renounced.

• Pastoral note: many modern celebrants perform this gesture very mildly or symbolically; the meaning is primary, not the literal rudeness. It underscores that the baptized is no longer to be inhabited by what was renounced.

8) Turning to the East — profession of union with Christ

After the renunciation the sponsors/candidate turn to the East and answer:

“Do you unite yourself to Christ?” — “I do unite myself to Christ.”
“Have you united yourself to Christ?” — “I have united…”
“Do you believe in Him?” — “I believe in Him as King and God.”

Meaning:

• Turning to the East: East = light, Resurrection, the orientation of Christian hope. Turning East is turning toward Christ, the Rising Sun.

• Union with Christ: this is a positive, affirmative covenant: the candidate not only rejects Satan, but chooses Christas Lord. It’s the liturgical equivalent of conversion.

• Profession of faith: the short answer (“I believe in Him as King and God”) is the kernel of what will be publicly affirmed as fuller baptismal confession (often followed by the Creed). It acknowledges Christ’s lordship (king) and divinity (God) — the heart of Christian identity.

The paired structure (renounce → turn → unite → profess) dramatizes conversion: repentance followed by faith.

9) Role of sponsors / ecclesial responsibility

• Sponsors (godparents): they stand in for the catechumen (especially infants) and commit to nurture the baptized in the faith. Their presence emphasizes that baptism is an ecclesial act — one enters into a community with obligations and supports.

• Community accountability: the Church does not baptize individuals in isolation; sponsors and congregation accept a role in the catechumen’s ongoing formation.

10) Pastoral and soteriological implications

• Baptism is covenantal and social: it is not private therapy but incorporation into Christ’s Body with communal responsibilities.

• Renunciation is not magic but moral-pneumatological: the words and gestures enact a change precisely because they are grounded in Christ’s own victory, the Church’s sacramental life, and the Holy Spirit’s presence.

• Ecclesial identity and eschatological promise: the baptized is already a “child of the light” and an heir; the rite both effects and seals that reality—opened eyes, guardian angel, membership in the Church, and future inheritance.

11) Liturgical structure and theology in Brief

The fourth prayer synthesizes the rite’s movement: creation → fall → Incarnation → deliverance → renunciation → illumination → union with Christ → ecclesial life → eschatological hope.

Summary

• Creation language: reminds us baptism restores the image of God.

• Breath and cross-breathing: invokes Spirit and Cross; cleanses mind, mouth, heart.

• Spit: ritual repudiation of evil; biblical/healing precedent.

• West → East turns: reject darkness; turn to the Resurrection/Light.

• Triple renunciation & triple profession: solemn, Trinitarian completeness.

• Sponsors: represent catechumen, accept responsibility for faith formation.

• Consecrated vessel / sheep / heir: baptized person’s new identity—ecclesial, moral, and eschatological.

The thematic summary of each of the three exorcism prayers that precede the fourth (the renunciation and profession). These prayers form a progressive spiritual movement — from invoking divine majesty, to commanding the enemy’s departure, to asking for divine healing and victory.