Orthodox Catholic Church
Orthodox Catholic Church
The Church Building - External Arrangement
Orthodox churches generally take one of several
shapes that have a particular mystical significance. The most common
shape is an oblong or rectangular shape, imitating the form of a
ship. As a ship, under the guidance of a master helmsman conveys
people through the stormy seas to a calm harbor, so the Church,
guided by Christ, carries us unharmed across the stormy seas of sin
and strife to the peaceful haven of the Kingdom of Heaven. Churches
are also frequently built in the form of a Cross to proclaim that we
are saved through faith in the Crucified Christ, for Whom Christians
are prepared to suffer all things.
Almost always Orthodox churches are oriented
East--West, with the main entrance of the building at the west end.
This symbolizes the entrance of the worshipper from the darkness of
sin (the west) into the light of truth (the east). On the roof of
Orthodox churches are usually found one or more cupolas (domes with
rounded or pointed roofs). A peculiar feature of Russian Orthodox
churches is the presence of onion-shaped domes on top of the cupolas.
This shape reminds believers of the flame of a candle, burning upward
Every cupola is crowned with a Cross, the
instrument of our salvation. In the Russian Church, the most common
form is the so-called three-bar Cross, consisting of the usual
crossbeam, a shorter crossbeam above that and another, slanted,
crossbeam below. Symbolically, the three bars represent, from the
top, the signboard on which was written, in Hebrew, Latin and Greek,
Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews (John 19:19); the main
crossbeam, to which the hands of Jesus were nailed; the lower
portion, to which His feet were nailed.
The three-bar representaion existed in
Christian art from the very early times in Byzantium, although
usually without the bottom bar slanted, which is particularly
Russian. The origin of this slanted footboard is not known, but in
the symbolism of the Russian Church, the most common explanation is
that it is pointing upward to Paradise for the Good Thief on Jesus'
right and downward to Hades for the thief on His left (Luke 23).
The interior of an Orthodox church is divided
into several parts. The first is the Narthex (Vestibule; Lity --
Greek; Pritvor --Russian), in ancient times a large, spacious place,
wherein the Catechumens received instruction while preparing for
Baptism, and also where Penitents excluded from Holy Communion stood.
The main body of the church is the Nave,
separated from the Sanctuary (Altar) by an icon screen with doors,
called the Iconostasis (Icon stand). The walls of the Nave are
decorated with Icons and murals, before many of which are hanging lit
lamps (lampadas). Especially noticeable in traditional Orthodox
churches is the absence of any pews. The Fathers of the Church deemed
it disrespectful for anyone to sit during the Divine services (except
at certain explicit moments of instruction or Psalm reading) and the
open spaces were seen to be especially conducive to the many bows and
prostrations typical of Orthodox worship.
At the extreme Eastern end of the church is
found the Altar (or Sanctuary), with two rooms -- the Sacristy and
the Vestry --at either side, separated from the Nave by the Iconostasis.
Holy Icons --
Theology in Color
One of the first things that strikes a
non-Orthodox visitor to an Orthodox church is the prominent place
assigned to Holy Icons. The Iconostasis is covered with them, while
others are placed in prominent places throughout the church building.
The walls and ceiling are covered with iconic murals. The Orthodox
faithful prostrate themselves before Icons, kiss them, and burn
candles before them. The are censed by the clergy and carried in
processions. Considering the obvious importance of the Holy Icons,
then, questions may certainly be raised concerning them: What do
these gestures and actions mean? What is the significance of Icons?
Are they not idols or the like, prohibited by the Old Testament?
Icons have been used for prayer from the first
centuries of Christianity. Sacred Tradition tells us, for example, of
the existence of an Icon of the Savior during His lifetime (the
"Icon-Made-Without-Hands") and of Icons of the Most Holy
Theotokos immediately after Him. Sacred Tradition witnesses that the
Orthodox Church had a clear understanding of the importance of Icons
right from the beginning; and this understanding never changed, for
it is derived from the teachings concerning the Incarnation of the
Second Person of the Holy Trinity -- Our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. The use of Icons is grounded in the very essence of
Christianity, since Christianity is the revelation by God-Man not
only of the Word of God, but also of the Image of God; for, as St.
John the Evangelist tells us, "the Word became flesh and dwelt
among us" (John 1:14).
"No one has ever seen God; only the Son,
Who is in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known" (John
1:18), the Evangelist proclaims. That is, He has revealed the Image
or Icon of God. For being the brightness of [God's] glory, and the
express image of [God's] person (Hebrews 1:3), the Word of God in the
Incarnation revealed to the world, in His own Divinity, the Image of
the Father. When St. Philip asks Jesus, Lord, show us the Father, He
answered him: Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know
Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father (John 14:8-9).
Thus as the Son is in the bosom of the Father, likewise after the
Incarnation He is constubstantial with the Father, according to His
divinity being the Father's Image, equal in honor to Him.
The truth expressed above, which is revealed in
Christianity, thus forms the foundations of Christian pictorial art.
The Image (or Icon) not only does not contradict the essence of
Christianity, but is unfailingly connected with it; and this is the
foundation of the tradition that from the very beginning the Good
News was brought to the world by the Church both in word and image.
St. John of Damascus, an eigth century Father
of the Church, who wrote at the height of the iconoclastic
(anti-icon) controversies in the Church, explains, that because the
Word of God became flesh (John 1:14), we are no longer in our
infancy; we have grown up, we have been given by God the power of
discrimination and we know what can be depicted and what is
indescribable. Since the Second Person of the Holy Trinity appeared
to us in the flesh, we can portray Him and reproduce for
contemplation Him Who has condescended to be seen. We can confidently
represent God the Invisible -- not as an invisible being, but as one
Who has made Himself visible for our sake by sharing in our flesh and blood.
Holy Icons developed side by side with the
Divine Services and, like the Services, expressed the teaching of the
Church in conformity with the word of Holy Scripture. Following the
teaching of the 7th Ecumenical Council, the Icon is seen not as
simple art, but that there is a complete correspondence of the Icon
to Holy Scripture, "for if the Icon is shown by Holy Scripture,
Holy Scripture is made incontestably clear by the Icon" (Acts of
the 7th Ecumenical Council, 6).
As the word of Holy Scripture is an
image, so the image is also a word, for, according to St. Basil the
Great (379 AD): By depicting the divine, we are not making ourselves
similar to idolaters; for it is not the material symbol that we are
worshipping, but the Creator, Who became corporeal for our sake and
assumed our body in order that through it He might save mankind. We
also venerate the material objects through which our salvation is
effected -- the blessed wood of the Cross, the Holy Gospel, Holy
Relics of Saints, and, above all, the Most-Pure Body and Blood of
Christ, which have grace-bestowing properties and Divine Power.
Orthodox Christians do not venerate an Icon of Christ because of the
nature of the wood or the paint, but rather we venerate the inanimate
image of Christ with the intention of worshipping Christ Himself as
God Incarnate through it.
We kiss an Icon of the Blessed Virgin as the
Mother of the Son of God, just as we kiss the Icons of the Saints as
God's friends who struggled against sin, imitating Christ by shedding
their blood for Him and followed in His footsteps. Saints are
venerated as those who were glorified by God and who became, with
God's help, terrible to the Enemy, and benefactors to those advancing
in the faith -- but not as gods and benefactors themselves; rather
they were the servants of God who were given boldness of spirit in
return for their love of Him. We gaze on the depiction of their
exploits and sufferings so as to sanctify ourselves through them and
to spur ourselves on to zealous emulation.
The Icons of the Saints act as a meeting point
between the living members of the Church [Militant] on earth and the
Saints who have passed on to the Church [Triumphant] in Heaven. The
Saints depicted on the Icons are not remote, legendary figures from
the past, but contemporary, personal friends. As meeting points
between Heaven and earth, the Icons of Christ, His Mother, the Angels
and Saints constantly remind the faithful of the invisible presence
of the whole company of Heaven; they visibly express the idea of
Heaven on earth.
The most prominent feature of an Orthodox
church is the Iconostasis, consisting of one or more rows of Icons
and broken by a set of doors in the center (the Holy or Royal Doors)
and a door at each side (the Deacon's Doors). A typical Iconostasis
consists of one or more tiers (rows) of Icons. Ours is made up of
four tiers. At the center of the first, or lowest, tier, are the
Royal Doors, on which are placed Icons of the four Evangelists who
announced to the world Good News -- the Gospel -- of the Savior. At
the center of the Royal Doors is an Icon of the Annunciation to the
Most Holy Theotokos (the Mother of God), since this event was the
prelude or beginning of our salvation. Over the Royal Doors is placed
an Icon of the Mystical Supper (the Last Supper) since, in the Altar
beyond, the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist is celebrated in
remembrence of the Savior Who instituted the Sacrament at the Last Supper.
At either side of the Royal Doors are always
placed an Icon of the Savior (to the right) and of the Most Holy
Theotokos (to the left). On either side of the Royal Doors, beyond
the Icons of the Lord and His Mother, are two doors -- Deacon's
Doors-- upon which are dipicted either saintly Deacons or Angels --
who minister always at the heavenly Altar, just as do the earthly
deacons during the Divine services. In our church, on the left Deacon
door, is placed an Icon of the Good Thief, the first to enter
Paradise. Other Icons of particular local significance are also
placed in the first row of the Iconostsis, for which reason the lower
tier is often called the Local Icons.
Ascending above the Local Icons are three more
tiers of Icons. Immediately above the Icon of the Mystical Supper is
placed an Icon of the Savior in royal garments, flanked by His Mother
and John the Forerunner and an aray of other saints, included the
Archangels Michael and Gabriel, the Apostles Peter and Paul and
bishop saints and martyrs. This tier is called the Deisis (prayer),
since all in this tier are turned to Christ in supplication. The tier
immediately above are Icons of the principal Feasts of the Lord and
The top row contains the Old Testament Prophets
-- in the midst of which is the Birthgiver of God with the Divine
Infant Who is from everlasting and Who was their hope, their
consolation, and the subject of their prophecies. At the very top of
the Iconostasis is placed the Holy Cross, upon which the Lord was
crucified, effecting thereby our salvation.
The Altar which lies beyond the Iconostasis, is
set aside for those who perform the Divine services, and normally
persons not consecrated to the service of the Church are not
permitted to enter. Occupying the central place in the Altar is the
Holy Table, which represents the Throne of God, with the Lord Himself
invisibly present there. It also represents the Tomb of Christ, since
His Body (the Holy Gifts) is placed there. The Holy Table is square
in shape and is draped by two coverings. The first, inner covering,
is of white linen, representing the winding-sheet in which the Body
of Christ was wrapped. The outer cloth is made of rich and bright
material, representing the glory of God's throne. Both cloths cover
the Holy Table to the ground.
What Orthodox Christians Believe -What Is the Orthodox Church?
Almost two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, came to earth and founded the Church, through His
Apostles and disciples, for the salvation of man. In the years which
followed, the Apostles spread the Church and its teachings far; they
founded many churches, all united in faith, worship, and the
partaking of the Mysteries (or as they are called in the West, the
Sacraments) of the Holy Church.
The churches founded by the Apostles themselves
include the Patriarchates of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch,
Jerusalem, and Rome. The Church of Constantinople was founded by St.
Andrew, the Church of Alexandria by St. Mark, the Church of Antioch
by St. Paul, the Church of Jerusalem by Sts. Peter and James, and the
Church of Rome by by Sts. Peter and Paul. Those founded in later
years through the missionary activity of the first churches were the
Churches of Sinai, Russia, Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, and
Each of these churches is independent in
administration, but, with the exception of the Church of Rome, which
finally separated from the others in the year 1054, all are united in
faith, doctrine, Apostolic tradition, sacraments, liturgies, and
services. Together they constitute and call themselves the Orthodox Church.
The teachings of the Church are derived from
two sources: Holy Scripture, and Sacred Tradition, within which the
Scriptures came to be, and within which they are interpreted. As
written in the Gospel of St. John, "And there are also many
other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written
every one, I suppose that even the world could not contain the books
that should be written" (John 21:20). Much teaching transmitted
orally by the Apostles has come down to us in Sacred Tradition.
The word Orthodox literally means right
teaching or right worship, being derived from two Greek words: orthos
(right) and doxa (teaching or worship). As the enroachments of false
teaching and division multiplied in early Chrstian times, threatening
to obscure the identity and purity of the Church, the term Orthodox
quite logically came to be applied to it. The Orthodox Church
carefully guards the truth against all error and schism both to
protect its flock and to glorify Christ whose body the Church is.
An astonishing number of religious groups today
claim to be the successors of the early Church. A yardstick for truth
is needed by which to compare what the Church originally believed and
practiced with what these groups proclaim. Certainly we all have the
right to believe whatever we choose. But it is also just good sense
to be acquainted with the options before we make our final choices.
It is our hope that this outline of our beliefs
will help introduce you to the Christianity espoused and instituted
by the Apostles of Jesus Christ. This is the yardstick of truth by
which our choices in Christianity need to be measured.
GOD THE FATHER:
Is the fountainhead of the Holy Trinity. The Scriptures reveal the
one God is Three Persons -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- eternally
sharing the one divine nature. From the Father the Son is begotten
before all ages and all time (Psalm 2:7; II Corinthians 11:31). It is
from the Father that the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds (John 15:26).
God the Father created all things through the Son, in the Holy Spirit
(Genesis 1 and 2; John 1:3; Job 33:4), and we are called to worship
Him (John 4:23). The Father loves us and sent His Son to give us
everlasting life (John 3:16).
Is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, eternally born of the
Father. He became man, and thus He is at once fully God and fully
man. His coming to earth was foretold in the Old Testament by the
prophets. Because Jesus Christ is at the heart of Christianity, the
Orthodox Church has given more attention to knowing Him than to
anything or anyone else.
In reciting the Nicene Creed, Orthodox
Christians regularly affirm the historic faith concerning Jesus as
they say, "I believe...in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
the only begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages, Light of
Light, true God of true God; begotten, not made; of one essence with
the Father; by Whom all things were made; Who for us men and for our
salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit
and the Virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us
under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried; and the third day
He rose again according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven,
and sits at the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again
with glory to judge the living and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have
THE HOLY SPIRIT:
Is one of the Persons of the Holy Trinity and is one in essence with
the Father. Orthodox Christians repeatedly confess, "And I
believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, Who proceeds
from the Father, Who together with the Father and the Son is
worshipped and glorified..." He is called the "promise of
the Father" (Acts 1:4), given by Christ as a gift to the Church,
to empower the Church for service to God (Acts 1:8), to place God's
love in our hearts (Romans 5:5), and to impart spiritual gifts (I
Corinthians 12:7-13) and virtues (Galatians 5:22, 23) for Christian
life and witness. Orthodox Christians believe the biblical promise
that the Holy Spirit is given through chrismation (anointing) at
baptism (Acts 2:38). We are to grow in our experience of the Holy
Spirit for the rest of our lives.
Refers to Jesus Christ coming "in the flesh". The eternal
Son of God the Father assumed to Himself a complete human nature from
the Virgin Mary. He was (and is) one divine Person, fully possessing
from God the Father the entirety of the divine nature, and in His
coming in the flesh fully possessing a human nature from the Virgin
Mary. By His Incarnation, the Son forever possesses two natures in
His one Person. The Son of God, limitless in His divine nature,
voluntarily and willingly accepted limitation in His humanity in
which He experienced hunger, thirst, fatigue -- and ultimately,
death. The Incarnation is indispensable to Christianity -- there is
no Christianity without it. The Scriptures record, "...every
spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh
is not of God" (I John 4:3). By His Incarnation, the Son of God
redeemed human nature, a redemption made accessible to all who are
joined to Him in His glorified humanity.
Literally means to "miss the mark." As St. Paul writes,
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
(Romans 3:23). We sin when we pervert what God has given us as good,
falling short of His purposes for us. Our sins separate us from God
(Isaiah 59:1, 2), leaving us spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1). To
save us, the Son of God assumed our humanity, and being without sin
"He condemned sin in the flesh" (Romans 8:3). In His mercy,
God forgives our sins when we confess them and turn from them, giving
us strength to overcome sin in our lives. "If we confess our
sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9).
Is the divine gift through which men and women are delivered from sin
and death, united to Christ, and brought into His eternal kingdom.
Those who heard St. Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost asked what
they must do to be saved. He answered, "Repent, and let every
one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission
of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit"
(Acts 2:38). Salvation begins with these three steps: 1) repent, 2)
be baptized, and 3) receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. To repent
means to change our mind about how we have been, to turn from our sin
and to commit ourselves to Christ. To be baptized means to be born
again by being joined into union with Christ. And to receive the gift
of the Holy Spirit means to receive the Spirit Who empowers us to
enter a new life in Christ, to be nurtured in the Church, and to be
conformed to God's image.
Salvation demands faith in Jesus Christ. People
cannot save themselves by their own good works. Salvation is
"faith working through love". It is an ongoing, life-long
process. Salvation is past tense in that, through the death and
Resurrection of Christ, we have been saved. It is present tense, for
we are "being saved" by our active participation through
faith in our union with Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Salvation is also future, for we must yet be saved at His glorious
the way in which a person is actually united to Christ. The
experience of salvation is initiated in the waters of baptism. The
Apostle Paul teaches in Romans 6: 1-6 that in baptism we experience
Christ's death and resurrection. In it our sins are truly forgiven
and we are energized by our union with Christ to live a holy life.
The Orthodox Church practices baptism by full immersion.
Currently, some consider baptism to be only an
"outward sign" of belief in Christ. This innovation has no
historical or biblical precedent. Others reduce it to a mere
perfunctory obedience to Christ's command (cf. Matthew 28:19, 20).
Still others, ignoring the Bible completely, reject baptism as a
vital factor in salvation. Orthodoxy maintains that these
contemporary innovations rob sincere people of the most important
assurances that baptism provides -- namely that they have been united
to Christ and are part of His Church.
Is receipt of new life. It is how we gain entrance into God's kingdom
and His Church. Jesus said, "Unless one is born of water and the
Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). From its
beginning, the Church has taught that the "water" is the
baptismal water and the "Spirit" is the Holy Spirit. The
new birth occurs in baptism where we die with Christ, are buried with
Him, and are raised with Him in the newness of His resurrection,
being joined into union with Him in His glorified humanity (Acts
2:38; Romans 6:3, 4). The idea that being "born again" is a
religious experience disassociated from baptism is a recent one and
has no biblical basis whatsoever.
a word used in the Scriptures to mean that in Christ we are forgiven
and actually made righteous in our living. Justification is not a
once-for-all, instantaneous pronouncement guaranteeing eternal
salvation, regardless of how wickedly a person might live from that
point on. Neither is it merely a legal declaration that an
unrighteous person is righteous. Rather, justification is a living,
dynamic, day-to-day reality for the one who follows Christ. The
Christian actively pursues a righteous life in the grace and power of
God granted to all who continue to believe in Him.
Is being set apart for God. It involves us in the process of being
cleansed and made holy by Christ in the Holy Spirit. We are called to
be saints and to grow into the likeness of God. Having been given the
gift of the Holy Spirit, we actively participate in sanctification.
We cooperate with God, we work together with Him, that we may know
Him, becoming by grace what He is by nature.
Is the divinely inspired Word of God (II Timothy 3:16), and is a
crucial part of God's self-revelation to the human race. The Old
Testament tells the history of that revelation from Creation through
the Age of the Prophets. The New Testament records the birth and life
of Jesus as well as the writings of His Apostles. It also includes
some of the history of the early Church and especially sets forth the
Church's apostolic doctrine. Though these writings were read in the
Churches from the time they first appeared, the earliest listings of
all the New Testament books exactly as we know them today, is found
in the 33rd Canon of a local council held at Carthage in 318, and in
a fragment of St. Athanasius of Alexandria's Festal Letter in 367.
Both sources list all of the books of the New Testament without
exception. A local council, probably held at Rome in 382, set forth a
complete list of the canonical books of both the Old and New
Testaments. The Scriptures are at the very heart of Orthodox worship
to render praise, glory, and thanksgiving to God: the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit. All humanity is called to worship God.
Worship is more than being in the "great-out-of-doors", or
listening to a sermon, or singing a hymn. God can be known in His
creation, but that doesn't constitute worship. And as helpful as
sermons may be, they can never offer a proper substitute for worship.
Most prominent in Orthodox worship is the corporate praise,
thanksgiving, and glory given to God by the Church. This worship is
consummated in intimate communion with God at His Holy Table.
As is said in the Liturgy, "To Thee is due
all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to
the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen." In
that worship we touch and experience His eternal kingdom, the age to
come, and we join in adoration with the heavenly hosts. We experience
the glory of fulfillment of all things in Christ, as truly all in all.
Means "thanksgiving" and early became a synonym for Holy
Communion. The Eucharist is the center of worship in the Orthodox
Church. Because Jesus said of the bread and wine at the Last Supper,
"This is my body", "This is my blood", and
"Do this in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22: 19,20), His
followers believe -- and do -- nothing less. In the Eucharist, we
partake mystically of Christ's Body and Blood, which impart His life
and strength to us. The celebration of the Eucharist was a regular
part of the Church's life from its beginning. Early Christians began
calling the Eucharist "the medicine of immortality" because
they recognized the great grace of God that was received in it.
a term used to describe the shape or form of the Church's corporate
worship of God. The word liturgy derives from a Greek word which
means "the common work". All the biblical references to
worship in heaven involve liturgy.
In the Old Testament, God ordered a liturgy, or
specific pattern of worship. We find it described in detail in the
books of Exodus and Leviticus. In the New Testament we find the
Church carrying over the worship of the Old Testament Israel as
expressed in both the synagogue and the temple, adjusting them in
keeping with their fulfillment in Christ. The Orthodox Liturgy, which
developed over many centuries, still maintains that ancient shape of
worship. The main elements in the Liturgy include hymns, the reading
and proclamation of the Gospel, prayers, and the Eucharist itself.
For Orthodox Christians, the expressions "The Liturgy" or
"Divine Liturgy" refer to the eucharistic rite instituted
by Christ Himself at the Last (Mystical) Supper.
COMMUNION OF SAINTS:
When Christians depart this life, they remain a vital part of the
Church, the body of Christ.They are alive in the Lord and
"registered in heaven" (Hebrews 12:23). They worship God
(Revelation 4:10) and inhabit His heavenly dwelling places (John
14:2). In the Eucharist we come "to the city of the living
God" and join in communion with the saints in our worship of God
(Hebrews 12:22). They are that "great cloud of witnesses"
which surrounds us, and we seek to imitate them in running "the
race set before us" (Hebrews 12:1). Rejecting or ignoring the
communion of saints is a denial of the fact that those who have died
in Christ are still part of his holy Church.
the open admission of known sins before God and man. It means
literally "to agree with" God concerning our sins. St.
James the Apostle admonishes us to confess our sins to God before the
elders, or priests, as they are called today (James 5:16). We are
also exhorted to confess our sins directly to God (I John 1:9). The
Orthodox Church has always followed the New Testament practices of
confession before a priest as well as private confession to the Lord.
Confession is one of the most significant means of repenting, and
receiving assurance that even our worst sins are truly forgiven. It
is also one of our most powerful aids to forsaking and overcoming
may become necessary to maintain purity and holiness in the Church
and to encourage repentance in those who have not responded to the
admonition of brothers and sisters in Christ, and of the Church, to
forsake their sins. Church discipline often centers around exclusion
from receiving communion (excommunication). The New Testament records
how St. Paul ordered the discipline of excommunication for an
unrepentant man involved in sexual relations with his father's wife
(I Corinthians 5:1-5). The Apostle John warned that we are not to
receive into our homes those who willfully reject the truth of Christ
(II John 9,10). Throughout her history, the Orthodox Church has
exercised discipline with compassion when it is needed, always to
help bring a needed change of heart and to aid God's people to live
pure and holy lives, never as a punishment.
called Theotokos, meaning "God-bearer" or "the Mother
of God", because she bore the Son of God in her womb and from
her He took His humanity. Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist,
recognized this reality when she called Mary, "the Mother of my
Lord" (Luke 1:43). Mary said of herself, "All generations
shall call me blessed" (Luke 1:48). So we, Orthodox, in our
generation, call her blessed. Mary lived a chaste and holy life, and
we honor her highly as the model of holiness, the first of the
redeemed, the Mother of the new humanity in her Son. It is
bewildering to Orthodox Christians that many professing Christians
who claim to believe the Bible never call Mary blessed nor honor her
who bore and raised God the Son in His human flesh.
PRAYER TO THE SAINTS:
Is encouraged by the Orthodox Church. Why? Because physical death is
not a defeat for a Christian. It is a glorious passage into heaven.
The Christian does not cease to be a part of the Church at death. God
forbid! Nor is he set aside, idle until the day of judgement.
The True Church:
Is composed of all who are in
Christ -- in heaven and on earth. It is not limited in membership to
those presently alive. Those in heaven with Christ are alive, in
communion with God, worshipping God, doing their part in the body of
Christ. They actively pray to God for all those in the Church -- and
perhaps, indeed, for the whole world (Ephesians 6:8; Revelation 8:3).
So we pray to the saints who have departed this life, seeking their
prayers, even as we ask Christian friends on earth to pray for us.
Has been a watershed issue since the second century, not as a mere
dogma, but as crucial to the preservation of the faith. Certain false
teachers came on the scene insisting they were authoritative
representatives of the Christian Church. Claiming authority from God
by appealing to special revelations, some were even inventing
lineages of teachers supposedly going back to Christ or the Apostles.
In response, the early Church insisted there was an authoritative
apostolic succession passed down from generation to generation. They
recorded that actual lineage, showing how its clergy were ordained by
those chosen by the successors of the Apostles chosen by Christ Himself.
Is an indispensable factor
in preserving Church unity. Those in the succession are accountable
to it, and are responsible to ensure all teaching and practice in the
Church is in keeping with Her apostolic foundations. Mere personal
conviction that one's teaching is correct can never be considered
adequate proof of accuracy. Today, critics of apostolic succession
are those who stand outside that historic succession and seek a
self-identity with the early Church only. The burgeoning number of
denominations in the world can be accounted for in large measure by a
rejection of apostolic succession.
COUNCILS OF THE CHURCH:
A monumental conflict (recorded in Acts 15) arose in the early Church
over legalism, the keeping of Jewish laws by the Christians, as means
of salvation. "So the apostles and elders came together [in
council] to consider the matter" (Acts 15:6). This council, held
in Jerusalem, set the pattern for the subsequent calling of councils
to settle problems. There have been hundreds of such councils --
local and regional -- over the centuries of the history of the
Church, and seven councils specifically designated
"Eucumenical", that is, considered to apply to the whole
Church. Aware that God has spoken through the Ecumenical Councils,
the Orthodox Church looks particularly to them for authoritative
teaching in regard to the faith and practice of the Church.
from the Latin credo, "I believe". From the earliest days
of the Church, creeds have been living confessions of what Christians
believe and not simply formal, academic, Church pronouncements. Such
confessions of faith appear as early as the New Testament, where, for
example, St. Paul quotes a creed to remind Timothy, "God...was
revealed in the flesh..." (I Timothy 3:16). The creeds were
approved by Church councils, usually to give a concise statement of
the truth in the face of the invasion of heresy.
The most important creed in Christendom is the Nicene
Creed, the product of two
Ecumenical Councils in the fourth century. Delineated in the midst of
a life-and-death controversy, it contains the essence of New
Testament teaching about the Holy Trinity, guarding that life-giving
truth against those who would change the very nature of God and
reduce Jesus Christ to a created being, rather than God in the flesh.
The creeds give us a sure interpretation of the Scriptures against
those who would distort them to support their own religious schemes.
Called the "symbol of faith" and confessed in many of the
services of the Church, the Nicene Creed constantly reminds the
Orthodox Christian of what he personally believes, keeping his faith
When the young Church was getting under way, God poured out His Holy
Spirit upon the Apostles and their followers, giving them spiritual
gifts to build up the Church and to serve each other. Among the
specific gifts of the Spirit mentioned in the New Testament are:
apostleship, prophecy, evangelism, pastoring, teaching, healing,
helps, administrations, knowledge, wisdom, tongues, interpretation of
tongues. These and other spiritual gifts are recognized in the
Orthodox Church. The need for them varies with the times. The gifts
of the Spirit are most in evidence in the liturgical and sacramental
life of the Church.
Amid the current speculation in some corners of Christendom
surrounding the Second Coming of Christ and how it may come to pass,
it is comforting to know that the beliefs of the Orthodox Church are
basic. Orthodox Christians confess with conviction that Jesus Christ
"will come again to judge the living and the dead", and
that His "kingdom will have no end". Orthodox preaching
does not attempt to predict God's prophetic schedule, but to
encourage Christian people to have their lives in order so that they
might be confident before Him when He comes (I John 2:28).
the place of God's throne, beyond time and space. It is the abode of
God's angels, as well as of the saints who have passed from this
life. We pray, "Our Father, who art in heaven..." Though
Christians live in this world, they belong to the kingdom of heaven,
and that kingdom is their true home. But heaven is not only for the
future. Neither is it some distant place billions of light years away
in a nebulous "great beyond". For the Orthodox, heaven is
part of Christian life and worship. The very architecture of an
Orthodox Church building is designed so that the building itself
participates in the reality of heaven. The Eucharist is heavenly
worship, heaven on earth. St. Paul teaches that we are raised up with
Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), "fellow citizens with
the saints and members of the household of God" (Ephesians
2:19). At the end of the age, a new heaven and a new earth will be
revealed (Revelation 21:1).
Unpopular as it is to modern people, is real. The Orthodox Church
understands hell as a place of eternal torment for those who
willfully reject the grace of God. Our Lord once said, "If your
hand makes you sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into
life maimed, than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that
never shall be quenched -- where their worm does not die, and the
fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:44-45). He challenged the
religious hypocrites with the question: "How can you escape the
condemnation of hell?" (Matthew 23:33). His answer is, "God
did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that
the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:17). There is a
day of judgement coming, and there is a place of punishment for those
who have hardened their hearts against God. It does make a difference
how we will live this life. Those who of their own free will reject
the grace and mercy of God must forever bear the consequences of that choice.
Orthodox Christians confess God as Creator of heaven and earth
(Genesis 1:1, the Nicene Creed). Creation did not just come into
existence by itself. God made it all. "By faith we understand
that the worlds were framed by the word of God..." (Hebrews
11:3). Orthodox Christians do not believe the Bible to be a science
textbook on creation, as some mistakenly maintain, but rather to be
God's revelation of Himself and His salvation. Also, we do not view
science textbooks, helpful though they may be, as God's revelation.
The may contain both known facts and speculative theory, but they are
not infallible. Orthodox Christians refuse to build an unnecessary
and artificial wall between science and the Christian faith. Rather,
they understand honest scientific investigation as a potential
encouragement to faith, for all truth is from God.
Orthodox Christianity and Some Contemporary
One has to welcome rejection of the age-old separation of Christians,
but only if this is done with the objective of disclosing the
treasures of Orthodoxy, to bring those who have fallen away from the
Church back to unity in Orthodoxy.
The attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church
Abroad toward ecumenism has always been of a sober, strictly Orthodox
character, in accordance with the teachings of the Holy Fathers. The
outlook of our Church was particularly well-defined in a statement
issued on December 31, 1931, when the Russian Church Abroad appointed
its representative to the Committee for the Continuation of the World
Conference on Faith and Order: "Preserving the Faith is the One,
Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, the Synod of Bishops confesses
that the Church has never been divided. The issue lies only in who
does and who does not belong to Her. Moreover, the Synod of Bishops
fervently welcomes all attempts by the heterodox to study the
teaching of Christ about the Church, in the hope that through such
investigation, especially with the participation of representatives
of the Holy Orthodox Church, they will eventually arrive at the
conviction that the Orthodox Church, which is the `pillar and the
ground of truth' (I Timothy 3:15), has fully and without any
adulteration retained the doctrine taught by Christ the Savior to His disciples."
The Ecumenical Movement takes as its guiding
principle the Protestant view of the Church. Protestants hold that
there is no single truth and no single visible Church, but that each
of the many Christian denominations possesses a particle of the
truth, and that these relative truths can, by means of dialogue, lead
to the One Truth and the One Church. One of the ways of attaining
this unity, as perceived by the ideologues of the Ecumenical
Movement, is the holding of joint prayers and religious services, so
that in time communion from a common chalice (intercommunion) may be achieved.
Orthodoxy can never accept such an
ecclesiology. It believes and bears witness that there is no need to
assemble particles of the truth, since the Orthodox Church is the
repository of the fullness of the Truth, which was given to Her on
the day of Holy Pentecost.
joint prayer and Communion at
the liturgy is an expression of an already existing unity within the
bounds of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. St. Irenaeus
of Lyons (2nd century) concisely expressed this: "Our Faith is
in accord with the Eucharist, and the Eucharist confirms our
Faith." The Holy Fathers of the Church teach that the members of
the Church comprise the Church -- the Body of Christ -- because in
the Eucharist they partake of the Body and the Blood of Christ.
Outside the Eucharist and Communion there is no Church. Communing
together would be an admission that all those receiving Communion
belong to the One Apostolic Church, whereas the realities of
Christian history even of our time unfortunately point out the deep
dogmatic and ecclesiastical division of the Christian world.
the termination of a pregnancy by taking the life of the baby before
it comes to full term. The Scriptures teach, "For You have
formed my inward parts; You have covered me in my mother's womb"
(Jeremiah 1:5). When a child is aborted, a human being is killed. For
the Christian, all children, born or unborn, are precious in God's
sight, and are a gift from Him. Even in the rare case in which a
choice must be made between the life of the child and the life of the
mother, decision-making must be based upon the recognition that the
lives of two human persons are at stake.
word "cult" has several meanings. The usage to which we
refer designates a group of people who focus on a religious doctrine
which deviates from the tradition of the historic Church as revealed
by Jesus Christ, established by His Apostles, and guarded by the
seven Ecumenical Councils of the Church. A cult usually forms around
an individual who proclaims a heresy as truth. The error itself
assures the separation of the group from historic Christianity. Many
cults claim the Bible as their basis, but they alter the historic
interpretation of Scripture to persist in their own idea. Cults may
do some things that are good (e.g. care for the poor, emphasize the
family) and thus at least appear, to casual observers, to be part of
true Christianity. St. Paul's counsel on cults is: "From such
withdraw yourself" (I Timothy 6:5). The danger of the cult is
that it removes those in it from the life of Christ and the Church,
where the blessings and grace of God are found. All cults die; the
Church lives on.
the Orthodox Church is forever. It is not reduced to an exchange of
vows or the establishment of a legal contract between the bride and
groom. On the contrary, it is God joining a man and a woman into
"one flesh" in a sense similar to the Church being joined
to Christ (Ephesians 5:31, 32). The success of marriage cannot depend
on mutual human promises, but on the promises and blessing of God. In
the Orthodox marriage rite, the bride and groom offer their lives to
Christ and to each other -- literally as crowned martyrs.
While extending love and mercy to divorcees, the Orthodox Church is
grieved by the tragedy and pain divorce causes. Though marriage is
understood as a sacrament, and thus accomplished by the grace of God,
and permanent, the Church does not deal with divorce legalistically,
but with compassion. After appropriate pastoral counsel, divorce may
be allowed when avenues for reconciliation have been exhausted. If
there is a remarriage, the service for a second marriage includes
prayers offering repentance for the earlier divorce, asking God's
forgiveness, and protection for the new union.
Orthodox Christian faith holds to the biblical teaching that sexual
intercourse is reserved for marriage. Sex is a gift of God to be
fully enjoyed and experiences only within marriage. The marriage bed
is to be kept "pure and undefiled" (Hebrew 13:4), and men
and women are called to remain celibate outside of marriage. Our
sexuality, like many other things about us human beings, affects our
relationship with God, ourselves, and others. It may be employed as a
means of glorifying God and fulfilling His image in us, or it may be
perverted and abused as an instrument of sin, causing great damage to
us and others. St. Paul writes, "Do you know that your body is
the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God,
and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore
glorify God in your body..." (I Corinthians 6:19, 20).
there is much more open discussion about homosexuality in the
twentieth century than in previous times, there is sufficient
reference to it in ancient writings. The frequently used synonym,
sodomy, comes from the apparent homosexual activity among men of
Sodom (Genesis 19), and the severity of strictures set forth in the
Holiness Code with nothing short of the death penalty being imposed,
suggested that the need for discipline must have been great,
(Leviticus 18:22; 20:13). The Old Testament understood normal sexual
intercource as not only a way of expressing a loving relationship,
but also as a divinely appointed way of creating new life.
In the New testament, St. Paul condemns male
prostitutes and homosexuals (I Corinthians 6:9-11). In the first
chapter of his epistle to the Romans (Romans 1:24-32), he also judges
it as unnatural . Homosexuals are included elsewhere among the
immoral persons who, St. Paul says, deserve judgement by God (I
Timothy 1:10). There is no example in all of the New Testament of
approval, acceptance, or even tolerance of homosexuality.
Throughout Christian history, this disapproval
has continued to be the case. In the patristic era freedom from
homosexuality was seen as a mark of the Christian's ethical
superiority to the wanton way of life that converts had left.
Patristic thinking, like scriptural references, were directed to the
practice of homosexuality, not to the desire itself. The Orthodox
Church does not condemn the person who keeps this propensity in
check, and ministers to homosexuals who wish to find release from
A Final Note
These, briefly, are some of the characteristics
of the Orthodox Church. The Church is One, since our Lord Jesus
Christ founded only one Church. It is Holy through its sanctification
by its Founder and Head, Jesus Christ, and through the operation of
the Holy Spirit. It is Catholic, since it is universal, and knows no
limitations of place or time. It is Apostolic since it was founded by
the Holy Apostles and has maintained unbroken the apostolic
succession through the Laying-on of Hands. This is the Orthodox
Church -- the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
For those desiring to learn more about the Holy
Orthodox Church we recommend the following literature: 1. The
Orthodox Church by Timothy Ware. A
clear, detailed introduction to the Orthodox Church, written for the
non-Orthodox, as well as for Orthodox believers. Part One decribes
the history of the Eastern Church over the last 2,000 years and
particularly its life in 20th century Russia. Part Two explains the
beliefs and worship of the Orthodox today.
2. The Church
Is One by Alexei Khomiakov. An
excellent essay on the nature and faith of the Orthodox Church.
3. The Faith We Hold
by Archbishop Paul of Finland. This book was written "to
describe Orthodoxy from the inside to those outside." It deals
with the Orthodox faith in its most basic elements in three main
sections: doctrinal, liturgical, and spiritual, revealing with
remarkable simplicity and directness its message of salvation for all mankind.
4. How Does
Orthodoxy Differ from the Western Denominations?
by Metropolitan Anthony, founder of the Russian Orthodox Church
Abroad. Translated from the Russian, this brochure is an excellent
treatment of the spiritual and moral differences between East and
West caused by the divergent theologies which developed.
5. Orthodox Spirituality
by a monk of the Eastern Church. This classic covers the historical
development of Orthodox spirituality, its essentials, the Baptizing
Christ and Christ our Passover.
is the nation
whose God is the Lord. Psalm
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