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
to heaven.
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 representation 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).
Internal
Arrangement
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
Iconostasis
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 Theotokos.
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
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 many others.
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).
JESUS CHRIST
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 no end."
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.
INCARNATION
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.
SIN
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).
SALVATION
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 Second Coming.
BAPTISM is
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.
NEW BIRTH
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.
JUSTIFICATION
is 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.
SANCTIFICATION
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.
THE BIBLE
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 and devotion.
WORSHIP is
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.
EUCHARIST
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.
LITURGY is
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.
CONFESSION
is 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 those sins.
DISCIPLINE
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.
MARY is
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.
APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION
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.
Apostolic succession 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 "Ecumenical",
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.
CREED comes
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 on
track.
SPIRITUAL GIFTS:
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.
SECOND COMING:
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).
HEAVEN is
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).
HELL,
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 judgment 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.
CREATION:
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 Moral Questions
ECUMENISM:
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.
For the Orthodox, 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.
ABORTION is
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.
CULTS: The
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.
MARRIAGE in
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.
DIVORCE:
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.
PRE-MARITAL SEX:
The 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).
HOMOSEXUALITY:
Although 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 intercourse
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
judgment 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 this inclination.
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.
