WHAT IS THE EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH?
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The Orthodox Church began with Christ and His Apostles at the very beginning of the
Christian Era. There was no time in this Era when the Orthodox Church did not exist, and
there has been no interruption of the life of the Orthodox Church up to today. Throughout
the centuries the same teachings, the same principles, the same Head have remained. In its
monuments is recorded the original and first birthday celebrated by the Apostles
themselves. The Orthodox Church did not originate with John Chrysostom, or Basil the
Great, or Gregory the theologian, or any such personality of the Church, but with Christ
himself and His Apostles. It is in fact an Apostolic church, and its age is the same as
that of Christianity itself.
ARE THE NATIONAL OR LOCAL ORTHODOX CHURCHES UNITED?
The Eastern Orthodox Church consists of many autonomous Churches, that is, self
governing Churches, according to canon law which is common to all of them. These Churches
are fully in communion with one another. Their rites, literature, ecclesiastical calendar,
customs, and more important, their canons, creed and dogmas are entirely the same -- for
they have all been translated from the original Greek.
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE WORD "ORTHODOX" AS APPLIED TO THE EASTERN
ORTHODOX CHURCH?
The word "orthodox" is derived from two Greek works: "orthos",
right to true, and "doxa", opinion. It means "sound in opinion or doctrine,
especially in religious doctrines; hence, specifically, holding the Christian faith as
formulated in the great church creeds and confessions". The Orthodox Church bears
full meaning of the connotations of the "One Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic
Church". It is not only "One," not only "Holy" or
"Catholic", or Apostolic"; it is all of them, that is: it is
"Orthodox". "Orthodox", again, does not mean conservative, nor its
antonym, radical, nor heterodox (other opinion) -- that is, opinion different than the
orthodox. The term "orthodox" was used in olden times to define the faith of
the Church against the heresies which arose for a while denying mainly the truth of the
Holy Trinity, which the "heterodox" holds, and thus the
term "Orthodox"
became the chief title of the Church. Specifically, the Church is "ONE", for
Christ is One, its Founder and Head, who preserves it and keeps it united. The Church is
"Holy" because it is the sacred Institution for the sanctification of its
faithful by the Holy Spirit. It is also "Catholic", which is a historical
expression implying not only that its truth is unique everywhere and always, but also
that it teaches the absolute Truth, and it is only efficient one which unites the
universe of man "so there shall be one flock, one Shepherd" (John 10, 16).
Finally, the Church is "Apostolic" because its teaching and its active
mission have been handed down by the Apostles in a continuous and unique succession
to the leaders and members of the Church.
WHAT IS THE ECUMENICAL CREED?
It is a written statement which was formulated in the First (325 A.D. in the City of
Nicaea) and Second (381 A.D.) Ecumenical Synods as the shortest and the most accurate
summary of the Divine Truths. The Orthodox Christian must accept and believe in the
Truths for his salvation. The Nicene Creed is considered as the Constitution of the
Eastern Orthodox Church, and is called Ecumenical as having been issued by the
undivided entire Church, and is, even today, adopted mainly by all Christian
Churches'.
Besides the Nicene Creed, there are two other Ecumenical Symbols, the Apostles',
shorter than the Nicene, and the Athanasian, a lengthier one. All three were written
originally in Greek. A much shorter Creed is the liturgical one: "Let us love one
another that we may with one mind confess, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Trinity one in
essence and undivided', which introduces love as the basis of the right faith.
WHAT IS THE CONTENT OF THE NICENE CREED?
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and earth, and of all things
visible and invisible.
And 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 became man.
And He was crucified 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.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father; who
with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the
Prophets.
In one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins.
I look for the resurrection of the dead.
And the life of the world to come. Amen
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST IN THE EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH?
His resurrection the third day is for the Eastern Orthodox Church the highest event of
the life of the Lord. His death was a real one and a historical event. He was crucified,
suffered and buried and the third He rose again. Easter for the Eastern Church is every
Sunday. Its theme of readings and hymns every Sunday. Its theme of readings and hymns
every Sunday is "Christ is risen, indeed." The first Christians chose not
Friday, the day of Golgotha, but "the third day" for what they called "the
Lord's Day" , as a dedication to the Lord of the Church. In Greek the day is called
"Kyriake" which derives from Kyrios", Lord. In Russian the word for Sunday
is Voskreseniye which literally means "Resurrection". The Church celebrates the
divine event of the Resurrection of our Lord as the first in rank of the other three, and
as the very basic one for the salvation of man. Jesus Christ presents Himself thus:
"I am the Resurrection and the life", and we believe that " we shall
certainly be united with Him in the likeness of His Resurrection". Paul proclaimed
that the preaching of the Church and our faith would be in vain if Christ had not risen
from the dead. (1 Cor. 15,14). The Orthodox faithful, finally, greet each other throughout
the Easter Week saying Christ Is Risen, Christos Aneste, Hristos Voskrese, Chistos a
laviat.
The calculation of Easter was determined by the first Ecumenical Synod, convened at
Nicaea in 325 A.D., which "decreed that Easter is to be celebrated on the Sunday
following the first full moon occurring after the vernal equinox (March 21) but always
after the Hebrew Passover,"
WHAT IS THE EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH CEREMONY OF HOLY EUCHARIST?
The Holy Eucharist (Last Supper) is the only ceremony in which the elements themselves,
bread and wine (with water), are believed to be changed into the Body and Blood of Christ.
In the phrase "This is my body . . . This is my Blood" (Mark 14,22 ff) the word
IS implies what is means in fact (that: it is) and not any other conjecture; and without
any other theory as to how the elements are changed, but merely the belief that this is
His Body and His Blood. Both elements are given to the faithful from the sacred Cup.
Spiritual preparation is highly urged of the receiver so as to "prove himself",
otherwise he "eateth . . . damnation unto himself" (Cor. 11,29). For this reason
the Mysterion of Penance is of vital importance for the one who feels the need of
confession. The Eucharist, as a ceremony, is related in the Bible and especially in 1 Cor.
11,23-33, where the Apostle Paul stated the actual function of the Eucharistic Ceremony
and the very meaning of the changed elements of bread and wine, mentioning also the use of
water.
From: What is the Orthodox Church? by Rev George Mastrantonis
Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
- How would you compare the Orthodox Church to other Christian confessions?
The Orthodox Church is an Eastern Church in the sense that, at least humanly speaking,
it is the product of Middle Eastern, Hellenic, and Slavic history and culture. In a
word, the Orthodox Church has a historical and spiritual development worked out in
almost total isolation from Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.
The formal break between the Christian East and West cannot be easily pinpointed.
It may be put formally in the llth or 12th centuries. However, from as early as the
4th century the Christians of the East were already living with very little contact
with the Christians of the West.
- Would you say that the Orthodox Church is closer to Roman Catholicism than
to Protestantism?
It is hard to answer that question easily without giving the wrong impression. The
Protestant confessions came out of Roman Catholicism after this body had already
separated from the Eastern Orthodox Church. Thus, it is probably true to say that
the Roman Catholic and Reformed Protestant traditions are much closer to each
other - historically, spiritually, theologically, culturally, and
psychologically - than the Orthodox Church is to either.
The many events and changes in the various religious bodies in recent days, not
excluding the Orthodox Church, makes this question still more difficult to answer.
Thus, although we might say the Orthodoxy is closer to the so-called "high" churches
of the West, such as the Roman and Anglican, it might be much safer and more correct
to approach Orthodoxy solely on its own ground, without too much comparison to others!
- What are some examples that mark Orthodoxy theology as being authentic
and unique?
At the First and Second Ecumenical Councils, held in 325 A.D. in Nicaea and in 381
respectively, the NICENE CREED was formulated by all the Fathers attending these
councils. These Fathers represented the entire, undivided Christian Church of the
world. The Fathers who attended these Councils at which the Creed was formulated
had agreed that "NOT EVEN AN IOTA" should ever be changed in the wording of the
Creed, the "Symbol of Faith" of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
However, first the Roman Catholic Church and then the Protestant denominations
added the words implying that the Holy Spirit proceeds not only from the Father,
but also "FROM THE SON." In Latin this phrase reads "PATER FILIO QUE," thereby
becoming known as the 'Filioque" controversy. It also clearly represents an
innovation by the Western churches. Only the Orthodox Church maintains consistently
the original Nicene Creed. Scriptural support for the Orthodox dogmatic position
concerning this matter is the following from John 15:26 - "But when the Comforter
comes, the spirit of Truth, who proceeds from the Father, He shall bear witness
of Me.'
The MOTHER OF GOD enjoys a high respect among Orthodox faithful, but no worship is
offered to her, for that belongs to God alone. She is respected as the Mother of
God and that is clearly emphasized by her portrayal on icons: she is most often
depicted as the Mother holding the child Jesus Christ in her arms. In all the
Orthodox churches she is referred to by her title ,THEOTOKOS, "bearer of God."
Unlike the Western churches, the Orthodox are careful to guard her from being
either elevated higher or placing her lower than where God has placed her. We do
not accept the Catholic dogma of 1854 called the "Immaculate Conception," which
states she was exempted from original sin at birth. This would separate her from
the human race, placing her above the Church, not in it.
- How would you explain the basic teachings of the Orthodox Church?
We Orthodox believe that the life of the Church is life in communion with God Himself,
in the Truth and Love of Christ, by the Holy Spirit. We believe that Christ is the
Son of God. We believe that He reveals the truth about God and man. We believe that
we can know this truth by the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, that He gives to us.
The greatest truth shown to us by Christ is that God is Love, and that the only true
way of living is by following Jesus Christ, Who called Himself "the Way, the Truth,
and the Life." Christ gave the great commandment and the great example of perfect
love. Thus, the greatest truth is love. This is our conclusion. And life in this
truth which is love, is the life of faith, the life of the Orthodox Church.
Of course there are deviations and betrayals and sins all around. Clergy and laymen
alike are guilty. But the Church itself, despite the sins of its members, is still
the union with the Truth and Love of God given to men in Jesus Christ, made present
and accessible in the Holy Spirit, Who lives in those who believe.
Orthodox Christians believe that Jesus Christ is fully human, that He is a real man.
But we believe as well that Jesus is not a "mere man," but that He is the
eternal,
divine Son of God. By this we mean that from all eternity, before the creation of
everything that exists, God Himself existed without beginning, in a manner
incomprehensible to men, completely outside the bounds of time and space. In this
perfection of divine existence, God the Father always had with Himself His divine
Son and His Holy Spirit.
Both the Son and the Spirit are exactly what God the Father is - perfect, unchanging,
ever-existing, timeless, spaceless, beyond human comprehension, etc. In a word,
whatever can be said or understood about God the Father can be said and understood
about the Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
Thus there are Three who are divine, each being what the other is, and each being
in perfect union and unity with the other. These are the Father and the Son and the
holy Spirit - the Holy Trinity.
Orthodox Christians also believe that it is the eternally divine and perfect Son of
God who was born as a man from the Virgin Mary and lived on the earth as Jesus of
Nazareth, the Messiah (Christ) of Israel and the Savior of the world. Thus it is
the Orthodox Faith that Jesus is fully human and fully divine - the Son of God and
the Son of Man, one and the same Son.
As the unique divine-human person, Jesus saves the world by teaching the absolute
truth of God; by forgiving the evils of all men and the whole world, by suffering
and dying in innocence, voluntarily and unjustly on the cross in order to be with
all who suffer and die; by rising from the dead in a new and glorified form; by
taking our humanity to God in order to make it divine forever; and by sending the
Holy Spirit of God to men who believe so that they could teach and do the very
things which Jesus Himself both taught and did.
Perhaps the most succinct summary of our Apostolic beliefs is THE NICENE CREED
which is used at every Eucharistic service and, hopefully, by all believers in
their daily, private devotions. This is the Faith of the tree Church!
- Why does the Orthodox Church forbid CREMATION as the Lord can raise people
from bones and dust, as well as ashes?
In principle, this is theoretically correct. However, from the most ancient of times,
the Church has practiced burial of the dead and not CREMATION. It has done this
because it follows the Hebrew practice which honored the body with burial. The
example of Jesus in this, as in so many other areas of life, is crucial. As He was
buried, so are we. A Church burial is automatically denied to any cremated person
in the Orthodox Church according to Canon Law. The reason there is such a strong
Orthodox reaction to cremation in the historic geographic regions of our Faith, is
that during the period of the so-called "Enlightenment" in the 18th century, many
rationalists who denied the doctrine of the resurrection of the body, chose cremation
as a way of expressing their lack of faith. In response, the Churches, both the
Orthodox East and the Roman Catholic West, saw cremation as an attack on this most
important teaching of the Christian Church, and prohibited their members from
receiving a Church funeral if they were planning to have their bodies cremated.
The ruling still stands in the Orthodox Church, with certain extreme exceptions,
even though the Western Church has taken upon Herself the right to once again change
Church Canon Law unilaterally, independent of the Eastern patriarchates by condoning
the practice of cremation (as do most Protestant denominations). The veneration of
the bodies of the canonized saints demonstrates our repect for the body, made in the
image and likeness of God. As St. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:16, "Do you not know
that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"
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