Recently
a person asked me “What is the Orthodox faith.” To many it is a faith completely
foreign to many and apart from their own faith basis yet unknown to them it is at
the very heart and foundation of the
Christian belief. From the creation of the Church in 33 AD at Jerusalem it has
continued with a faithful apostolic succession of priest and laity.
So with out further ado allow me to introduce you to the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Orthodox Church.
So with out further ado allow me to introduce you to the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Orthodox Church.
What is the Orthodox
Church?
The Orthodox Church as we see it today is a
federation of fifteen self-governing churches which share a common faith, a
common liturgical and sacramental tradition, and a common history beginning at
Jerusalem in approximately 33 A.D. In the Old Testament we find the Prophets
who foretold the coming of Christ. From the Gospels, and the New Testament in
general, we learn about our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ. We also find
the establishment of Sacraments, liturgical worship, and patterns of
administrative authority (bishops, priests, deacons) taking shape in the early
Church. The Apostles, the twelve original disciples of Christ, undertook
numerous missionary journeys traveling from city to city in the ancient
Greco-Roman empire and established Christian communities—many of which survive
to this day. Despite persecution, Christianity spread quickly throughout the
Middle East, Asia Minor, North Africa, Europe, and India. The spreading of the
Church led to the establishment of administrative centers around the five major
metropolitan cities of Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Rome, and
Constantinople.
The
First Thousand Years...
The first thousand years of
Christianity witnessed to a common faith throughout the Christian world both
East and West. There were doctrinal disputes: Arians, Nestorians, Monophysites
and others introduced erroneous theologies during the fourth and fifth
centuries; the “Iconoclasts” movement attacked the use of icons during the
eighth. Such disputes were settled as bishops and Christian representatives
throughout the entire world gathered together in council. The decisions of
seven of these councils were universally accepted by the faithful and became
known distinctively as Ecumenical. Guided by the Holy Spirit, attested to by
centuries of countless followers of Christ, the Ecumenical Councils articulate
the faith of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church that continues
unchanged in Orthodoxy worldwide to this day.
The
Great Schism
The break in communion between the
East and West, known as the Great Schism, came in the year 1054. In the West,
Rome, unilaterally began altering some of the ancient doctrines such as adding
unauthorized changes to the Nicene Creed (“filioque”) as well as instituting
new ones such as papal infallibility, immaculate conception, etc. In the 16th
century following the lead of Martin Luther other Protestant Reformers made
further changes and deletions. All the while, the remaining four ancient
Patriarchates continued steadfast in the same fullness of faith handed down
from Christ Himself through His Holy Apostles. Through extensive missionary
efforts these four centers were later joined by the Russian and other
Patriarchates—constituting the fifteen autocephalous churches today united as
One Holy Catholic Apostolic Orthodox Church spread throughout the world.