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Servants’ Preparation Program CMP 102, Denominations

Explore the foundational beliefs and traditions of the Orthodox Church, delving into key aspects of faith, such as the Trinity, sin, salvation through Jesus Christ, and sacraments like Baptism and Communion.

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Servants’ Preparation Program CMP 102, Denominations

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  1. Servants’ Preparation Program CMP 102, Denominations

  2. The Orthodox Church “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32) Fr. Marcus Mansour St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church Phoenix, Arizona Servants Preparation 2005-2006

  3. Introduction • The Orthodox Church is the original form of the Church founded by the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, and was spread throughout the world by the apostles. • They founded centers at different places such as Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome. • Looking at the time chart of the previous lecture, one may conclude that every time there was a break in the church, it was because at least one group wanted to make a change in the faith.

  4. Introduction • At Chalcedon in 451 AD, the faith about the nature of Christ was being altered by the Chalcedonian group • In 1054 AD, Rome wanted to alter the Nicean Creed, and so on • Thus, we can confidently say that the Orthodox Church in general is the present-day church most adherent to the original faith • Having said this, we can also say that the Oriental Orthodox Church is even more adherent to the original faith

  5. The Orthodox Church:Faith • The faith of the Orthodox Church has been covered in previous courses in this curriculum such as Dogma 101 and 102 • Here, we will highlight the important points which will set the tone as we compare with other denominations

  6. The Orthodox Church:Faith God: • The Creator of this universe is one God consisting of three Persons (Trinity): Father, Son and Holy Spirit • While each Person is distinct from the others, the three are of the same nature, equal, without beginning or end and inseparable • The concept of Trinity does not mean multiple gods, for the three are united in one. • However, they are important to demonstrate God’s eternal characteristics such as love, justice, mercy, etc. (review CMP 101)

  7. The Orthodox Church:Faith Sin: • Simply, sin is disobedience to God’s commandments, which, in turn, separates us from His sight (light) • Therefore, sin causes man to live in darkness (death). “The wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23)

  8. The Orthodox Church:Faith Angels: • They are God’s spiritual creatures created to serve God according to His commandments • When some angels disobeyed God under the leadership of angel Lucifer, they became darkness, and there is no chance for them to be saved • This is because those angels who fell (called devils), fell with their free will.

  9. The Orthodox Church:Faith Man: • God created Adam and Eve to care for the garden • Through the envy of the devil, Adam and Eve were persuaded to disobey God (committing sin) • The result is that man became mortal physically (death of the flesh) and spiritually (eternal fire)

  10. The Orthodox Church:Faith Jesus Christ and Salvation: • Although humans enjoy their free will, they were corrupted through the envy of the devil, and not on their own • Humanity deserved a second chance for the mercy and justice of God to be perfectly manifested • The Son (being infinite) would take the form of man (Jesus Christ) and without disobeying the Father (sinless) accept death in order to save Adam and his descendents from the result of sin • Thus, man can be saved only through the acceptance of Jesus Christ as being his personal Savior and living by His teachings

  11. The Orthodox Church:Faith The Teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ: • The role of the Lord Jesus Christ was not only to save humanity from the bondage of death, but also to restore humanity back to its original image • This was done through the foundation of the Church • The Lord gave the Church the keys of the restoration through the sacraments:

  12. The Orthodox Church:Faith The Teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ: • Baptism: to be born again through water and spirit is to accept death and resurrection with the Lord. This action grants the person forgiveness of previous sins and makes him a new creation • Confirmation: is sealing the body against the envy of the devil and granting him the gift of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit

  13. The Orthodox Church:Faith The Teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ: • Communion: is to spiritually live on the Body and the Blood of the Lord (the True Manna) • Repentance and Confession: is to cleanse the believer from the sins which became a stranger to the renewed person

  14. The Orthodox Church:Faith The Teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ: • Priesthood: is known as the priesthood of the New Testament which is necessary for the administration of the sacraments and offering incense to God • Holy Matrimony: in which the Holy Spirit unites man and his bride into one flesh • Unction of the Sick: through this sacrament a sick person may be healed from his sickness based on his faith and the anointing by the priests

  15. The Orthodox Church:Traditions • In addition to the sacraments, man should live by the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ as noted in the Scriptures, the Holy Tradition, the writings of the early Church Fathers, and the teachings of the ecumenical councils • These teachings are based on the love of God and the love of others as oneself, including the enemies • Practicing such teachings will include fasting, praying and works of charity

  16. The Orthodox Church:Councils • As the church was accepted by more people everywhere, strange ideas and teachings appeared from time to time in different regions on the earth • The Fathers of the Church would gather in the form of an ecumenical council, where the strange teaching was investigated and through the guidance of the Holy Spirit they would arrive at an understanding which is acceptable by all churches. • Those who insist on objecting to the body of Christ (the Church as a whole) would be excommunicated from the body until they return to the true faith

  17. The Orthodox Church:Councils • Throughout the history of the Church, only three such councils took place before any division in the body of Christ occurred: • The Council of Nicea, 325 A.D.: • A strange teaching came from a priest in Alexandria by the name of Arius • In simple words, Arius was teaching that “There was a time when the Son of God was not, and He was not before He was produced, and He was produced from things that are not, and He is of another substance or essence, or created, or subject to conversion or mutation.”

  18. The Orthodox Church:Councils • The Universal Apostolic Church at the council of Nicea concluded: • Whoever accepts the teaching of Arius, let him be “anathema” • In order to preserve the divinity of the Lord Christ, the council accepted a statement of faith, which is today the parts of the Creed related to God the Father and God the Son • In the Creed, we say, “Light of Light, true God of true God”

  19. The Orthodox Church:Councils The Council of Constantinople, 381 AD: • Macedonius, bishop of Constantinople, announced his denial of the divinity of the Holy Spirit • One hundred and fifty bishops gathered at the city of Constantinople in 381 AD and condemned Macedonius for his view • They added the last part of the Creed “Yes, we believe in the Holy Spirit …” to ensure that the Holy Spirit is God who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified • Other topics were also discussed such as the heresy of Apollinarius

  20. The Orthodox Church:Councils The Council of Ephesus, 431 A.D.: • In this council, the unity of Christ was discussed and defended against the heresy of Nestorious who preached that Christ had two separate natures • Therefore, Mary did not give birth to God, but the man Jesus Christ • Pope Cyril, the pillar of faith and the 24th Pope of Alexandria, defended the true faith with 200 bishops representing the body of Christ at the time • The title “Theotokos” was affirmed for St. Mary as being the Mother of God and the Introduction to the Creed “We exalt the mother of the true light” was a result of this council

  21. The Orthodox Church:Holy • The Orthodox Church is Holy, Catholic (universal) and apostolic Church • Holy: because it is guided by the Holy Spirit, but the history is not necessarily holy • People are subject to sins, but when the Church as a whole functions in a universal and apostolic way, the Holy Spirit protects the Church from deviation • The Holy Spirit guides, teaches and reminds us of the true faith (John 14:26) • This is a very important point as we discuss church denominations

  22. The Orthodox Church:Catholic Catholic (Universal): • The Church is catholic because it is one Church. It must include all believers. So, the Church cannot be only for the Copts, the Greeks or any other nationality • The Church may express its love to God through the Greek, Coptic, Russian, … cultures. However, no matter what culture a church branch is using, the faith is one, the baptism is one, and the Lord is one (Eph 4:5).

  23. The Orthodox Church:Apostolic Apostolic: • The Lord Jesus Christ gave authority to His disciples to bind, to loose, to forgive • In turn, they went all over the known world and started branches of the Church everywhere. The apostles transferred the authority to new appointed people (the priesthood) provided that they do not deviate from the faith which was once given to the saints (Jude 3) • This apostolic principle is vital for a church to carry the true faith

  24. The Orthodox Church:Apostolic Apostolic: • When the Lord Jesus called the apostle Paul to the service, and Paul was not one of the twelve, the Lord affirmed the apostolic foundation by asking Paul to go to Ananias (being one who received authority through the apostles) in order to accept Paul in the apostleship • Paul himself said that he received the right hand of fellowship from Peter, James, and John (Gal 2:9)

  25. The Orthodox Church:Conclusion • The Orthodox Church is the original form of the Church founded by the Lord Jesus Christ, and its roots go back to the apostles • In studying any church denomination, we must examine the source of its authority

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