TEACHINGS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH

The Orthodox Church is the first Christian Church, founded by the Lord Jesus Christ. Her history can be traced in unbroken continuity back to the original Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. The Orthodox Church has continued in her undiminished and unaltered faith and practice. Today her apostolic doctrine, worship and structure remain intact. For the first 1000 years of Christian history there was ‘One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church’. The word Catholic means ‘Universal’ and all-encompassing Truth. In other words, the Church holds the same beliefs everywhere. The word Orthodox means ‘right belief’ and ‘right worship’ and was used to distinguish the true faith from heresies that arose in the early Church.

In 1054 a split occurred: the ‘Great Schism’ when the Roman church under the pope and bishop of Rome separated itself from the Orthodox Church with the ‘filioque’ addition to the Creed and other distortions of Holy Tradition and the faith of the Apostles. After the Great Schism various other changes in doctrine and practice were made on the part of the Roman church which further widened the gap between the two communities. The Protestant Reformation then scattered the faithful of the Roman church even more, dividing Christians into numerous other denominations.

Today the Orthodox Church is a single, unified body comprised of several autocephalous (i.e. self-governing) Churches (e.g., Serbian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, etc.). It is held together not by a universal head, but by the double bond of unity in the faith and communion in the sacraments. These autocephalous churches are in full agreement on all matters of doctrine, and between these exclusively is full sacramental communion.

THE 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 only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages.
Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not made, of one essence with the Father, through whom all things were made.
Who for us and for our salvation He came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became Man.
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and He suffered and was buried.
And on the third day He rose according to the Scriptures.
And He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will have no end.
And 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, who spoke by the prophets.
In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
I look for the resurrection of the dead; and the life of the age to come.
Amen.”