An Introduction to Orthodox Doctrine - Pt 1 of 2 The Orthodox Church acknowledges the eternal trinity, one in essence (ousia), undivided, existing in three persons -- the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus exists as both God and man, eternally co-equal with the Father, yet eternally begotten. When he took on flesh, he became man in every way, taking on a human form, mind, spirit, will -- anything and everything that makes a man a man. He, existing as one person, is both of divine and human natures. The Spirit is co-eternal with the Son and Father, of one essence with the same. He proceeds from the Father only, not from both Father and Son. The Orthodox Church does not and never has used the Filioque in the Nicene Creed. This was added some time later in the West. When Jesus returns his kingdom will have no end. The Orthodox are amillennialist. The Orthodox Church claims to be the One True Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church founded by Christ and the apostles, having maintained the tradition of teaching handed down to them, faithfully preserving the gospel from the beginning by the power of the Holy Spirit, discerning between the spirits and fighting heresy wherever it appears -- be it the layman or the Patriarch of Constantinople. The gates of hell have not prevailed against her. The Orthodox believe in Holy Tradition, which is not man-made ideas and practices which are added to the Holy Scriptures, but are the dogmas and practices handed down by God to the apostles and maintained in the Orthodox Tradition to this very day. Tradition is not something added to Scripture as is often thought of in Roman Catholic or Protestant thought. In Orthodoxy, Tradition is integrated with Scripture. Scripture is a part of the Tradition. Tradition is the life of the Church empowered by the working of the Holy Spirit. It is both teaching and worship. Every denomination has a tradition through which they worship and through which they read and interpret Scripture. But the Orthodox claim they alone have the Tradition as handed down by the apostles, though many other traditions still have much truth in them. Jesus has united man to God through his incarnation, whereby he connected in his one person the human and divine natures. At his death, the Christ, having become of the same essence as all mankind, died the death that is the natural result of sin. But, because of his divinity, he could not stay dead. That Which Is cannot be overcome by That Which Is Not. So the Logos rose from the dead according to the Scriptures. Because he was fully man, mankind participated in his resurrection and ascension. But these are not completed without faith followed by works. Thus Jesus is truly the savior of all men, but especially of those who believe. At the last judgment, all mankind will be resurrected, not just Christians. This is part of the salvation that Jesus has wrought for all men. Jesus has already conquered death by his incarnation, life, death, and resurrection. He trampled down death by death. Yet, our salvation is not complete until we participate in it. For though our bodies will be raised from corruption, our souls will still be bound to sin if we so choose. Mankind has been made the slave of sin through the workings of the devil, specifically through the fear of death. Because all see death approaching, they seek to sinfully pursue pleasure while they still have breath. Faith that Jesus frees us from the corruption of death frees us from this fear. At the common resurrection, death will obviously no longer be a concern. But by then many will have become hardened by their sins, committed to them, rejecting the Master that bought them back from death by his death. But for those who are willing in this life, those who cooperate with God can mortify sin and progress in Sanctification toward likeness with God. Sin is not part of human nature. It is not of the same essence (ousia) as mankind. Sin is a disease infecting the body and soul. Sin is not a thing that exists, not something with an essence of its own, but a twisting and deforming of that which does exist. Sin is the absence of God, and the choice to separate yourself from him. Because sin is not part of our nature, it can be killed in this life. When you are fighting sin, you are not fighting yourself, though imagery of denying yourself is very helpful at times. You are fighting sin, your mortal enemy. When you kill sin, you do not lose part of who you are. In fact, the opposite happens: you become what you were made to be -- the image of God. God is sovereign over all things. Yet he does not manipulate all things. Creation is not summed up in the Monad of the Existence which is God, but a thing separate from and yet wholly depended on the I AM for it to be. Mankind is the pinnacle of creation. Man is made in the image of God, the imago dei. This is profound, and should be dwelt on by all. Part of this image in man is mans free will. God has free will, and desired to create creatures who could learn to love him and each other of their own volition and will. Naturally, God can do anything he wants. But he chooses to do some things and not others. Because God chose to make man in his image, and because free will is part of this image, God never infringes upon our free will. He never forcibly changes the desires of a man. To do such a thing would be for God to deny his purpose in creation. It would be God denying himself. It would be the God that is immutable changing his mind. God did not create man perfect. Mankind had the potential to become perfect, but was not perfect from the beginning. God made man very good, leaving Adam and Eve the choice to follow God, by which in time they would be made perfect. Because it was Gods intention to make man perfect, it was his plan from the beginning to incarnate the eternal Logos into human flesh. Jesus would have become man regardless of whether or not man sinned. By becoming flesh, God would unite himself to man. Our salvation is not meant to stop at the destruction of sin. God is not just good; he is infinitely good. And we should seek to imitate him in all things. Thus, the end of our faith is Theosis: the eternal process of becoming like him more and more, the unceasing creation of being made more and more into the image of God. As Clement of Alexandria said God became man that man might become God. But, as St. Symeon the New Theologian says, we become gods by grace and not by nature. We do not become one with Gods ousia, but we do become one with Gods energies. We are not assumed into some central person hood where our individual identities cease to exist, but we are united to God in every way possible while maintaining our human nature and individuality. Its kind of like getting married: you become one flesh, but youre still two people. You dont lose your individuality, but you still become one. Therefore our entire lives should be spent in constant communion with God through prayer, through repentance, through the life of the Church in the Sacraments and liturgy, and through fellowship with believers, that we might become one even as he is one, and together unite ourselves to God.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 18:04:09 +0000
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