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- INTRODUCTION TO THE ORTHODOX CHURCH SERIES
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- Session
3: Beliefs – B
-
-
- INTRODUCTION
- Review of “Beliefs – A”: Religious
Knowing; God, the Holy Trinity; Creation; Humanity; Sin;
the Incarnation; Jesus Christ, Savior and Redeemer.
-
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1. Salvation: a. From What?
–Punishment? Hell? Sin? The Law? Fear? Fear of
Death?
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b. For What? – Greek = “Swthriva”
– “Soh-tee-RHEE-ah” from “so-os”
= “whole.”
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Salvation as wholeness, fullness of human life, toward
the completion and
-
fulfillment of our human existence.
- c.
The Human Condition and God’s Grace: three
Christian approaches. (see sketch)
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Roman Catholic: Natural Human plus “Supernatural Grace”
and the Fall
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Protestant: Natural Human, loss of Grace = Total
Depravity.
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Orthodox: Image of God (human capabilities) plus
Likeness (potential for God-
-
Likeness) = Loss of potential and distortion of human
capabilities.
- d.
Salvation: Roman Catholic perspective =
restoration of “supernatural Grace”;
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Protestant perspective = Grace restores Human Nature
(automatic)
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Orthodox perspective = “Likeness” potential for
God-Likeness restored;
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“Image” Restoration enabled with
Synergy (cooperation) of both Divine and
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Human. God-Likeness = Divinization = “Theosis.”
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Human Perfection is “Growing Toward Theosis”
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2 Peter 1:3-7 "(Jesus Christ's) divine power has
granted to us all things that
- pertain
to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who
called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he
has granted to us his precious and very great promises,
that through these you may escape from the corruption
that is in the world because of passion, and
become partakers of the divine nature. For this very
reason make every effort to supplement your
faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,
and knowledge with self-control, and self-control
with steadfastness, and steadfastness with
godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection,
and brotherly affection with love."
-
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2. Church-Mission: Continuing the
Saving Work of Jesus Christ.
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a. Jesus Christ, Savior: Prophet
(Teacher); King (Healer, Guide and Director); High
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Priest (Sacrifice of Incarnation; Crucifixion;
Resurrection; Ascension).
- b.
Life of Salvation:. Participation in Saving Work
of Christ.
- c.
Baptism = Romans 6:3-6: “Do you not know that
all of us who have been baptized
- into
Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We
were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so
that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of
the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For
if we have been united with him in a death like his, we
shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection
like his. We know that our old self was crucified
with him so that the sinful flesh might be
destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin.”
- d.
Eucharist = John 6:50-56 "This is the bread
which comes down from heaven, that
- a man
may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which
came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread,
he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall
give for the life of the world is my flesh." The Jews
then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this
man give us his flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them,
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh
of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no
life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood
has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the
last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is
drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my
blood abides in me, and I in him.”
- e.
Proclaiming and Living the Gospel (the Good News of
Salvation) = Matthew
-
28:19-20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all that I have commanded you; and lo,
I am with you always, to the close of the age."
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- 3. Church-Make up:
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a.
The Church as the Body of Christ: An
Organism. Fr. Alexander Schmemann’s Story of the
manifestation of the Church.
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b.
The Church Triumphant and the Church
Militant. Christ, the Head of the Church =
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Colossians 1:18-23: "He is the head of the body, the
church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the
dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent. For in
him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and
through him to reconcile to himself all things,
whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the
blood of his cross. And you, who once were
estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has
now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in
order to present you holy and blameless and
irreproachable before him, provided that you
continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not
shifting from the hope of the gospel which you
heard, which has been preached to every creature under
heaven.”
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c. The Marks of the Church: One, Holy, Catholic and
Apostolic.
-
- 4. Organization:
- a. The Body
of Christ and its members: Christ, the Head and the
mutual dependence
- of the members
(Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31).
- b.
Clergy – Bishops; Priests (Presbyters); Deacons.
Work of the Clergy = Continue
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Teaching, Guiding, Sacramental (Death, Resurrection,
Life in God) work of Christ.
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Laity – Men, Women, Children. Rank of Layperson
through Sacrament of Baptism and Chrismation (Gift of
the Seal of the Holy Spirit). Work of Laity: Continue
Teaching, Guiding, Sacramental (Death, Resurrection,
Life in God) work Christ in their homes, work and
personal life.
-
c.
The Monastic Calling: Celibacy,
Poverty, Obedience in Prayer, Service and
- Brotherhood.
“Total Commitment Christianity” – A Special Calling.
The
- “Interiorized
Monasticism” of the Laity.
-
-
5. Christian Life: a. Faith, Worship,
Sacramental Life, Stewardship of Time, Talents &
Treasure.
- b.
“Agona” = Spiritual Struggle against temptation,
sin, evil and spiritual death.
- c.
“Askesis” = Spiritual Exercise to growth in
communion with God, obedience to
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His will, growth in the “Image and Likeness of God,”
i.e. “becoming more fully
-
who we are.”
-
d.
Colossians 3:1-10: "If then you have been
raised with Christ, seek the things that
- are
above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of
God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on
things that are on earth. For you have died, and
your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who
is our life appears, then you also will appear with him
in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in
you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire,
and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these
the wrath of God is coming. In these you once walked,
when you lived in them. But now put them all away:
anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your
mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have
put off the old nature with its practices and
have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in
knowledge after the image of its creator."
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- 6. Christian Death
and the End Times:
- a. Easter
Hymn: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling
upon Death, and to those
- in the
tombs, He gives life.”
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b. Colossians 2:13: “And you, who were
dead in trespasses. . .God made alive together
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with him.”
- c.
The Partial Judgment (A foretaste of our eternal
destiny). Prayers for the Dead
- (Trisagion
and Memorial With Kolyva Services). Prayer for the
Church on earth and in heaven. The Saints
intercede and model the Christian life for the Church
Militant. One Church here and there.
-
e.
The General Judgment: Creed: “And He
shall return to judge the living and the
- dead.
And His Kingdom shall have no end.” Endtime Speculations
not encouraged. When Christ returns is not for us to
know. We should be ready (in communion with God) every
day.
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-
Question and
Answer Time.
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