A. OUR  FALL-WINTER  2005-2006 SESSIONS

   The Gospel of John alternating with rotating topics.  Introducing Orthodoxy; Orthodox Saints; Church History; Our and Other Churches; Parables of Christ, Contemporary Ethical Issues, etc.

B. WHAT WE WILL DO TODAY

   Today, we will begin to talk about the beginnings of the Orthodox Church. We will explore briefly a bit of early history from the New Testament with the account of Pentecost, the work of the Apostles, the relationship of Holy Tradition and Scriptures, and look at a short early writing that gives us hints of how things were to develop, but also still challenges us after 20 centuries!

C. SEARCHING OUR ROOTS – WHO STARTED OUR CHURCH? WHEN DID OUR CHURCH START?

b. Christ and His Disciples The Historic Great Commission of Christ to His Disciples: From the Book of Acts.1

1) In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2) until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3) To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. 4) And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me . .  8) But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth."

 c. The Apostles As Organization: Replacing Judas Iscariot Acts of the Apostles 1

   12) Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away; 13) and when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14) All these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus

   15) In those days Peter stood up among the brethren (the company of persons was in all about a hundred and twenty), and said, 16) "Brethren, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David, concerning Judas who was guide to those who arrested Jesus.

17) For he was numbered among us, and was allotted his share in this ministry. . . .

   20) For it is written in the book of Psalms, `Let his habitation become desolate,

and let there be no one to live in it'; and `His office let another take.' 21) So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22) beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us -- one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection." 23) And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthi'as.

  24) And they prayed and said, "Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show which one of these two thou hast chosen  25) to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside, to go to his own place." 26) And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was enrolled with the eleven apostles.

 d. Pentecost The Book of Acts 2

   1) When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2) And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3) And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them.

4) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. . . .

  14) But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. . .

  36) Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." 37) Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?"

  38) And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

  41) So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. 42) And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

D. HOW THE CHURCH SPREAD AND WAS ORGANIZED

     a) Witness and Martyrdom – The wide-ranging work of St. Paul. Lay missionaries. The Example of

          Rome – evangelized by business travelers.

     b) Councils / Soborny - The Apostolic Council – Acts 15

   1) But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." 2) And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.

   3) So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, reporting the conversion of the Gentiles, and they gave great joy to all the brethren. 4) When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them.

  5) But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up, and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the law of Moses." 6)The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter.

  7) And after there had been much debate, Peter rose and said to them, "Brethren, you know that in the early days God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8) And God who knows the heart bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us; 9) and he made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their hearts by faith . . . .

  12) And all the assembly kept silence; and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13) After they finished speaking, James replied, "Brethren, listen to me. . . .

  22) Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren, 23) with the following letter: "The brethren, both the apostles and the elders, to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting.

24) Since we have heard that some persons from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, 25) it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26) men who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.

   27) We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28) For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29) that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from unchastity. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.". . .

  30) So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.

  Local, Regional and Ecumenical Councils

c. Bishops, Dioceses and Patriarchates.

   Bishops: “

1) Philippians 1:1 – “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons . . . .”

2) 1Timothy 3:1-2 – “The saying is sure: If any one aspires to the office of bishop, he desires a noble task. Now a bishop must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, dignified, hospitable, an apt teacher . . . .”

3) Titus 1:7 – “. . .  a bishop, as God's steward, must be blameless; he must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain. . . “

  How we got Dioceses, Archdioceses / Metropolis’ and Patriarchates.

E. A VERY EARLY PATRISTIC WRITING – “TEACHING (DIDACHE) OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES TO THE NATIONS” (80-110 A. D.)

    Selected Passages

 Chapter 1. The Two Ways and the First Commandment. There are two Ways, one of Life and one of Death, and there is a great difference between the two Ways. The way of life, then, is this: First, you shall love God who made you; second, love your neighbor as yourself, and do not do to another what you would not want done to you. . . .

Chapter 7. Concerning Baptism. And concerning baptism, baptize this way: Having first said all these things, baptize into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in living water. But if you have no living water, baptize into other water; and if you cannot do so in cold water, do so in warm. But if you have neither, pour out water three times upon the head into the name of Father and Son and Holy Spirit. But before the baptism let the baptizer fast, and the baptized, and whoever else can; but you shall order the baptized to fast one or two days before.

Chapter 8. Fasting and Prayer (the Lord's Prayer). But let not your fasts be with the hypocrites, for they fast on the second and fifth day of the week. Rather, fast on the fourth day and the Preparation (Friday). Do not pray like the hypocrites, but rather as the Lord commanded in His Gospel, like this:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily (needful) bread, and forgive us our debt as we also forgive our debtors. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (or, evil); for Thine is the power and the glory for ever. Pray this three times each day.

Chapter 9. The Eucharist. Now concerning the Eucharist, give thanks this way. First, concerning the cup:

We thank thee, our Father, for the holy vine of David Thy servant, which You made known to us through Jesus Thy Servant; to Thee be the glory for ever..

And concerning the broken bread:

We thank Thee, our Father, for the life and knowledge which You made known to us through Jesus Thy Servant; to Thee be the glory for ever. Even as this broken bread was scattered over the hills, and was gathered together and became one, so let Thy Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into Thy kingdom; for Thine is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ for ever..

But let no one eat or drink of your Eucharist, unless they have been baptized into the name of the Lord; for concerning this also the Lord has said, "Give not that which is holy to the dogs."

Chapter 10. Prayer after Communion. But after you are filled, give thanks this way:

We thank Thee, holy Father, for Thy holy name which You didst cause to tabernacle in our hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and immortality, which You made known to us through Jesus Thy Servant; to Thee be the glory for ever. Thou, Master almighty, didst create all things for Thy name's sake; You gave food and drink to men for enjoyment, that they might give thanks to Thee; but to us You did freely give spiritual food and drink and life eternal through Thy Servant. Before all things we thank Thee that You are mighty; to Thee be the glory for ever. Remember, Lord, Thy Church, to deliver it from all evil and to make it perfect in Thy love, and gather it from the four winds, sanctified for Thy kingdom which Thou have prepared for it; for Thine is the power and the glory for ever. Let grace come, and let this world pass away. Hosanna to the God (Son) of David! If any one is holy, let him come; if any one is not so, let him repent. Maranatha (=  “Lord Come!” or “The Lord has come!”).

 

F. THE MESSAGE – CONTINUITY OF FAITH AND PRACTICE

 

CONCLUDING PRAYERS FROM THE SMALL COMPLINE:

    From the Old Testament (1 Chronicles 16:23-24)

“Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Tell of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples.”

Home
Ecumenical Patriarchate + Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America + Diocese of Atlanta