Orthodox Church History

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History The Orthodox Church Begins Jesus Christ lived on earth for 33 years. On the third day of his death he arose from his tomb and met with his disciples for forty days straight. He…presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3)

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History The Orthodox Church Begins speaking of things pertaining to the kingdom of God. - SALVATION This is most likely the time during which the Apostles were taught about the CHURCH, without which there is no salvation.

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History The Orthodox Church Begins...All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them... teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you... (Matthew 28:18- 20) Christ gave the disciples the following powers: – Teach the truths of the Faith to all the Nations of the Earth – To perform the Sacraments – To govern the faithful

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History The Orthodox Church Begins Let a man so account of us, as the ministers of Christ, stewards of the mysteries of God. (1 Cor. 4:1) Christ gave the disciples the following powers: – Teach the truths of the Faith to all the Nations of the Earth – To perform the Sacraments – To govern the faithful

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History The Orthodox Church Begins … whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 18:18) Christ gave the disciples the following powers: – Teach the truths of the Faith to all the Nations of the Earth – To perform the Sacraments – To govern the faithful

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History The Orthodox Church Begins For forty days he met with his disciples, and practically none of what He spoke to them is explicitly present in the Bible. At the end of those forty days He told them: You shall receive power…and you shall be witnesses to Me...to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8,9) The Holy Spirit & The Great Commission

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History Five Original Church Communities As time progressed, Five communities Each overseen by a Patriarch (bishop who had administrative authority over other bishops)

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History Five Original Church Communities It was ONE CHURCH. No single person spoke for all of Christianity. If there was a dispute, Bishops from around the Christian world would gather together at an Ecumenical Council to debate and vote. Ecumenical = governing the whole body of Churches

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History Chalcedonian vs. Non-Chalcedonion Unified Church until 451 A.D. 325 – Nicea– Arian Heresy (Christ was created and not eternal) 381 – Constantinople – Established the Holy Spirit is God – Trinity 431 – Ephesus - (Christ the human and the Divine essence dwelt in him, so that St. Mary gave birth to a man, and God never suffered, just the human Christ; the word Theotokos was given instead of Christokos (Christ-Bearer)

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History Chalcedonian vs. Non-Chalcedonion Unified Church until 451 A.D. 451 – Council of Chalcedon - Miaphysite vs. Monophysite Eutyches, abbot of a large monastery in Constantinople Over-reaction to Nestorianism, saying that Christs divinity consumed his humanity: human nature of Christ was essentially obliterated by the Divine, "dissolved like a drop of honey in the sea", and therefore Christ only had the one (mono) nature, that of divinity.

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History Chalcedonian vs. Non-Chalcedonion Furthermore, it was Pope Dioscorus who, in defending his Orthodox Faith, gave his famous analogy: If a piece of iron, heated to white heat, be struck on an anvil, and although the iron and the heat form an indivisible whole, it is the iron which receives the blows and not the white heat. This unity of the iron and the white heat is symbolic of our Savior's Incarnation, whose Divinity never parted from His Humanity, not even for a moment, nor the twinkling of an eye. …

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History Chalcedonian vs. Non-Chalcedonion … Yet though His Divinity parted not from His Humanity, their union was without mixing or fusion, or change, like unto the union of the iron and white heat. This unity is defined a s the One Nature of God the Logos Incarnate" and is synonymous with Saint John's saying, "The Word became flesh. " As for me, I steadfastly uphold the Faith of the Orthodox Church, the one, holy, Universal and Apostolic Church. Neither Eutyches, nor any other person, can make me swerve from this holy Faith.

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History Chalcedonian vs. Non-Chalcedonion Unified Church until 451 A.D. 451 – Council of Chalcedon - Miaphysite vs. Monophysite The Council of Chalcedon determined that Miaphysism – one nature out of two – was the right belief. The Coptic Church believes the same thing. So why did we split?

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History Chalcedonian vs. Non-Chalcedonion

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History Great Schism

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History PROTESTANT MOVEMENT For about 1500 years, all Orthodox Churches virtually identical theologically However, the Catholic Church began to become internally corrupt. The clergy abused the church and their position. In 1517, a major PROTEST occurred, aimed at REFORMING the Catholic Church. This event is referred to as the PROTESTANT MOVEMENT or REFORMATION

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History PROTESTANT MOVEMENT The PROTESTANT MOVEMENT has led to over 2400 different Protestant Churches

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History PROTESTANT MOVEMENT The PROTESTANT MOVEMENT has led to over 2400 different Protestant Churches 2 TIMOTHY 4:1-5: I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History PROTESTANT MOVEMENT The PROTESTANT MOVEMENT has led to over 2400 different Protestant Churches

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History PROTESTANT MOVEMENT The PROTESTANT MOVEMENT has led to over 2400 different Protestant Churches

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History PROTESTANT MOVEMENT The PROTESTANT MOVEMENT has led to over 2400 different Protestant Churches

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History PROTESTANT MOVEMENT The PROTESTANT MOVEMENT has led to over 2400 different Protestant Churches Couldn't even find a picture of this guy

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History PROTESTANT MOVEMENT The PROTESTANT MOVEMENT has led to over 2400 different Protestant Churches Charles Wesley

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History PROTESTANT MOVEMENT The PROTESTANT MOVEMENT has led to over 2400 different Protestant Churches

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History One Holy Universal Orthodox Church

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History Apostolic Succession There is no salvation outside of The Church These Apostles ordained bishops, who ordained others, and that kept happening until the bishops we have today. Only those bishops that can trace their ordination to an Apostle have authority to administer the Church Sacraments from God to the People.

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History Apostolic Succession 61 A.D. 1. St. Mark 68 A.D. 2. Anianus 338A.D. 20. Athanasius Kyrollos VI Shenouda III 1992 Bishop Youssef

Orthodox Church History Orthodox Church History Apostolic Succession 61 A.D. 1. St. Mark

Although the Orthodox Churches are separated into two groups, for over 1600 years their beliefs and practices have been practically identical. The Oriental (including Coptic) and Eastern Orthodox Churches are currently in the process of reconciliation and reuniting, thereby officially reestablishing the one, ancient Great Church as was originally intended by Jesus Christ. ONE ORTHODOX CHURCH

FINALLY WE ARE DONE! YAY! WOOHOO! ANY QUESTIONS? Comments?