Father Nektarios Serfes - Orthodox Spirituality |
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When Was The Orthodox Church Founded? Written by Very Rev. Archimandrite Nektarios Serfes Boise, Idaho U.S.A. October 2003
"If salvation is by grace, someone will say, "Why is that we are all saved?"
Because you did not will it. For grace, even though it be grace,
saves (only) the willing, not those who are not willing, not those are
not willing and turn away from it and constantly fight against it
and oppose themselves to it."St. John Chrysostom (+407)
Can you tell me when and was the Orthodox Church founded?
Was the Roman Catholic Church a part of the Orthodox Church?
Can you tell me what other matters separate the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church besides the issue of the Primacy of the Pope?
Can you tell me when did some of the other religions develop?
Within the last 100 years or so, hundreds of other religions were started in the Protestant tradition: Church of the Nazarene, Pentecostal Church, Holiness Church, Assemblies of God, and many Bible and Evangelical and on-denominational Churches, as well as the Jehovah's Witnesses. All of the above Churches contain an element of the truth preserved by the "One Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church," but only the Orthodox Church has preserved and perpetuated the entire Christian Faith of the Ancient Church, based on the Sacred Scriptures and Sacred Tradition and the First Seven Ecumenical Councils. I would like to learn more about the teachings of the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Another matter is to learn about the lives of the saints, and holy martyrs of the Orthodox Church which would only gives us more information has to how these same martyrs and saints of the Church experienced their faith so that we too would follow their examples. Then again learn as much as possible about the lives of the Holy Fathers and their teachings. Above all we should begin to learn about prayer and how we can develop a better prayer rule in our lives and that is so that we would have union with our Lord God in prayer. The Orthodox Church is a Church of Liturgical prayer. Prayer is essential not only in the Church but also in the home, and at any other time. Then again we should read Holy Scripture, but at the same time to learn what the Holy Fathers of the Church have written about Holy and Sacred Scripture. Another matter is of course is to learn about teachings the Seven Sacraments of the Orthodox Church. Then again to learn about fasting in the Orthodox Church since the faithful continue to fast on both Wednesday and Friday, as well as other fasting periods such as 40 days during the Nativity Fast, the Great Lenten which leads up to the celebration of the Glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and this is a period of 40 days of fasting, then we have the fast for the Dormition of the Mother of God, which last for 15 days, and finally the Apostles Fast which sometimes last for two weeks. On the Internet you can also learn more about the teachings of the Orthodox Church from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (http://www.goarch.org) You can also visit the following on the Internet to learn more about the Orthodox Church:
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Content written/compiled by Father Nektarios Serfes. (c) Father Nektarios Serfes |