Catechetical Exposition on the Symbol of Faith #

What is the Creed?

The Creed is a brief yet precise exposition of the Christian faith, composed by the Holy Fathers. The first brief Creed was composed by the Holy Apostles themselves at their Council in Jerusalem in the year 50. Later, at the First Ecumenical (Nicene) Council in 325, which assembled to affirm the true teaching about Christ, the Son of God, in opposition to the heresy of Arius, a presbyter of Alexandria who held impious views about Christ, a new and more detailed Creed was composed and approved. Half a century later, it was completed by the Holy Fathers of the Second Ecumenical Council, held in Constantinople in 381, which confirmed the Orthodox teaching about the Holy Ghost in opposition to the false opinions of Macedonius, Patriarch of Constantinople. This Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed consists of twelve articles (sections).

How is the Creed read?

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all the visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten, who from the Father is begotten before all ages. Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, but not created, of one essence with the Father; by him all things came to be. For us men and for our salvation he came down from the heavens, and was made flesh of the Holy Ghost and of the Virgin Mary became man. Who was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered, and was buried. And rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. And ascended into the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father. And is coming again with glory to judge the living and the dead; of his kingdom there is no end.

And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, True and Life-giving, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son art worshipped and glorified, who spake the prophets. And in one holy, conciliar, and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism unto remission of sins. I await the resurrection for the dead. And of the life of the age to come. Amen.

What is confessed in each article of the Creed?

• The first article confesses our faith in the true God, especially God the Father, the first Person of the Most Holy Trinity, the Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

• The second article expresses our faith in the true Lord God Jesus Christ, the Son of God—the second Person of the Trinity. We believe that Christ was begotten, not made, by God the Father before all ages.

• The third article concerns Christ descending from heaven to earth for our salvation and becoming incarnate of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary.

• The fourth article concerns the crucifixion of Christ, His suffering, and His burial.

• The fifth article affirms that Christ rose from the dead on the third day, as foretold in the Old Testament and confirmed in the New Testament.

• The sixth article teaches that Christ ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father.

• The seventh article teaches that the glorious Second Coming of Christ and the Dread Judgment over the living and the dead shall come to pass, after which the unending Kingdom of God shall begin.

• The eighth article affirms our faith in the true Lord God—the Holy Ghost, the third Person of the Trinity, Who proceeds from the Father and is glorified with the Father and the Son.

• The ninth article speaks of our faith in the One, Conciliar, Apostolic, Old-Rite Church of Christ.

• The tenth article concerns Holy Baptism and, more broadly, all the Sacraments of the Church.

• The eleventh article is about the future resurrection of the dead.

• The twelfth article is about eternal life beyond the grave.

On the 1st Article: I believe in one God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all the visible and invisible. #

What does the first article of the Creed teach us?

It teaches that we must believe and confess that God is one in essence but triune in Persons (Hypostases): the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost—the Holy Trinity. God Himself revealed to us the great mystery of the Trinity in His Revelation: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19).

What does it mean to “believe in God”?

To believe in God means to have a living and firm assurance in His existence, attributes, and actions, to accept with all our heart His Revelation concerning the salvation of mankind, and to strive to fulfill His will.

Who is God?

The Lord says of Himself: “I am the first, and I am the last; and beside Me there is no God. And who is like Me?” (Isaiah 44:6). When man attempts to describe the essence of God with words, he makes the thought of God captive to language, for it is impossible to describe the Lord with our weak, impoverished, and pitiful words. It suffices to say that God is the Supreme Being, endowed with perfect reason, absolute perfection, and omnipotence, the Creator and Governor of the world. With the name of God are united all the pure and radiant hopes of humanity. God is an absolutely Free Person, Infinite Power, the First Cause of all things, Perfect Reason, and Boundless Love, as Scripture says: “God is love” (1 John 4:8). There is none equal to Him anywhere, neither on earth nor in heaven.

Can we know God?

We, as mortal humans, cannot fully comprehend God with our weak minds. By our own power we could learn nothing about Him unless He Himself had revealed Himself to us. All that we know about God has been revealed to us by Him through the holy prophets and the teachers of the Church.

What else do we know about God?

We must also know that God is One, but Triune in Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. These are not three gods, but one God in three Persons—the Holy and Undivided Trinity.

What do we know about the Trinity?

The mystery of the Holy Trinity is the greatest mystery in the world. It is beyond the grasp of human reason and cannot be explained rationally; it is an object of faith, a divine axiom that we must accept without dispute. We must simply acknowledge that the God in Whom Christians believe and to Whom they offer worship is One in essence and Triune in Persons (Hypostases). The word “Person” in Church Slavonic means “Individual” or “Personality.” Therefore, the Trinity of God in Persons must be understood as the unity of Three Divine Persons. All the Persons of the Trinity possess the same Divine dignity—there is neither greater nor lesser among Them. Just as God the Father has always existed, so have God the Son and God the Holy Ghost always existed together with Him. They differ only in the following: God the Father is neither begotten nor does He proceed from anyone; the Son of God is begotten of the Father; and the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father. This is a very important point and must be firmly understood.

Saint Gregory the Theologian writes the following about man’s inability to comprehend the mystery of the Trinity:

“I had not yet begun to think of the Unity when the Trinity shone forth upon me with Its glory. Scarcely had I begun to consider the Trinity, when the Unity again enveloped me. When One of the Three appears to me, I consider Him the whole, so full is my vision of Him, and the rest eludes me; for my mind, too limited to grasp even One, has no room left for the others. When I combine the Three in one thought, I see but one light, and cannot divide or examine the light that is united.”

What are the essential attributes of God? #

God is incomprehensible. Neither man nor angel knows what God is in essence—that is, what the divine substance is—for the Lord “dwelleth in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see” (1 Timothy 6:16). Not only God Himself, but even His works are beyond our comprehension:

“God thundereth marvellously with His voice… He doeth great things past finding out” (Job 37:5).
With our meager intellect, man cannot fathom the Lord. The holy Apostle Paul exclaims:
“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counsellor?” (Romans 11:33–34).
Saint Mark the Ascetic writes of God:
“God is wondrous in all things and entirely incomprehensible to the mind; but we, men, attempt to describe with words a portion of His wonders, relying on the Scriptures and being enlightened by them.”

God is bodiless and invisible. He Himself has revealed that He is a Spirit (John 4:24)—that is, He has neither body nor flesh, nor anything of the material kind that constitutes the visible world. Therefore, mankind cannot behold Him; yet at every hour, men behold the beautiful world, the work of His ineffable providence. The Lord Himself said to the holy prophet Moses:

“Thou canst not see My face: for there shall no man see Me, and live” (Exodus 33:20).
The Apostle John also testifies:
“No man hath seen God at any time” (John 1:18).

God is almighty, for nothing is impossible for Him. There is nothing He could not do. He willed to create the world and created it out of nothing by His word alone:

“For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm 32:9).
And so God can accomplish whatsoever He wills:
“Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He” (Psalm 134:6).

God is omnipresent. He Himself says:

“Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:23–24).
God is everywhere, at all times. There is no place in the world where He is not. None can hide from Him:
“Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me” (Psalm 138:7–10).

God is all-knowing. He alone knows all things—past, present, and future. At all times He sees and hears everything:

“From the place of His habitation He looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth” (Psalm 32:14).
He knows each one of us—not only what we do or say, but what we think and desire. Nothing is hidden from God, as the Apostle Paul says:
“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him” (Hebrews 4:13).

God is all-good. As He revealed about Himself:

“There is none good but one, that is, God” (Matthew 19:17).
God is always good and loves all of us more than any man can.
“The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works” (Psalm 144:8–9).
He gives us everything we need for life. All that we see in heaven and on earth, God created for the benefit and welfare of mankind. He is ever ready to give us every good thing and cares for us more than the most loving father for his children. He is equally merciful to the righteous and to sinners:
“For He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45).

God is eternal. He has neither beginning nor end, for He Himself is the beginning and end of all things, as He revealed about Himself:

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come” (Revelation 1:8).
God had no birth or origin, but has always been, before the creation of time, heaven, and earth:
“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God” (Psalm 89:3).
God, having no beginning, has no end, and shall never cease to be. He always was, is, and ever shall be. God is outside of time.

What else do we learn from the first article of the Creed?

We learn that God is the Creator “of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible”—that is, everything has been created by the Lord, and nothing can exist apart from Him:

“For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible” (Colossians 1:16).
The invisible was created before the visible, as Scripture says:
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
The Holy Church teaches that by “heaven” or “invisible” we are to understand the unseen, spiritual world to which the holy angels belong. By “earth” or “visible,” we are to understand our visible, material world.

Why did God create the world?

In answering this question, it should be explained that the great God is self-sufficient and all-perfect, for He neither needed nor now needs anything or anyone. However, He willed that other beings should come into existence to become partakers in His goodness. Thus, the world was created by the Lord solely out of His goodness and love—more than that, out of the superabundance of His love. God brought all His creation from non-existence into being so that it too might partake of the blessedness of divine love.

What are angels? #

“Angel” is a Greek word that means “messenger” or “envoy” in Russian. Angels are incorporeal and invisible spirits, endowed with a special intellect, free will, and significant power; they are instruments of God’s Providence. The purpose of angels is to serve the Triune God, giving Him glory and carrying out His will toward mankind and the elements of creation. Many times, angels have appeared to people in visible form, taking on a bodily appearance when God sent them to deliver His will. For example, the Archangel Gabriel was sent by God to the Virgin Mary to announce the miraculous conception of the Savior (Luke 1:26–38).

When were the angels created?

The holy angels were created before the visible world. As God laid the foundation of the earth, the angels rejoiced:

“Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof? When the morning stars sang together, and all My angels shouted for joy” (Job 38:6–7).

What else do we know about angels?

They are supernatural, immortal beings—rational spirits, heavenly ministers of the Lord:

“Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flaming fire” (Psalm 103:4).
The angels’ ministry before God in heaven includes the ceaseless glorification of the Creator, singing:
“Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3).

Are all angels equal to one another?

The Holy Church teaches that angels are divided into nine ranks, which are grouped into three orders.

• The first order: Thrones, Cherubim, and Seraphim;

• The second order: Authorities, Dominions, and Powers;

• The third order: Principalities, Archangels, and Angels proper.
  Angels are bodiless and immortal, as are human souls, but God has endowed the angels with higher faculties and powers than those of humans. Their minds are more perfect than ours. They always fulfill God’s will and do not sin, for by God’s grace they are so firmly established in doing good that they are incapable of sinning.

How do angels serve us?

First and foremost, angels convey God’s will to mankind. But they also guard us from all evil and assist us. Once, an angel of the Lord freed the holy apostles from prison in Jerusalem:

“But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life” (Acts 5:19–20).
Angels lead the souls of the departed into the afterlife, as they once carried the soul of the beggar Lazarus:
“And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:22).
Angels bring our prayers to God, as the Archangel Raphael once did for the pious Tobit:
“When thou didst pray with tears… I brought thy prayer before the Lord God” (Tobit 12:12).
Finally, at the Dread Judgment of the Lord, the angels will separate the wicked from the righteous:
“The angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:40–50).

Who is the guardian angel?

Angels are servants of God, but the Lord appoints them to care for people. Scripture says that the Creator commands His angels to guard the righteous:

“The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them” (Psalm 33:8);
“He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways” (Psalm 90:11).
And the Apostle Paul writes of the angels:
“Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14).
To every Christian, at Baptism, God assigns a guardian angel who invisibly protects him throughout his earthly life from harm and misfortune, warns him against sin, preserves him at the dreadful hour of death, and does not abandon him even after death. The guardian angel invisibly helps a person in doing good works and in the work of salvation, guarding him against the evil actions of the devil. But by our sins and wicked deeds, we often drive away our guardian angel. If, however, we recognize our sins and repent, the angel of God returns to us.

Saint Anastasius of Sinai teaches:

“To every believer in Christ, at holy Baptism, God grants a guardian angel for the duration of his life, and he remains inseparably with the person—unless the person himself drives him away by evil deeds. Just as smoke drives away bees, and foul odors drive away doves, so also our heavy sins—drunkenness, fornication, malice, and other wicked acts—drive from us the holy angel, our guardian.”

Were all angels originally created good?

Yes, all angels were created by God as good, bright, and pure beings. For God Himself is only good and light, as it is written:

“God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
Thus the Lord created only good things:
“For every creature of God is good” (1 Timothy 4:4).
But one angel, the highest and most powerful, named Lucifer (“the Morning Star”), became proud of his might and power, and no longer desired to love God or fulfill His will. Instead, he desired to become like God Himself. Lucifer ceased to be a bearer of light; the divine light departed from him forever, and he became an evil spirit—Satan, the devil, the enemy of God and of all that is good.

He was cast out of heaven. The Lord Himself says of this:

“I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven” (Luke 10:18).
And the holy prophet Isaiah exclaims:
“Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:
I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit” (Isaiah 14:11–15).
The devil also enticed many other angels to follow him, who likewise became evil spirits—demons. Together with him, these demons were cast into hell, the abyss, that is, separated from God:
“The angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day” (Jude 6).
The Lord Himself warns us of the devil:
“He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.
When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44).

Can the devil force a person to sin?

Since their fall, Satan and his demons have been man’s foremost enemies. They constantly attempt to manifest themselves through various wicked and destructive deeds. They sow, nurture, and spread every kind of evil among people. They ceaselessly seek to tempt the faithful in every possible way, in order that they too might be condemned with them to eternal torment after the Dread Judgment.

However, without a person’s own will, the devil cannot force even the smallest sin. Man, as the most perfect of God’s creations, possesses reason and free will in order to resist the devil’s cunning and avoid sin. The Holy Church teaches us how to do this.

Saint Peter the Apostle exhorts us to spiritual sobriety:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Do the demons acknowledge God?

Yes, they do acknowledge and believe in Him. For once, they were radiant angels standing before the throne of God, unceasingly glorifying the Lord. After their fall from the Creator and the loss of the grace and light of His glory, they retained the memory of God. The Apostle James, the brother of the Lord according to the flesh, writes: “The devils also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19). The Evangelists testify that the demons confess Christ as the Son of God (Matthew 8:29; Mark 1:24; etc.) and that they fear even the mere mention of His name. For this reason, demons are cast out by the most holy name of God, as the Lord Himself said: “These signs shall follow them that believe; in My name shall they cast out devils” (Mark 16:17). Thus, we see that the demons not only acknowledge God and believe in Him, but even tremble and quake at the mention of His holy name.

What is man? #

For thousands of years mankind has asked this question:

“What is man, that Thou shouldest magnify him? and that Thou shouldest set Thine heart upon him? And that Thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?” (Job 7:17–18).
The holy king and prophet David, filled with the Holy Ghost, answers this way:
“What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that Thou visitest him? For Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet” (Psalm 8:5–7).
Therefore, we may say that man is a created and mortal being, endowed with an immortal soul, with free will, and with the gifts of reason and speech. God created man so that man might love God, know and glorify Him, and thereby be eternally blessed. The Lord God appointed man as ruler over all His creatures and, in this, made him like unto Himself. Yet at the same time, this powerful and sovereign creature is subject to sin, illness, death, and corruption:
“Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down; he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not” (Job 14:1–2);
“Man is like to vanity: his days pass away as a shadow” (Psalm 143:4).
Yet God loves man more than all other creatures and never changes in His love for us:
“Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee” (Isaiah 49:15).
Indeed, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

What is the purpose of human life?

The purpose of human life is the salvation of the soul. To be saved, a person must first be enlightened by the faith of Christ and cleansed from the original sin of Adam through holy Baptism, becoming a member of the Orthodox Church, for salvation is possible only in the Church. Once made a member of the Church, a person must live a life of prayer, humility, and almsgiving, doing only good deeds. He must diligently observe the Church’s Ustav and be sanctified through the saving Mysteries (especially the Mysteries of Confession and Communion), thereby being cleansed from sin.

Yet even then, as Saint Abba Dorotheus writes, “a man should not cease from watchfulness. For it happens that even after all this, the devil finds occasion to deceive him—either through self-justification, or pride, or by planting in him thoughts of unbelief or of a wicked heresy, and thus not only ruins all his labors, but also drives him away from God.”

How was man created?

The Lord God created the first man, Adam, in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1:26):

“God created man for incorruption, and made him in the image of His own eternity” (Wisdom of Solomon 2:23).
The holy Apostle Paul says man was created “in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).
Saint John of Damascus explains that the phrase “in the image” refers to man’s rationality and free will, while “after the likeness” refers to virtue, to the extent that it is attainable by man. Saint Abba Dorotheus writes similarly:
“‘In the image’ means that God made the soul immortal and self-governing, while ‘after the likeness’ refers to virtue.”
Thus, Adam was created like unto the Lord: righteous, holy, endowed with free will and virtue.

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his face the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7).
The first woman, Eve, was created by God from Adam’s rib:
“And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man” (Genesis 2:21–22).
The Creator placed the first human beings in Paradise:
“And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed” (Genesis 2:8).

What do the names Adam and Eve mean?

The name Adam means “earthly” in ancient Hebrew—“formed from the earth”—for he was made of earth:

“All men are from the ground, and Adam was created of the earth” (Sirach 33:10).
The name Eve means “life,” for “she was the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20).

Why did the Lord God expel Adam and Eve from Paradise?

Thus, “the Lord God took the man whom He had formed, and placed him in the garden of delight to till it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15). God intended that man “should have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heaven, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that moveth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:26). Having placed Adam and Eve in Eden, the Lord allowed them to eat the fruit of every tree—except that of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which was “a tree good for food, and pleasant to the eyes, and desirable to make one wise” (Genesis 3:6) and stood in the middle of the garden. God commanded: “Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die” (Genesis 3:3).

But the devil, man’s murderer from the beginning, envied the Creator and desired to ruin His highest creation. Taking on the form of a serpent, he beguiled Eve and persuaded her to taste the fruit of the forbidden tree, promising her: “Your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods” (Genesis 3:5). Eve listened to the serpent, plucked the fruit, ate it, and gave it to Adam, and he ate. Immediately, “the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked” (Genesis 3:7).

For this disobedience, the Lord God cursed Adam and Eve. To Eve He said: “I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children” (Genesis 3:16). And to Adam: “Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life” (Genesis 3:17). Thus, God cursed the first humans and cast them out of Paradise.

What is “original sin”?

Adam, Eve, and all people are endowed with free will. God “created man from the beginning and left him in the hand of his own counsel. If thou wilt, thou shalt keep the commandments, and perform acceptable faithfulness. He hath set fire and water before thee: stretch forth thy hand unto whichever thou wilt. Before man is life and death, and whichever he chooses shall be given him” (Sirach 15:14–17).

Adam and Eve could have obeyed, or disobeyed, the Creator. They chose the latter, misusing their free will for evil, and sinned. Sin is the transgression of God’s law. For this, the Lord expelled them from Paradise. But the consequences of their sin did not end there. God cursed not only Adam and Eve but also all their descendants—the entire human race. Whereas man had been created immortal, like the angels, now death, disease, and decay entered human life. All of this was the result of original sin:

“The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
Thus sin and death entered the world:
“By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men” (Romans 5:12).

Is every person subject to original sin?

Yes—absolutely every one. For we all descend from the same forebears, Adam and Eve.

“What hast thou done, Adam? For though it was thou that sinned, thou art not fallen alone, but we all that come of thee” (3 Esdras 7:48).
That man is subject to original sin from the moment of conception and birth is stated by the holy David:
“Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 50:7).
Saint Paul also writes:
“In whom (i.e., Adam) all have sinned” (Romans 5:12); and
“In Adam all die” (1 Corinthians 15:22).
Thus, all of us are born in original sin, are subject to suffering, and must die.

What punishment did the first people receive for disobeying God?

Before the Fall, Adam and Eve were immortal and sinless. But after sinning, they entered into a state of death, sin, decay, and curse. Yet the most dreadful consequence was that God deprived the forebears and their descendants of Paradise. Having lost access to Paradise, all people began to descend into hell after death, regardless of whether they had lived righteously or sinfully.

But the Lord said to the serpent (i.e., to the devil):

“I will put enmity between thee and the Woman, and between thy seed and her Seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:15).
In these words, the Lord foretold to the serpent and the first people the coming of the Redeemer—Christ, who would be born of the Most Pure Virgin, blessed among women (Luke 1:42), and would overcome the serpent and his seed, delivering Adam, Eve, and their descendants from the bonds of hell.

All the ancient patriarchs and righteous ones lived in hope of this divine promise, and the prophets of the Old Testament comforted the people with it until Christ came into the world. That promise of God was fulfilled: the Savior, Jesus Christ, was born of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, redeemed the human race, and opened to us the gates of Paradise.

The 2nd Article: And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten, who from the Father is begotten before all ages. Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, but not created, of one essence with the Father; by him all things came to be. #

What is sin? #

Sin is any departure—whether voluntary and conscious, or involuntary and unconscious—in deed, word, or even thought, from the commandments of God; it is the violation of the law of God. According to the definition of the Apostle John:

“Sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4).
Sin does not come from God, but from the misuse of reason and free will by man—from willful estrangement from the Creator, the substitution of God’s holy will with one’s own, from self-will and obedience to the devil.

The causes of sin are the passions. Saint Abba Dorotheus says:

“The passions are: anger, vanity, lust, hatred, wicked desire, and the like. The sins are the actual deeds of the passions, when someone carries them out bodily—committing with the body the acts to which the passions drive him. For it is possible to have passions, yet not act according to them.”
Therefore, a Christian must strive to destroy in himself every passion and sin.

The means to struggle against sin is constant and sincere repentance. As Saint John Chrysostom teaches:

“Through sin the devil casts us into Gehenna; through repentance Christ leads us into the Kingdom of Heaven.”

What is a mortal sin?

A mortal sin is that sin which, through a person’s obstinacy in impiety and devotion to evil, destroys love for God in the soul and renders the person dead to the reception of divine grace. The mortal sins include: pride, vanity, despondency, anger, avarice, fornication, and gluttony. But the most fearful sin is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which shall never be forgiven, as God Himself says:

“Verily I say unto you, all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation” (Mark 3:28–29).

What does the second article of the Creed teach us?

It teaches us that the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, our Lord God Jesus Christ, is the Only-begotten Son of God the Father, as God Himself bore witness:

“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).
Christ is not created, but eternally begotten of the Father:
“From the womb before the morning star have I begotten Thee” (Psalm 109:3).
Christ is true God, begotten of true God, Uncreated Light of Uncreated Light. Through the Son, God the Father created the whole world:
“All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3).
The Apostle Paul also writes:
“By Him were all things created” (Colossians 1:16).

What does the most holy name of God, Jesus, mean? #

In ancient Hebrew, Jesus means “salvation.” This name was announced by the Archangel Gabriel to the Most Holy Virgin Mary:

“Thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name Jesus” (Luke 1:31),
for “He shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
From that time on, the name Jesus became a special, sacred name, belonging only to the Son of God:
“For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
This name was granted such honor that both the bright spirits—angels—and the evil spirits—demons—bow before it:
“God hath also given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth” (Philippians 2:9–10).

What does the word Christ mean?

In Greek, Christ means “Anointed One.” In the Old Testament, anointing with oil (a fragrant ointment) was performed to consecrate someone as a priest or a king. Thus, the prophet Moses anointed his brother Aaron and his sons for the priesthood (Exodus 29:7), and the prophet Samuel anointed Saul as king (1 Kings 10:1).
Since Jesus is both High Priest and King, He received anointing from God the Father with the Holy Ghost:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind” (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18).

Why do we call Christ a Priest?

Because God the Father Himself called Him so:

“The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent: Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 109:4).
In the New Testament, Christ is constantly called a Priest or High Priest. The Apostle Paul writes:
“We have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God” (Hebrews 4:14);
“We have such a High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Hebrews 8:1).

Why do we call Christ a King?

Because He is King and Lord of all—of angels and of men. The Archangel Gabriel said of Him:

“The Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David, and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His Kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:32–33).
Scripture frequently calls Christ a King:
“King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16; 1 Timothy 6:15).
Saint Paul teaches us to give honor and glory “unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God” (1 Timothy 1:17).

Why is Christ often called the Word of God?

The Savior is called the Word of God (Logos) already in the Old Testament, where it is said that through Him God created the world:

“By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth” (Psalm 32:6).
Christ is often called the Word in the New Testament as well:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life” (John 1:1–4).
We call the Lord the Word by comparing His eternal begetting to the birth of our human word: just as our word is born passionlessly from our mind and thought, so also is the Son of God begotten passionlessly and spiritually of the Father; and just as our thought is revealed in our word, so Christ in His very being and perfection is the exact image of the Father, and is therefore called “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His Person” (Hebrews 1:3). Just as we communicate our thoughts to others through words, so God, who formerly spoke through the prophets, finally spoke through His Son, who fully revealed the will of His Father. And just as our word may be the cause of actions, so too God the Father created all things through His Word.

Why is the Son of God often called Iсус?

In ancient Hebrew, the divine name of Christ was pronounced Yehoshua or Yeshua. In Greek, in apostolic times, this same name was rendered as Iesous. Over time, however, Greek pronunciation changed, and by the fourth century the name came to be pronounced Iisous—that is, the “e” sound shifted to “i” (a process known in linguistics as itacism).
But for the Slavic tongue, two initial “i” sounds are unpronounceable—there are no such words in our language as iistina, iimia, or iiiva. So when Saints Cyril and Methodius began to translate the Scriptures into Slavonic in the ninth century, they wrote the name of Christ as Iсус. This spelling was used by all Orthodox Slavs.

Every nation pronounces the name of the Son of God in its own way: the English say Jesus, the Arabs Isa, the Spaniards Jesús, the Germans Jesus, the French Jésus—and no one has ever been scandalized by this. But in the 17th century, Patriarch Nikon began his reforms and insisted that the holy name of Christ be written and pronounced in Russia just as the Greeks then pronounced it—Iисус. Nikon was not troubled by the fact that this went against the structure of Russian and Slavonic speech. The Nikonians, followers of Patriarch Nikon, adopted the new form. But we, the Orthodox, preserved the ancient spelling, sanctified by the centuries-long authority of the Church. And “though we write and pronounce the name of the Savior as Iсус, we do not dare to revile the written or spoken form Iисус” (Circular Epistle).

The 3rd Article: For us men and for our salvation he came down from the heavens, and was made flesh of the Holy Ghost and of the Virgin Mary became man. #

What does the third article of the Creed teach us?

It teaches us that the Second Person of the Trinity, the Son of God, for the salvation of all mankind from sin and eternal death, came down to earth and, humbling Himself, became man:

“He made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man” (Philippians 2:7).
Just as Christ is truly God, so having taken upon Himself human nature, He became the God-man—true God and true Man:
“Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16).
Becoming man, Christ took upon Himself original sin in order to redeem it by His death on the Cross.

How did the Incarnation of Christ take place?

Through the Most Holy Virgin Mary and the Holy Ghost. The Virgin Mary was of the lineage of King David and lived in the Galilean city of Nazareth, in the house of the righteous elder Joseph, to whom she was betrothed. The Lord God sent to Mary His messenger, the Archangel Gabriel, who announced to her the will of God:

“Thou hast found favor with God; behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son” (Luke 1:30–31).
The Virgin Mary asked, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” and the Archangel answered:
“The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee” (Luke 1:34–35).
And the Spirit of God came upon the Virgin, and she conceived in her womb. The righteous Joseph, having learned that Mary was with child by the Holy Ghost, was troubled and “was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 1:19–20). Saint Joseph fulfilled the will of God and kept the Virgin Mary in his home.

In fulfillment of which divine promises and prophecies was the Son of God born of the Virgin Mary?

The first promise of the coming of the Savior was given by the Lord God to Adam and Eve after their expulsion from Paradise (Genesis 3:15). Later, God repeatedly reminded mankind of this promise and prepared them for the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ, who would be born of a Virgin and save the human race.

God promised this to Abraham (Genesis 22:18), and to his descendant, King David (2 Samuel 7:12–13), that from their seed the Savior would come, in whom all nations would be blessed, and whose Kingdom would be everlasting.

Through the holy prophet Isaiah, God foretold that the Savior would be born of a pure Virgin:

“Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son” (Isaiah 7:14).
The same prophet Isaiah also prophesied with extraordinary clarity and majesty the sufferings of the Lord (Isaiah 53).

Through the prophet Micah, God foretold that Christ would be born in the city of Bethlehem:

“And thou, Bethlehem, house of Ephrathah, art thou little to be among the thousands of Judah? Yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me to be Ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting days” (Micah 5:2).

Through the prophet Malachi, the Lord revealed that a Forerunner would be sent before Christ, like the prophet Elijah (Malachi 3:1 and 4:5).

The prophet Zechariah, by the Holy Ghost, foretold that the King Christ would enter Jerusalem triumphantly on a young donkey:

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, thy King cometh unto thee; He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass” (Zechariah 9:9).

Through the Archangel Gabriel, God revealed to the prophet Daniel the coming of Christ the Prince, His death, and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (Daniel 9:22–27).
And the prophet-king David described in Psalm 21 the crucifixion and death of the Lord with such accuracy as if he had stood beneath the Holy Cross himself.

It was in fulfillment of these prophecies and divine promises that Christ came into the world.

Are we obliged to bless, venerate, and glorify the Most Pure God-bearer?

Yes, we must honor and glorify her not only above all the saints but even more than the angels, cherubim, and seraphim, placing her first after the Triune God. Before us, she was glorified by the heavenly Archangel Gabriel, who said to her:

“Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women” (Luke 1:28).
And the Mother of God herself prophesied:
“From henceforth all generations shall call Me blessed” (Luke 1:48).
Not without cause did the Lord Himself set apart the Virgin Mary from all other virgins:
“As the lily among thorns, so is My beloved among the daughters” (Song of Songs 2:2).

The 4th Article: Who was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered, and was buried. #

What do we learn from this article of the Creed?

We learn that Christ was crucified for us during the time of Pontius Pilate, the Roman procurator (governor) of Judea; He suffered on the Cross and was buried.

Christ “hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor” (Ephesians 5:2).
Therefore, as the Apostle Peter says, we are redeemed:

“with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19).

Why did Christ suffer?

The Lord God Jesus Christ took on human flesh, was born, lived, and suffered in order to redeem mankind from original sin.
Christ became true man—that is, along with human nature, He also accepted original sin, the sin of Adam. This was necessary for the restoration of fallen man, for man by himself cannot overcome the sin of Adam. For this reason, God sent His Son into the world:

“But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Galatians 4:4–5).

God gave His beloved Son over to death:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
And Christ was crucified for us. By His sufferings and Passion on the Cross, He delivered all who believe in Him from original sin and from hell, opening the gates of Paradise and eternal life to all the righteous.

Now, through Baptism, a person can be cleansed from original sin and united to Christ:

“In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14).

Who was Pontius Pilate?

Scripture gives us the following prophecy from Jacob, son of Abraham: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be” (Genesis 49:10). That is, the Jews would have their own nation, their own rulers and elders, until the coming of Christ—the Reconciler of God and man. In 64 B.C., the Jewish kingdom of Judea was annexed by the Roman Empire as part of the province of Syria, but continued to be ruled by its own kings, the last of whom was the hard-hearted Herod, the murderer of John the Forerunner. After Herod’s death, the Jews no longer had their own rulers, but were governed by Roman officials (procurators, governors). The first procurator of Judea was Pontius Pilate—a Gentile placed in authority over God’s people. Thus was the prophecy fulfilled: the Reconciler had come, and Judea was stripped of her kings and princes.

Christ was crucified on the Cross; must we then venerate the Cross?

Crucifixion was the most shameful form of execution in the Roman Empire—used especially for rebellious slaves. Among the Jews, crucifixion was likewise held in contempt as a cursed and dishonorable death:

“And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God)” (Deuteronomy 21:22–23).

And yet, we Christians must venerate the holy Cross, for even in ancient times a prophecy was uttered by King Solomon, the son of David: “Blessed is the wood whereby righteousness cometh” (Wisdom 14:7). Therefore, we must revere the Tree of the Cross, for by it—and by the sufferings of the Lord upon it—we have received salvation, as the holy Apostle Paul teaches us:

“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:14), and also: “The preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Saint Ephraim the Syrian extols the honorable and life-giving Cross in these words:

“O what mouth, what tongue can rightly praise this invincible wall of the Orthodox, this victorious weapon of our great King Christ! The Cross is the resurrection of the dead. The Cross is the hope of Christians. The Cross is the staff of the lame. The Cross is the comfort of the poor. The Cross is the bridle for the rich, the overthrow of the proud. The Cross is a monument of victory over demons, the tutor of the young… The Cross is the father of orphans, the counselor of the righteous. The Cross is the comfort of the sorrowful, the guardian of infants, the glory of men, the crown of elders. The Cross is light to those who sit in darkness… The Cross is the proclamation of the prophets, the companion of the apostles, the praise of the martyrs. The Cross is the chastity of virgins, the joy of priests. The Cross is the foundation of the Church, the establishment of the universe… The Cross is the cleansing of lepers, the renewal of strength to the paralyzed. The Cross is the bread of the hungry, the fountain of the thirsty. The Cross is the surety of monks, the covering of the naked.”

What is the true Cross of Christ?

The Holy Church teaches us that Christ was crucified on an eight-pointed Cross, made of the following parts: two intersecting beams, a footrest, and a title board. Concerning the three kinds of wood used for the Cross, God Himself spoke through the prophet Isaiah:

“The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of My sanctuary” (Isaiah 60:13).

Accordingly, the Orthodox Church teaches that the vertical beam of the Lord’s Cross was made of cypress, the horizontal beam of pine, and the footrest of cedar. The footrest of the Cross is mentioned multiple times in Old Testament prophecy, for instance: “We will go into His tabernacles: we will worship at His footstool” (Psalm 131:7; cf. Psalm 109:1 and others).

The title board refers to the placard inscribed with the words “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,” which Pilate ordered to be affixed to the Cross (John 19:19).

Thus, the Holy Cross of God consists of two beams, a footrest, and a title board, and is eight-pointed in form. The Holy Church teaches us to venerate only such a Cross. However, the image of the equal-armed four-pointed Cross (the “Greek Cross”) is by no means condemned or rejected by Orthodoxy, but is accepted and used wherever prescribed by Church order—for example, during the anointing with oil and chrism in the Mysteries, in censing, and in making the sign of the Cross with the hand. The four-pointed Cross also appears on the sacred vestments of our clergy.

What is the sign of the Cross?

It is the making of the image of the Lord’s Cross by the hand, either over a person or over some object. Prophecies concerning the sign of the Cross are found already in the Old Testament. Thus, God says: “I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see My glory. And I will set a sign upon them” (Isaiah 66:18), and also: “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof” (Ezekiel 9:4). In the Hebrew original of this latter passage, it reads: “mark with the letter Tav”—and this letter, in ancient times, had the form of a cross.

In the New Testament, the sign of the Cross is called a “seal” (Revelation 7:2–4). According to Church Tradition, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and His Apostles made use of the sign of the Cross and commanded us Christians to do likewise.
According to the teaching of the Orthodox Church, to properly make the sign of the Cross, one must bring together three fingers of the right hand: the thumb, ring finger, and little finger—signifying our faith in the Holy Trinity. The remaining two fingers (the index and middle) are held together, with the middle finger slightly bent. These two fingers symbolize the two natures in the Crucified God-man Jesus Christ: the divine and the human. In this way, we confess and believe that Jesus Christ is truly God and truly Man. With these two fingers, we piously trace the sign of the Cross upon ourselves, placing them:

1. On the forehead — professing that Christ, the Son of God, born eternally and without beginning from the Father, is our true Head;

2. On the stomach (the level of the waist) — signifying the descent of the Son of God to earth and His birth from the Most Pure Virgin Mary;

3. On the right shoulder — as a sign of our faith in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, His Ascension into heaven, and His sitting at the right hand of God the Father;

4. On the left shoulder — in witness to our belief in Christ’s future Second Coming, when He shall come to judge the living and the dead, placing the righteous at His right hand, and the sinners at His left.

Of the great power of the sign of the Cross, St. Cyril of Jerusalem teaches us:

“Let us not be ashamed to confess the Crucified; with boldness let us make the sign of the Cross with our fingers upon our brow and upon all things—upon the bread we eat, upon the cups from which we drink; let us make it in our comings and goings, in our lying down and rising up, while traveling and at rest. It is a mighty safeguard, freely given to the poor, and without toil to the weak. For it is the grace of God—a sign to the faithful, and a terror to evil spirits.”

Therefore, we must always make the sign of the Cross piously, without haste, and with reverent attention. To make the sign of the Cross improperly (as do the Nikonians or the Catholics), carelessly, hastily, or without mindfulness is a grave sin.

The 5th Article: And rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. #

What do we confess in the fifth article?

We confess that the Son of God voluntarily died and was buried, as had already been foretold by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 53:9), and then, by the power of His divinity, rose again on the third day, as was likewise foretold in various prophecies of the Holy Scriptures. The Lord Himself speaks of this, saying:

“I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again” (John 10:17–18).

Before His Resurrection, the Savior descended into Hades in order to proclaim His victory over death and to bring forth from thence the souls of the righteous of old who had been waiting in hope for His coming, as was foretold even in the Old Testament:

“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined” (Isaiah 9:2).

Concerning the Savior’s descent into Hades, the Apostle Peter writes:

“Being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: by which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison” (1 Peter 3:18–19).

How did the Lord rise from the dead?

The soldiers who were guarding the Savior’s tomb were struck with terror when they realized that Christ had risen. This was revealed to them when an angel of the Lord rolled away the stone that sealed the tomb, and a great earthquake occurred. The angel proclaimed Christ’s resurrection to Mary Magdalene and several others. The Lord Himself, on the day of His resurrection, appeared to many: to the myrrh-bearing women, to Peter, to two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and finally to all the apostles gathered together in a locked house.

Christ rose with the same body in which He had lived, suffered, and died, as was evident from the wounds on His hands, feet, and side, which He showed to His disciples after the resurrection:

“Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself: handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have” (Luke 24:39).

Why did the Lord rise on the third day?

To fulfill the prophecy of the Old Testament: “And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights” (Jonah 2:1). Christ Himself spoke of this, saying: “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40). Thus, the Lord remained in the tomb for three days.

The 6th Article: And ascended into the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father. #

What is spoken of in this article of the Creed?

This article speaks of the ascension of the Lord God Jesus Christ into heaven and His sitting at the right hand of God the Father. Christ ascended into heaven in the presence of His disciples: “While they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight” (Acts 1:9), and thus Jesus “was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19).

The Apostle Paul also writes of Christ’s ascension and exaltation: “We have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Hebrews 8:1).

Does Christ now dwell both in heaven and on earth in His body?

In His divinity, Christ is present everywhere, as the omnipresent and almighty God; but in His most pure body, He abides only in heaven. At present, Christ comes to earth in His body only in the Mystery of Holy Communion, when the bread becomes truly His Body, and the wine becomes truly His Blood.

The 7th Article: And is coming again with glory to judge the living and the dead; of his kingdom there is no end. #

What do we learn from this article of the Creed?

We learn that the Lord God Jesus Christ will come again to earth—not as He came the first time, humble and meek (“For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17))—but as a dreadful Judge, coming with great power and glory to judge the living and the dead. He Himself said of this: “Then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27).

The second glorious coming of Christ the Righteous Judge will happen suddenly, “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:27). And at that time, “all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and shall come forth—they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:28–29).

Will the Second Coming of Christ be soon?

No one knows this except God Himself: “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father” (Mark 13:32).

Therefore, we must live in such a way as to always be prepared for Christ’s coming, just as the Lord warned us: “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 25:13).

And as the Apostle Peter teaches: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night” (2 Peter 3:9–10).

For what will God judge people?

The Lord God will judge people for every sin in deed, word, or thought, as it is written: “Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matthew 12:36–37).

And the Apostle Paul says: “Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts” (1 Corinthians 4:5).

Are any signs of the Second Coming of Christ mentioned in the Bible?

In His Gospel, the Savior tells us that in the last times:

“Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:7–14).

“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth: behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe it not” (Matthew 24:24–26).

Thus, we are told to expect the following signs: a decline in faith and love among people, the increase of sin and suffering, the preaching of the Gospel to all nations, and, finally, the coming of Antichrist.

Who is the false Christ?

Antichrist is the false Christ, the adversary of Christ and servant of the devil. Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria asks: “Who is he? Is he Satan himself? No, but a man who has received all of Satan’s power.” In the last times, God will permit him to reign over the earth for forty-two months—that is, three and a half years (Revelation 13:5).

Antichrist will be born of a harlot who will be taken for a pure virgin. He will manage to seize power over the whole world, will possess great strength, and, with the help of Satan, will perform many false signs and wonders. At first, Antichrist will appear meek, intelligent, pure, and merciful—thus deceiving many people. But in truth, he will be “that man of sin, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3–4).

Nearly all people will accept Antichrist as a god and will worship him. Only a small number will remain faithful to the Christian faith. Antichrist will persecute and torture the Holy Church, seeking to annihilate the true Orthodox faith entirely—but he will himself perish in a terrible manner: “whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8).

Saint Irenaeus of Lyons writes about the Antichrist:

“He, being an apostate and a robber, desires to be worshiped as God; and being a slave, he wishes to be proclaimed king. Receiving all the power of the devil, he shall not come as a righteous and lawful king, but as a godless and lawless one, an apostate, an evildoer, a murderer—like a thief repeating the apostasy of the devil. He shall remove all idols to make it seem that he alone is God, but in truth he shall exalt himself as the only idol, gathering into himself all forms of deception tied to idols, so that those who formerly worshiped the devil through many abominations will now serve him through this one idol.”

The 8th Article: And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, True and Life-giving, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son art worshipped and glorified, who spake the prophets. #

What do we learn from this article?

We learn about the third Person of the Holy Trinity—the True Lord, God the Holy Ghost, to Whom is due the same glory and worship as to God the Father and God the Son.

Mention of the Holy Ghost is found on the very first page of the Bible:
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:1–2).

Why is the Holy Ghost called “the Giver of Life”?

Because the Holy Ghost, together with the Father and the Son, gives life to all creatures, as Scripture says:

“The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life” (Job 33:4), and:
“Thou sendest forth Thy Spirit, they are created: and Thou renewest the face of the earth” (Psalm 103:30).

And through Baptism, the Holy Ghost gives eternal life to man in the Kingdom of Heaven:
“Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).

How do we know that the Holy Ghost proceeds only from the Father?

Because the Holy Ghost proceeds only from the Father, just as the Son of God is eternally begotten of the Father alone. We know this from the words of Christ Himself:

“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me” (John 15:26).

What is meant by the words “Who spake the prophets”?

These words indicate that in the Old Testament, the Spirit of God spoke through the prophets:

“No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:20–21).

And in the New Testament, the Holy Ghost speaks through the apostles. Saint Peter writes that the prophets: “were shown that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the Gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into” (1 Peter 1:12).

The 9th Article: And in one holy, conciliar, and apostolic Church. #

What is the Church?

The Church is a society of people established by God, united freely here on earth by the Orthodox faith in Christ, by the law of God, the sacred hierarchy, and the holy Mysteries. The Holy Church strictly and unwaveringly observes the statutes and canons of the apostles, the seven Ecumenical Councils, and the holy fathers. The one and only Head of the Church is the Lord God Jesus Christ Himself: “And He is the Head of the Body, the Church” (Colossians 1:18).

The sanctifier of the Church is the Holy Ghost, Who acts upon Christians through the word of God and the Mysteries. Saint John Chrysostom compares the Church to a ship sailing across a stormy sea, and says: “Our vessel is not built of planks, but constructed from the Divine Scriptures; and it is not guided from above by stars, but by the Sun of Righteousness—Christ God, Who directs our voyage; and we keep watch at the helm, awaiting not the wind, but the gentle breeze of the Spirit.”

What does it mean to “believe in the Church”?

It means to revere the True Church of Christ and to obey her teachings and commandments, believing with full conviction that within her the grace of God abides unceasingly, acts for salvation, teaches, and governs—granting to the Church eternal salvation and the remission of sins. As Christians, we must in all things obey and submit to the Church. And whoso “will not hear the Church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican” (Matthew 18:17).

Blessed Augustine of Hippo writes: “He who is not among the members of Christ cannot have Christian salvation. One may have honor, may possess the Mystery, may sing ‘Alleluia,’ may answer ‘Amen,’ may hold the Gospel, may believe in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and proclaim it—but outside the Orthodox Catholic Church, salvation cannot be found.”

Why do we believe in “One” Church?

Because the Church is one, and all other so-called “churches” are heretical gatherings—sects. God Himself said: “There shall be one fold and one Shepherd” (John 10:16). And the Apostle Paul declares: “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, Who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:4–6).

Elsewhere he writes: “Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:5–6).

Therefore, all Christians who belong to the Church must remain united in one faith, one doctrine of Christ, one mind, and glorify God with one voice. Whoever departs from this is cut off from God and from His Church.

Why is the Church called “Holy”?

The Church is called Holy because the Lord Jesus Christ sanctified her by His saving teaching, prayer, redeeming Passion on the Cross, and the holy Mysteries. As it is written:

“Ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19–22).

Though the earthly Church consists of people—and all people sin—the holiness of the Church is not impaired, because the Head of the Church is the infinitely holy Lord God, and by His holiness the entire Church is sanctified. He constantly calls us to holiness: “Be ye holy; for I the Lord your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2).

A clear example that the sins of individual members do not harm the Church as a whole in her work of saving sinners is the image of a tree: though it may have dry branches, this does not hinder it from bearing fruit, so long as its root is healthy and able to draw in water and nutrients.

Why is the Church called “Conciliar”?
The Church is called Conciliar because it gathers within herself all who truly believe in Christ, regardless of place or time of their life, or to which people they belong.

For the Lord commanded the apostles: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

And Saint Paul writes: “There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all” (Colossians 3:11).

The Church is also called Conciliar because she makes her decisions through Ecumenical and Local Councils, not through the arbitrary will of any one member. The Conciliar Church is also called the Universal Church.

Why is the Church called “Apostolic”?

The Church is called Apostolic because she is “built upon the foundation of the apostles” (Ephesians 2:20). She received her structure from the holy apostles; her teaching is founded on their preaching; the apostles established the rites and customs of the Church and instituted her sacred hierarchy, which will preserve the succession of the gifts of the Holy Ghost until the end of time.

Therefore, we must firmly and unwaveringly hold to the teaching and Tradition of Christ’s apostles: “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle” (2 Thessalonians 2:15).

Why is the Church also called “Orthodox”?

The Holy Church is called Orthodox because only she preserves the true faith of Christ and only she rightly glorifies and worships the Lord.
The Orthodox Church alone holds the right confession of the faith and is the full revelation of Christianity.

From ancient times, the term “Orthodoxy” (right belief, right worship) was used to designate the faith of the entire Church in contrast to the heterodoxy and diverse teachings of heretics.

Modern Orthodoxy is the collection of dogmas and decrees of the Church, whose criterion is the unaltered preservation of the teaching of Jesus Christ and His apostles, as laid out in Holy Scripture and Sacred Tradition.

Why is the Church called “Old-Ritualist”?

The Church of Christ is called Old-Ritualist because she has faithfully and steadfastly preserved the ancient rites, orders, and customs that have existed in her since the time of the holy apostles, in obedience to their command to guard Holy Tradition. While various heretics (Catholics, Nikonians, Protestants) rejected the ancient rites and invented new ones, the Church has always preserved and continues to preserve the apostolic inheritance unchanged.

The holy fathers of Christ’s Church have repeatedly urged us to maintain fidelity to the ancient ways in all things—both in dogma and in ritual. Saint Vincent of Lérins beautifully writes:

“Polish the precious stones of divine dogma, arrange them faithfully, distribute them wisely, give them brightness, charm, grace. Strive so that, by your clearer expression, people may more clearly understand what was formerly believed less clearly. Aim so that the descendants may glorify with understanding what the forefathers once revered in simplicity. But teach only what you have been taught; and though you speak in a new way, say nothing new.”

Saint Vincent also calls us to follow antiquity in all things, for “to follow antiquity means in no way to depart from that teaching which was certainly held by our holy fathers and ancestors.”

Saint Avvakum likewise exhorts us to preserve the traditions of the fathers, warning: “A single dot can confound theology; with a single letter, heresy is introduced!”

The 10th Article: I confess one Baptism unto remission of sins. #

What is taught in this article of the Creed?

This article affirms our belief in the saving power of the Mystery (Sacrament) of Holy Baptism, as well as in the other Sacraments of the Orthodox Church: Chrismation, Communion, Repentance (Confession), Holy Orders, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick (Unction).

What is Baptism? #

Baptism is a Sacrament in which a person, by threefold immersion of the body in water “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19), is invisibly cleansed of original sin and becomes a Christian—a member of the Church. As the Apostle Paul writes:

“But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11).

The one baptized dies to the carnal and sinful life and is reborn by the Holy Ghost into a new, spiritual life:

“Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:5–6).

The Orthodox Church recognizes only one valid form of Baptism—Baptism by three full immersions. “Baptism” performed by a single immersion or by sprinkling is not recognized by the Church as a saving Sacrament but only as a mere washing. A properly performed Baptism is never repeated, for “one Lord, one faith, one Baptism” (Ephesians 4:5).

What is required of someone who wishes to be baptized?

Repentance and faith, as taught in Holy Scripture:

“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38);
“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16).

Is it necessary to baptize infants?

Yes, it is absolutely necessary. Infants, while they have no personal sins and cannot yet believe or repent, nonetheless bear from birth the dreadful mark of original sin, which bars them from the Kingdom of God. For in Adam “all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). Therefore, if an unbaptized infant dies, his soul departs to Hades.

For the salvation of the souls of infants, the Lord God and His apostles commanded that children also be baptized. Christ Himself said: “Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:16).

And though infants cannot profess the faith, the Lord grants them His grace through Baptism by the faith of their sponsors (godparents).

What is Chrismation? #

Chrismation is a Sacrament performed immediately after Baptism, in which the believer is anointed with holy chrism (blessed oil) on various parts of the body—forehead, eyes, ears, nostrils, lips, chest, and hands—in the name of the Holy Ghost. Through this, he receives the gifts of the Spirit for the sanctification, strengthening, and growth of his spiritual life.

What are the gifts of the Holy Ghost?

The Bible speaks of the gifts of the Holy Ghost as follows:

“The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; and shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:2–3).
Therefore, the gifts of the Holy Ghost are: wisdom, understanding, godly counsel, strength, knowledge, piety, and the fear of God.

What does Scripture say about Chrismation?

At first, the apostles conferred the Holy Ghost upon believers not through anointing, but through the laying on of hands: “Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost” (Acts 8:17). But later, by the example of the Old Testament Church, the apostles began to perform the seal of the Spirit through anointing with holy chrism, since they could no longer personally lay hands on all newly baptized Christians.

Saint John the Theologian writes of the anointing of the Holy Ghost:

“But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things… The anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him” (1 John 2:20, 27).

The great apostle Paul also writes:

“Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” (2 Corinthians 1:21–22).

What is Holy Chrism?

Holy Chrism is a sacred compound containing the grace of the Holy Ghost, used by the Orthodox Church in the Sacrament of Chrismation and for the consecration of churches.

Holy Chrism is made from olive oil, white wine, and fragrant spices. Only a bishop, as a successor of the apostles through the grace of ordination, has the right to prepare (cook) holy chrism, for “through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given” (Acts 8:18).

What is Communion? #

Communion (the Eucharist) is a Sacrament in which the believer, under the appearance of bread and wine, receives the true Body and Blood of Christ for eternal life. This Sacrament was instituted by the Lord Himself at the Mystical Supper (cf. Matthew 26:20–29; Mark 14:17–25, etc.).

Christ said of the partaking of His Body and Blood:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him” (John 6:53–56).

What benefit does Communion bring?

By worthily partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ, we receive within ourselves the Lord God Himself and are united to Him so that He dwells in us.

This Sacrament contains the miraculous and healing power of grace for the soul wounded and slain by sin, which it heals and revives.

In other holy Sacraments, believers receive the gifts of God’s saving grace—but in Communion, the Lord gives not simply His gifts but His very Self: His Body and His Blood as food for the faithful.

He who partakes unworthily commits sin and receives Communion to his own condemnation:

“Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body” (1 Corinthians 11:27–29).

How often should one receive Communion?

The early Christians strove to receive Communion every Sunday. Later, as piety diminished and faith cooled, Christians began to commune less frequently, mainly during the fasts. Today, the Holy Church calls upon her children to prepare, confess, and partake of the Body and Blood of Christ at least three or four times a year—during the fasts—or, if spiritually weak, at least once a year, during Great Lent.

Saint John Chrysostom urges us to receive Communion as often as possible and writes:

“I see many who do not often partake: this is the work of the devil, who interferes with frequent Communion. And clearly, one who does not partake often gives great power over himself to the devil, and the devil takes control of him and leads him to all evil.”

Will Communion always exist in the Church?

Yes, always. The Apostle Paul says that Communion will be preserved among Christians until the very Second Coming of Christ:

“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till He come” (1 Corinthians 11:26).

What is Repentance? #

Repentance is a Sacrament in which a person, sincerely confessing his sins to the Lord God before a priest, receives invisible forgiveness and absolution of sins from Christ Himself, through the priest’s visible declaration of forgiveness.

This Sacrament was first instituted by John the Forerunner, to whom people came to be baptized, “confessing their sins” (Mark 1:5).

Christ gave His apostles the authority to forgive sins when He said:

“Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18), and: “Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained” (John 20:23).

The holy apostles decreed that a believer must confess his sins to those in ecclesiastical authority: “And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds” (Acts 19:18).

The apostles passed on the authority to forgive sins to their successors, the bishops, who in turn bestow this authority upon Orthodox priests.

What is required of one who repents?

One who repents must have sincere contrition for sins committed, a wholehearted intention to amend his life, faith in Christ, and hope in His Divine mercy — “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of” (2 Corinthians 7:10). Every believer in Christ “shall receive remission of sins through His name” (Acts 10:43). The repentance of a sinner must be genuine and true, meaning it must be accompanied by deep remorse over sins, hatred and revulsion for them, and a firm resolve never again to commit the same sins and errors. Therefore, everyone who comes to Confession must bear in mind, first, that right faith is required of him, for without faith there can be no repentance; and second, that no one but a priest can absolve the penitent, since outside the Orthodox Church there is no absolution and no salvation. But above all, the penitent must constantly remember that he confesses his sins not merely to a mortal priest, but above all to the Immortal Judge Himself — the Lord God, All-knowing and All-merciful, as Saint John Chrysostom says:

“When you come to Him, do not come with hypocrisy, nor with a double mind, but with a pure conscience. Before you utter anything — whether it be great or small — He foresees what you will say. And before you open your lips, He already knows what is in your heart. Do not hesitate nor hide your disease. The Physician is not cruel, but compassionate.”

How does the Church cleanse the conscience of the repentant sinner?

By means of epitimia (penance). This word means “punishment” in Greek. By epitimia, depending on necessity, the priest prescribes for the penitent certain specific pious exercises and abstinences, which serve for the blotting out of guilt, for correction, for spiritual healing, for overcoming sinful inclinations, and for acquiring skill in Christian virtues. Epitimia may take various forms: fasting beyond what is normally required, prayer with a lestovka accompanied by prostrations, and the like. According to the teaching of the Holy Church, without the fulfillment of the penance prescribed by the priest, there is no forgiveness of sins. For especially grievous sins, the Church excludes one from Holy Communion for a certain period.

Why is it that a person, having repented, may sin again?

It has already been said more than once that man possesses free will; thus, he has the will both to repent of his sin and the will to obey the demons and fall again into sin. But let us not forget that we can overcome our sin, as God once said to Cain: “Unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him” (Genesis 4:7), that is, we can so act that sin does not reign over us, but we over it; and then we shall be able to destroy sin within ourselves.

What is the Priesthood? #

The Priesthood is a Sacrament in which the Holy Ghost, through the laying on of hands by a bishop (called ordination or cheirotonia), appoints a chosen candidate to be a sacred minister for the performance of the Sacraments and divine services, and for the spiritual instruction and governance of the flock of Christ. The first bearers of the Sacrament of the Priesthood, the holy apostles, spoke of their sacred rank in this way:

“Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:1).
Holy Scripture teaches us that the Sacrament of the Priesthood will abide in the Church forever, just as Christ Himself is Eternal, Who “because He continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood” (Hebrews 7:24).

How many degrees of the Priesthood are there?

In the Holy Church there are three degrees of the Priesthood: bishops, priests, and deacons.

A bishop — in Greek this word means “overseer” — is also called a hierarch, that is, a “high priest.” A bishop is the successor of the full apostolic grace of the Holy Ghost. A hierarch performs all the Sacraments, but only he has the right to perform the Sacrament of the Priesthood and to bestow upon others, by the laying on of hands, the grace to perform the Sacraments. The Apostle Paul thus instructs the bishops:

“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28).
Hierarchs constitute the highest order in the Church; they are all equal among themselves, but the one presiding among them bears the title Metropolitan.

Priests in Greek are called hiereis or presbyters, meaning “elders.” Priests are ordained by bishops and receive the grace to perform the Holy Sacraments — all except the Sacrament of Priesthood itself — according to the authority granted them by their hierarch.

A deacon — in Greek this means “helper” or “servant” — does not perform the Sacraments, but assists the bishop or priest in their performance.

What is Marriage? #

Marriage is a Sacrament in which a man and a woman, through a free promise of mutual love and fidelity spoken before God, His Church, the priest, and witnesses, are blessed for the marital union, and grace is bestowed upon them for the bearing and Christian upbringing of children. The Sacrament of Marriage was established by the Creator in Paradise when He said to Adam and Eve: “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Genesis 1:28). Jesus Christ confirmed the divine nature of Marriage, saying:

“For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matthew 19:5–6).

Blessed Simeon of Thessalonica writes thus about the Sacrament of Marriage:

“Marriage is a gift of God’s condescension, given for the sake of childbearing, and is to endure as long as this corruptible world exists. For God did not will that we should be conceived irrationally and in the uncleanness of carnal lust; but since by our own will we subjected ourselves to death, He permitted the propagation of the race to occur also as among the irrational animals, so that we might know how far we had fallen. And so it shall remain until He Who is Incorruptible, Who died and rose again for us, shall raise and make immortal our nature. It is for this reason that He Himself blesses Marriage, that the beginning of our life may not remain estranged from blessing.”

Is it necessary for everyone to enter into Marriage?

No. A pure and virginal life is superior to marriage. Christ Himself, while living on earth, had neither wife nor children but led a life of solitude. Such a solitary and virginal life is called monasticism. Just as with marriage, monasticism also requires the blessing of the Church. Concerning monasticism, Saint Paul — who had neither wife nor children — says:

“It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband… But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment. For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I” (1 Corinthians 7:1–8);
and also:
“But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: but he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction” (1 Corinthians 7:32–35).

Saint John of the Ladder (John Climacus) writes:

“A monk is one who, while clothed in a body and subject to its limitations, imitates the life of the bodiless angels. A monk is one who holds fast to the words and commandments of God at all times, in every place, and in every deed. A monk is one who continually compels his nature and guards his senses unceasingly. A monk is one whose body is purified, whose lips are clean, and whose mind is illumined. A monk is one who, grieving and sorrowing in soul, continually remembers and reflects on death, whether in sleep or in waking.”

What is Holy Unction? #

Holy Unction (Soborovanie) is a Sacrament in which, through the anointing of the sick with sanctified oil (fragrant vegetable oil) by a priest, the forgiveness of sins is sought, bodily healing is granted, and both soul and body are restored from infirmities. This Sacrament is traditionally performed by a gathering (sobor) of several priests — hence the name Soborovanie — though in cases of necessity it may be performed by a single priest. Holy Unction has existed in the Church since apostolic times, for when the apostles received power from God,

“they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them” (Mark 6:13).

Saint James writes clearly about this Sacrament:

“Is any among you afflicted? let him call for the elders of the Church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him” (James 5:14–15).

The 11th Article: I await the resurrection for the dead. #

What do we learn from this article?

We learn that, at the end of this visible world, there must certainly be a resurrection of all the dead — both the righteous and the sinners. Then, by the power of God’s omnipotence, all the bodies of departed men will be reunited with their souls and will be made alive again — spiritual and immortal.

Holy Scripture speaks thus of the resurrection of the dead:

“For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another” (Job 19:25–27);
“The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and shall come forth — they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:28–29);
“For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:53).

As for those who remain alive at the time of the general resurrection, their present gross, material bodies will be changed in an instant into spiritual and everlasting bodies:

“We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed — in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51–52).

Blessed Simeon of Thessalonica writes the following concerning the resurrection of bodies:

“He [God], in order to make us perfect as He created us to be, will raise the dead and reestablish the bodies with which we lived and acted, so that we may receive recompense according to our deeds. Thus, when He raises us perfect (for He made nothing in vain), He will not leave even our bodies in corruption, for He made all things for existence and desires that nothing should perish.”

What is required… But first of all, the penitent must constantly remember that he confesses his sins not to a mortal priest, but first and foremost to the Immortal Judge Himself, the Lord God, All-knowing and All-good, as Saint John Chrysostom says: “When you draw near to Him, come not with hypocrisy, not with a double heart, but with a pure conscience. Before you say anything—be it trivial or important—He foresees what you are going to say. And before you open your mouth, He already knows what is in your heart. Do not hesitate, and do not conceal your ailment. The Physician is not cruel, but compassionate.”

What will become of our material world?

Our world, just like our bodies, will be transformed into an incorruptible state. The Apostle Peter says:

“The heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men… Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:7, 13).

How do the souls of the departed await the Day of Resurrection and Judgment?

The souls of the righteous dwell in the bosom of Abraham (Luke 16:22), in anticipation of eternal blessedness; while the souls of the wicked await eternal torment, for final reward or condemnation shall only be given at the Dread Judgment of Christ:

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

The Holy Church teaches that we, the living, can help the souls of Christian departed who died in the faith but did not have time to bring forth fruits of repentance — we can ease their condition after death by offering prayers for them and giving alms in their memory. Most beneficial to the souls of the departed is the offering of the bloodless Sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ during the Divine Liturgy.

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem writes that we offer the sacrifice of Christ:

“On behalf of all who have fallen asleep before us, believing that great benefit comes to the souls for whom the prayer is offered at the time when the dread and holy sacrifice is present upon the altar… Thus, for the departed — even if they have sinned — when we offer prayers and present Christ, the Lamb slain for our sins, we do not weave a crown for them, but we offer the Merciful God Himself as a propitiation for them and for us.”

The 12th Article: And the life of the age to come. Amen. #

What does this article speak of?

It speaks of the future, eternal life which shall begin after the general resurrection, the renewal of the entire world, and the judgment of God.

What will the eternal life of the righteous be like?

All believers who love God and do good shall partake in joys so great that we cannot even imagine them:

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

The bodies of the righteous shall be changed, just as the Body of Christ was changed during His Transfiguration on Mount Tabor:

“His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light” (Matthew 17:2).
“And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly” (1 Corinthians 15:49).

In their renewed bodies, the righteous shall enjoy eternal blessedness — not equally, but in proportion to each one’s striving in faith, love, and piety in this life:

“There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:41–42).

What will the eternal life of sinners be like?

All sinners shall be given over to everlasting death — a death without dying — and to dreadful torment:

“To be cast out from God, and to be tormented with a conscience that is never at rest” (Saint Gregory the Theologian).

The horrors of this torment surpass the understanding of man. Sinners shall suffer in hell, together with the devil and his demons:

“Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).

The Lord will deal so severely with sinners not because He desires their destruction, but because:

“They received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:10).

And the torments of the sinners shall never end, just as the blessedness of the righteous shall have no end.

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