The Orthodox Church: The Church of the New Testament 

To answer the question “What is the Orthodox Church”, it’s helpful to go back to the pages of the New Testament, specifically to the Book of Acts and the birth of the Church at Pentecost. On that day the Holy Spirit descended on the Twelve Apostles and those gathered in the Upper Room, and by afternoon some three thousand souls believed in Christ and were baptized. Holy Scripture records that when the first Christian community began, “they continued steadfastly in the Apostle’s doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42).

From Jerusalem, faith in Christ spread throughout Judea, to Samaria (Acts 8:5-39), to Antioch and to the Gentiles (Acts 11:19-26). Soon there were new converts and new Churches throughout Asia Minor and the Roman Empire as recorded in Acts and the Epistles.

The Church, of course, was not simply another organization in Roman society. Our Lord Jesus Christ had given the promise of the Holy Spirit to “guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). With the fulfillment of that promise beginning with Pentecost, the Church bore more than mere institutional status. She is not an organization with mystery, but a mystery with organization.  Saint Paul called the Church “a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22).  The Church is a dynamic organism, the Living Body of Jesus Christ.  She makes an indelible impact in the world, and those who live in her life and faith are personally transformed.

As the Church moves from the pages of the New Testament and into the succeeding centuries of her history, her growth and development can be traced in terms of specific categories. This article gives a brief overview of the Orthodox Church’s doctrine, worship, and governance.

Doctrine: Not only did the Church begin under the teaching of the holy Apostles, but she was also instructed to “stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle” (2 Thessalonians 2:15).  The doctrine taught by Christ and His Disciples are to be safeguarded by “the Church of the Living God, the pillar and ground of the Truth” (1 Timothy 3:15) and are not open for renegotiation. Because the Church was still young, a way had to be found for providing this safeguard.

The first three hundred years of Christian history were also marked by the appearance of certain heresies or false teachings.

Between the years 325 A.D. and 787 A.D., Seven Ecumenical Councils were held, which all dealt first and foremost with some specific challenge to the Apostolic teaching about Jesus Christ.

For the first thousand years of Christian history, the entire Church, save for the heretics, embraced and defended the New Testament Apostolic faith.  There was no consequential division.  This one faith, preserved through all trials, attacks and tests, this Apostolic Doctrine was called “the Orthodox faith.”

Worship:  Doctrinal purity was tenaciously maintained, but true Christianity is far more than adherence to a set of correct beliefs alone. The life of the Church is centrally expressed in her worship and adoration of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

At the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the Eucharist, the communion service, when He took bread and wine, gave a blessing, and said to His Disciples, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me” and “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:19-21).  The Church participated in communion at least each Sunday (Acts 20:7-11).  From such first and second century sources as the Didache, the letters of Saint Ignatius of Antioch and the writings of Saint Justin Martyr, we are assured the Eucharist is the very center of Christian worship from the Apostolic era on.

Also, just as the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets were read in the Temple worship and the synagogue in Israel, so the Church also immediately gave high priority to the public reading of Holy Scripture and to preaching in her worship, along with the Eucharistic meal.

A basic pattern or shape of Christian worship was observed from the start, and, as the Church grew and matured, liturgy matured as well. Hymns, Holy Scripture readings, and prayers were intertwined in the basic foundation. A clear, purposeful procession through the year was forthcoming, which marked and joined the word, song, and praise the birth, ministry, death, Resurrection, and Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, and sanctified crucial aspects of Christian life and experience. The Christian life was lived in reality in the worship of the Church.  Far from being just a boring routine, the ritual worship of the historic Church participated in the unfolding drama of the richness and mystery of the Gospel itself!

Governance:

Bishops: The Apostles themselves were the first bishops in the Church. Even before Pentecost, after Judas had turned traitor, Peter declared in applying Psalm 108:8, “Let another take his office” (Acts 1:20).  This refers, of course, to the office of bishop. The Apostles were themselves bishops, and they appointed bishops to succeed them to oversee the Church in each locality.

Presbyters: Elders or presbyters are mentioned very early in the life of the Church in Acts and the Epistles. It is evident that in each place a Christian community developed, elders were appointed by the Apostles to pastor the people.

As time passed, presbyters were referred to in the short form of the word as “prests,” then as “priests,” in full view of the fact that the Old Testament priesthood had been fulfilled in Christ and that the Church is corporately a priesthood of believers. The priest was not understood as an intermediary between God and the people nor as a dispenser of grace. The role of the priest was to be the presence of Christ in the Christian community, and in the very capacity of being the presence of the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ, the priest was to safeguard the flock of God.

Deacons. The third order or office in the government of the New Testament Church was the deacon. At first the holy Apostles fulfilled this office themselves, but with the rapid growth of the Church, seven initial deacons were selected (Acts 6:1-7) to help carry the responsibility of service to those in need. Often called “the eyes and ears of the bishop,” many deacons have become priests and ultimately entered the Episcopal office.

The authority of the bishop, presbyter, and deacon was not anciently understood as being apart from the people but always from among the people. In turn the people of God were called to submit to those who ruled over them (Hebrews 13:17), and they were also called to give their agreement to the direction of the leaders for the Church.

Also it was the ministry of the holy Apostles that brought the people of God together as the laity.  Far from being just observers, the laity are vital in the effectiveness of the Church.  They are the recipients and active users of the gifts and grace of the Spirit.  Each member of the laity has a role in the life and function of the Church.  Each is to supply something to the whole (1 Corinthians 12:7). The responsibility of the bishops, the priests, and the deacons is to be sure that this is a reality for the laity.

The worship of the Church at the close of its first one thousand years had substantially the same shape from place to place.  The doctrine was the same.  The whole Church confessed one creed, the same in every place, and had weathered many attacks.  The government of the Church was recognizable one everywhere, and this One Church was the Orthodox Church.

In Orthodoxy today, as in years gone by, the basics of Christian doctrine, worship, and government are never up for alteration.  One cannot be an Orthodox priest, for example, and reject the divinity of Christ, His virgin birth, Resurrection, Ascension into heaven, and Second Coming. The Church simply has not left its course in nearly two thousand years. It is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. It is the New Testament Church.

What, then, is the Orthodox Church? It is the first Christian Church in history, the Church founded by the Lord Jesus Christ, described in the pages of the New Testament. Her history can be traced in unbroken continuity all the way back to Christ and His Twelve Holy Apostles.

(Source: The Orthodox Study Bible p. xxiii)