THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH

The Church is called "APOSTOLIC" because the Apostles placed the HISTORICAL beginning of the Church. They spread Christianity to the ends of the earth, and almost all of them SEALED THEIR PREACHING WITH A MARTYR’S DEATH. The seeds of Christianity were sown in the world by their word and watered with their blood. The unquenched flame of faith in the world they lit BY THE POWER OF THEIR PERSONAL FAITH.

The Holy Apostles PRESERVED AND TRANSMITTED TO THE CHURCH THE CHRISTIAN "TEACHING OF FAITH AND LIFE" in the form in which they had received it from their Master and Lord. Giving in themselves the example of the FULFILLMENT OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE GOSPEL, they handed down to the faithful the teaching of Christ by WORD OF MOUTH AND IN THE SACRED SCRIPTURE SO THAT IT MIGHT BE PRESERVED, CONFESSED AND LIVED.

The Holy Apostles established, according to the commandments of the Lord, the Church’s SACRED RITES. They placed the beginning of the performance of the Holy Mysteries (Sacraments) of the Body and Blood of Christ, of BAPTISM, AND OF ORDINATION.

The Holy Apostles established in the Church the Grace-given SUCCESSION OF THE EPISCOPATE and through it THE SUCCESSION OF THE WHOLE GRACE-GIVEN MINISTRY (DIAKONIA) OF THE CHURCH HIERARCHY WHICH IS CALLED TO BE "STEWARDS OF THE MINISTRIES OF GOD", in accordance with 1 Cotinthians 4:1.

The Holy Apostles established the beginning of the CANONICAL STRUCTURE of the Church’s life, being concerned that everything should be done "DECENTLY AND IN ORDER" [1 Corinthians 14:40]; and example of this is given in the fourteenth chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, which contain directions for the assemblies where Church services are celebrated.

Everything we have said here concerns THE HISTORICAL ASPECT. But besides this there is another, INWARD ASPECT which gives to the Church an Apostolic quality. The Holy Apostles were not only historically in the Church of Christ; THEY "REMAIN" IN IT AND ARE IN IT NOW. They were in the earthly Church, and they are now in the Heavenly Church, CONTINUING TO BE IN COMMUNION WITH BELIEVERS ON EARTH. Being the historical nucleus of the Church, THEY CONTINUE TO BE THE SPIRITUALLY LIVING, although invisible, nucleus of the Church, both now and forever, in its constant existence. The holy Apostle John the Theologian writes: "…Declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ" [1 John 1:3]. These words have for us the same force as they had for the contemporaries of the Apostle: they contain an exhortation to us to be IN COMMUNION WITH THE RANKS OF APOSTLES, for the nearness of the Apostles to the Holy Trinity is greater than ours.

Thus, both for reasons of an historical character and for reasons of an inward character, the Holy Apostles are the FOUNDATION of the Church. Therefore, it is said of the Church: It is "BUILT UPON THE FOUNDATION OF THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS, JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF BEING THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE" [Ephesians 2:20]. The naming of the Church "APOSTOLIC" indicates that it is established not on a single Apostle (as the Roman church later taught), BUT UPON ALL TWELVE; otherwise it would have to bear the name of Peter, or John, or some other. The Church as it were ahead of time warned us against thinking according to a "FLESHLY" principle [1 Corinthians 1:12]: "I am of Apollos, I am of Cephas." in the Apocalypse (Revelation), concerning the city coming down from heaven it is said: "And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the TWELVE APOSTLES OF THE LAMB" [Apocalypse 21:14].

The attributes of the Church indicated in the Symbol of Faith (the Creed) "ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, AND APOSTOLIC," refer to the Militant Church (the Church on earth). However, they receive their full significance with the awareness OF THE ONENESS OF THIS CHURCH with the Heavenly Church IN THE ONE BODY OF CHRIST: the Church IS ONE, with A UNITY THAT IS BOTH HEAVENLY AND EARTHLY; IT IS HOLY WITH A HEAVENLY-EARTHLY HOLINESS; IT IS CATHOLIC AND APOSTALIC BY ITS UNBROKEN TIE WITH THE HOLY APOSTLES AND ALL THE SAINTS. [Source: Orthodox Dogmatic Theology)

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"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George