“Hold fast the traditions you were taught, whether by word or by letter.” – 2 Thessalonians 2:15
Orthodox Christianity is not a new religion or a modern denomination. It is the original Christian faith, preserved in its fullness since the time of Christ and the Apostles. But what exactly do Orthodox Christians believe?
Below is a simple introduction to the core beliefs of the Orthodox Church — not as a list of ideas, but as a living faith, rooted in worship, Scripture, and the teachings of the Fathers.
1. God as Holy Trinity
At the heart of Orthodox Christianity is the belief in the Holy Trinity — one God in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each Person is fully God, co-eternal and of the same essence.
We believe the Father is the source of the Godhead, the Son is eternally begotten of the Father, and the Holy Spirit proceeds eternally from the Father. This faith is confessed in the Nicene Creed, prayed at every Divine Liturgy.
2. Jesus Christ: Fully God and Fully Man
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the eternal Word, who became man for our salvation. He is both fully God and fully man — two natures united in one divine Person.
Through His Incarnation, Crucifixion, and Resurrection, Christ destroyed death and opened the way to eternal life. “God became man,” says St. Athanasius, “so that man might become god.”
3. The Church as the Body of Christ
The Orthodox Church is not simply a building or a community of believers — it is the Body of Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit. It is one, holy, catholic (universal), and apostolic.
We believe the Orthodox Church is the same Church founded by the Apostles and preserved through the centuries without change.
4. The Sacraments (Holy Mysteries)
The Church is a place of divine encounter. In the Holy Mysteries — such as Baptism, Chrismation (Confirmation), Confession, and especially the Eucharist — we receive the real grace of God.
In the Eucharist, we receive the true Body and Blood of Christ, not symbolically, but sacramentally — as a mystery. These sacraments are not rituals or symbols, but means of union with Christ.
5. Salvation as Theosis
Salvation is not a legal transaction, but a transformation. The goal of the Christian life is theosis — union with God. We are called to become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4), to be healed, transfigured, and filled with divine life.
This happens through repentance, prayer, fasting, communion, and a life of love — empowered by grace and guided by the Church.
6. Scripture and Tradition
We believe the Holy Scriptures are the inspired Word of God. But they are not interpreted in isolation — they are lived and understood within the Sacred Tradition of the Church, as handed down by the Fathers and lived in the Liturgy.
Orthodox faith is not "Bible-only" nor "tradition-only" — it is the fullness of both, rightly understood and faithfully preserved.
In the Orthodox Church, doctrine is not dry theory. It is the fragrance of Christ, the light of the Kingdom, and the medicine of the soul. Come and taste the faith that has not changed — because Truth Himself does not change.