Question: Hello Greg,
I
really enjoy reading the “Ask Greg” section of PTM’s web site.
I read a phrase from a Christian web site that I recently visited that I
have never heard of or read before. What
is “Orthodox Christianity”? I
have heard of different movements within Christianity but never have I heard of
Orthodox Christianity. Can you give
me some insights into this?
Mike
Answer: Dear Mike,
There
are several uses of the word orthodox within Christianity—the one to which you
have reference is a way of distinguishing historic, authentic Christianity.
There are key teachings that Christianity has always affirmed and never
renounced, modified or changed. Those
doctrines confirm the identity of Christians, past and present, throughout the
universal body of Christ. The use
of the word in this manner is unfortunately necessary because there are many who
play fast and loose with historical Christianity as they proclaim their own
brand of Christianity and as they interpret the Bible.
Orthodox
Christian teachings are outlined in the ancient creeds of Christianity which
were codified by Christians in the first few centuries after Christ as a result
of attacks by paganism, the state church, as well as heresies (false teaching).
The later writings in the New Testament had reference to such doctrinal
challenges (John and Peter especially) without giving extensive details about
the issues at hand. The details
about these challenges are documented in early Christian history—as the first
few centuries of Christianity were characterized by controversies. An elementary list of teachings that broadly define the
authentic Christian faith includes:
1.
The nature of the Godhead. God
is one, yet is Father, Son and Holy Spirit--the
2.
The deity of Jesus. Jesus
was no mere man, but God in the flesh.
3.
The full deity and personality of the Holy Spirit.
4.
Other beliefs such as baptism, the resurrection from the dead, etc. are
affirmed.
Later
issues were addressed by the Protestant Reformation and essentially agreed
1.
Salvation is by grace through faith, not at all by our works or by some
2.
The Bible is the fully authoritative source of truth for Christians.
3.
The church, the body of Christ, is not dominated by one denomination or
one
The
ecumenical Creeds include the Apostles’ Creed (early form called the Roman
Creed)—earliest forms in 300-400, later modifications in 600-700; Nicene Creed
(451); Athanasian Creed (harder to date, probably about 500-550).
Then
there are a host of councils and confessions inspired by the Reformation, which
further addressed these issues. Never
were the creeds overturned or modified, but issues that flow from the creeds,
like numbers 1-3 above, without excluding others, were modified and further
explained.
Hope
this helps.
In
Christ,
Greg
Albrecht