Faith of Our Church
Handbook for the Malankara Orthodox
By His Grace Mathews Mar Barnabas

	God
	The Church
	Christian
	Sin
	Priest
	Sacraments
	Holy Bible

GOD

Who is God?

God is the Ultimate Reality behind the universe. It is in God that we live, move and have our being (Acts 17:28). He is the mathematical mind behind this mathematical unverse. He is the creator, sustainer and savior of the whole universe. The invisible God activates the whole unverse like the invisible life activates a living being.

Only through God’s revelations we can know God. He reveals Himself through nature and revelations given through godly people. The revelation given through Jesus Christ is unique.

God is our heavenly Father. He created us in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:27). We have to become perfect, as God is perfect (Mathew 5:48). God is eternal, self-existent, all-powerful, all knowing, and present everywhere. God is love (1 John 4:16).

Father, Son and Holy Spirit are described as having qualities that can belong only to God. Each one is then God. But there is only one God. Hence we have to believe in a Trinity.

The Son is eternal. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). Compare this with Malachi 3:6, "For I the Lord does not change." "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end" (Revelation 22:13) compare this with Revelation 1:8, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Lord God." St. Paul says, "For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily" (Colossians 2:9). St. John says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God" (John 1:1). "This is true God and eternal life" (1 John 5:20). Our Lord says, "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30). "He who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). "Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58). Thus we find that the Son is equal to the Father.

It was in our Lord’s incarnation that He is found lower than the Father. In His incarnation he emptied Himself as St. Paul says, "Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God, to a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of man" (Philippians 2:5-8)

Holy Spirit is called the Eternal Spirit (Hebrews 9:14). Holy Spirit is omnipresent, "Whither shalt I go from Thy Spirit" (Psalm 139:7). Holy Spirit is the giver of life. Our Lord says, "Truly truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God" (John 3:5). "When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13). St. Paul says, "God’s love is poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). Thus we find that the Holy Spirit had the divine qualities of God. Our Lord says that the Holy Spirit is equal to Him. "And I will pray to the Father and He will give you another counselor to be with you, forever, even the Spirit of truth" (John 14:16,17). He also says that the three persons have one name, "baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit" (Mathew 28:19). He does not say names.

A number of prophecies are fulfilled in Jesus Christ, especially those about His passion and resurrection. "Surely He has borne our grieves and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our inequities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him and by His stripes are we healed" (Isaiah 53:4,5). "For you will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption" (Psalm 16:10).

John the Baptist witnesses to the truth that Jesus Christ is the savior, "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). The divinity of our Lord was revealed to John through a special sign. John says "I myself did not know Him; but for this I cam baptizing with water, that He might be revealed to Israel. And John bore witness: I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on Him. I myself did not know Him but He who sent me to baptize with water, said to me: He, on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God" (John 1:31-34).

Our Lord said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep" (John 10:11). "Drink of it, all you you; for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (John 26:27,28).

Why do we say that there is no salvation without Christ?

Only through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ are we saved. God has not revealed any other way for our salvation. Jesus Christ said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me" (John 14:6). St. Peter said, "There is no salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven, given among men, by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

It is the divine institution founded by Christ on the faith confessed by St. Peter. "He said to the "But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter replied: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered him: Blessed are you Simon Bar Jona. Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you: you are Peter and on this rock, I will build my church and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatever you loose on earth shall bed lost in heaven" (Mathew 16:15-19). Here Peter or Petros in Greek is masculine and rock or Petra in Greek is feminine. The difference in gender shows that it was not on Peter that the church was to be built. Pistis in Greek means faith and Pistis is feminine. Hence we can understand that it was on the faith confessed by Peter that the church was to be built. Even if it is argued that Peter had anything special, there is no point in arguing that it was exclusively handed down to the Roman Catholic Church. Whatever was given to Peter or the apostolic group is handed down to all the churches.

Ignatius of Antioch who was martyred in the beginning of the second century says, "Wherever there is a bishop, there is a church. Catholicos or Patriarch or Pope is the president of the synod of bishops in a particular province or country.

Church is the extension of the incarnation of our Lord and uniformity in faith is essential among churches. A universal head is not a necessity. This is the tradition of the Orthodox churches.

1. Church is the body of Christ
   St. Paul says, "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it" (1 Corinthians 12:27). See also Ephesians 4:15-16 and Colossians 1:18.
1. Church is the bride of Christ
   Isaiah says, "For your maker is your husband" (Isaiah 54:5). Jehovah says through Hosea "I will betroth you to me forever" (Hosea 2:19). See Ephesians 5:23-32.
2. Church is God’s people
   St. Peter says, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of Him, who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).
3. Church is the temple of the Holy Spirit
   St. Paul says, "Do you not know that, you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16). St. Peter speaks about the need for unity and our duty to offer our lives as a sacrifice pleasing to God. "And like living stones be yourself built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Christ" (1 Peter 2:5)
4. Church is the flock of Christ
   The emphasis here is on the nourishment and the protection that we get from our Lord. See Psalm 23 and St. John 10:1-18. Our Lord says, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for his sheep" (John 10:11). St. Peter speaks of Christ as "the chief shepherd" (1 Peter 5:4). The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews speaks of Christ as the "the great shepherd" (Hebrews 13:20).

It is 1) catholic (universal), 2) apostolic (having apostolic faith and apostolic succession), 3) one (having uniformity in faith), and 4) holy

It is the commissioning or ordination coming down from the apostles through generations, without break.

Salvation is to be had through the sacraments of the church. Hence there is no salvation outside the church. "Jesus answered: Truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God" (John 3:5). So Jesus said to the: Truly, truly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood, has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:53,54).

Christian is one who has received re-birth through baptism in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit and entered into a covenant (promise) relationship with God. In the case of children, the covenant made by the godparent is made his/her own in Holy Confession and Holy Qurbana. Adults and infants receive the Holy Spirit and forgiveness of sin through baptism.

"Sin is lawlessness" (1 John 3:4). It is "missing the mark", i.e. not coming up to perfection. It is the lack of love. It is selfishness. It is rebellion against God. It is rejection of God and an attempt to become equal to God through selfish acts. The sinner alienates himself/herself from God and hides himself/herself.

The sin committed by Adam and Eve has its effect on all mankind. That is original sin. The sin committed by individuals are personal sins.

Doing things we ought not to do, is a sin of commission. Not doing thing we ought to do, is a sin of omission.

Those sins committed with the full consent of the will are mortal. Those sins committed without the full consent are venial.

It is difficult to say which sin is against the Holy Spirit. If a person reaches a stage in which that person is so hardened that he cannot repent, any sin committed by him is a sin against the Holy Spirit. To avoid this kind of sin, we must always be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and repent. If a man continues to disobey the prompting of the Holy Spirit, he becomes hardened. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin. He pours the love of God. He prompts us to do deeds of love. He helps us to pray.

Jesus Christ is the only high priest in the Christian church. All the high priests and priest in the church are His symbols. Jesus Christ is a high priest "being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek" (Hebrews 5:10).

The Aaronic sacrifice is fulfilled in the sacrifice of our Lord. Thus we find the fulfillment of two priesthoods in Jesus Christ, 1) that of Melchizedek and 2) that of Aaron." But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the old things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made by hands that is, not of this creation). He entered once for all into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves, but His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:11,12).

We have both common priesthood and special priesthood in the church. St. Peter speaks of the common priesthood, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of Him, who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).

We find special priesthood in the choosing of the twelve apostles and giving them special duties, "In these days He went out to the mountains to pray, and all night He continued in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His disciples and chose them twelve, whom He named apostles" (Luke 6:12,13). Our Lord authorized the twelve apostles to conduct the Lord’s Supper saying "Do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19). He commissioned them giving the authority to forgive sins." Jesus said to them again: peace be with you. As the Father has sent me even so I send you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them: Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven, If you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:21-23).

Our Lord gave the authority to baptize people to the apostles, "Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Mathew 28:19).

There were bishops, elders, and deacons in the apostolic times also. What we have now, is only an extension of what existed in apostolic times.

Sacraments are the visible acts instituted by our Lord, to receive the invisible grace of God. In each sacrament we receive a special grace. Sacraments are commonly called Koodasa in our church; meaning acts of purification. Through the sacraments we are purified (from foreign matter) and we grown to perfection. They are mysteries. Mystery means an act through which we are called to the inner chamber of God. All sacraments, except Holy Confession, are corporate acts conducted by the church under the leadership of a bishop or a priest. Jesus Christ is the invisible chief celebrant in every sacrament and the Holy Spirit gives us the grace. The chief sacraments are seven. Holy Baptism, Holy Mooron, Holy Confession are obligatory. Holy Baptism, Holy Mooron and Holy Priesthood are not to be repeated. All sacraments are perfected through Holy Qurbana.

1. Holy Baptism
1. Holy Mooron
2. Holy Qurbana
3. Holy Confession
4. Holy Matrimony
5. Holy Priesthood
6. Holy Anointing of the Sick

Highest respect is given to the Holy Bible in our church, as the Word of God. But the interpretation of the Bible is to be given by the Church Fathers. We accept the apocryphal books also as part of the Holy Bible. Traditions are to be followed along with the Bible as the basis of the faith and the practices of the church.

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Last modified: May 24, 2001