The Heart of Orthodox Christianity: Apostolic Continuity
Orthodoxy is built on the foundation Christ laid with His apostles.
From the moment Jesus said “Go and make disciples of all nations,” the apostles carried on His teaching, ordained bishops, and wrote the New Testament.
Orthodox Christianity sees itself as the living continuation of that unbroken chain. This continuity is the key proof that Orthodoxy is the true faith.
The early Church did not separate history and theology. Every council, every bishop, and every liturgy passed on the same faith the apostles received.
When we celebrate Pascha today, we join the same worship of the first Christians. Apostolic continuity means Orthodoxy is not a modern invention, but the faith of Christ preserved.
The Role of Bishops and the Unbroken Line
In Orthodox Christianity, bishops stand in direct succession from the apostles.
Through the rite of apostolic succession, each new bishop is ordained by those who were themselves ordained in an unbroken line back to the Twelve. This is not mere tradition. It is a living sacrament that safeguards doctrine.
When Orthodox Christians receive baptism, chrismation, or Holy Communion, they do so from a bishop or priest who has that same apostolic authority.
This uninterrupted lineage ensures that the faith we teach today is the same faith taught by Peter, James, John, and the rest.
Councils, Creed, and the Defense of True Doctrine
From the first ecumenical council at Nicaea in 325 to the seventh council in 787, Orthodox Christianity gathered bishops to clarify what the apostles believed. The Nicene Creed, still recited every Sunday, states the core truths of Christianity: the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Resurrection.
These councils did not create new doctrine. They defined and defended apostolic teaching against heresies. By upholding those decisions, Orthodox Christianity remains faithful to Christ’s own words and the faith delivered once for all to the saints.
In every Orthodox church, the Cross is not a decoration—it is the sign of our salvation.
Sacred Tradition: Beyond Scripture Alone
Orthodox Christianity values the Bible as the inspired Word of God.
Yet it also recognizes that Scripture itself emerged within the living tradition of the Church. The writings of the Church Fathers, liturgical hymns, and the lives of the saints all carry the truth of the apostles.
This sacred tradition is not separate from the Bible. It is the environment in which the Bible was written, read, and understood. By holding Scripture and Tradition together, Orthodoxy protects the faith from individual interpretation and maintains the unity Christ prayed for.
Unity in Faith and Worship
When you enter an Orthodox church anywhere in the world—Greece, Russia, Ethiopia, or America—you will find the same liturgy, the same icons, the same Creed.
This unity is a sign of apostolic continuity. It shows that Orthodoxy is not a set of ideas that change with culture, but a living communion that transcends time and place.
Believers partake of the same sacraments, follow the same fasts, and honor the same saints. This spiritual unity proves that Orthodox Christianity is the true extension of the apostolic Church.
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Why Apostolic Continuity Matters for Today’s Believers
In an age of competing interpretations, Orthodoxy offers stability. Apostolic continuity means you can trace your faith back to Christ Himself. The teachings you hear in church are the same teachings that shaped the early Christian martyrs.
This unbroken lineage gives confidence. It anchors the believer in the rock of Christ’s teaching, not in changing trends.
In Orthodox Christianity, faith is not a matter of personal opinion, but of belonging to the one, Holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
God did not just forgive us—He embraced our death to give us His life.
Why Orthodox Christianity Differs from Roman Catholicism
Doctrinal Additions
Orthodoxy holds that the Roman Catholic Church gradually introduced teachings that were unknown to the early Church and not accepted by the universal councils, such as:
- The Filioque: Adding “and the Son” to the Creed without the consensus of an Ecumenical Council changed the teaching on the Holy Spirit’s procession, altering the doctrine of the Trinity.
- Papal Infallibility: Declared in 1870, this teaching has no basis in the undivided Church of the first millennium. The early Church believed that all bishops, when gathered in council, expressed truth—not one bishop alone.
- The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary: While Orthodoxy honors her above all saints, it does not teach that she was exempt from ancestral sin in the way the Roman Church later defined.
- Purgatory and Indulgences: These are later theological constructions not found in the early Church or the writings of the Church Fathers.
These changes, over time, made the faith taught by the Roman Catholic Church differ in essence from the unchanging faith of Orthodox Christianity, even if the hierarchical structure remained.
Loss of Conciliarity
Orthodoxy believes that Christ governs His Church through the Holy Spirit working in the synodality (conciliarity) of bishops.
The shift to papal supremacy, where one bishop (the Pope) has supreme authority over the entire Church, disrupted the ancient model of shared episcopal responsibility found in the first thousand years of Christianity.
In Orthodox Christianity, no one bishop can change doctrine. The faith is safeguarded by the entire Church, led by bishops in council, rooted in Holy Tradition.
A Break in Liturgical and Spiritual Life
The Roman Church gradually changed the Divine Liturgy, its fasting practices, and spiritual ethos in ways that diverged from the Orthodox tradition.
While the structure remained apostolic, the content and expression of faith moved away from the holistic life taught and lived by the apostles and early Christians.
Orthodoxy sees fidelity not only in structure, but in doctrine, worship, and the path of sanctification. This complete continuity is what makes the Orthodox Church truly apostolic.
A Loving but Firm Position
The Orthodox Church does not say these things in hatred or pride. Many Orthodox saints, like Saint Mark of Ephesus and Saint Gregory Palamas, defended Orthodoxy with love and pain in their hearts for the unity of the Church.
The separation between East and West was a great tragedy, and we pray for reconciliation—but only in truth.
Orthodoxy continues to offer the original Christian Faith—not because it is proud, but because it believes that preserving what Christ gave the apostles is essential for salvation.
How to Explain to Little Kids
Parents can say: “A long time ago, Jesus chose His first friends called apostles. They learned everything from Him and told others.
Each new Church leader was taught by someone taught by the apostles. That way, we believe the same things Jesus taught. It’s like a long chain—every link helps pass on Jesus’ love and truth all the way to us.”
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