23/03/2022
HISTORY OF ORTHODOX CHURCH.
PART 1
THE ESTABLISHED OF ORTHODOX CHURCH.
Forty days after His Resurrection and before His Ascension, Jesus Christ assembled His disciples at the Mount of Olives, near Bethany. He commanded them to "Go forth and preach to all nations" In the meantime, they were to remain in Jerusalem until Christ's promise, give to disciplines for strength, enlightenment and direction, would be fulfilled.
Jesus Christ told His disciples that the Holy spirit would give them the means and the power to do all the things He had instructed them. After this, Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and they no longer saw Him. But He had promised that through the church He would always be with them and all the believers in Him.
As we know, Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Christ, hanged himself after the Crucifixion. So eleven disciples were Left, and they felt that the number should be brought back to the original twelve. After continuous prayer and Careful study, the Apostles selected two Candidates: Joseph called Barsabas and Matthias.
Then Apostles prayed, "Lord, who knows the hearts of all men, show which one of these two you have chosen to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas felt, that he might go to his own place". And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven Apostles" (Acts 1:23-26)
PENTECOST SUNDAY.
Fifty days after Resurrection of Christ, His disciples were gathered in an upper room in the city of Jerusalem and prayed. Suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing strong wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. All the disciples were filled with the Holy spirit and they were no longer frightened. They began to speak " with tongues,as the spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4).
This is a fulfilment of the prophecy of Joel (Joel 2:28-29) concerning the Holy spirit. The words spoken by the Apostles were understood by the people from all over the empire who came to Jerusalem for the feast. They heard the Good News and praises of God in their respective languages from the disciples who did not know those languages.
Peter, with the other eleven Apostles, preached the first known Christian sermon to the Jews. He told them about Jesus and His mission on earth. After Peter finished his sermon, the listeners cried out, " Men and brethren, what shall we do?" ( Acts 2:37). Peter answered them and said, "Repent and be baptised everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy spirit" (Acts 2:38).
St Peter's call to respond to the Gospel requires specific actions which define Christian Life within the church. We must (1) Repent,(2) be baptised and (3) receive of Holy Spirit. To this day, people come to Christ in precisely this same manner in the baptismal service of the Orthodox Church.
As a result of Peter's first sermon, over three thousand people became Christians that day which is considered the birthday of the Orthodox Church.
