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Greek Orthodox Catechism
Constantine Callinicos, London, 1926
Part I. Dogmatical, 10. The Church
Did Jesus, before His Ascension to Heaven, leave on earth any institution to carry on His work of salvation through the ages?
Yes; He left the Church, about which the ninth Article of the Creed speaks,
And what is the Church?
The Church, in the Christian sense, is the whole of those people, who, united in the true faith of Christ, and recognising Him, although invisible, as their Supreme Head, remain under the visible government of shepherds instituted by Him, and are sanctified by His grace which is imparted in the Sacraments. The Church, in other words, is the Kingdom of Christ on earth, which He founded when He lived among us two thousand years ago, and has since preserved by His Holy Spirit, in order that all who are mindful of their salvation may enter the Church as in another Ark.
What is the extent of the Church?
When the Church was first founded in the world, she was compared by the Saviour to a grain of mustard seed; and she was small indeed, since her total number was only twelve. But little by little, the grain of mustard grew into a lofty tree; and to-day the number of Christ’s subjects, living on earth, is many millions. But inasmuch as for those, who believe in Christ, death is not annihilation, but a return to their home and a closer union with their glorified Head. therefore, as subjects of the Church, in addition to her millions of faithful members living on this earth, must be considered those other millions also, who have, ever since the foundation of Christianity, lived and died in Christ. Thus the Church, taken as a whole, appears as an immense state, composed of two parts: the one visible, the other invisible. As many of her children as are still struggling on earth and fighting against evil, compose the Visible or Church Militant. As many as have finished their course of life and are enjoying the prizes of victory given by Christ, compose the Invisible or Church Triumphant of the “first born, who are enrolled in heaven.” (Heb. xii. 23.) Both these parts, however, are in close connection, the one with the other, and make up one body, having Christ as their Head, “from Whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and bands, increaseth with the increase of God.” (Col. ii. 19.)
What are the marks, by which the Church is known?
The marks by which the Church is known, are unity, sanctity, catholicity and apostolicity. The Church is One, because, although made up of many limbs scattered throughout the whole world, yet she forms one living organism, inspired by one Supreme Head and led by one vivifying Spirit. The Church is Holy, because her Founder is holy, her object is holy and the means by which she aims at her object are holy. Her holiness suffers nothing from the fact that she draws her material from the sinful world and advances little by little to the sanctification of her members. The Church is Catholic, because her career was, from the beginning, to enrol the whole world, so that one day the Church will consist, in the words of our Saviour, of “one fold and one shepherd” (John x. 16). The Church is Apostolic, because the Apostles first planted her, and she is the guardian and upholder of the faith taught by the Apostles.