Welcome to Orthodox Basics
The main purpose of this website is to provide lay people and anyone with even the slightest interest in the Orthodox faith with basic information and a better understanding of the foundations of our beliefs and practices.
A brief introduction of the Orthodox faith and this website
The central point of our faith is the person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, our Lord and Savior, who was made flesh by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, whom we rightfully call the Theotokos. He, who is the Creator and created everything with His unspeakable all-mightiness, entered and became a part of creation to save us from sin, which leads to eternal death. However, God in His holy goodness came down from above to grant us eternal life.
Our Triune God desires us to be in a relationship with Him through His Holy Spirit and to partake in the body of His Church.
Although basic knowledge about our faith is useful and even necessary in grasping its essence, understanding it, substantiating it, and defending it when necessary, our faith is not about how much theological knowledge we have, how many degrees we have obtained and from which theological university, but it is about the relationship we have with Him, the trust we place in our LORD. It is about our willingness to pick up our cross, follow Him, and do the will of our Father who is in heaven. It is about living out our faith.
The essence of our faith is to love the LORD our God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and also to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40).
Are we willing to repent and give up our sinful way of life?
When Jesus died and rose from death, He did not leave us empty-handed but left us His Church and the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, to lead us in all truth, guiding us towards Life. The Orthodox Church is the continuation of that which was delivered to the Children of Israel by the prophets and fulfilled in Jesus Christ for the entire world and preached by the Apostles. This is why the Orthodox Church is also called the New Israel because we are in the Body of the Church, and for this reason, we are called the children of God, participating in the New Covenant. This is what we refer to as the New Israel, which is known as the Orthodox Church.
The purpose of this website is to serve as a starting point for those who seek to learn about Christ, His saints, the Church, and Her teachings, and I pray that it will be useful and beneficial for your spiritual growth.