What We believe - why we believe it

1. Christ is Lord

We proclaim Jesus Christ as Pantokrator — Ruler of All. He is not merely a teacher or moral example, but the eternal Son of God who took on flesh, conquered death, and reigns as King. His name is above every name, and His Word cuts sharper than any sword.

Scripture

• ​Philippians 2:9–11 — “Every knee shall bow… every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

• Colossians 1:16–17 — “By Him all things were created… in Him all things hold together.”

Early Sources

• ​Didache 9:4 — Thanksgiving to the Father through Jesus His Servant.

• Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Ephesians 18:2 — Christ is “God in man… Jesus Christ our Lord.”

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2. Scripture as God’s Word, Rooted in the Great Tradition

We affirm the Holy Scriptures as the inspired, authoritative Word of God. We honor the wisdom of the early Fathers, the ecumenical creeds, and the historic teaching of the Church as witnesses that guard and clarify the truth of Scripture. We walk in continuity with the saints who shed their blood for this faith.

Scripture

• ​2 Timothy 3:16–17 — “All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”

• 2 Thessalonians 2:15 — “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.”

Early Sources

• Didache 4:13 — “Keep what you have received, neither adding nor taking away.”

• Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.4.1 — Apostolic tradition is manifest throughout the whole world.

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3. Salvation by Grace, Lived in Synergy

We reject both self-salvation and cheap grace. We are saved by the sovereign initiative of God’s grace, yet called to active obedience and perseverance. Like the Orthodox Fathers, we confess that salvation is both God’s gift and our response: we must repent, believe, and walk faithfully.

Scripture

 

• Ephesians 2:8–10 — “By grace you have been saved through faith… created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand.”

• Philippians 2:12–13 — “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

Early Sources

• Didache 16:2 — “Then all created mankind shall come to the fire of testing, and many shall fall away and perish; but those who endure in their faith shall be saved.”

• Clement of Rome, 1 Clement 32:4 — “We… are not justified of ourselves or by our own wisdom or understanding… but by that faith through which Almighty God has justified all men from the beginning.”

 

4. Holiness as Warfare

We embrace the battle against sin, the flesh, and the devil. The Christian life is not passive but militant. We put on the armor of God, discipline the passions, and resist the schemes of the enemy. Fasting, prayer, purity, and courage are our weapons. Compromise with evil is treason against Christ.

Scripture

• Ephesians 6:11–12 — “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil… we wrestle not against flesh and blood…”

• 1 Peter 2:11 — “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.”

Early Sources

• Didache 1:1–2 — “There are two ways, one of life and one of death, and there is a great difference between the two ways… you shall hate all hypocrisy and everything that is not pleasing to the Lord.”

• Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to Polycarp 6:2 — “Stand firm, like an anvil which is beaten. It is the mark of a great athlete to be beaten and still conquer.”

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5. The Goal: Union with God

We proclaim salvation as more than escape from judgment — it is union with God: holiness, fellowship, and eternal life in Him. God calls His people to be transformed, restored in His image, and to shine as salt and light in the world.

Scripture

• 2 Peter 1:4 — “That you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”

• John 17:21–23 — “That they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in Us.”

Early Sources

• Clement of Rome, 1 Clement 50:7 — “Love unites us to God; love covers a multitude of sins; love endures all things, is patient in all things. In love have all the elect of God been made perfect.”

• Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Ephesians 3:2 — “We are stones of the Father’s temple, prepared for the building of God the Father, lifted up to the heights by the instrument of Jesus Christ, which is the cross, using the Holy Spirit as a rope; while your faith is the means by which you ascend.”

 

6. The Church: A People, Not Just Individuals

We reject the myth of privatized religion. The Church is the Body of Christ, one holy people called to live in truth, unity, and holiness. Faith is personal but never solitary. Christians are bound to one another in loyalty, discipline, and mission.

Scripture

• Ephesians 4:4–6 — “There is one body and one Spirit… one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.”

• Hebrews 10:24–25 — “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together… but encouraging one another.”

Early Sources

• Didache 9:5 — “Even as this broken bread was scattered over the hills, and was gathered together and became one, so let your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into Your kingdom.”

• Cyprian of Carthage, On the Unity of the Church 6 — “He can no longer have God for his Father, who has not the Church for his Mother.”

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7. Truth in Culture and Nation

We affirm that the gospel has public consequence. When Christians live faithfully, families, communities, and nations are preserved. When Christians compromise, societies rot. As salt, we preserve truth and righteousness; as sword, we confront lies and cut away corruption.

Scripture

• Matthew 5:13–14 — “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

• Proverbs 14:34 — “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”

Early Sources

• Didache 8:2 — “Do not pray as the hypocrites, but as the Lord commanded in His Gospel, pray in this way: ‘Our Father… Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’”

• Letter to Diognetus (c. 130 AD, ch. 5) — “What the soul is in the body, that Christians are in the world.”

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8. No Compromise with Falsehood

We will not dilute the gospel for cultural acceptance. We will not soften Christ’s words to win favor. The world may hate, but we stand firm. Better to be despised for truth than loved for lies.

Scripture

• Galatians 1:8 — “Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”

• Revelation 2:13 — “You hold fast My name, and you did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas My faithful witness.”

Early Sources

• Didache 11:8 — “Not everyone who speaks in the Spirit is a prophet, but only if he has the ways of the Lord. From his ways you will know the false prophet.”

• Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians 7:1 — “Everyone who does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is antichrist; and whoever does not confess the testimony of the cross is of the devil.”

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9. Historic Continuity, Present Boldness

We anchor ourselves in the witness of the ancient Church, the blood of the martyrs, and the creeds that confessed Christ against heresy. Yet we speak with the boldness needed in this generation. Salt loses its flavor when diluted; swords grow dull when left in their sheath. We will be neither.

Scripture

• Jude 1:3 — “Contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”

• 2 Thessalonians 2:15 — “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught.”

Early Sources

• Didache 16:3–4 — “Then shall the deceiver of the world appear… but those who endure in their faith shall be saved.”

• Irenaeus, Against Heresies 1.10.1 — “The Church… although scattered throughout the whole world, even to the ends of the earth, has received from the apostles and their disciples this faith… and she guards it with great care.”

 

10. Christ Victorious

We fight because Christ has already won. His kingdom is advancing, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against His Church. Until He returns, we hold the line, preserve the truth, and wield the Word with courage.

Scripture

• Matthew 16:18 — “I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”

• 1 Corinthians 15:25–26 — “For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”

Early Sources

• Didache 16:7–8 — “Then the world will see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven with all His saints.”

• Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho 32 — “For the prophet says, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’”