Articles

The Orthodox hurch belief of God is based upon how He has revealed Himself to His people through the Holy Scriptures and Sacred Tradition. Orthodox theology never speculates in its beliefs (e.g.., the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, the person of Jesus Christ, the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Jesus Christ, sacramental theology, etc.), but is very comfortable in saying, when things are inexplicable or impossible to comprehend by the human mind, that it is a "mystery."

What we do know of God-that is, what He has revealed to us-is that He is: eternal, holy, perfect, all-loving, present everywhere, the Creator, the Source and Giver of life, the Source of virtues, a Trinity, just and therefore Judge, etc.,

The Orthodox Church speaks of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit: three divine persons sharing the same essence and a perpetual movement of love which makes the Holy Trinity act
harmoniously as one. The Orthodox have always maintained a theological balance between the oneness of God and the threeness of God. For example, in the Old Testament we read "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one." (Deuteronomy 6:4); and, in the New Testament we read "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of of the Holy Spirit (Matt 28.19)

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He came into the world by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary; thus, the Church gave Him the title "Theanthropos" i.e., the God-man. The Orthodox Church clearly teaches that Jesus Christ was fully divine and fully human.

The purpose of Jesus Christ's coming to earth was to reconcile mankind to God. In order to do this, God, in the person of Jesus Christ, had to become fully human. He had to experience all the pain, temptations and sufferings that all human beings face.
Finally, having preached, taught, healed and performed many miracles, He had to experience the last pain that all people must undergo: death. Thus, He allowed Himself to be crucified. As a human being, He died; but, being God, He rose from the dead, proving that all who believe and follow Him will do likewise. This is why Jesus Christ is called "Savior," for He saves us from death.

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity who proceeds from the Father. Like the Son, there was no time that the Holy Spirit did not exist. He was present at the creation of the world (Genesis 1:2). He was present, "in the form of a dove" at the baptism of Jesus; and, He is the person of the Trinity that Jesus promised He would send upon the Church as its Comforter and guide after His ascension (John 14 and John 15:26).

Jesus sent the Holy Spirit upon the Church (Acts 2:1-4; the Orthodox Church celebrates this great event on Pentecost); and the Church in turn bestows the Holy Spirit to each of its members through the sacrament of Chrismation. In fact, the Holy Spirit is present in all the sacraments of the Church.