Orthodox Tewahido for Beginners

Here are the basic teachings on which you are building your eternal life. No one knows how much time you have spent in the past doing wrong activities, but God he knows whether you were Muslims, Protestant, Buddhist, Pagan or another else. Now, it is a time of Him to bring you to the light. So rejoice for you are engaged to Jesus Christ our savior. You can get everything you need in Him. You can put all your burden on Him. He can show you the right way to live. Indeed, He win give you a very wonderful good life. Then, you will be given His strength to stop doing sins.

God wants you to live a life free from sin. If you come to the church which our savior Jesus Christ purified with his own blood, you will have the good life. Then you are able to call God «Abba´ because you receive the spirit of son ship /Rom 8:15/ that means you have been ‘born again’ and you are a child of God.

As you know, sons have the right to ask their fathers whatever they need. So if you come to be his child, God will give you everything you ask.
Now let as go to the main topic. In this lesson you will learn more about the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido church. Before that, it is better to define the words orthodox and Tewahido.

Orthodox: - According to oxford advanced learner’s dictionary it is an idea of view that generally accepted or approved of; following generally accepted beliefs.

Tewahido:- It simply reveals incarnation.

These five countries: Ethiopia, Egypt, Armenia, Syria and India are called Oriental Churches (Orthodox Tewahido). They practice the same dogma. Since you are a new comer, it is believed that to have an idea of the teaching of these churches; especially the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church. For this reason, you are invited to read the following church sacraments.

Introduction to Church Sacraments.

1. Introduction

A church Sacraments is a holy ordinance through which the believer receives as invisible grace under the form of an outward sign, visible or audible. It should be instituted by Christ Himself.

Some Protestants say that the sacraments are mere symbols and “signs of the new covenant,” and that they are mere outward rituals, through the observance of which “the church of Christ confesses her Lord and is visibly distinguished from the world.”
But our church believes that there is a real efficacy in the sacraments themselves, and that they truly bring invisible graces to the believers.

(1) For instance it is said that Baptism brings salvation. “When once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us.” (1 pet.3:20,21)

(2) And the Holy Communion brings true life in this world: “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have mo life in you.” (John 6:53), and brings eternal life: “Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. He that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.”(John 6:54,58)
The same can be said of the other sacraments.


2. Number of Church Sacraments

(1) There are seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation, penance, Holy Communion, unction of the sick, matrimony, and holy orders.

(2) The first four Sacraments are necessary for every believers: and although the other three are not necessary for every believer, yet matrimony and holy orders are very necessary to the church, the first being necessary for the preservation and growth of mankind, and the second for consecrating the clergy required to perform the various church services, because they can never be performed by the laity.

(3) Other churches accept only two of these: baptism and Holy Communion. But the following will prove that the sacraments are seven in number and not two:

1. The definition of church sacraments in general can be equally applied to all seven without any distinction.

2. The Bible contains some instructions regarding every one of the seven sacraments.

3. Even the practice of those churches shows that although they accept only two sacraments, yet they celebrate the others refusing to consider them as sacraments.

4. The writing of the father in the early centuries makes it clear that they are seven. Although they did not expressly declare that the number of sacraments was seven, yet in their writings they mentioned one or two or three sacraments, another mentioned another sacrament and so on.

5. All the Orthodox and Catholic churches, throughout east and west, agree n keeping the seven sacrament in spite of the various differences which are among them in other respects. They also declare that they received the seven sacraments from the very early fathers.

6. The churches gives another reason, considering that the seven sacraments resemble, or rather represents, the seven pillars upon which “wisdom” built her house. (prov.9:1)

7. In addition to all this, it may be worth mentioning to state that this number “7” in the Bible conveys the number of perfection.

3. Performance of Sacraments.

Certain prayers are set for each sacrament to ask for the blessing of the Holy Ghost.

4. Who has the right to perform church Sacraments?

(1) A bishop may perform any churches sacrament, but there must be at least three bishops for the consecration of a bishop in the sacrament of Holy Orders; a priest can not confer Holy Ordered, but he can perform the others six sacrament ; a deacon can only help the bishop or the priest in celebrating the seven sacraments.

(2) some protestant say that sacrament and all church ordinances can be celebrated by anyone of the laity, and that there is no need for the clergy, supposing that all Christianity are of the same standing, and Christ did not distinguish any one in His church.

In replay please turn to what is mentioned in this connection in the sacrament of Holy Orders.

(3) Others think that the sacrament lose their efficiency if the minister's life is not a good one. but our church teaches that the blessing got through the sacrament do not depend on the life of the minister because of the following reasons:

1. The Apostle Paul asserts that the work of grace in the heart does not depend on an human effort, but absolutely on God "Neither is he that planteth anything neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase. (1 cor.3:7)

2. Though the Lord did not baptize, and baptism was left to the disciples, yet it was said that it was he who baptized. (John 1:33, 4:1,2)
In the same manner we can say that it is mot the minister of who performs the sacrament, but God who works in him, with him, and through him.
"For it is God which worketh in you." (Phil. 2:13)
"We then, as workers together with Him, beseech you also..."(2cor. 6:1)
"I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was in me." (1cor.15:10)
"We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be reconciled to God." (2cor. 5:20)

3. When Korah, Dathan and Abriam rebelled against Moses and against God, took their censers and offered incense in them, they were severely punished; but God ordered that "the censers of these sinners against their own souls," should be made "broad plates for a covering of the altar, for they offered them before the Lord, there fore they are hallowed."(Numbers 16:37, 38)

4. the Lord ordered us to accept the teaching even of wicked teachers, and not to imitate their bad example.( matt. 23:1-2)

5. John Chrysostom said: "It happens that the leaders are wicked and the laity are righteous. But the grace does not depend upon the life of the clergy. This I say in order that no one should doubt of the legality of ordinances celebrated if he examine the priest's life because every thing depends upon the powers of God who alone grants the grace through the sacrament performed.

And St. Athanasius said: “The priest does not consecrate the water (of baptism) but merely performs the due service, for which he obtains grace from God."
He also said: "If we baptize, confirm and forgive, everything is due to Christ who performs it."

It was also said: "It makes no difference whether the sacrament are given at the hands of righteous or wicked ministers, because sacrament resemble the seeds which are scattered on the earth by the farmer, and which will produce the due crop whether the hands of the farmer are clean or dirty; and because of the efficacy of the sacrament depends upon the life of the minister, it follows that our salvation depends upon their desire."

By : Tesfaye Baye