ORTHODOX WORSHIP

AS THE MEANS OF EVANGELISM

By
His Eminence
Metropolitan Panteleimon of Antinoes
Orthodox Evangelism can be characterized as a continuous
movement. It is a movement towards the meeting of man with
God; the sinner with the absolute Holy One. This meeting is
realized in its fullness within the Orthodox Church, which is the
unique Body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of
God.
The main purpose of the Orthodox Church is to evangelize
all the nations to become members of the One, Holy, Catholic
and Apostolic Church. Christ our Lord and Savior before His
glorious ascension into Heaven and the sitting on the right hand
of God the Father, gave the instruction to His holy Apostles and
Disciples saying: Go therefore and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am
with you always, to the end of the age. Amen.1
The Orthodox Church, being the original Body of Christ,
was instructed to carry on this commandment and to realize it
among all nations. The Orthodox Bishops, clergy and laymen
living amongst so many different religions and various Christian
Denominations, are called to witness their Orthodox Christian
1

Matt. 28:19.

Faith first by their good Christian example and way of life, and
then by evangelizing this faith to all.

The Orthodox Church is the living Body of Christ and

grants life and sanctification to all those who believe and
confesses the Lord Jesus Christ as being the Son and Word of
God the Father. The Orthodox Church is not a social, political or
philosophic organization. It is not like any worldly institution.
The Orthodox Church is the unique environment of the
communion (=koinonia) between God and man, in which man
finds his sanctification and finally his deification
(=theosis) within and through its true (orthodox) way of
worship.
The Orthodox Church is the original New Testament
Church which preserved the original Teachings of our Lord and
the living Apostolic Traditions.
The Orthodox Church is the ecumenical (=universal)
Church, which has the ability to be accepted by the entire
universe, by all nations, regardless of their background, color of
skin, language or nationality.
As the Body of Christ, the Orthodox Church is the pillar
and protector of the truth2, because Christ is the only Truth3,
who reveals Himself to the world, in order to reveal to man the
true knowledge of God, and remains within His Church to the

2
3

1 Tim. 3:15.
See John 14:6.

end of the age4. The idolaters, the unbelievers, the heretics and
schematics have no place within this Body, but only, if they
repent and return from their errors.
As the Lord searched the lost sheep, likewise His Orthodox
Church through evangelism seeks man who has been misled by
the errors of heresies, atheism or polytheism. The Orthodox
Missionary embodies the work of the Good Shepherd Christ. He
becomes the light for those who live in the darkness of not
knowing the True God. Thus, man not having the Grace of the
Holy Spirit, which grants him salvation, remains a slave to sin
and under the tyranny of death.
God desires that all men be saved. For God so loved the
world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes
in him may not perish but may have eternal life5. But, this
general salvation is realized only when man opens his heart to
God, approaches and accepts the Holy Trinity as his Lord and
Savior.
The acceptance of this invitation is fulfilled with the Holy
Sacrament of Holy Baptism and the granting of the Gift of the
Holy Spirit to the newly enlightened through the Holy
Sacrament of Chrismation. Man, then and only then is embodied
to the Root of the Tree of Life, which is Christ, and if the Root
is holy, so are the branches6. Exactly, as the branches of a tree
receive the life giving nourishments from their roots and bear
fruits, in a similar way the faithful receive the life-giving waters
4

See Matt. 28:20.

John 3:16.
6
Rom. 11:16.
5

of Gods Divine Grace through the Holy and Sacred Sacraments

of the Orthodox Church. They are nourished and bear fruits of
holiness and virtue; whereas, outside the unique Body of Christ
neither sanctification, nor salvation can be found. To
compromise on matters of faith, as many do today, is
unacceptable. For Christ assured us saying: The one who
believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not
believe will be condemned7.
Each and every Orthodox Christian must struggle not only
for his own salvation, but for the salvation of all their
fellowmen.
Man, being a member of the Godly Body of Christ,
partakes of the Divine Gifts and Charismata of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit acts through the Holy Sacraments, just as the
heart functions in mans body and distributes to all its members
the life-giving blood, which transfers oxygen and nourishments
even to the smallest parts of the body, and thus the whole body
remains alive. Likewise, the Spirit of God, through the Holy
Sacraments, transfers holiness and life to all its members. For
the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.8
The man who believes and is baptize becomes a member of
Christs Body. He partakes in the life, the truth and becomes
imitator of Christ. Imitating Christ by practicing the Divine
Will, man becomes a living temple of the Holy Spirit.9

Mark 16:16.
Rom. 6:23.
9
See 1 . 6:19.
8

The man who is outside of the original Church of Christ or

who prefers to remain far away from the Church deprives
himself willingly from Gods Divine Grace and the Gift of
salvation. On the contrary, he who accepts with faith and is
baptized becomes a member of Gods Kingdom and his name is
enrolled in the Book of Life.10
The work of Orthodox Evangelism is in essence the means
of sanctification and salvation of the entire world, for it
continues the same work and mission of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ is He Who realizes the
Divine Will of God the Father through His Church. In other
words Christ offers the sanctification and salvation to His
creation in the Holy Spirit.
Thus, each and every Orthodox Bishop, clergyman and
layman must evangelize the word of God and must project
Christs image by becoming a chosen vessel, a holy temple and
a source of sanctification and salvation for all other men.
According to the Orthodox Theology, each and every
member of the Orthodox Church bears within himself the entire
Body of Christ. Christ is not simply a member, as the rest, but is
the Head of the Orthodox Church, the members of which are
perfected into one living organism from which the Life of the
Triune God flows to all men. St. Augustine said: Christ exists
as a whole within the head and the entire body11. For where

10
11

See Luke 10:20. Philipp. 4:3.

St. Augustine, Homily in the Gospel of St. John, Migne, P.G., 35, 1622.

is the head there is the body; for, if it was divided there will be
no body, there will be no head.12
The mystery of the Orthodox Church is in that it is the
Church of those who repent and simultaneously is the
Communion of Saints. In other words, it is a communion and
transition of sinners with the only Holy One. Every deformity
or alienation from this reality deforms the Church itself.
The division of the Christian world into various Christian
Denominations-Heresies consists the main reason for the
deprivation of Eucharistic Communion not only from the One,
Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, but even from amongst
themselves. From Orthodox point of view, the Doctrine
concerning the unity of the Church is that which characterizes
our Church as being the Orthodox Church. The Ecclesiology
of the Orthodox Church is that which distinguishes her from all
the heterodox Christian Denominations. Even more, it
distinguishes her from all non-Christian religions.
Ecumenism is the common name which characterizes
modern heretics. Everyone seeks to belong under the umbrella
of Ecumenism, not because they believe in the One, Holy,
Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ, but because they find a
worldly and legal recognition as religious institutions, for
they cannot stand by themselves. Their interest does not concern
the Truths of the Christian Doctrines, for in that case they should
have returned to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
These heretics, unfortunately, aim towards worldly and
materialistic goals rather than of belonging to the Godly and
12

St. John Chrysostom, 8th Homily in 1st Corinthians, Migne, P.G., 61, 72.

Christ-centered Body of the Orthodox Church. Therefore, one

can see a great division amongst the Protestant world. The one
heresy begets another. They increase and multiply to their own
destruction.
The Orthodox Doctrine concerning the Church was rejected
by the West and was replaced on the one hand by the Roman
Catholics with the Popes Primacy and the Infallibility; whereas,
on the other hand, with the Protestantisms various heresies,
which through their Scholastic view of Holy Scripture led them
from one heresy into many, and consequently they poising their
own followers. The papacy pried and infallibility rules with
absolute despotism and tyranny; whereas, every Protestant is an
individual Pope in all religious matters.
But, Christ established One and Only Church. The Lord did
not grant any right to anyone to establish his own church, but
urged everyone who desires to bear fruit to remain united with
Him.13 Thus, the establishment of ones own church is
certainly NOT the Church of Christ, but rather a manmade
institution which is cut off from the True Vine.14 Within these
groups man cannot find his sanctification, neither his salvation.
Contemporary Evangelism which is performed without the
acceptance of the entire Evangelical Truth is in reality a form of
lack of faith and the denial of the Truth.15 I love God means that
I accept the fullness of Gods Truth and not merely a portion of

13

John 15:4-5.
John 15:1.
15
See 2nd Thess. 2:13
14

that Truth. This is the meaning of Christs words: teaching

them to obey everything that I have commanded you.16
The essence of love is the truth. Love lives and exists in
being truthful. Truth is the heart of love and thus he who doesnt
accept Gods Truth, but twists and deforms it, places himself
outside of Gods Love. This is the main reason why in heresy
there are no Saints. For, a heretical man or any man who is
outside of the original Body of Christ cannot be sanctified,
neither can he be saved. For this reason we see the heretics
spiritual sterilization. No Saints!!! Consequently, wherever
there are no Saints, one thing is revealed, that man is not saved
in that group. For this reason our Lord and Savior assured us
saying: you will know them from their fruits.17
Only within Christ men live love in truth, because only
then we can grow in Him in all, Who is the head, Christ.18
This is realized with all the saints19, always by the Church,
within the Church and through the Church.
By the Church means that one must become a member of
Christs Body through the Holy Sacraments.
Within the Church means that one receives sanctification
through the Grace of the Holy Spirit Who acts through true
worship.

16

Matt. 28:19.
Matt. 7:16.
18
Ephes. 4:15.
19
Ephes. 3:18.
17

Through the Church man finds his goal of life, which is his
salvation in Christ. Otherwise, man cannot grow in Christ.
The unity of the Christian Faith was and is the desire of the
Orthodox Church. In every service we pray for the unity of
all. But, how can this be achieved? If we do not evangelize the
truth to the others, then we lack of true love. If we separate love
from the truth, then we are spiritual ill. For, a heretic missionary
who evangelizes but remains in the falsehood of his teachings,
he is dividing Christ and thus alienates not only himself from
Christ, but also becomes the reason for the condemnation of all
those who follow him.
Orthodox Evangelism can be characterized as being the
outmost pure evangelism of all nations. The evangelism of love
towards all nations, for it is established on the Truth and the
Love of Christ, Who is the Way, and the Truth and the Life.20
It is a common belief of the entire Orthodox Church that
the various heresies are not the Church, neither can they be the
Church of Christ, for they are in error and lies. And, wherever
there are lies, there the Spirit of God cannot rest. Consequently,
within the heretical and schismatic groups there is no Grace of
the Holy Spirit, no Holy Sacraments and profoundly the Holy
Sacrament of Holy Eucharist, which is the outmost of all Holy
Sacraments.
Consequently, when someone outside of the Orthodox
Church insists upon his heresy and false teachings how can it be
possible to have communion with such persons? How can it be
20

John 14:6.

possible to mix the truth with lies, the light with darkness, the
life-giving waters with the poising waste, the fragrance of aroma
with the unbearable smell of the sewer? St. Paul teaches us very
strictly saying: Do not be mismatched with unbrethren. For
what partnership is there between righteousness and
lawlessness? Or what fellowship is there between light and
darkness? What agreement does Christ have with Beliar? Or
what does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement
has the temple of God with idols?21 So, any intercommunion
with heretics consists the outmost betrayal of Christ.
Orthodox Evangelism living within the world addresses the
Word of God to all nations. Invites all to repentance and offers
the opportunity to become members of Christs Body, partakers
of the divine nature22. Orthodoxy respects mans free will
and for this reason the Church does not forces anyone, neither
proselytizes, but evangelizes simply and only the word of the
Holy Gospel.
The meaning of intercommunion is by itself antithetic to
its own nature and unacceptable for the orthodox catholic
conscience. In the orthodox teachings concerning the Church
and the Holy Sacraments, the only Sacrament is the Church
itself, the Body of Christ, the only source and meaning of all
Holy Sacraments. Outside of the Sacrament of the Church there
are no sacraments; thus, no intercommunion in the Holy
Sacraments is allowed.

21
22

2nd Corinth. 6:14-16.

2nd Peter 1:4.

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According to the Orthodox Tradition, Orthodox

Evangelism as a mission within the world does not accept the
existence of other sacraments outside of its Body; nor does it
consider as sacred the acts of the heretics as being
sacraments, but considers them as non-sacred.
The heterodox or the non-christian is outside of the saving
Communion till he returns with sincere repentance from his
heresy to the Communion of the Canonical Church.
It is a different thing to love a heretic and a different thing
to participate in common prayers and worship.
In Orthodox Evangelism the one who evangelizes must
love all men, but never give in to their heresies or way of
worship.
The Orthodox Church is opened to all, but without
sacrificing the Truth for the sake of love, or should we rather say
for the sake of false love.
Orthodox Evangelism within the contemporary world is the
assurance for the real evangelism to the entire world. This
evangelism is addressed to the world not in an academic way
and pried, but with the Christ-centered humbleness and truth.
Every man is welcomed within the Orthodox Church, when
he turns away from his errors and accepts the fullness of the
Truth of Christ. If one just discusses, but in reality does not
accept the Truth, then his words are fruitless, dangerous and
diabolic.
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If one loves the Truth, then he must evangelize to all the

Truth and thus to achieve the unity of all. Evangelizing the
world means that we struggle to implant those who are not
members of Christs Body into this Divine Body for their
salvation and eternal life in Christ Jesus.
If evangelism means the return of the lost, then every one
of us must strive towards this aim and goal. The unity of all
nations under the one true faith in the One and Only True God,
the Holy Trinity, will be achieved not in a contemporary
syncretism of religions, but within the True Ark, which is the
Orthodox Faith. The invitation which is addressed is for mans
sanctification and deification in the Holy Spirit.
Orthodox evangelism is part of the life and witness of the
Orthodox Church within the world. It is necessary to have
conscience that Orthodoxy doesnt search for the truth, but
upholds, treasures and preserves the Truth, which was revealed
by Christ and taught by the Holy Apostles. Thus, each and every
one of us must become evangelists of Christs Divine Truth
through our good example, living as active Orthodox Christians
within this world.

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