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THE ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH
And Her Relation To The Other Churches Origin of the Universal Church:
Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Founder and Head of the Church which was born on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, shortly after His ascension to heaven. This tremendous event took place as the supernatural power of God, through the Holy Spirit, came upon the believers and empowered them (see Acts chapter 2). As the early Church grew in number, the preachers of the Gospel of Christ went to the regions far beyond Palestine in obedience to Christ's commission: Jesus came and said to them, "All power has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go and make followers of all the nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" Matthew 28:18-19
Origin of the Armenian Apostolic Church: The first preachers (enlighteners) were the apostles St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew; and the second enlightener was St. Gregory "The Illuminator".
In the year 301, Armenia was the first nation to be declared a Christian nation. ÒApostolicÓ signifies that the Armenian Church originated with the ApostlesÕ preaching. THE FOUR MAIN BRANCHES OF CHRISTIANITY
A. THE LESSER EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCHES
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1. The Armenian Apostolic Church
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2. The Coptic Church (ancient Egyptian)
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3. The Ethiopian Church
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4. The Syrian or Assyrian Church (with its main See historically in
Antioch, but now in Syria).
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5. The Syrian Church of Malabar (a province of India). The term ÒLesserÓ has to do with the smaller number of members as compared with the large membership of the Eastern Orthodox Churches. B. THE EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH - Greek and Russian C. THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH (All the above are ancient churches founded by Apostles) D. PROTESTANT CHURCH (with all the various denominations) ORIGIN OF ARMENIAN CHURCH THEOLOGY The Armenian Church theology is founded on the first three ecumenical councils.
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1. The Council of Nicea (325): The doctrine of the Holy Trinity was
firmly established. The deity of Jesus Christ was especially established and emphasized due to the heretical teaching of Arius, who taught that Jesus was not co-equal to God the Father, but a created being.
2. The Council of Constantinople (381): On this occasion, the deity
of the Holy Spirit was established. This council was especially convened in response to the heretical teachings of Macedonius who taught that the Holy Spirit was merely a servant of God the Father and God the Son. He had equated the Holy Spirit with the angels.
3. The Council of Ephesus (431): This council clarified issues brought out in the Council of Nicea. This was necessary because the Patriarch of Constantinople, Nestorius (428-431), was emphasizing the humanity of Jesus Christ to the point of destroying His divinity. NestoriusÕ teaching was declared heresy. These councils firmly established the Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit - one God, but three Persons of the Holy Trinity. *The Armenian Church accepts doctrines of these first three ecumenical councils as the foundation of Her Christian doctrines. Our Statement of Faith is summarized in the
Nicean Creed (Havadamk) which is recited during every Divine Liturgy (Badarak). It is the summery of the fundamental and essential teachings of the Bible. The Armenian Church, however, does not feel the necessity to recognize the Council of Calcedon and the later Councils which are accepted by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. However, these and many Protestant denominations accept the basic tenets of Christianity as contained in the Nicean Creed which was formulated at the Council of Nicea in 325.
THE MANNER AND EMPHASIS OF WORSHIP IN THE VARIOUS CHURCHES
The origin of all Christian worship, most notably, the ancient Christian Churches, is based on ChristÕs instruction at the Last Supper: Take, eat, this is my body... drink this all of you, it is my blood which is shed for you, for the remission of sin... DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME - Luke 21:7-21; Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26.
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1. Protestant: This style of worship is simplified and more or less, non-ritualistic. The main emphasis is teaching as well as worship. Often, The focal point of the service is the sermon which is oftentimes instructional as well as inspirational. Many Protestant churches administer Holy Communion once a month as part of the regular service. The service leader is not a priest, but a reverend.
2. Roman Catholic: A ritualistic service consisting of the administration of Holy Communion as the focal point of the service. Emphasized is the sacrifice and offering of Christs Blood and Body. The message is a homily which is a short inspirational semonette based on the Gospel reading of the day, instead of the Protestant-type sermon which is longer in duration and more instructional.
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3. Armenian Apostolic (and Orthodox): An elaborate ritualistic service which is used to depict the entire life of Christ, from His incarnation to His resurrection. As a matter of fact, the Armenian Church worship may be described as the unfolding of a Divine Mystery - God is revealing Himself through His Son Jesus Christ, along with His provision of salvation for the believer and His future plan for His children.* For this reason, Armenian and Orthodox Divine Liturgy is longer in duration than either the Roman Catholic and Protestant worship service. And that is why the Armenian Badarak begins with the sharagan (hymn) Deep Mystery, which is in reference to the mystery of God in human form. The focal point of the service is the offering of the Body and the Blood of Jesus Christ to which the faithful are invited to partake. The message of the celebrant is a homily centered on the Gospel reading and its significance in our daily life. * A Divine Mystery is a mystery which can only be revealed by God, and can never be deduced by human wisdom or scientific investigation.
Prepared by Rev. Fr. Yeghia Hairabedian
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