IVE PILLARS OF MYSTERY
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has Five Pillars of Mystery through
which it teaches and demonstrates its basic religious belief. They are
called Pillars of Mystery due to the fact that they support and
strengthen the faithful in religious teachings as a pillar supports a
roof. These mysteries have Biblical foundation (1Cor. 14:19).
Accordingly, the five pillars of mystery are expressed in the Creed,
which is the confession of our faith.
A. Mystery of the Trinity
In this section, the mystery of Unity and Trinity of the Triune God is described.
The Holy Trinity is three in name, in person (Akal), in deed and one in essence, in divinity, in existence, in will.
(a) Three in name:- Father, Son, Holy Spirit
Three in deed:- the Father is the begetter
the Son is begotten
the Holy Spirit is the one who proceeds.
Three in person:- the Father has a perfect person
the Son has a perfect person
the Holy Spirit has a perfect person
The Father is the heart, the Son is the word, the Holy Spirit is the life (breath.)
The Father is the heart for Himself, and He is the heart for the Son
and for the Holy Spirit. The Son is the word for Himself, and He is the
word for the Father, and for the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is the
life (breath) for Himself, and He is the life (breath) for the Father
and the Son.
Even though we say the Trinity are three in name, in deed and in
person; the three are one in essence, in divinity, in existence and in
will; we do not mean three Gods but one God. While the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit exist in their own perfect person, they are one
in existence. (Abulidis, Faith of the Father’s Chap. 40 Verse 4:6).
As Ignatius has said in the Book of the Faith of the Fathers
(Haimanote Abew) the name of the Father is not changed to be the name of
the Son or the Holy Spirit. The name of the Son is not changed to be
the name of the Father or the Holy Spirit, the name of the Holy Spirit
is not changed to be the name of the Father or the Son. The Father is
called Father but not the Son or the Holy Spirit. The Son is called Son
but not the Father or the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is called the
Holy Spirit but not the Father and the Son. The Father is the Father,
the Son is the Son, and the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit. The three
exist eternally in their own name and person. (Faith of the Fathers Ch.
11 part 1 Verse 7.8).
In
their name of unity, the three are called Lord, God. Lord the Father,
Lord the Son, Lord the Holy Spirit One Lord. God the Father, God the
Son, God the Holy Spirit One God. The three hundred eighteen fathers in
The Book of Faith (Haimanote Abew) said “we believe in Lord the Father,
in Lord the Son, in Lord the Holy Spirit. (Hai. Ab. Ch. 19 Part 1 Verse
30).
The Apostolic St. Athanasius Archbishop of Alexandria said “The
Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. They are called
one God but not three Gods.” (Apostolic Athanasius Faith of the Fathers
Ch. 24 Part 4 Verse 4).
It is stated in many places in the Old and the New Testament Books about the Oneness and Trinity of the Holy Trinity.
In the Old Testament
Gen. 1:26; 2:18; 3:22; 11:7; 18:1-8; Ps. 33:6; 146:5; Isa. 6:3,8
In the New Testament
Mt. 3:16-17; 28:19; Jn. 14:26; 2Cor. 14:13; 1Pet. 1:2; 1Jn. 5:7-8
B. Mystery of Incarnation
Mystery of Incarnation means the mystery of the descending of
God the Son who is one of the Trinity from heaven and taking up flesh
and rational soul from the Holy Virgin Mary. This is the mystery of God
becoming man and man becoming God. “The word became flesh and dwelt
among us.” (Jn. 1:14).
The Reason for the Incarnation of the Son of God
God
created Adam and Eve without sin and death. “God did not make death”.
But, man, through his transgression brought on himself misery and
suffering as well as sin and evil, and was condemned to death-death of
body and soul, grave and hell (Gen. 3:19-24). “For God did not make
death, He takes no pleasure in destroying the living. Do not court death
by the errors of your ways, nor invite destruction through the work of
your hands. To exist for this he created all things the creatures of the
world have health in them, in them is no fatal poison, and Hades has no
power over the world. But the godless call for death with deed and
word, counting him friend, they were themselves out for him; with him
they make a pact, working as they are to belong to him” (Wis. 1:12-16;
Rom. 6:23). “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain
salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Thes. 5:9). Adam and Eve disgraced
and impoverished themselves. They were expelled from the Garden of
Eden. They brought suffering and misery and were subject to the dominion
of the devil. Death reigned from Adam to Christ, even to them that had
not sinned. (Rom. 5:12-14). They knew that, all that happened due to
their transgression and violation of the commandment of God. They
regretted and repented. They cried to their Creator seeking mercy. God
in his forgiveness along with his judgment, hearing their cry, observing
their tears and accepting their repentance, was pleased to redeem them,
and gave them promise. (Isa. 63:8; Heb. 2:14-16).
When
the appointed time had come forth, God sent His only Begotten Son,
according to the promise. God the Son, descended from heaven and was
born from the Holy Virgin Mary. He was born so that all who believe in
Him would be saved. When it is said, that He became man, it is said to
mean that He united to himself the body and soul of man. Then all the
words of the prophets were fulfilled. (Isa. 7:14, 9:6; Mich. 5:2; Gal.
4:4).
Without separation of His Divinity from His humanity and His humanity
from His Divinity, He became one person, one nature without change,
without confusion, without separation and without division. “He is one
Son and one Christ before and after His Incarnation” (Cyril. Faith of
the Fathers Ch. 78 Part 48 Verse 9-18). St. Gregory of Nazianzium said
“He is the only God the Son who became man and the only man who became
God in unity” (Faith of the Fathers Ch. 61 part 4 Verse 23). John
Chrysostom has written that the human body was honoured by the union of
the Divine Word. The poverty in the nature of the flesh was abolished by
the Unity of the Word of God with the flesh, and the flesh retained the
glory of the word of God to itself by the unity. (Jn. Chrysostom, Faith
of the Fathers Ch. 66 part 9 Verse 18-19).
After birth He grew like men, doing all human works except sin. He
taught 33 years and 3 months in the world. For us men he died on the
Cross, destroyed death by his death and saved the world. He was laid in
the tomb for three days and three nights; rose from the dead on the
third day; appeared to His disciples, stayed on earth for forty days,
gathering His disciples and teaching them the Book of the Covenant. On
the fortieth day, while the disciples beheld, He ascended unto heaven to
the Father in glory praised by angels, sat at the right hand of His
Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead, when every
one will be recompensed according to his work. (Jn. 3:13; 1Pet. 3:22;
Mt. 25:31; Eph. 4:8-10; Acts 2:30; 2Cor. 5:14).
Therefore, the teaching highlighted in the mystery of Incarnation is
to believe that Christ is the Word of the Father and of the Holy Spirit,
thus the Virgin Mary is the true Mother of God; the Mother of the Word.
(Cyril Hai. Ab.).
C. Mystery of Baptism
Baptism
is the sacrament given to all who believe in the Mystery of the Trinity
and the Mystery of the Trinity and the mystery of Incarnation for the
remission of sin, to obtain adoption from the Triune God, to inherit the
kingdom of God. It is called mystery, because, when the priest recites
the prayer of baptism over the water and blesses it, it will be changed
and become the water that flowed from the right side of our Lord Jesus
Christ and one can receive the invisible grace of the adopted sonhood of
God (Jn. 19:34-35). Whosoever believes and is baptized shall get
remission of sin. “We believe in one baptism for the remission of sin”
(Creed). Every person is born from God through baptism, and will be free
from damnation. “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but
he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:28). To be
born of the Trinity is for inheriting the kingdom of God. Our Lord has
taught us that we cannot enter the kingdom of God except through
baptism. “Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born of water
and Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (Jn. 3:5; Tit.
3:4-7).
There were prophecies and symbols foretold by the laws and the prophets about Baptism.
- Prophecy:- Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean.” (Ezek. 36:25; Mich 7:19)
- Symbols
1) Circumcision:- Circumcision in the Old
Testament was practiced as a sign of baptism. It was given to Abraham as
a token of the Covenant.
Every
one that was not circumcised on the eighth day after birth was to be
cut off from his people, shared not from the promise and/or shall have
no portion from the promised land. The uncircumcised were not considered
as the nation of God. (Gen. 17:7-14).
In the New Testament, circumcision was replaced by Baptism. Every one
that is not baptized was not born of God, and cannot inherit the
heavenly kingdom. (Col. 2:11).
John the Baptist, at the end of the Old Testament and at the
beginning of the New Testament was baptizing with water. (Mk. 1:4-8).
The Ark of Noah and the crossing of Israelites across the Red Sea were symbols of baptism. (1Pet. 3:19; 1Cor. 10:2)
To fulfill the prophesy and to make the archetype real, our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ was baptized in the water of the River Jordan by the
hand of John the Baptist. (Mt. 3:16; Mk. 1:9; Lk 3:21; Jn. 1:31). The
Ethiopian Orthodox Church baptizes children, males on the fortieth day
and females on the eightieth day. This signifies that the first persons
obtained adoption from God. (Jubilee 4:2-15).
D. Mystery of the Holy Communion
Mystery of the Holy Communion is a supreme act of life through which
we can hold intimate communion with God and that which makes us one with
God. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the
Son and Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.” “Who so
eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood hath eternal life. My flesh is
meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed, for it is a real food. He
that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in
him.” (Jn. 6:53-57).
There are prophecies and symbols given about the Holy Communion.
a. Prophecy
- “Thou has put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine has increased”. (Ps. 4, 7).
- “Wisdom has builded her house, she has hewn out her seven pillars. She has killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table; she hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth up on the highest place of the city.” (Prov. 9:1-3).
- “The prime needs of human beings for living are water, wheat…and juice of grape”. (Sirach 39:26).
These prophecies were foretold about Jesus Christ, the Lamb of
Passover, who was crucified on the cross as to give His flesh and blood
in the form of bread and wine.
Symbol
When
the children of Israel were liberated from the bondage and went out of
Egypt, they were told to kill a lamb, eat the flesh, take the blood and
sprinkle it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the
houses, in order to get security from the plague of the firstborn. This
was applied as a symbol of Jesus Christ the Son of God, who was
crucified and gave his flesh and blood as a ransom to the children of
men. “This is the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
(Jn. 1:29). Melchizedek, who is the archetype of the priesthood of Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, offered a sacrifice in the form of bread and
wine. (Gen. 14:18).
To fulfill these prophecies and realize the symbols, examples, our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Thursday evening at the Passover, took
the bread, blessed it and broke it and gave it to His disciples and
said, this bread which I give you is my flesh. In the same manner He
took the cup, blessed it and gave it to his disciples, saying “this is
my blood which will be shed for you and for many people, for the new
covenant, for the remission of sin. (Mt. 26, 28; Mk. 14:22; Lk. 22:19).
This mystery is always performed in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo
Church.
When
the priest puts bread on a paten and the wine in a chalice and blesses
them with the liturgical prayer, the bread and the wine are changed into
the real flesh and blood of the Son of God. This was made clear by the
scholar St. Athanasius-when he said “we believe, that the bread and the
wine are bread and wine before they are blessed by the priest, but after
they are blessed by the priest the bread and the wine are changed to
the real flesh and blood of the Son of God.” (Ath. Faith of the Father
Ch.28 Part 14 Verse 22).
Therefore, the Holy Communion which the disciples received on
Thursday evening, that which was crucified on the cross on Friday, and
that which is being practiced at every corner to the end of the world is
one and the same. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church believes and teaches,
that the flesh and blood is not simply a memorial or symbolic but real
flesh and blood of the Son of God. The pure sacrifice that the clergy
offers is the same sacrifice that was given up on the cross on Calvary.
(Jn. Chr. Liturgy 85).
E. Mystery of the Resurrection of the Dead
Resurrection is the Mystery of life after death. All those who have
departed from the time of Adam, and will pass away until the second
coming of Christ, will be risen in the union of body and soul. The souls
of the righteous shall abide in paradise and the souls of sinners in
hades until the end of this world. But on the last day, when our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ shall come in His glory, to judge the living and
the dead, the souls shall be united with their bodies on the day of
resurrection and they shall rise from the dust of the earth. (Lk.
16:19-31).
“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming; in which all that are in
the graves shall hear His voice and shall come forth; they that have
done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil,
unto the resurrection of damnation.” (Jn. 5:28).
Many
passages could be cited from the Old and New Testament books about the
doctrine of death and the after life. The word of God in Deuteronomy
32:39 “I kill, and I make alive” shows the hope of resurrection. Isaiah
the prophet says “The dead men shall live, together with my dead body
shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is
as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.” (Isa.
26:19-20).
Daniel the prophet has written “… and at that time thy people shall
be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book. And many
of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to shame
and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the
brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as
the stars forever and ever”. (Dan. 12:1-3). Job said “For I know that
my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day, upon the
earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh
shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself and mine eyes shall
behold, and not another.” (Job. 19:25-27)
The teaching of the resurrection of the dead is not only told orally.
It has been proved in practice when many among the departed came forth
out of the grave and appeared in public. The prophets Elijah and his
disciple Elisha raised the dead. (1Kgs. 17:21; 2Kgs. 13:21). Jesus
Christ the Lord, and his disciples raised the dead in their ministry
during the proclamation of the gospel. (Mt. 9:25; Lk. 7:15; Jn. 11:14).
Likewise, the Apostles also raised the dead during their Apostolic
ministry.
On
the day of the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ the graves were
opened and bodies of many saints came out. (Mt. 27:52). All these prove
the truth of the resurrection. All those that sleep in the dust of the
earth shall come to life at the last judgment. Our belief in our
resurrection is based on the resurrection of Christ. “Knowing that He
which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and
shall present us with you.” (2 Cor. 4:14). The Church scholars Amoneos
and Eusabios said “Christ is risen, in order to make it known to us that
our body shall arise” (preface of the Gospel).
Resurrection is for all human beings. Both the righteous and
un-righteous arise. The final resurrection awaits the last day at the
second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ shall come in His glory at the end of the world to judge
the living and the dead. (Ps. 50:2; Mt. 25:31-32; Rev. 1:7).
At
that time, He shall send forth His angels with a great sound of a
trumpet. The dead shall arise. The earth will restore that which was
entrusted to it. Then He shall set the righteous on his right hand, but
the sinners on the left hand. All arise carrying their works which
followed them from the earth; the righteous will be sanctified with the
word of blessing, but the sinners will be rebuked with the word of
accusation. The righteous shall shine as seven times as the sun, and
inherit the kingdom following Christ, while the sinners shall go away
into everlasting punishment prepared for the devil and his angels. (Mt.
13:42-49; 25:31-43; 2 Cor 5:10; Rev. 20:12). Thus the religious teaching
of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is based on the five pillars
of mystery mentioned above.
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