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"In essentials, unity.  In non-essentials, liberty.  In all things, love."           - Saint Augustine

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Plan of Salvation

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Prayer Foundation / Prayer / God's Word / FYI / Monks / Features / Books / Movies  / Search Our Site / Home / Site Map / Become A Monk / Contributors Gifts / Contact UsImage: portion of illuminated manuscript page from "The Book of Kells."Image: of an Orthodox Icon of Jesus Christ based on that found in Hagia Sophia.Photo: Orthodox monastery on Mt. Athos, Greece. Orthodox Monk (Serbia)    /   Christ Pantocrator in Hagia Sophia    /   Mt. Athos, Greece

There are about 300,000,000 Orthodox in the world.

The Icon of Christ Pantokrator (seen both above and to the right) is one of the most widely used religious images of Orthodox Christianity.  Generally speaking, in Byzantine church art and architecture, an icon of Christ Pantokrator occupies the space in the central dome of the church, or simply on the ceiling, over the nave.* ____________________________________________________

Evangelical Protestants share much Christian heritage with Orthodox believers.  Both accept the basic Biblical teachings set forth in the Nicene Creed. The Nicene Creed is the only creed accepted by all three major branches of Christendom: Orthodox, Protestant, and Roman Catholic.

With so much in common, how do Evangelicals generally differ from Orthodox?  

  • Silverball 1.) In accepting Holy Scripture as the only, ultimate, and final authority for faith and practice, superseding all Church tradition and teaching (II Timothy. 3:16).  

  • Silverball 2.)  In believing that Christians obtain Salvation by faith alone, apart from any additional works of the believer (Ephesians 2:8,9). 

  • Silverball 3.) In believing that you can absolutely know that you are saved (I John 5:13).

Exception: Orthodox believers who hold these views are Orthodox Evangelicals. ____________________________________________________

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"The true aim of prayer is to enter into conversation with God.  It is not restricted to certain hours of the day.  A Christian has to feel himself personally in the presence of God.  The goal of prayer is precisely to be with God always."   
-Fr. Georges Florovsky _____________________________________________________

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Note:  It should be pointed out that there is currently also a small, slowly growing "Charismatic" movement in the Orthodox Church,  particularly in Greece, going as far back as the early 1970's.  The Orthodox priest Fr. Eusebius Stephanou (in the U.S.A.) stated that "this outpouring of the Holy Spirit is transcending denominational lines... The Spirit of God is moving... both inside and outside the Orthodox Church" ("Logos", Jan., 1972, p. 12).

  • Some Current Orthodox Renewal Movements:

  • U.S.A.:

  • "Orthodox Brotherhood of St. Symeon the New Theologian"

  • Greece:

  • "Zoe"

  • Romania:

  • "The Lord's Army"

  • Russia: 

  • "All-Church Orthodox Youth Movement" 

  • "Children's Center of Orthodox Culture" 

  • "St. Dimitri's Orthodox School of Sisters of Mercy" 

  • "Orthodox St. Tikhon Bible Institute

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Jesus Prayer:

"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."  _________

Image: Oldest known surviving example of "Christ Pantocrator" Icon, 6th or 7th century, St. Catharine's Orthodox monastery, Sinai, Egypt. The oldest known surviving example of the icon of "Christ Pantocrator". 

Christ Pantocrator

In the half-length Icon (shown directly above), Christ holds the New Testament in his left hand and blesses with his right.

The Icon was painted, or in Orthodox terminology, "written", in encaustic (a melted wax method) on panel in the sixth or seventh century.

It survived the period of destruction of images during the Iconoclastic disputes that racked the Eastern church, from 726 to 780 A.D., and from 813 to 843 A.D., by being preserved in the remote desert of the Sinai, in Saint Catherine's Monastery.  

Christ, Ruler of All

The iconic image of Christ Pantocrator ("Christ, Ruler of All") was one of the first images of Christ developed in the Early Christian Church and remains a central icon of the Eastern Orthodox Church.  

When the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek, Pantokrator was used to replace the Hebrew title El Shaddai. 

Early Christians ascribed this title to Jesus of Nazareth.  The closest English equivalent for "Pantokrator" may be "Omnipotent".

In quoting the Septuagint, St. Paul uses the word Pantokrator once (II Corinthians 6:18).  

Aside from that one occurrence, the Apostle John in the Book of Revelation is the only New Testament author to use the word Pantokrator.

The word Pantokrator is used in the Book of Revelation 9 times (Revelation 1:8, 4:8, 11:17, 15:3, 16:7, 16:14, 19:6, 19:15, and 21:22).* _______________

*Sources: Wikipedia: "Christ Pantocrator", "Christ Pantokrator". _______________