Questions
Copy these questions into an email, provide brief answers, and send to Fr Charles who will comment on them. After you have received you comments, then you can go onto the next lesson.
Questions for Lesson 8: Preservation of Apostolic Doctrine
This chapter explores how the Orthodox Church has faithfully preserved the teachings of Christ and the Apostles through Holy Tradition, Apostolic Succession, Ecumenical Councils, and the sacramental life of the Church. Rather than relying on Scripture alone or individual interpretation, Orthodoxy understands truth as living within the Body of Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit. These questions invite reflection on how the Church has defended the faith across centuries and why continuity with the Apostles remains essential today.
I. Apostolic Foundations
1. How does the Orthodox Church trace its origins to the Apostles and Pentecost, and why is this Apostolic foundation essential for understanding authority in the Church?
2. What is Apostolic Succession, and how does it safeguard the faith and sacramental life of the Church?
II. Holy Tradition and Scripture
3. What is Holy Tradition, and what are its primary components (Scripture, Creed, Councils, worship, Fathers, lived faith)?
4. Why are Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition inseparable in Orthodoxy, and how does the Church’s liturgical life reveal this unity?
5. What distinction does the Orthodox Church make between foundational elements of Tradition (such as the Nicene Creed) and secondary traditions or local customs?
III. Defending the Faith
6. What role did the Ecumenical Councils play in protecting the Church from heresy, and how were doctrines about Christ and the Trinity preserved?
7. How does the Orthodox Church understand the guidance of the Holy Spirit through conciliar decision-making and the collective life of the faithful?
IV. The Canon of Scripture
8. How was the New Testament canon recognized within the life of the Church, and why does this matter for understanding biblical authority today?
9. Why does Orthodoxy insist that Scripture must be read within Holy Tradition rather than through private interpretation alone?
V. Challenges to Apostolic Continuity
10. How did later divisions and innovations (including the Great Schism and the Protestant Reformation) depart from Apostolic Christianity, and why does Orthodoxy view doctrines such as Sola Scriptura as inconsistent with the early Church?
Integrative Reflection Question
12. How does the Orthodox Church’s preservation of Apostolic doctrine—through Holy Tradition, Scripture, Councils, and sacramental life—shape your understanding of truth, authority, and what it means to belong to the Church today?