Our Faith
The faith of the Syriac Orthodox Church is in accordance with the Nicene Creed. It believes in the Holy Trinity, that is one God, subsisting in three distinct persons called the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The three being of one Essence, of one Godhead, have one Will, one Energy and one Lordship. The special aspect of the First Person is His Fatherhood, that of the Second
The Syriac Orthodox Church believes in the mystery of Incarnation. That is, the Only Son of God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, took to Himself a body and became man. It further believes that at the time of Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel was sent to the Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit came upon her and cleansed her of all natural impurity, filling her with His grace. Then the Only Son of God came down and entered her immaculate womb, and took to Himself a body through her, thus becoming a perfect Man with a perfect Soul. After nine months, He was born of her and her virginity was maintained contrary to the laws of nature. The Church further believes that His true Godhead and His true Manhood were in Him essentially united, He being one Lord and one Son, and that after the union took place in Him, He had but one Nature Incarnate, was one Person, had one Will and one Energy. This union is marked by being a union of natures, free from all separation, intermixture, confusion, mingling, change and transformation. The Syriac Orthodox Church calls Mary yoldath aloho, ‘Bearer of God’, because she gave birth to Christ, God truly incarnate.
The Syriac Orthodox Church believes that the death of Christ was the separation of His soul from His body, but His deity did not at any time leave either His body or His soul. It further believes that by His death for us, He conferred upon us salvation from eternal death and reconciliation with His Heavenly Father.
The Syriac Orthodox Church believes that the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, the Spirit of Truth, proceeding from the Father. The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son.
Concerning the Church, the Syriac Orthodox Church believes the Church is the body of true believers in Christ, and that the Head of the Church is Our Lord God Jesus Christ.
The Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch is part of the Oriental Orthodox Communion. She conforms to the teachings of the Three Holy Ecumenical Councils, that of Nicaea (A.D. 325), Constantinople (A.D. 381) and Ephesus (A.D. 431).