Orthodox Tewahedo Religion
Dear Children of God! how are you? We are eager to know about one thing? Do you guess what that is? The grade of your test! Though we know you are brave student, we can only assume you have got good grades. We hope you passed all your tests!
Children! your parents seek (desire) many things from you through your education for you could be successful in the future. Thus, you shall make them happy by being good and brave children in fulfilling their wish. Ok? Good!
Aside this, you shall go to Church and learn spiritual education and serve the Sunday School. We have to also plead God for He reveal the knowledge of the education to us by going to the house of God. It is as well as necessary to grow with good manners.
Dear Children of God! last time we have thought you about childhood under the title “My Childhood.” On this lesson, we will see how we can leave in religion after we have become the children of God.
The season we are in now is known as “The Age of Revelation.” It is the time that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ came down from the heavens, be born from Holy Mother Saint Mary and baptized by the hands of Saint John the Baptist. We became His children by His Crucifixion, liberating (freeing) us from enemy Satan.
Dear Children of God! we are named to be Christian by Lord Christ. We have faith in Him within our religion. The religion we believe is known as “Orthodox Incarnation/Tewahedo.” We will now see how about the name of our religion, who named it and what it means.
The name Christian was named by the Apostle Saint Paul. He thought about Lord Jesus Christ to the people of Antioch. They then believed in him and was baptized. After that, he named them Christians. It is written in the bible as, “And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” (Acts 11:26)
Onwards, those laities (believers) who learn and baptized are known by the great name “Christians.” You see children, this name we are known by is great! So, when we hear the name Christian, we are reminded about Lord Jesus Christ’s coming from the heavens and be crucified for us. Then, we are able to become children of Him through the diligence in faith, religion and good endeavors. We shall become Christians just as the name we are given.
Dear Children of God! in the name Christian, there is also the word “orthodox.” It is a Greek word which means “Orto- straight” and “dox, thought, conscious and positive thinking.” Thus the word signifies “True Religion.”
It was the 318 Holy Fathers who added the word “orthodox” on the name “Christian” at Nicaea Council on 325 E.C. Do you know why they added this word to it? It was because a heresy (non- believer) man called Arius rise and was followed by many. Then the Holy Fathers formed council in teaching the true religion and advised him to seize (stop) from his evil work. However, he refused and as he thought others calling himself “Christian,” the Holy Fathers added orthodox to the name Christian and we started to be called “Orthodox Christians.” You see children! The name of our religion did not come easily. There was a reason. We shall become like the name we are given by being separated from lairs.
Dear Children of God! our religion is also called “Incarnation/Tewahedo.” The 432 E.C. heresy man called Nestorius thought unorthodoxy and therefore, patristic fathers were congregated (gathered) in Ephesus city to present answers for the questions he raised though he continued with his unorthodoxy. Then they added “Tewahedo/Incarnation” to “Orthodox Christian” because Nestorius was calling himself “Orthodox Christian.” The Patristic Fathers added Tewahedo to stop his false teaching and to save those who were following him without being unaware. This is the reason we known as “Orthodox Tewahedo Christian” from there on.
Dear Children of God! we have thought how we got to be named orthodox Christian and for the next lesson, we will teach about God and education of religion.
A name is not just a word to be called by, but a commemoration and so we must know our name, faith and history by studying it.
Farewell children, we have finished for today and wish you a good week until we meet for next.
May God be with you, Amen!