The Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch

This is one of the Oriental Orthodox Churches that based in the Eastern Mediterranean  with members scattered all over the world.  The Syriac Church took its origin from the first Yahoshean community in Anthioch after Yerusalem.

The Assemblies of Yahoshea Meshiyach at Anthioch was carried on the acts of apostles of the New Testament Scriptures as the place where the name “Christians” were first given to “Yahosheans”.  By true fact, the followers of Yahoshea Meshayach bore the name of their master and later to be renamed to Christians to reflect the concept of Hellenism that was pervading in that era.

History Of The Sect

The Assembly stationed at Anthioch was established by Apostle Peter in Ad 37.

The assembly at Anthioch progressed along other stations of the ministry by observing all necessary ordinances as formulated from various Ecumenical Councils that transformed Yahosheanism to Christianity.

The Syriac church separated from the body of Christendom in Ad 451 due to differences in theology that arose at the Council of Chalcadon.  At the Council of Chalcedon, there was controversy over the nature of Yahoshea Meshiyach.  The debate was ruled in favour of Roman Catholic Church and its subsequent daughters that are thereby referred as Chalcedonians Churches while the Oriental Orthodox thereby referred as Non-Chalcedonians separated from the Church of Rome.

The Oriental Orthodox described Yahoshea as having “one nature – the logos incarnate, of the full humanity and full divinity”, while Roman church described him as being.  “In two natures, full humanity and full divinity”.  This is the doctrinal difference that separated the Oriental Orthodox from the rest of Christendom.

The Assembly at Anthioch was the starting point of Yahosheanism in a Gentile nation and was a leading center of the Hellenistic East.  The assembly later spread to various cities or provinces of Syriac.  It made converts of Hellenistic Syrians as well as Hellenistic Hebrews who as a result of the great rebellions against Rome in Ad 70 and 130 were driven out of Yerusalem and Palestine into Syria.

Before 451 Ad Council of Chalcedon, the Syriac Assembly was one of the exalted Bishophic see.  In the Council of Necea in 325, the Syriac Assembly was promoted to the status of Patriorchate along the Bishopric of  Alexandria, Rome and Yerusalem.

Records bear that Syriac assembly played prominent role in the first three synods held at Nicaea (325), Constantinople (381), and Ephesus (431).  These synods shaped the early adopted Christian doctrines.

Separation And Spread Of The Group

When Syriac Orthodox Church separated from other Christian body, it developed its priesthood order with their different vestments away from the pattern of Catholic Church.

The Syriac assembly held to the primacy of St. Peter.  The assembly recognized the unique office of St. Peter in the primitive Yahoshean community.  The assembly leaders followed the rabbinic tradition to identify Yahoshea as “Kepha” which means “Rock”. They interpret rock as a symbol of messianism as traced from the holy scriptures.  They held that Yahoshea Meshiyach is the promised kepha himself but he gave the name to Peter the chief shepherd in his place in the assembly that he would build his assembly on top of him.  They believe that kepha is another name of Yahoshea and Simon Peter was given the right to share the name with him.

The syriac assembly grew in strength and spread to various part of the world.  It had an estimate of about 4,000,000 members globally with India having the greater number of members than other nations.

For example, the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church which is one of the various Saint Thomas Christian churches in India is an integral part of the Syriac Orthodox Church with the Patriach of Anthioch as its supreme head.

The Syriac Church maintained its independent status and developed many dioceses, archdioceses and Patriachate vicarietes that are headed by the Patriach of Antioch.

Practices And Conclusion

Though, the Syriac assembly moved out of Roman Catholic Church, but it did not stood by the real doctrines of Yahoshea Meshiyach and his apostles.  The church followed the Catholic to observe many pagan doctrines such as Sunday worship and rest, cross veneration, icon veneration and with no regard for holy name Yahweh and his son Yahoshea Meshiyach.

The Syriac Church do not observe Yahweh approve festivals rather abide by Roman Catholic’s  model of Eucharistia, Easter and Christmas festivals.

Though, the Syriac assembly was the second in the hierarchy of stations opened by Yahoshea and his follower after Yerusalem, it did not retain the true flavour of the ministry. Rather, it was influenced by Hellenism and it infected other later developed station with the virus.

As the Yerusalem assembly was scattered by Roman invasions on 70Ad and 130Ad, the Anthioch assembly was expected to be the custodian of Yahoshean’s doctrines and creeds but it failed  such responsibility.

These developments came to place as pronounced by Yahoshea Meshiyach that the comforter must unfold to continue from where he stopped and only such personality can actively retain and maintain the whole percepts of Yahoshea Meshiyach.  So since the Syriac assembly and others in its form were not led by the Promised Comforter, it became their reason of failure.