Sunday School Grade 9 Final

Paráklētos

The original word used in John's Gospel for the Holy Spirit. It means helper / counselor / advocate. A counselor is someone who advises you; an advocate is someone who represents you and speaks up on your behalf (the word was used for a legal defender).

IN PLAIN TERMS: the Holy Spirit is on your side — coaching you and defending you, not watching from a distance.

Theosis / Deification

The lifelong process of being transformed to become like Christ — becoming a "son of God" by the power of the Holy Spirit. The very heart of Orthodox Christianity is described as the "acquisition of the Holy Spirit" and the "deification" of a person by God's grace.

IN PLAIN TERMS: not becoming a god, but becoming so filled with God's life that you start to think, love, and act like Him. This is THE goal everything else points to.

Metanoia

A word for repentance. Literally it means making a U-turn — turning away from sin and back toward holiness. It's more than feeling sorry (remorse); it includes a real commitment to re-aim your life toward being Christ-like. It's a journey, not a one-time event — "refilling our cup to the brim with Christ."

IN PLAIN TERMS: repentance isn't just guilt — it's turning the car around and actually driving the other way, again and again.

Anamnesis

Translated "remembrance," but it means far more than the English word. Its full meaning is taking part in the original event as if it were happening right now, even though it's being "remembered" from later. It's a key part of the Qurbana. (Not just retelling an event — actually sharing in it.)

IN PLAIN TERMS: not "remembering" like recalling a fact, but stepping back into the moment — like the event is live again. The Jewish Passover works this way (see Lesson 8).

Homoousios

Means "of one essence" or "consubstantial." It's the technical word for why the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one God: they share one and the same essence and nature.

IN PLAIN TERMS: "essence" = what something most deeply is. The three Persons are made of the very same divine "stuff" — so they're one God, not three.

Hypostases

The formal word for the three divine persons. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three hypostases (persons), yet one God.

IN PLAIN TERMS: "hypostasis" = a distinct person/who. Three distinct "whos," one shared "what" (see homoousios above).

Logos

"The Word." It's a title for the second Person of the Trinity — Jesus Christ — who "spoke" all things into being at creation.

IN PLAIN TERMS: John's Gospel calls Jesus "the Word" because God created by speaking ("Let there be...") — Jesus is that creating Word.

Holy Qurbana

The Eucharistic worship service — where the faithful receive the Holy Mysteries (Christ's Body and Blood). It is called the basis of our life and a reflection of eternal life.

IN PLAIN TERMS: "Qurbana" = this tradition's name for the main Communion service

Holy Myron

The holy anointing oil. Its "efficacious" (effective, powerful) anointing is "rekindled" (re-lit) on a person's body and soul to help them escape sin through repentance.

IN PLAIN TERMS: the special blessed oil used in anointing; turning back to God re-activates its effect in you.

Chrismation

The mystery (sacrament) through which a person receives the Holy Spirit. Absolution (being forgiven in confession) is described as reaffirming "the seal of our chrismation."

IN PLAIN TERMS: the anointing right after Baptism that gives you the Holy Spirit; "seal" = the permanent mark it leaves on you.

Epiclesis

The invocation (calling-down) of the Holy Spirit during the Qurbana — one of the direct references to the Trinity in the service.

IN PLAIN TERMS: the moment the priest asks the Holy Spirit to come and act on the bread and wine.

Ordo

The theologically-inspired "language" by which the Church expresses itself — the ordered structure of worship. Its goal is to make worship the expression of the Church's faith and to "actualize" (make real) the Church as the worshiping people of God.

IN PLAIN TERMS: "ordo" = order/arrangement. The deliberate order of a service is itself a way the Church "speaks" its beliefs — nothing in it is random.

Lectionary

The Church's official, pre-set schedule of Scripture readings for each day, following the cycles of the liturgical year. The order is: Old Testament → the General & Pauline Epistles (letters) → the Gospel.

IN PLAIN TERMS: a fixed reading plan — every parish reads the same passages on the same day, so the whole Church is "on the same page."

Typology

A way of reading Scripture that links the Old and New Testaments: an Old Testament event, person, or statement (a "type") prefigures — points ahead to — a New Testament reality about Christ (the "antitype").

IN PLAIN TERMS: the Old Testament plants "previews" or "foreshadowing" that the New Testament pays off. Example: Moses' bronze serpent → the Cross (Lesson 12)

Consubstantiation

The Reformed (Protestant) churches' view of Communion: the elements are the body and blood "if one wants to see it that way."

IN PLAIN TERMS: roughly, "it's bread/wine and body/blood, depending on how you look at it." This is NOT the Orthodox view.

Transubstantiation

The Roman Catholic view of Communion: a physical conversion of the bread and wine into Jesus' Body and Blood.

IN PLAIN TERMS: the Catholic explanation says the substance physically changes. The Orthodox view (next column over in Section D) calls it a mystery instead.

St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory of Nyssa, and St. Gregory of Nazianzus

The Cappadocian Fathers

St. Gregory of Nazianzus

Also called St. Gregory the Theologian. He stressed the importance of the Trinity — "the one Godhead and power, found in the three in unity... one God because of the monarchia."

IN PLAIN TERMS: monarchia = "one source/origin." The three are one God because they share one origin (the Father).

Fr. Alexander Schmemann

Quoted twice: "The Eucharist is the state of perfect man..." and "The Eucharist is our secret joy and certitude..."

IN PLAIN TERMS: a modern Orthodox priest-theologian; if a quote praises the Eucharist, it's likely his.

Fr. Dr. Baby Varghese

"Liturgy is the source and the expression of the entire spiritual experience..."

IN PLAIN TERMS: his point — worship is both where our spiritual life comes from and how it's shown.

H.G. Geevarghese Mar Osthathios

"The basis of our Christian theology is in the Holy Trinity."

IN PLAIN TERMS: "H.G." = His Grace, a title for a bishop; "Mar" = Lord/Saint, a title for bishops in this tradition. His point: the Trinity is the foundation of everything.

H.G. Dr. Paulose Mar Gregorios

Warned that too many Christians wrongly treat the Trinity as a "later addition," just because the New Testament doesn't spell it out word-for-word.

IN PLAIN TERMS: his point — the Trinity isn't a late invention; it's there from the start, even if the exact term isn't.

St. John of Damascus

Wrote On Images. He explained why symbols and images matter: not everyone can read or has time to read, so images act as "a concise reminder."

IN PLAIN TERMS: images are like visual teaching tools for everybody — the original "a picture is worth a thousand words."

Fr. John Breck

In his book God with us: Orthodoxy holds that every human bears God's image "from conception to the grave."

IN PLAIN TERMS: the go-to source for the sanctity-of-life teaching — every person, from start to end of life, carries God's image.

St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. Thomas

The Apostles after Pentecost

St. Paul

The source of many teachings here: the Spirit gives different gifts (1 Cor 12); we're baptized into one Body; the "Spirit of adoption" (Romans 8); "put on the armor of God" (Ephesians 6); "be imitators of God" (Ephesians 5:1); the Church is the Body / Temple of God.

IN PLAIN TERMS: the apostle whose letters ("epistles") supply most of the Church's teaching language in this unit.

Nativity / Yeldo

The birth of Christ (Christmas).

Baptism / Denaha

Christ's baptism.

Resurrection / Qyamtha

Christ rising from the dead (Easter).

Transfiguration / Mtale

Christ revealing His glory on the mountain.

Dormition of the Theotokos / Shoonoyo

The "falling asleep" (death) of Mary.

Feast of the Holy Cross / Sleeba

Honoring the Cross of Christ.

Teleological

The ends justify the means — judge an act by its results/goal.

Deontological

A lack of trust in people, so we rely on fixed rules and commands.

Virtue

We trust people to find the right way by becoming good.