Sunday School Final Review - 7th Grade -

Nicene Creed

A fundamental statement of faith asserting that God created everything.

God's Image and Likeness

The truth from Genesis 1:27 that all men and women are created in the divine image.

Diversity

A human characteristic that enriches the human race and reflects God's creativity.

Social Media Pressure

A modern force that often pressures people to conform to certain standards of appearance and behavior.

Unconditional Love

The manner in which God loves human beings even when they sin and fall away.

Temples of the Holy Spirit

What St. Paul describes our bodies to be in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

The scripture stating "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit...".

Holy Baptism

The sacrament through which the Holy Spirit enters our lives and becomes a part of us.

Worship

An important practice for Orthodox Christians that helps them grow closer to God.

Holy Pentecost

A feast during whose Second Service believers pray to be worthy of the divine gifts given to the Apostles.

Helper and Teacher

The role of the Holy Spirit given to guide humans to understand right and wrong.

Theosis

The process of becoming one with God, where the physical body plays a vital role.

Jesus Christ

The ultimate example and perfect role model of God’s intention for creating human beings.

Saints

Men and women who have become holy by living their life as Christ and serve as role models.

Imitate Christ

The instruction given by St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:1 ("Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ").

Genesis 1:28

The scriptural command to "Be fruitful and multiply

Loving Dominion

A term meaning to participate in God's rule by encouraging and caring for all Creation, not conquering it.

Fruit of the Spirit

Virtues outlined in Galatians 5:22-23 that should be shown in all actions.

Community Service

Serving the poor and needy without any expectations.

Sanctifying a Room

Keeping a living space clean, orderly, and featuring icons, the Cross, and a Bible.

Great Commandment

Found in St. Matthew 22:36-40, it is kept when acting with Christ as our center.

Bullying Signs

Common behavioral indicators that require offering care, speaking up, and confiding in a trusted adult.

The Bully Traits

Tending to be aggressive to people, trying to control others, and blaming others for problems.

The Bullied Traits

Experiencing unexplainable injuries, feeling helpless, and feeling isolated or lonely inside.

Speaking Up

The Orthodox duty to speak up for ourselves and stand up for others against harm.

Cycle of Bullying

A damaging pattern where "hurt people hurt other people".

Name Calling

An action that fails to honor God’s image in another person.

Healing Process

Seeking restoration through prayer, reflection, and, if necessary, confession.

True Healing

Comes from opening our hearts to Christ's love, allowing us to express compassion instead of retaliation.

Brother

A term in Orthodox teachings that encompasses all people, calling us to love every individual.

Living in Darkness

What happens when we do not see Christ in others or love others as Christ loves us.

Breaking the Cycle

Choosing to respond to hurt with love and seeking to uplift rather than tear down.

Power of Prayer

Brings about healing, inner strength to fight evil, and comfort in individual troubles.

St. Matthew 26:41

The scripture that commands: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation”.

Repentance

Receiving forgiveness for sins and being strengthened in Him through prayer.

Acts 10:4

The verse where an angel tells Cornelius that his prayers and alms have come up for a memorial.

True Fasting

A reminder that God gives us everything, allowing us to strengthen ourselves spiritually and physically.

Psalm 50 (51)

The psalm reminding us that a sacrifice to God is a broken spirit and a humbled heart.

Fasting Without Prayer

Described simply as a diet, as prayer is the most important part of fasting.

Queen Esther

A biblical figure who fasted and prayed for three days and nights for strength and confidence.

Personal Fasting

Prayerfully giving up our favorites, such as chocolate or television.

Corporate Fasting

Fasting together as a Church, especially during special feast days.

Spiritual Weapons

Fasting and prayer combined to defend against temptation and aid spiritual growth.

Fasting Requirements

Practice that must be combined together with prayer and charity.

Fasting as Medicine

St. John Chrysostom’s description of fasting, meaning it must be done properly and at the right time.

Incomplete Fasting

The basic but insufficient form of fasting that focuses solely on not eating certain foods.

Holistic Approach

Engaging in a full spiritual path that includes prayer, meditation, and abstaining from sin.

Galatians 5:17

Scripture stating “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh...”.

St. Isaac the Syrian

A saint who reflected that every struggle against sin and its lusts must begin with fasting.

Jesus' Desert Fast

Lasted 40 days and 40 nights, during which He faced and conquered various temptations.

B'outho of St. Ephrem

A prayer that exhorts observing the forty-days' fast and giving bread to the hungry.

Moses and Elijah

Old Testament figures who both fasted forty days and nights.

Pre-denominational Church

The Orthodox Church, which has maintained the fullness of the original faith.

Denominational Splits

Historical separations caused when groups taught ideas different from what the Apostles taught.

Fullness of Faith

The characteristic of Orthodoxy indicating it follows uncorrupted traditions handed down from the Apostles.

Holy Communion

The sacrament through which Orthodox Christians truly experience the fullness of faith together.

Ancestral Sin

The Eastern Orthodox understanding of sin, contrasting with the Western view of Original Sin.

Original Sin Error

The Western doctrine that led to the Catholic teaching of the Immaculate Conception.

Immaculate Conception

A Catholic doctrine stating St. Mary was born innocent of original sin, which Orthodoxy rejects.

Protestant View of Mary

Reducing St. Mary to merely a "vessel," which undermines her true role.

Orthodox View of Mary

Believing she was just like us, and her humanity gives us hope that we can become pure and holy.

Proverbs 11:12

Scripture stating: “Those for whom there is no leadership fall like leaves, but there is salvation in much counsel”.

Legalism

A strict adherence to rules and categorization of sins often found in Western Christian traditions.

God's Essence

In Orthodox theology, it is defined fundamentally as love rather than legal rules.

Apostolic Succession

The passing down of teachings through generations, assuring the faith remains unaltered.

Ephesians 4:14-16

St. Paul’s instruction regarding speaking the truth in love to grow as Christians.

One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic

The formal recognition and identity of the Orthodox Church.

Asceticism Meaning

Derived from the Greek word for exercise or training done as spiritual preparation.

Ascetic Exercises

Practices involving fasting, prayer, prostrations, and using a prayer rope.

St. Matthew 16:24

Scripture stating: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross...”.

Monasticism vs Marriage

Two distinct paths toward salvation that coexist within the Orthodox faith community.

Desert Fathers

Early Christian monastics whose unique spirituality flourished in the deserts.

St. Athanasius

The Bishop of Alexandria who recorded the classic text, “Life of St. Anthony of Egypt”.

Eremitic Life

A solitary monastic lifestyle promoted heavily by St. Anthony.

Cenobitic Life

A communal monastic lifestyle advanced by St. Pachomius.

Hegumen / Abbot

The elder or chief monastic leader who guides a cenobitic community.

Koonan Kurishu Satyam

The Coonen Cross Pledge of January 3rd, 1653, where St. Thomas Christians revolted against Portuguese rule.

Secularism

A mostly non-religious worldview with ever-changing expectations that challenges Christian life.

2 Timothy 4:3-4

Scripture predicting a time when people will not endure sound doctrine but turn aside to fables.

Sanctity of Life

The principle that life is precious, given by God for a purpose, and begins at conception.

Genesis 2:7

The verse describing God forming man from dust and breathing into his face the breath of life.

Psalm 138:13-14

The text proclaiming: “For you possess my heart, O Lord

Genetic Engineering

The process where an organism's DNA is altered, requiring careful ethical and spiritual caution.

Orthodox Support for Science

The Church supports scientific advancement as long as it is for good and does not replace God.

Galileo Persecution

An event where the Roman Catholic Church persecuted a scientist, which did not happen in Orthodoxy.

Eucharist Secular Defiance

John 6:66 shows people walking away from Christ because their secular minds rejected the Real Body and Blood.

Councils' True Purpose

Gatherings not meant to change teachings, but to clarify them when heresies became widespread.

Acts 2:42-47

Description of the early close-knit Christian community that worshipped, shared resources, and prayed together.

Heresies

False teachings that emerged alongside the growth of the early Church.

Three Universal Ecumenical Councils

The Council of Nicea (AD 325), Constantinople (AD 381), and Ephesus (AD 431).

Council of Nicea

Convened in AD 325 to address threats to the true faith.

Council of Constantinople

Convened in AD 381, resulting in Creed expansions regarding the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit Divinity Creed Phrase

“And in the One Living Holy Spirit, the life-giving Lord of all”.

Holy Spirit Procession

The theological cornerstone established at Constantinople stating the Spirit proceeds from the Father.

Council of Ephesus

Held in 431 AD to address and condemn the false teachings of Nestorius.

Nestorius' Heresy

The assertion that Jesus was merely a human born to Mary, and the divine Word entered Him later.

Theotokos

Meaning "Bearer of God," a term affirmed at Ephesus to describe St. Mary.

St. Cyril of Alexandria

The prominent Church leader who successfully led the council members against Nestorianism.

Council of Chalcedon

An AD 451 council that led to the painful separation of Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches.

St. Dioscorus

Patriarch of Alexandria from 444 AD, remembered in prayers as "the exalted and true tower".