Very often in Christian literature you can find expressions such as "Church decreed" or "Church affirms." The question may arise about what the Christian Church is in its dogmatic meaning. The Orthodox faith gives a clear and precise answer, based on the works of the Holy Fathers and teachers of the Church.
The definition of the Church in its dogmatic meaning
A church is not just a temple (building). A much deeper meaning is embedded in this concept. The Church, in the Christian sense, is understood as a society of people united by a single hierarchy (clergy through apostolic succession), common sacraments (there are seven in Orthodoxy) in a single Chapter - the Lord Jesus Christ. It turns out that the Church is a society of believers, a living "organism." The founder of the Church is Christ Himself. He told the apostles about its creation, and mentioned the impossibility even of hell itself to defeat this society of believers. That is, any Christian who participates in church life is a member of this society and, accordingly, of the Church.
