STILL CONSIDERING EASTERN ORTHODOXY?
I hope that this brief guide to some of the (gently speaking) quirky beliefs of EO is enough to give you some insight into what this belief system has truly produced. I have not even attempted to touch on the "sticky" subjects of salvation, Sacred Tradition, priesthood, monasticism, reverence for Mary and other saints, veneration of icons, the nature of liturgy, and many, many more subjects where EO clearly differs from the Bible, which makes EO, well, a heresy, to put it bluntly. These teachings have been altered and/or added since the time of the apostles, and a lot of them can be fairly accurately traced to when and how they were adopted. A thorough analysis of those would require a massive scholarly undertaking.
Fortunately, this has already been done. If you visit www.orthodoxy-illuminated.weebly.com, you will find a book entitled "Eastern Orthodoxy Illuminated by the Gospel", by Ivica Stamenkovic. The entire book can be read online, free of charge. This 800+ page volume analyzes all the above mentioned topics, and builds a positive case for the Evangelical view.
Another excellent resource is www.bereanbeacon.com (focusing on some theological issues of EO and Roman Catholicism).
My goal was to try and pick a few easy topics that will help even the most theologically uneducated understand where they are headed, if they are on the path of choosing EO.
Sure, Evangelical Christianity is lamentably fragmented and it's sometimes saturated in modernism beyond good taste. But, the reason we are this way is because we want to serve the Lord the best way we can. We just mess up in some of the ways we express it. The point is that if we are honest enough to understand that we err, we have the freedom to change. We are not held down by decisions made by long ago bishops and patriarchs. We don't have to abide by the writings of sleep, food and water deprived desert pillar dwellers who had occasional suicidal tendencies. The EO, on the other hand, are doctrinally bound to these "fathers".
Fortunately, this has already been done. If you visit www.orthodoxy-illuminated.weebly.com, you will find a book entitled "Eastern Orthodoxy Illuminated by the Gospel", by Ivica Stamenkovic. The entire book can be read online, free of charge. This 800+ page volume analyzes all the above mentioned topics, and builds a positive case for the Evangelical view.
Another excellent resource is www.bereanbeacon.com (focusing on some theological issues of EO and Roman Catholicism).
My goal was to try and pick a few easy topics that will help even the most theologically uneducated understand where they are headed, if they are on the path of choosing EO.
Sure, Evangelical Christianity is lamentably fragmented and it's sometimes saturated in modernism beyond good taste. But, the reason we are this way is because we want to serve the Lord the best way we can. We just mess up in some of the ways we express it. The point is that if we are honest enough to understand that we err, we have the freedom to change. We are not held down by decisions made by long ago bishops and patriarchs. We don't have to abide by the writings of sleep, food and water deprived desert pillar dwellers who had occasional suicidal tendencies. The EO, on the other hand, are doctrinally bound to these "fathers".
Plus, the EO church is far from being as unified as it likes to let on. I might tackle that issue in the future (it warrants a lengthy article to cover that topic), but for your amusement, check out the video above where you can see how two opposing groups of Serbian EO monks tried to resolve their differences.
The event occurred in 2010 in front of the Gracanica monastery, and it took the police to stop what was happening. For those who don't understand Serbian, there is a whole lot of cussing present alongside fighting.
Folks, do not be fooled. The Church will not attain perfection until the Second coming, and we just have to come to terms with that. We ought to let the Spirit of God lead us in the best interpretation of the Scriptures, and the best practices possible. We also have to recognize that those who belong to other Christian denominations are indeed our brothers and sisters in Christ. Even though I called EO a heresy, deep down I believe that salvation is possible within its confines, although not because of the doctrines being taught, but in spite of them. It's just incredibly hard (to nearly impossible) to hear the Gospel taught plainly. I just don't think it's wise or necessary to muddy the clear waters of the Gospel with the doctrines of men. That's how you eventually end up venerating a picture of a mentally-challenged-looking-donkey-headed-man.
God bless
Alex J.
Folks, do not be fooled. The Church will not attain perfection until the Second coming, and we just have to come to terms with that. We ought to let the Spirit of God lead us in the best interpretation of the Scriptures, and the best practices possible. We also have to recognize that those who belong to other Christian denominations are indeed our brothers and sisters in Christ. Even though I called EO a heresy, deep down I believe that salvation is possible within its confines, although not because of the doctrines being taught, but in spite of them. It's just incredibly hard (to nearly impossible) to hear the Gospel taught plainly. I just don't think it's wise or necessary to muddy the clear waters of the Gospel with the doctrines of men. That's how you eventually end up venerating a picture of a mentally-challenged-looking-donkey-headed-man.
God bless
Alex J.