If a Roman Catholic Broadcaster on a Roman Catholic show suddenly tells everyone that he has been baptized into a Reformed Church, would he still be allowed to broadcast as a Roman Catholic?
HERE ARE SOME DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT EVANGELICALS AND EASTERN ORTHODOX BELIEVE...
Beliefs Evangelical Christianity Eastern Orthodoxy (EO)
Authority of The Bible
Evangelicals: Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone). The Bible is the absolute and final authority
Eastern Orthodox: The Bible is not the absolute and final authority; it is subject to the interpretation of EO church tradition that include councils, the writings of the saints, and other sources
Salvation
Evangelicals: by Faith Alone Sola Fide (Faith Alone). Salvation is by the grace of God as a gift through faith, not by works and not as a daily progression. Genuine faith is manifested in one’s life.
Eastern Orthodox: The progress of Salvation includes baptism, faith, good works, the Eucharist and other
sacraments; it is a continual progression
throughout life
The Eucharist
Evangelicals: The Bread and the wine/grape juice
do not literally become the body and blood
of Jesus in any way—physical or mystical. Jesus said, “This do in remembrance of me.”
Eastern Orthodox: “The ‘Sacrament of all Sacraments’….In the Eucharist, we pass continuously from death to
life and obtain God Himself. By partaking of Holy
Communion divine life flows into us and
penetrates the fabric of our humanity.”
“The Eucharist, as St. Ignatios of Antioch said, is
‘the medicine of immortality and the antidote
against death, enabling us to live forever in
Jesus Christ.’ In Christ we become gods by
grace.” (1) The Eucharist becomes the body and
blood of Jesus in a mystical way (not actual flesh
and blood) and his power flows through the
body.
Patron Saints
Evangelicals: None – The saints are with the Lord and cannot be contacted. Their lives are useful for emulation.
Eastern Orthodox: Chosen at chrismation (confirmation); Saints are part of the “living” church and can be
“communed” with, prayed to, and asked to
intercede with Jesus.
God shares His power and glory with his saints,
but they can do nothing apart from Him.
Confession
Evangelicals: Confession is made directly to God.
Eastern Orthodox: Confession is made to a priest as God’s earthly representative but only God can forgive sins;
According to Orthodox teaching, “the penitent
confesses to God and is forgiven by God. The
priest is the sacramental witness who represents
both Christ and His people.”
Mary
Evangelicals: Chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus, Mary was not sinless; She lived a good, normal earthly life as a wife to Joseph and mother to his children.
She was not assumed bodily into heaven at her death, so she did not leave an empty tomb. She is to be honored as an obedient, chosen vessel of God, but is not to be prayed to, nor should she be considered our intercessor to God.
Eastern Orthodox: Known in the EO church as the “Theotokos” or Mother of God. “Mary is Ever-Virgin, All-Holy, Most-Pure…free from actual sin, but...she did fall
under the curse of Original Sin as does all
mankind.”
“She was assumed body and soul into Heaven;
and her tomb was found empty.”
Mary and the saints with her intercede for us
with Jesus and through His power miracles or
messages may occur.
There are no dead saints—all are alive and all
the saints commune with each other as the one
true church.
Icons
Evangelicals: No Icons. God does not share His power or
glory; we cannot communicate with the saints and ask them to help us. We can study and learn from their lives and emulate their devotion to God, but that’s as far as we can go.
Eastern Orthodox: Saints are Called “Windows to heaven” they are part of the “Divine Liturgy”– Parishioners “venerate” by making the sign of the cross, bowing and kissing icons to pass on respect to saints who still
intercede for us.
Theosis or Deification
Evangelicals: None
Eastern Orthodox: A mystical union with God. Each Christian is involved in a movement toward God which is
known as theosis or deification.
The Orthodox church understands theosis as a
[true] union with the energies of God and not
with the essence of God.
Original Sin
Evangelicals: All men are born sinful—guilty of the
same sin as Adam and Eve: rebellion against God. Human
nature is corrupted by evil and the
penalty for sin is death.
Eastern Orthodox: Mankind doesn’t inherit the guilt of Adam’s sin, we only inherit Adam’s punishment—death. Sin
violates the human conscience and the law of
God; individuals are responsible for their own
sins.
Chrismation
Evangelicals: Confirmation (in some
denominations).
Eastern Orthodox: Includes the renunciation of false teachings and teachers—any beliefs prior to choosing the EO church. The Holy Chrism is prepared from oil
and other fragrant essences, which symbolize
the variety of gifts of the Holy Spirit that the
chrismated Christian receives…..Through the
administration of the sacrament of Chrismation,
the baptized receive gifts (charismata) that are
transmitted to them by the Holy Spirit.
Hmmm. That's odd. I could have SWORN that the name of the organization is the "Christian Research Institute" and the name of his show is "The Bible Answer Man", not "the Protestant Research Institute" and "The Evangelical Answer Man"
If a Roman Catholic was a member of an organization called "American Christianity Studies" and hosted a show called "Tridentine Godhood Talk", he would certain be able to continue in that role if he switched from Catholic to say, Dutch Reform.
So you can believe as you will.
I am more concerned about the rise of Islam and Mormonism and nihilism
Eastern Orthodox: The Bible is not the absolute and final authority; it is subject to the interpretation of EO church tradition that include councils, the writings of the saints, and other sources.
Sola Scriptura is a very interesting subject. How did today's Bible come into being. Is there a verse somewhere that says, 'Genesis, Numbers ..... the gospels, the epistles.... are inspired? No!
The first “Canon” was the Muratorian Canon, which was compiled in AD 170. The Muratorian Canon included all of the New Testament books except Hebrews, James, and 3 John. In AD 363, the Council of Laodicea stated that only the Old Testament (along with one book of the Apocrypha) and 26 books of the New Testament (everything but Revelation) were canonical and to be read in the churches. The Council of Hippo (AD 393) and the Council of Carthage (AD 397) also affirmed the same 27 books as authoritative.
Who made up these church councils? They were made up of early church bishops who relied on the Holy Spirit and dare I say it, tradition, to determine what books were inspired by the Holy Spirit and those not.
So, I would say we have a conundrum. Today's canon was not determined by the bible but by the belief of a council of bishops. Also, it was not a once (one council) and done thing. Multiple successive councils are responsible for identifying the books that make up today's bible.
I have been there, my friend. Trained in IMPECCABLE Evangelical institutions (heard of Moody Bible Institute?). Raised in a separatist Baptist denomination. Terminal degree in Theology. Yes, I know EXACTLY how people in this tradition think: "Everyone who disagrees with us is of the devil!"
Oh yes, I have also had interactions with that so-called bastion of Biblical truth: Bob Jones University! They are a sham of biblical Christianity.
It took me many years to realize that there were Christians outside of my own very narrow perspective. It took me many years to confess my arrogance towards other Christian brethren in different historic/cultural circumstances, but who confessed the same essential Faith proclaimed throughout the centuries.