Why this evangelical couple became Eastern Orthodox (part 1) - from Southern Baptist to Orthodox

Christian Post ^ | 24 October 2020 | Brandon Showalter

[Republican Wildcat]

Today, Joel asks evangelicals to "give Mary a chance." Asked to expound on what he means by "give her a chance,” he elaborated: "Revere her in a way you haven't before because she provided the Savior." "And there is a reason that she has been venerated since the beginning of the church and I don't fully understand her role and it's uncomfortable to ask for her intercessions at times, but at the same time, she is the one praying and interceding on behalf of all of us to her Son. And it is through her prayers that most of us come to know Him." "I grew up my whole just thinking that Mary was just some random chick that just happened to be there at the right time and right place and it's just not so. The history of the church has put her in a place where she should be and if evangelicals could give her a chance, it might open up their world to her." Stephanie interjected, "Our salvation is not possible without her. And He chose to make it that way."

[Faith Presses On]

And in regards to suffering, God also has many wonderful prescriptions for comforting us and reshaping us spiritually during times of suffering, which build our faith and trust in Him, like this one in Philippians 4:

4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Don’t be anxious! The Lord is always nearby. Rejoice in Him, while praying and giving thanks to Him, and He’ll give you His peace in return and you’ll begin to see the purposes for what you’re going through.

[Honorary Serb]

AMEN!!!!

[Honorary Serb]

The Orthodox Church—the original Church founded at Pentecost—gave us the Scriptures—by the Grace and Power of God!!!!

And the New Testament Scriptures witness to ALL of the Holy Mysteries of the Orthodox Church!!!! They are ALL Biblically-based!

Moreover, every Divine Liturgy includes readings from Scripture (I myself—unworthy though I be—am a Orthodox Reader), and a Biblically-based sermon by the Priest!!!!

But the center of Divine Liturgy is the reception of Christ’s True Body and True Blood!!!!

http://stgeorgegoc.org/pastors-corner/fr-ricks-sermons/jesus-is-the-bread-of-life

That also is attested to by Scripture!!

[Iscool]

They stayed in the Baptist group for a long time and were baptised INTO the baptist group - they very, very obviously DID belie

No one ever gets baptized into a Baptist group...That's a Catholic thing...

[Mr Rogers]

“Stephanie believes that God chose to make salvation through that method through the, let’s call it “Mary method””

But the “Mary Method” disagrees with scripture. That isn’t hating on Mary, just an observation that God could find SOMEONE. It didn’t have to be Mary.

[JesusIsLord]

That's a convention idea ...

For many Christians, Luke 1:46,47 is plainly understood and not open to interpretation.

Yes, Mary is unique. She is the Lord's mother. She is rightly due honor and veneration in the church and in heaven. However, nowhere does the scripture show that she is a co-redemptrix or that we need a co-redemptrix.

"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" - 1 Tim 2:5

[newberger]

The following verse should put to rest that anyone other than Jesus intercedes to the Father for men: "For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" - 1 Timothy 2:5

There is a significant difference between an intercessor and a mediator. Jesus is the ONLY mediator between us and the Father but we have MANY intercessors. You do ask your brothers and sisters to intercede (pray) for you, right?

[Old Yeller]

So you admit Mary wasn't born perfect and she needed a Savior...Like the rest of us...

Now, lets work on the myth that Mary was a virgin her whole life.

[newberger]

Orthodox Christians doe NOT hold that Mary is co-redemptrix. That is a Roman Catholic extrapolation we do not teach.

[Campion]

If you think your salvation is possible without Mary, then you think your salvation is possible without the Incarnation of Christ, and therefore (since the Cross presupposes the Incarnation; you can't crucify a spirit after all!) without the Crucifixion.

I suppose that's "possible" in the most extreme sense of the word -- God certainly gets to make the rules, not us -- but the clear message of the Bible in that in reality, the way God has ordered it, nobody is saved except through the Cross, which means that nobody is saved except through the Incarnation, which means that nobody is saved except through Mary.

That's not a "lost soul," that cause-and-effect logic.

[Campion]

Ever heard these words before: "Through the prayers of the Birth-giver of God, O Saviour, save us ..." ??

That's in the Orthodox liturgy, not the Roman liturgy (which barely even mentions Mary).

[Campion]

He chose Mary, but that doesn’t mean salvation for the world depended on Mary. It depended totally on GOD.

But in point of fact, God set it up so that it depended on Mary. (And of course, in other ways, on different people and things.) It depended on Mary in a unique way, because Jesus received his human nature from Mary. Since Jesus' death on the Cross presupposes and requires a human nature ... qed.

[Campion]

So you admit Mary wasn't born perfect and she needed a Savior.

Not attempting to speak for the Orthodox here, but it is Catholic dogma that Mary needed a Savior.

And also that she had one.

[Iscool]

There is a significant difference between an intercessor and a mediator. Jesus is the ONLY mediator between us and the Father but we have MANY intercessors. You do ask your brothers and sisters to intercede (pray) for you, right?

The ones that can hear us...The live ones...

Wouldn't Catholics be bummed after having died they found out none of those they prayed to for intercession were even there???

Now here's a real Catholic mystery...Their popes and cardinals and the rest of them claim heaven and hell aren't really places...They are a state of mind...A state of their mind...Kinda like the Twilight Zone...Their individual heaven may not be like any one else's heaven...How do they get someone to intercede for them who isn't anywhere other than their own state of mind???

I have faith in Jesus Christ but it takes far, far more faith to believe in the Catholic religion...

[Iscool]

I suppose that's "possible" in the most extreme sense of the word -- God certainly gets to make the rules, not us -- but the clear message of the Bible in that in reality, the way God has ordered it, nobody is saved except through the Cross, which means that nobody is saved except through the Incarnation, which means that nobody is saved except through Mary.

Mary had one purpose...And that was to provide a sinful vessel with corrupt blood to provide Jesus with a corrupt flesh that would deteriorate, feel pain and be tempted to sin...Didn't have to be Mary...Could have been any female in the same bloodline...

We aren't saved by trusting in the corrupted flesh of Jesus...We are saved by trusting in God/Jesus...

Jesus is God...Among other things He was manifest in the flesh so that we could see him...Interact with him on a human level...God did not need to become flesh for us to be 'saved'...

[Iscool]

Not attempting to speak for the Orthodox here, but it is Catholic dogma that Mary needed a Savior.
And also that she had one.

Then Mary was not sinless as the scriptures tell us...

[newberger]

Now here's a real Catholic mystery...Their popes and cardinals and the rest of them claim heaven and hell aren't really places...They are a state of mind...A state of their mind...Kinda like the Twilight Zone...Their individual heaven may not be like any one else's heaven...How do they get someone to intercede for them who isn't anywhere other than their own state of mind???

I have faith in Jesus Christ but it takes far, far more faith to believe in the Catholic religion..

But, this thread is NOT about the Roman Catholic Church. To Protestants and others Orthodoxy may LOOK like Catholicism but there are significant differences. We don't have a pope or cardinals. We do not teach that Heaven and Hell are states of mind.

[newberger]

The ones that can hear us...The live ones...

Jesus, in debating with the Sadducees (who denied the resurrection), made the point that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was the God of the living, not the dead.

Those who repose in faith are alive to God. Of course, the saints are not omniscient. The only way they can hear our requests for intercession is if God makes it known to them.

Besides, if we are wrong in thinking they can intercede, God hears those prayers!

[Philsworld]

Don’t let Cronos fool you.

http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/mary.htm