[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

Obviously, you have no clue how the Christian Scripture came about. Read Heb 8:8 and 8:13. It was not an accident who was given the word of God by the Word of God, who received the faith, who divided the false from the true, who knew why false was false and true was true.

Kosta, I'm pleasantly in awe.

You're making an absolutely beautiful Providentialist argument for God's Election and Preservation of the True Canon of the Holy Scriptures in the Eastern Orthodox Church. (And especially therein, as opposed to the corrupt Vulgate of the Latins, which is why the "textus receptus" Western Reformers tried to get back to the Byzantine Greek texts as best they were able).

Certainly, the "synergistic" participation of the blessed Saints was part of the equation; Athanasius contra mundum, and all the rest. But you do good justice to the Eastern Orthodox appreciation of "The Monarchy of the Father" in asserting the Father's divine superintendance overall in the Election and Preservation of the Scriptures generally, and in the Byzantine Greek textus receptus particularly.

I would only reserve, as a Calvinist -- that I believe that the Father does not exhibit any less particular Election and Preservation in regard to His Saints, than He does in regard to His Scriptures.

If Calvinists and Orthodox can ever get on the same page in that point of discussion, it will be a good time for Reformed and Presbyterian Christians to join the Lutherans and Orthodox in their ecumenical conversations!!

(Heck, even the Reformed Baptists might get involved, seeing as many Eastern Orthodox prefer Baptist-style "Immersion" to "Annointing" as the proper Mode of Baptism -- the difference being, that the Eastern Orthodox immerse their infants!)

Interesting stuff. Thanks for the Post. :-)

best, OP

[George W. Bush]

OPie: Kosta, I'm pleasantly in awe.

Me too.

You're making an absolutely beautiful Providentialist argument for God's Election and Preservation of the True Canon of the Holy Scriptures in the Eastern Orthodox Church. (And especially therein, as opposed to the corrupt Vulgate of the Latins, which is why the "textus receptus" Western Reformers tried to get back to the Byzantine Greek texts as best they were able).

I couldn't say it better or at least in less than ten times as many words. The vital heritage of the Reformation was the embrace of the sound Greek texts from the East, namely the scriptures so faithfully preserved by the Orthodox. Let us simply say that other scriptural texts do not enjoy such a vast testimony or universal presence in the ancient church or uniformity of content.

This preservation of the textus receptus was the greatest gift of the Eastern churches to Christendom. It would be impossible to ennumerate the number of souls around the world who first heard the Word from Bibles translated directly from the ancient texts of the Orthodox. In this sense, we all owe them a debt for their faithful preservation of their texts.