"I believe Paul is warning against idleness or laziness !"
My point exactly...you believe...but what has that to do with what 24,999 other denominations believe?
That is why unity is so very important. That does not mean that Orthodox cannot have a theological opinion, but when it comes to a direct contradiction to the mind of the Church (significantly different then the mind of one man, ie the Pope, or the pope in every man, ie Sola Scriptura).
Hundreds of years after the great schism, the reformers, appalled by what they saw in Rome through the baby out with the bathwater, or better put, cast away the body of Christ along with the cold lifeless image they saw in a mirror.
The image in a mirror is cold and lifeless, but other than looking like the real thing, it is "not" the real thing. The difference between Rome and Orthodoxy are greater than the distance between east and west, night and day. But if all one looks at is the surface the treasure will never be found. One must dig deep for Truth and not be afraid to find it...even when it shakes the very foundations of your ideology.
Today’s Christians born as Protestants or RCs, yes, even some Orthodox, don't get off any easier than did the Jews of the 1st century. Truth rocked their world, shook the very foundations of their beliefs, caused son to turn against father, daughter against mother, and follow Christ (Truth).
I tell you the Truth...the God that you know as a Protestant, RC, and yes, even many Orthodox that don't know they're own faith, is different from the God handed down and died for by many Martyrs for 2000 years.
A profound example: Why did God the Father let His Son die for your sins? The real answer may surprise you...or at least the answer outside western thought. The western theology that answers this question, is new, and has given rise to Atheism (not to be understood that all will become Atheists for many will fear this God so much that they will remain believing in Him). But is this really a God of Love that one must fear? One that needed the blood of His only Son to atone for His anger and appease His dishonor? This could not be furthest from the Truth, but you must dig for the answer...
Again I suggest you read a very short book, <20 pages, that help Protestants and RCs understand this profound difference in very important theology.
http://www.orthodoxpress.org/parish/river_of_fire.htm
And if you choose not to read it…the treasure will remain hidden, but not because God wanted it to remain so.
http://www.orthodoxpress.org/parish/river_of_fire.htm
And if you choose not to read it…the treasure will remain hidden, but not because God wanted it to remain so.
45 posted on 08/14/2006 8:31:05 PM MDT by AMHN
I prayed to YHvH for guidance in response. Lot's of what men with fancy titles said; very little of the Holy Word of G-d. The tone was "we're special; everyone is out of favor except us". "The Papists and the Protestants are wrong; we are right. The Jews are lost and now We are now Israel. I hope that helps you.I read the article; I was extremely underwhelmed.
b'shem Yahu'shua