Posted on 01/01/2016 10:28:21 AM PST by NRx
This picture of the pope is a picture of something that Orthodox Christians do not do.
“The Textus Receptus is authoritative.”
As a complete collection, probably yes. But again, its authority derives from the Majority Test, the Byzantine manuscripts. You should remember that while Western Europe was in barbarism, in the East we had a magnificent empire with schools for everyone, private and public centers of higher learning, hospitals, old folks homes, sewer systems, central heat; true civilization. Manuscripts get preserved in cultures like that. All the more so when the language of the scriptures is the language of the society around them.
Today at the Divine Liturgy, I will hear the Gospel and the Epistle read in Byzantine Greek. The same way my ancestors have been hearing them for 1800 years.
Same difference...St. Christopher (if he ever existed) has no more authority to answer prayer and do miracles that the cement statue of him...
I have already answered this. You keep repeating the same things I have answered and ignoring what I said. Yes, they bowed in the direction of the ark which typically was in the tabernacle or temple when they did so. This is also where God’s glory rested. So they were praying toward God Himself, not the temple or ark. As I also showed, God’s glory departed due to idolatry, and ultimately the temple has been destroyed twice. So no one bows toward it today.
The apostles did not leave such instructions because God did not direct them to as He did direct Moses. You have added to His words.
The apostles delivered God-ordained instructions for the church orally while they were still alive. God directed them what to write so that we would have all of the essential instructions available to us in the written word.
The apostles had specific instructions just as Moses was told to take heed to make the tabernacle according to the pattern God had showed Him. The apostles taught the “pattern” and established the church, a temple not made with hands. Believers do not pray toward a temple because believers are the temple. There is no need to look for God in buildings and relics. Wherever believers gather in Christ’s name, He is in their midst. They can gather in a building, a house, the woods, or anywhere else God provides.
“the Scriptures make no claim that Scripture alone is authoritative”
Sola Scriptura is not about the Bible being the only authority. Indeed, the Bible repeatedly instructs to submit to God-ordained authority in the home, government, church, and even social structures. Rather, it is about the sufficiency of the Bible, and that the Bible is above all of these other authorities. This is why the apostles said it is better to obey God than man.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Notice that scripture enables God’s people to be “thoroughly furnished”, not minimally, not partially. God’s word is sufficient. Can Bible teaching be good? Yes. Can Christian books and films and music help? Sure. Can studying language help? Of course. The Bible is after all communicated through language. But ultimately it is the Bible itself that is the standard of truth and the final authority of matters of Christian living and church “tradition”.
” ‘the Faith once delivered [paradotheise] unto the saints’ (Jude 3). Its source is Christ, it was delivered personally by Him to the Apostles through all that He said and did, which if it all were all written down, ‘the world itself could not contain the books that should be written’ (John 21:25). “
John 20:29-31
Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
The very passage you cite supports the sufficiency of scripture. The passage also indicates it would be impossible to convey ALL that Christ said and did. Do you purport that the church can convey ALL that Christ said and did? It seems you are plainly contradicting John and saying that what he wrote is not enough for people to believe and receive eternal life.
“So what makes the tradition of the Pharisees false and that of the Church true? The source! “
It is the source. But the difference is not between traditions of men and traditions of the church. It is traditions of men versus the traditions of the apostles. There is a huge difference.
What is laughable is how the article you linked to about Sola Scriptura takes great pains to point how all of the churches disagree as being proof they are wrong. And yet you are asserting, just like the Catholics assert, that your church is the one church that gets it right and even CANNOT get it wrong. Every church I have ever been part of or even visited makes the same sort of assertions about learning the languages and history involved to better understand the scriptures. The Orthodox and Catholic churches do not have a monopoly on church history.
Believers today only have apostolic authority when they teach what the apostles delivered to us in the Bible and practice what it says.
Lots of man made traditions have been added to what the apostles gave the church during their lives. These are not authoritative not mandatory. And when they contradict the Bible, they are just wrong.
HaHaHa...I wouldn't waste my time studying Hebrew...I'll bet you haven't either...There are tons of people who have studied Hebrew...All we have to do is read what they wrote...You nor I are going to find any new Hebrew revelations by studying Hebrew...
Based on the context, it is the only way to put it...
The word worship is not the issue...It's the little words...It's always the little words that mess you up...Now here's what you posted:::
“Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship the footstool of His feet; for He is holy†(Psalm 98[99]:5).
So what Hebrew did you study to come up with those words, 'the' and 'of'??? Look at the context...Worship a footstool because God is Holy??? What sense does that make???
This is the KJV and numerous other translations of the Hebrew...And it makes perfect sense...
Psa 99:5 Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.
You worship AT the footstool because God is holy and THAT is where God is at...
To my knowledge a lexicon does not exist that has the phrase 'worship the footstool', 'of his feet'...So I'd like you to show me which of the Lexicons you use to come up with that phrasing...
But yet you identify with the Catholic religion...You are the 'other leg'...
I mean how ridiculous is that...They say they are the one true church...Your religion says it is the one true church...They have a pope...You don't...They worship that thing in the monstrance and claim it is in fact Jesus...
But then you agree to share the title of the one true church while at the same time claiming it is the other who left the one true church...
That is like me saying I believe in God, the JWs believe in God, the Mormons believe in God and Izlam believes in God so we are all the one true church...
Actually, Protestantism is the flip side of Papism. It is democratic papism. Yes, we both agree that there is only one Church, and disagree on which one is that Church. Perhaps you have to decide whether you think Papism is more likely to be that Church. I think not, and the fact that Papism spawned Protestantism is evidence that supports my conclusion.
Actually, I have studied Hebrew, and I can assure you that you don’t know what you are talking about. But you could educate yourself a bit, if you would read what is found on this page: http://orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/prostration_heb.aspx
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