Evangelical Apologist Hank Hanegraaff Converts to Eastern Orthodoxy

religiousresearcher.org ^ | 4-10-2017 | Rob Bowman

[fishtank]

Evangelical Apologist Hank Hanegraaff Converts to Eastern Orthodoxy

Posted by: Rob Bowman

On Palm Sunday, April 9, 2017, Hank Hanegraaff formally joined the Orthodox Church. Since 1989 Hanegraaff has been the President of the Christian Research Institute (CRI) and (since ca. 1992) the host of CRI’s Bible Answer Man radio program.[1] Hank, his wife Kathy, and two of their twelve children were inducted by a sacramental rite called chrismation into the Orthodox faith at St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, near where CRI is based. In chrismation, a baptized individual is anointed with oil in order to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.[2]

[Mark17]

Ah, I thought he was telling me that I was obviously being oblivious . . .

Being obviously oblivious is OK. You are just not allowed, by another certain religion, which will remain unnamed at this time, from being presumingly presumptuous. They might accuse you of committing the sin of presumption. 😃😆😄😃 Oops, I just sent you more smiley face emojis again. I hope you get them.

[imardmd1]

Et too, Markus? < /bg >

[MHGinTN]

I think Mark et three over there in the Islands ... gotta stay fit don’tchaknow.

[imardmd1]

He thinks having a smart phone makes you an Einstein.

Well, at least it makes him happy! Actually, he's just full of emoticons . . . but I know what he's doing, just trying to put a hexadecimal on me.

Well, 00 01 F6 03 to him, then. and an 00 01 F6 06 and and an 00 01 F6 04 along with it.

F0 00 to you, MHG!

[Mark17]

I think Mark et three over there in the Islands ... gotta stay fit don’tchaknow.

You are correct sir. I have to do something to pass the time. 😀😆😄😃 At least you get my emoticons. 🇨🇿😂☝️

[Elsie]

Commandments of God are not just Hebrew traditions,

True. It's a 'tradition' in the sense that it has been done for a REALLY long time.

Commandments are part of a LEGAL document; an agreement; between two parties.

One: GOD
Two: the chosen PEOPLE.

---

The Passover is a COMMAND of GOD; 'traditionally' done once every year at a certain time.

Jesus was 'following tradition' (and the command) when He had his followers prepare for the Passover meal which Christianity has managed to morph into 'the Last Supper' and try to make it something that it was never intended to be.

[Elsie]

Well; we KNOW that Mary said, "They have no wine."

So perhaps (and why not?) could she have ALSO said, "Timothy has no circumsion."?

[Elsie]

If yur head jes seems made of bone;
Then perhaps you need a smart phone.
Don’t sit and just whine;
You’ll be an EINSTEIN!!
(or write puns that will make others groan.)

[Mark17]

I'm just passing the time in the isles
And from your place, it's many miles
If you dare presume
Maybe even assume
Then from us you'll get only smiles.

[Mark17]

Am I an Einstein or what? By the way, it's ok with me if you assume and presume, but you might incur the wrath of members of a different religion. That religion will not be named at this time, but if you have only half as much intelligence as Einstein, you can figure it out on your own. 😀😆😄😂😃👀😱 I hope you get all my emoticons. 🇸🇽

[af_vet_1981]

Well, the nicolaitan victors got to write the history, didn't they? and hide behind their interpretation of it, eh?

Rather, the one holy catholic apostolic church got to write the history because the gates of hell did not prevail against it. That is also why we have the Bible.

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Matthew, Catholic chapter sixteen, Protestant verses eighteen to nineteen,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James

[imardmd1]

Or a Markieoji . . .

(from just another rolling stone) HTML Decimal Code & Unicode Hexadecimal Code for iOS and Safari Emoticons

Currently these symbols and pictographs only display in the Safari Browser

(Read more at http://www.character-code.com/emoticons-html-codes.php)

😀 😒 😝

(See what I mean?)

[imardmd1]

This is such a ridiculous claim and so often refuted by grammarians and lrgitimate Bible expositors that I wont even waste the time and effort to answer it from now on.

If you want to offer something risible, this is it.

[Mark17]

Currently these symbols and pictographs only display in the Safari Browser

My own Safari browser? I tried to go to that web site on character code, but could not get it, because I don't do face book. ☝️🇨🇿

[af_vet_1981]

Again, you are trying to escape to the obvious by being oblivious to the motive behind Timothy's circumcision. It was not necessary at all that Timothy be circumcised to become a Christian, as the Christian Jews, the "dogs" referred to in Philippians 2:3, would have insisted, and for which the Jerusalem council of Acts 15 was convened. Timothy had not been circumsized in infancy because his Greek father and Jewish mother knew that the Hellenic culture despised this--to them--mutilation of the human body, the perfection of which was one of their standards of acceptance. To them, circumcision would be equivalent to what we see in such Islamic mutilation of female genitalia today.

It was not necessary for Timothy to be circumcised to be saved. It was appropriate for Timothy to be circumcised because his mother was Jewish and his father was Gentile.
1. The Apostle to the Gentiles took Timothy to be circumcised but did not take Titus to be circumcised. Paul noted that Timothy had a Jewish mother and Gentile father and never called Timothy a Greek (Gentile). Paul did call Titus a Greek (Gentile).
2. Both Timothy and Titus accompanied the Apostle Paul. Titus became the Bishop of Crete and a Catholic Saint. Timothy became the Bishop of Ephesus and a Catholic Saint. Both served in the calling by which they were called, as the Apostle Paul taught.
3. The hypothetical view you asserted relies on mindreading of Timothy's parents and does not conform with all the scriptures concerning Timothy and his family. It is inconceivable that Eunice would view circumcision as you assert. That would have been apostasy and the scriptures clearly show she was not an apostate.
4. The father (unnamed) was Greek (Gentile) so it is plausible the father denied Timothy the opportunity to be circumcised although the reasons are not in evidence.
5. Paul knew Timothy's Jewish mother and grandmother, Eunice and Lois, were in the faith, and that Timothy had learned the Jewish scriptures from his early years.
6. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, had Timothy circumcised.
7. Paul insisted that Titus, who was a Greek (Gentile) not be circumcised.

Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.


But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:


Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.


But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.




Acts, Catholic chapter sixteen, Protestant verses one to three,
Galatians, Catholic chapter two, Protestant verse three,
Second Timothy, Catholic chapter one, Protestant verses one to five,
Second Timothy, Catholic chapter three, Protestant verses fourteen to fifteen,

as authorized, but not authored, by King James

[imardmd1]

Hoo! The first of these showed up a hand with finger pointing upward. I suppose that graphic has the code that is accepted in almost any browser because it is used when the arrow cursor coincides with a link and turns into this hand w/finger so you can know that clicking there will bring up a web page on a browser or some other object-oriented link.

But the other two were still just little boxes with the Emoji code in them. It might be that Win 8 or Win 10 might have the emoticon fonts issued with those operating systems.

[Elsie]

With Mark, it’s ok to presume.
And even; sometimes; to assume.
But what sets him on fire,
by raising his ire:
Being told a host he must consume.

[Elsie]

Rather, the one holy catholic apostolic church got to write the history because the gates of hell did not prevail against it. That is also why we have the Bible.

you STILL refuse to LISTEN TO THE Church; don't you!!!

---

Your 'church' now IGNORES her 'history'!

---

As regards the oft-quoted Mt. 16:18, note the following Early Church Fathers promise in the profession of faith of Vatican 1:

 • Basil of Seleucia, Oratio 25:

'You are Christ, Son of the living God.'...Now Christ called this confession a rock, and he named the one who confessed it 'Peter,' perceiving the appellation which was suitable to the author of this confession. For this is the solemn rock of religion, this the basis of salvation, this the wall of faith and the foundation of truth: 'For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus.' To whom be glory and power forever. — Oratio XXV.4, M.P.G., Vol. 85, Col. 296-297.

• Bede, Matthaei Evangelium Expositio, 3:

You are Peter and on this rock from which you have taken your name, that is, on myself, I will build my Church, upon that perfection of faith which you confessed I will build my Church by whose society of confession should anyone deviate although in himself he seems to do great things he does not belong to the building of my Church...Metaphorically it is said to him on this rock, that is, the Saviour which you confessed, the Church is to be built, who granted participation to the faithful confessor of his name. — 80Homily 23, M.P.L., Vol. 94, Col. 260. Cited by Karlfried Froehlich, Formen, Footnote #204, p. 156 [unable to verify by me].

• Cassiodorus, Psalm 45.5:

'It will not be moved' is said about the Church to which alone that promise has been given: 'You are Peter and upon this rock I shall build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.' For the Church cannot be moved because it is known to have been founded on that most solid rock, namely, Christ the Lord. — Expositions in the Psalms, Volume 1; Volume 51, Psalm 45.5, p. 455

• Chrysostom (John) [who affirmed Peter was a rock, but here not the rock in Mt. 16:18]:

Therefore He added this, 'And I say unto thee, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church; that is, on the faith of his confession. — Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Homily LIIl; Philip Schaff, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf110.iii.LII.html)

• Cyril of Alexandria:

When [Peter] wisely and blamelessly confessed his faith to Jesus saying, 'You are Christ, Son of the living God,' Jesus said to divine Peter: 'You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church.' Now by the word 'rock', Jesus indicated, I think, the immoveable faith of the disciple.”. — Cyril Commentary on Isaiah 4.2.

• Origen, Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew (Book XII):

“For a rock is every disciple of Christ of whom those drank who drank of the spiritual rock which followed them, 1 Corinthians 10:4 and upon every such rock is built every word of the church, and the polity in accordance with it; for in each of the perfect, who have the combination of words and deeds and thoughts which fill up the blessedness, is the church built by God.'

“For all bear the surname ‘rock’ who are the imitators of Christ, that is, of the spiritual rock which followed those who are being saved, that they may drink from it the spiritual draught. But these bear the surname of rock just as Christ does. But also as members of Christ deriving their surname from Him they are called Christians, and from the rock, Peters.” — Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew (Book XII), sect. 10,11 ( http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/101612.htm)

• Hilary of Potier, On the Trinity (Book II):

Thus our one immovable foundation, our one blissful rock of faith, is the confession from Peter's mouth, Thou art the Son of the living God. On it we can base an answer to every objection with which perverted ingenuity or embittered treachery may assail the truth."-- (Hilary of Potier, On the Trinity (Book II), para 23; Philip Schaff, editor, The Nicene & Post Nicene Fathers Series 2, Vol 9.

[Elsie]

Currently these symbols and pictographs only display in the Safari Browser

While OTHERs seem to have only existed in the fertile mind of Joseph Smith, Junior...

[Elsie]

REFORMED Egyptian: The Beginning

---

O ne day, long ago; long before the Romans and the Greeks and the Hittites and the Philistines roamed the Earth - there was a young Egyptian boy - Yusef Shehata - who was running along the banks of the Nile one day; after escaping from the Teachers grasp.

He was so tired from having to learn to carve hieroglyphics into the student sandstone slabs everyday; working for perfection; perfection needed to be able to claim the title of Master Engraver of the Pharaoh.

"If ONLY there were an easier way!", he cried into the cobalt blue sky of the verdant valley: hundreds of miles long, but only a few thousand cubits wide.

Exhausted and exasperated, he sat on the bank; cooling his heels in the water while keeping a watchful eye for the crocs: the Gods of the Waters. Yes; being consumed by one is a sure sign of blessing; but this day young Yusef did not feel so blessed; as his only burning was of his arches: not his busom.

Later, as he had recovered some strength; he climbed high into a palm tree to procure a prized coconut - one sure to be brimming with cool, delicious milk.  

Reaching out to one, he tugged on it, only to find it secure. Tugging and yanking harder, he slipped and fell onto the sand below.

As he regained consciousness, he was cursing his luck (but noticing no actual physical harm) he looked upward to find his prize HAD come loose and was now a mere arms-length away.

Evening was nigh, so he cracked open the coconut and drank his fill.

As he was preparing to leave for home (all the while devising yet another tale to explain his absence to his harried mother) two foreign visitors were suddenly by his side. They said they were a Father and Son - sent to Yusef in response to his earlier cry. They relayed a message to him to dig under the trunk of the tree to find a new system of writing: writing to reform the complicated language of the Nile, engraved on Golden Metal: the Metal of the GODS.

As in countless other days, Yusef's mother did not believe him and beat him as usual; sending him to bed without his supper of beloved camel stew: the Meal of the Peasants.

Unable to sleep; unbelieved by his family; sure to be severely punished by his Master - Yusef gathered his few belongings and fled silently in the night; down the river of his heritage and into the foreign land of the Jews - never to be heard from again...