Have you devoted a great deal of time to attending Orthodox Churches? I think then one can make claims. Until then I think some are assuming a lot. Because our good friend who had become orthodox and had actual Mennonite heritage in his family and was an Amish school teacher had also graduated to become a pastor until he saw churches have become two worldly, found himself in the Orthodox church and there he felt he found home. Knowing this man like we do we knew he would not want to steer us the wrong direction. We really had little interest in pursuing it as my husband came from Catholicism but had turned to Evangelical/Pentecostal. I had always assumed these type of churches with much the same opinions I read here actually I would have been on the same page.Soloist wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 11:16 am I would love to hear David B’s sermon on infant baptism and then the rebuttal to himself by himself.The church had been split multiple times. It’s disingenuous to argue that any split is just heretical movement’s.I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
3Jn 1:10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.
Division was created to separate the Church from the church. All of us are held accountable for our own choices.2Th 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.
There is a security that comes from belonging to a historical church and having the doctrine established by patriarchs or papal authority. I would argue that is a false security and the entirety of this structure appeals to us seekers as an answer to the confusion and disarray that plagues our hunt for perfection when really the problem is ourselves.
Many groups out there claim to have the answer and one who fairly evaluates the Orthodox can see that there is more division then is claimed. Which Orthodox group do you belong to? Does your group follow the revised version of Orthodoxy of the 14th century? The 19th century revision? Do you claim to follow the early church itself? What point is when you stop accepting new doctrine claimed to be historically sound? As looking through the ages of the early writings and later, more and more select teachers create more and more form. It’s impossible to trace every practice/doctrine to the first 300 years.
The two biggest challenges to someone rejecting the OTC is apostolic authority and what Jesus said. If the church wouldn’t fall, what does not falling mean in context of the churches Jesus called out and threatened? Did all the churches have the same practice? Did they all baptize for the dead? Why isn’t this practiced today? Clearly it was practiced by the “early” church. The farther we dig, the more disorder we see in the writings. What is your foundation built on? Jesus? Or men writings that were not claimed as inspired by anyone?
We took a great deal of time learning and had to repent of some of my thinking about them and judging them inaccurately in some areas. We probably visited 12 different Orthodox Churches from various ethnicities and really rather than divisions we just saw cultural influences from the country they emerge from not differences in practice in liturgy and worship and interpretations they were all on the same page.
Although I am most impressed with the anabaptist in general with their orthopraxy as we spend time among them in Holmes county Ohio and are very touched by their practice, having spent about a year in the same Orthodox Church I can tell you without a doubt there is a great deal of love, worship, following Jesus, serving the poor, serving each other, involvement in Unplanned pregnancy outreaches Bible studies in homes, etc etc I think it really took us by surprise. In fact one can practically live at the Church with all its services.These were genuine Christians that I can hear Jesus say well done good and faithful servants. More so than me.
I should add, my intent was not to convince people to be Orthodox in this topic. Obviously we did not make that commitment so that would be hypocritical.
I listened to Christian radio this morning, someone else seemed to strongly encourage the church at large to drop its differences and become one I can't remember exactly how they said it but I thought it weighs on other people's hearts. That does not mean to become universalist and not allow for heresies to be welcomed as different interpretations there still has to be clear foundational teachings and interpretations of the Bible as they were handed down in the beginning
