What would you like to know about the Eastern Orthodox Christian faith? Submit your question.
So The Oriental Orthodox is a minor schism, right? No man wants to Reform/Protest the Eastern Orthodox Church, great. Not like Roman Catholic.
In the EOC, there was no Reformation or change.
See this article “Ask An Eastern Orthodox Christian: Why do Orthodox Christians believe theirs is the correct church?”
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, we have neither added, subtracted, nor altered the original faith and teachings of Christ and the Apostles.
Doesn’t *every* tradition claim that? That they “have neither added, subtracted, nor altered the original faith and teachings,” but rather have remained true while “others” have done the adding/subtracting/alteration? I’m just not sure how to evaluate a claim like that.
Thank you for your question. If I understand what you are saying that
all Christian faiths have not added, subtracted, nor altered the
original faith and teachings. Perhaps you might want to look at what
was practiced adopted by the Church in the beginning, whether by word or
Scripture. The The Orthodox Church have kept these teaching and
traditions from the beginning.
2 Thessalonians 2:15
Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.
Almost. What I am saying is that all (or at least most) Christian faiths *claim* not to have “added, subtracted, nor altered the original faith and teachings,” and that while they make this claim with varying degrees of credibility, there are some points on which such a claim is manifestly false (e.g. meeting in church buildings as opposed to private homes, the scope and extent of ministry to the poor) and others on which it is deeply questionable (e.g. the eligibility of women for leadership roles, the role of the church in civic life). Every tradition, so far as I can tell, *claims* that they have always adhered to the “true faith,” and that those who practice differently have diverged from it. So what is the Orthodox Church’s “case,” if you will, that their/your practice has kept to those traditions (or at least to the ones that mattered), whereas the practice of other denominations has diverged from it?
Thank you again for your inquiry. To start this discussion I would say that let’s consider some of the main practices and teachings of the original faith rather than let us say a shotgun approach.
To preface one essential issue is that the EOC doesn’t make the claim that the Holy Spirit of God only resides with the Orthodox Church. We can not say where the Holy Spirit is and where It is not.
Let us start with some essential teachings. Do these other Christian faiths still have all of the Mysteries (Sacraments) of the original faith as they have been practiced and upheld for the last 2000 years in the Eastern Orthodox Church? And if they do, are they still believed, understood, and practiced as the original Church upheld and declared them in the first seven counsels of the original Christian Church?
As an example, let us just take one of the Mysteries. What ever happened to repentance? Where is the healing Sacrament of Confession IN Christian churches today which is the first teaching of Christ, “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” and all throughout the Scriptures, this is His first message and one of the most essential to the Christian life. From the beginning, Confession is practiced “IN” the original Church.
At this point we are getting into deeper water and forgive me if I may make any statement that would be offensive my brother…. I hope this helps… Blessings