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NASB | 1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, ¶ To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, Silvanus (Silas), and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being from God]. |
Bible Question:
Dear All: I feel a call, of more than a passing interest, in Russian Orthodoxy. By this I do not mean Roman Catholicism, but to Eastern Orthodoxy, of which Catholicism broke off in the Great Schism of 1054 AD. I can clearly see, historically, how this Church is the true apostolic Church handed down from the Apostles. I would be interested to know if any here are of that Church. I would also be interested for any references on reading about this Church. If this is the wrong forum for a discussion about this, please point me in a direction that is more appropriate. Thank you for your kind responses. In Christ, Beensetfree |
Bible Answer: Eastern Orthodoxy Summary 'Recent years have witnessed a surge of Western Christians joining the Orthodox Church. With its emphasis on mystical union with God, its rich history, and its beautiful icons (sacred images) and liturgies, Orthodoxy appeals to those who long for a deeper sense of wonder in their worship and faith. Yet behind the appeal lie some hard realities. The Orthodox world is not monolithic, and one cannot become Orthodox in general. The Orthodox tradition is not entirely apostolic, and consequently the claim to represent the true church of Christ is triumphalistic. Orthodoxy follows a different theological paradigm; for example, within Orthodoxy the doctrine of salvation has a different meaning than within Catholicism or Protestantism. Protestant evangelicals who have joined the Orthodox church often display an inadequate understanding of the faith they have embraced. (...) 'The Orthodox view that Adam was a child and that his sin is to be understood merely as missing the road diminishes the gravity of sin and its consequences. Accordingly, Adam’s descendants inherited corruption and mortality, but not guilt. Each child remains innocent until he or she personally sins. According to Orthodox belief, baptism imparts new and immortal life, and since Orthodoxy practices infant baptism it follows that repentance and faith are not essential. Salvation understood mystically as deification and not as forensic justification by faith obscures the biblical records about Christ’s vicarious death. 'Although it is clear from Peter Gillquist’s writings that he and his colleagues do not have a clear understanding of the Orthodox faith in its complexity, their claims to have discovered the true apostolic faith can mislead others, whose search for religious experience is influenced by limited knowledge and the current American hunger for mystical realities. A close look at Orthodoxy can help both the sincere searchers and the Orthodox churches themselves to avoid adding members to a romanticized, idealized church of the Western imagination rather than the real Orthodox churches.' ____________________ To read more go to: (www.equip.org/free/DE177.htm) STATEMENT DE177 SEARCHING FOR THE TRUE APOSTOLIC CHURCH: What Evangelicals Should Know about Eastern Orthodoxy by Paul Negrut --Radioman2 |