Posted on 08/30/2018 10:35:03 AM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
The very concept of “belonging” to the “original church” is pure superstition and herasy. As shown by the Revelation letters to the 7 churches, each individual church stands or falls on its own. Regardless of whatever connection they had to the so-called “original church”, their lamp stands stood or fell based on their own performance. No connection saved them.
Greek Orthodox.
My FR page is in need of updating.
As a former Roman Catholic, I can attest to having had a feeling of disconnection with the ancient church and true Christianity. It was this sense that prompted me to cry out to God and ask Him to show me what was truth and He led me out of the RCC. What connects us to our ancient brothers and sisters are the Biblical doctrines that were taught from the start and not necessarily the manner of worship, music, furniture, art or regalia. The truth doesn't change.
Makes sense now.
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+1
There wouldn't BE a church at all without the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Apostles and disciples. The New Testament is the hardcopy of those teachings, so they ARE the record of the earliest church and what they believed and were the authority to determine what was the truth of the faith. All Scripture is God-breathed, Holy Spirit inspired revelation. No human organization chose what was from God but they received what was given them by the Apostles. Paul, for example, admonished believers to mark those among them who did not obey the teachings he gave to them and he required the writings to be read among the people, copied and passed onto other congregations.
It was GOD who gave the world the Scriptures. Putting together all the inspired writings into one volume/book was done thousands of years before Christianity began (what we call the Old Testament - AKA the Pentateuch/books of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms). Jesus often referred to them and it was this group of writings that the Apostles used to prove that Jesus was the promised Messiah. The "Church" can make no claim to have done this for the world and certainly cannot claim to be in authority over them.
Nice try! The Septuagint was an Alexandrian second century BC Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures and included extra books (15 actually) that were seen as Deuterocanonical/Second Canon. The Jewish people never recognized these writings as from God like the 39 book canon and they would not have done that if they had been. Paul said that unto the Jews were entrusted the "Oracles of God". They had no reason to exclude them other than they did not come from Prophets of the Lord.
Agreed. Important point!
Excellent observation.
My arrival at the Byzantine Rite was kind of roundabout, but when I got here, I knew I was home. Smells and bells, reverence and joy. We all stand for the whole Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. We all sing the whole thing all the way through. Altar servers are men. No guitars, no pipe organs. Just our voices.
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