The Orthodox Church - 13 Answers

The Orthodox Church
13 Answers for the
Evangelical Inquirer
WT Kantz


e greatest challenge an Orthodox Christian faces when speaking with an American Evangelical is delineating Orthodox beliefs from Catholi- cism. e author does not wish to castigate the papacy nor overly focus on the history of the Roman Church. Nevertheless, this writing is directed at a
Protestant audience whose roots lie in the protesting, rightly so, of the abuses of medieval Roman Catholicism. erefore, it will be necessary to draw distinctions and explain the schism between these two faiths. Even the names are a source of confusion. Orthodox refer to themselves as Orthodox or Eastern Orthodox
for brevity, even though the actual historical name is “the Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church.” In contrast, the Roman Catholic Church will be referred to as the Roman Church. e audience this brochure aims at helping will be referred to as Evangelical even though this term will be imprecise at times.
Oldest known image of Christ. Baptismal Icon om Dura-Europa in Syria, before 254 A.D. when Dura was conquered. Icon one depicts the healing of the
paralytic and icon two is of Christ and Peter walking on water.
Quick History Lesson
It is a common misunderstand- ing in the West that the Roman Church is the original Church. e Roman Church was one of ve regions, called sees, of the rst century Christian expansion. e Archbishop of Rome operated like the other archbishops, except he was honored with the title “ rst among equals.” Not until 380 was the equality of bishops overtly challenged. Roman Archbishop Damascus I was the rst to begin distinguishing himself as the patriarch over all the Church and began to challenge the governing structure that had been in place since the book of Acts. (Acts 15:6-29 models the conciliar rule of the apostles.) e conciliar spirit is epitomized, “it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us....” e Roman Pope was the father of division when he asserted the now universal motto: “it seems right to me.”
1. Jewish Elements of Worship
e rst thing that overwhelms an Evangelical upon attending an Orthodox service is the structure of the worship. If one has never experienced this highly structured format before, one’s reaction will be, “ is is Roman Catholic!” In reality, what is being experienced is rooted in Judaism. Orthodox worship was formulated before the conquering of Jerusalem in 70 AD. During the Jewish diaspora that followed, the level of hostility of the Jews toward Christians greatly increased, causing the Christians, previously viewed as a Jewish sect, to form their own autonomous community. Even though the Church had to separate itself completely from the Jews, the pattern for worship was set. (Many postulate wrongly that the highly structured Orthodox
form of worship was imposed by Holy Roman Emperor Constantine. If Constantine did indeed mandate the details of Church worship, it would be clearly Roman rather than Jewish in style.)
For those unfamiliar with all the ins and outs of Jewish synagogue life, recall what you know of the ancient Hebrew temple in the Old Testament. e temple was divided into three sections, so is the Orthodox Church building. Both use incense, images, and a sacri cial meal in worship. Orthodox worship parallels and completes Jewish worship in multiple ways. (An excellent study of the Jewish roots of Christianity is available om Fr. James Bernstein, a founding member of Jews for Jesus and now an Orthodox priest.)


Dura-Europa Synagogue (Syria) 244 AD
Iconography in a Modern Orthodox Church
The real presence of Christ in the bread and wine enforce many truths, notably that the incarnation of God is real and that He (the bread of Heaven) was broken for our salvation.
2. Centrality of the Lord’s Supper, or Eucharist
Evangelicals are accustomed to a church service in which the culmination of the gathering is the sermon. An entire service is o en judged by the quality of the preaching, though music quality, quantity, and song selection o en play a close second. While a sermon, o en called a homily, is a part of the Orthodox worship, its place is just another step toward the high point of the gathering—the Lord’s Supper, or Eucharist.
Ever since Ulrich Zwingli debated Martin Luther in 1529, there has been a raging controversy amongst multiple denominations concerning Christ’s actual presence in the body and blood of Christ within the elements. e Western tradition of scholasticism has provoked centuries of consternation and debate. Jesus’ teachings were clear ( John 6:53-56), so how can bread and wine become esh and blood? In the Western civilization, it must be explained or explained
away. Most Evangelicals avoid the fray and conclude it is simply symbolism for remembrance sake, explaining the mystery away. Orthodoxy makes no attempt to explain. Frustrating to Western minds, the ancient faith celebrates the mystery.
e earliest Christian commentary on Church Life unequivocally states that Christ is truly present in the bread and wine. Justin Martyr (100-165), Christian philosopher and apologist, states:
“And this food is called among us the Eucharist ...not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Savior, having been made esh by the Word of God, had both esh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and esh by transmutation are nourished, is the esh and blood of that Jesus who was made esh. For the apostles, in the memoirs composed by them, which are called Gospels, have thus delivered unto us what was enjoined upon them; that Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, said, “‘ is do ye in remembrance of Me, this is My body;’” and that, a er the same manner, having taken the cup and given thanks, He said, “ is is My blood;” and gave it to them alone. (First Apology (155 A.D), Chapter 66)
Ignatius of Antioch (35-107), early Christian bishop and martyr, spoke on this subject, saying:
Stand fast, brethren, in the faith of Jesus Christ...in obedience to the bishop and the presbytery with an undivided mind, breaking one and the same bread, which is the medicine of immortality, and the antidote which prevents us om dying, but a cleansing remedy driving away evil, [which causes] that we should live in God through Jesus Christ. (Epistle to the


Ephesians, chapter 20)
It is clear that the early Church celebrated the Lord’s Supper every time it met, and this act of worship was the crowning jewel of Christ’s presence, which brought intimacy, focus, and meaning to the service. e real presence of Christ in the bread and wine enforce many truths, notably that the incarnation of God is real and that He (the bread of Heaven) was broken for our salvation.
3. Liturgy
e casualness and seeming spontaneity of an Evangelical service contrasts greatly to the apparent rigidity of Orthodox worship. Also, Evangelical worship mainly aims to minister to the congregation. e great question is, “What did I get out of the service that will help me as a Christian?” e great majority of Orthodox worship aims to minister to God and join Him in the Sacrament of Communion. e question is, “How can I best give God my full attention?” Each activity of the priest and congregation has a special meaning and purpose in moving believers to the most Holy Place to encounter God. e job of Orthodox liturgy is to elevate the people in attendance to participate in heavenly work to
connect them to the ever-present worship going on in Heaven.
Priestly service or worship in Scripture is the Greek word litergia. Liturgy includes ministry of the Word (Acts 5:42) and ministry to God (Acts 13:2). All actions in Orthodox liturgy follow Old Testament patterns with Jesus our High Priest (literally liturgist, Heb. 8:6) ministering in the heavenly sanctuary. is is a sharp contrast to Evangelical services, which o en focus heavily on edifying the congregation. While Evangelical leaders almost exclusively face the audience, Orthodox priests spend a great deal of their time facing the altar. Also, in Orthodox services, there are no pleas to God for completion, blessing, or personal ful llment. Instead, all focus is on elevating hearts and minds to adoration of God and acknowledging the presence of the Saints and angels.
e Orthodox pattern is an enduring history of worship rooted in the rst century Church’s practice and Apostolic direction. ere is no creativity committee or ideas that come from the head pastor’s personal quiet time. How Orthodox worship is conducted is not up for negotiation by priests, deacons, or bishops. It was decided 2000 years ago and continues with very little change
Saint Calixte Catacomb, Rome (Italy) 3rd Century
The job of Orthodox liturgy is to elevate the people in attendance to participate in heavenly work to connect them to the ever-present worship going on in Heaven.
to this day. e only variation is what scriptures are used, the content of the homily (sermon), and songs inserted into predetermined slots depending on the Church calendar. ere are three main liturgies in use in the Orthodox world today, all rooted in antiquity. Modern Bible translators have chosen language that has eliminated the term liturgy from the New Testament, but in the life of the rst Christians, liturgy and Spirit- lled worship were not set against each other. ey were one and the same.
Many Evangelicals are desperately trying to recover the Early Church model of worship. It is not necessary to reinvent the wheel, constantly innovating to


keep worship fresh. e real question for us as modern Christians is not “When did the Church start using rituals and repetition?”, but “When did it stop worshiping using rituals and repetition?”
4. Apostolic Succession and Priests
In the Evangelical world, any man or woman with leadership skills and charisma can become a lead pastor of a body of believers. In Orthodoxy, a consistent ancient hierarchy holds sway in the form of Apostolic succession. Apostolic succession is the tracing of a direct line of priestly ordination, through the laying on of hands (I Tim. 4:14, 5:22), from the original twelve apostles to each modern day Orthodox priest. For the succession to be valid, it must also include correct doctrine and righteous living. Unlike the Roman Church, if an Orthodox priest or bishop rejects Orthodox doctrine, he is no longer clergy. It is through Apostolic succession that the
Holy Tradition is the antidote to the problem of multiple Biblical interpretations. It is the foundation containing all Biblical and extra-Biblical thought within the teachings, commentaries, and practices of the early Church.
Orthodox Church is the spiritual successor to the original body of believers in Christ that was composed of the Apostles. is principle can be seen in Scripture:
“having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone.” Eph. 2:20
“Do not neglect the spiritual gi within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.” I Tim. 4:14 (Note: is shows that divine authority is bestowed unto someone using laying on of hands. Also see Acts 14:23, 2 Tim. 1:6.)
An Evangelical might ask here, “What about the priesthood of all believers?” Orthodoxy would answer, “As the priest is a visual symbol or picture of Christ as he ministers in and to the Church body, each believer is a priest in the world, ministering among and to the people with whom he or she comes in contact.”
5. Holy Tradition
e modern church seeks to rediscover the early Church. e Orthodox Church seeks to preserve the early Church. Tradition has become a bad word in Evangelical circles, but
Icon of the Twelve Apostles
Hypogeum of the Aurelians niche, Rome (Italy) 3rd Century


Holy Tradition is the safeguard by which Orthodoxy has maintained the truth handed down by the Apostles.
At the tragic East-West Schism of 1054 AD, the Roman Church segregated itself and attempted to elevate itself above the majority of Christendom. In the process, it opened a path of evolving theology. At this time, the pope of Rome excommunicated the bishop of Constantinople, essentially removing the Roman Church from all of Eastern Christendom. Extracting himself from 1000 years of Christian orthodoxy, he became the father of evolving theology. Rejecting the conciliar counsel of the Ancient Church, the Roman pope embarked to establish the authority of scholasticism and textual criticisms to shape the future of Western Christianity. Unwittingly, this path caused further schisms in the form of the Protestant Reformation. e policy of Truth as the pope sees t expanded into the reformer’s Truth as every person sees t. Today, anyone who can defend their deviations with a Biblical or pseudo-Biblical rationale can, depending on personal charisma, be viewed as a prophet and a teacher. Anyone can be a theologian and easily nd an institution to validate his views through ordination. Unwittingly, the pope launched a thousand denominations based on the principle of personal interpretation.
Holy Tradition is the antidote to the problem of multiple Biblical interpretations. It is the foundation containing all Biblical and extra-Biblical thought within the teachings, commentaries, and practices of the early Church. Its value is to recognize rst sources, those who were taught by Christ and discipled by the Apostles. Holy Tradition encompasses not just the intellectual pursuit of truths as ideals but how these truths were and are put into practice.
Mainline Protestant denominations are o en reluctant to admit that they too have foundations based on decisions that came out of Orthodox Church counsels, the epitome of Holy Tradition. ree outstanding examples of the practical use of these foundation are:
• De ning the 27 books of the New Testament. Obviously, the Church, not the Bible, made this critical decision.
• De ning the Trinity. Heretics actually used Scripture to argue against the Trinity, but Orthodoxy triumphed in the earliest Church counsels.
• Rede ning the fourth commandment by changing the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday. ere is no scriptural mandate to worship on Sunday. ere are many commanding Saturday. e Church and Holy Tradition dictated the wisdom of celebrating on the day of Resurrection.
Scripture and Holy Tradition, which is the Orthodox Church, work hand-in-hand, not in competition. “ erefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word (meaning spoken word or oral instruction) or our epistle (letter).” 2 ess. 2:15
One institution cannot exist without the other. Scripture is
vital both to the individual as well as the whole of the Church and is necessary for edi cation, correction, and training in righteousness. When the Church strays, Scripture corrects. When interpretation of Scripture is in question, the Church instructs as was demonstrated in the early, conciliar, ecumenical counsels. is principle of correction governed as the Church responded to many ancient “christian” heresies.
6. Icons and Holy Space
Evangelical believers are accustomed to places of worship being art free zones, so when entering a typical Orthodox sanctuary, the many icons carefully placed throughout can be puzzling. ese stylized paintings are not for decoration, nor are they there to display culture and artistic sophistication. e presence of icons educates, inspires, but most importantly, elevates the worshiper into a spiritual reality or heavenly space.
Hebrews 12:1 presents the rst lesson for understanding the role of the icons. is passage presents a picture of a sporting event as a metaphor for the Church. Described is the ancient sports arena where races were set in a circular arena. On the eld are the athletes, who run a race of endurance and compete for a prize. High in the arena, at the prime location above the nish line, is the royal box for the king and dignitaries. Extending out from the royal box and surrounding the eld is the crowd of engaged cheering fans. ese fans are referred to as the cloud of witnesses. “ erefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us...” Heb. 12:1
Now, imagine the future throne room of God in Revelation 24 where


Heaven is lled with the praises of the innumerable multitude of Saints throughout history. Add to this the throne room event described in Revelation 6 where the multitude of slain martyrs appeals to God for justice.
From these scriptural passages, we glean at least three lessons regarding the spiritual purpose for icons. ey remind
us:
e Saints are very much alive, watching, and engaged in
earthly events.
e Saints in glory are listening in order to provide
intercession for those on Earth. ( e intercessory role is represented in the icons by over-sized eyes and ears.)
e Saints in glory, represented through art, participate in assigned locations in a timeless, heavenly throne room.
God has always used the stu of Earth as a means for man to experience Himself. Like Moses used the stu of Earth when making a bronze serpent for his people to gaze upon and nd healing (Numbers 21:8-9), the ancient Church uses earthly materials to create windows into the spiritual realm. Icons show worshipers heavenly realities and recreate a holy space by visually representing the eternal kingdom of Heaven. ey join the living with the dead (or truly alive) and make the invisible visible. Surrounded by in nite adoration, earthly saints join heavenly ones in tribute, worship, and praise as one family encompassing all spiritual heroes who have gone before those currently on Earth. Saints depicted in the icon participate in intercession, but
Orthodox teach
that sacraments include not only baptism, Eucharist, marriage, etc. but are also extended to all acts of obedience or any behavior in which God calls a believer to engage.
Orthodox emphasize a one story universe; reality that is shared by the visible and the invisible, by the physical and the spiritual, where the ordinary and the holy co-exist. Like Elisha’s servant in II Kings 6, we need only to have our eyes opened.
God answers. It is a misunderstanding to accuse Orthodox believers of not going straight to Christ with their prayers.
7. Consecration
Visitors to Orthodox worship will notice that much of the service is devoted to ceremonies of consecration. e actions are in line with the passage in Exodus 30:26-30, 37:
And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt o ering with all its utensils and the basin and its stand. You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them will become holy... And the incense that you shall make according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. It shall be for you holy to the Lord.


is passage highlights the instructions from God for holy consecration, and the majority of chapters 26-35 of Exodus continue in the same vein. Exact instructions are given for the consecrating of the temple, temple utensils, furnishings, priests, and the people by using incense, oil, water, and blood. Described are the ceremonies that de ne the covenant and accompany every acceptable act of worship. Jesus, the Apostles, St. Paul, and all believers in the book of Acts followed these ceremonies. ese rites of consecration are not on the list of requirements (like circumcision) that were demanded by the Judaizers. e ceremonial pattern of worship did not need to be reined in by the rst counsel in Acts 15. Christ ful lled the Old Testament ceremonies; He did not wipe them out. No scriptural objections and no objections from the original reformers (i.e., Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon) were ever voiced to these beautiful and pleasing acts of Jewish heritage. Objections to consecration began when the radical reformers ardently rejected every practice that could be labeled Roman Catholic.
8. Sacraments
ough observance of sacraments adopted by the whole Church originated with Roman theologians, Orthodoxy does not share the Roman idea of
The in uence of modern political correctness has led to the view that theological distinctions are intolerant and insensitive to others. To be loving, barriers of discrimination must be removed and divisive theological discussion must be set aside.
Saint Calixte Catacomb, Rome (Italy) 3rd Century
accumulated righteousness or the subsequent doctrine of purgatory. O cially called the holy mysteries, Orthodox teach that sacraments include not only baptism, Eucharist, marriage, etc. but are also extended to all acts of obedience or any behavior in which God calls a believer to engage. Related to sancti cation, Orthodox sacraments are the actions that allow us to participate in the mystery of salvation. Father omas Hopko, a preeminent Orthodoxy
theologian, summarizes as follows:
“ e practice of counting the sacraments was adopted in the Orthodox Church from the Roman Catholics. It is not an ancient practice of the Church, and, in many ways, it tends to be misleading since it appears that there are just seven speci c rites which are ‘sacraments’ and that all other aspects of the life of the Church are essentially di erent from these particular actions. e more ancient and traditional


practice of the Orthodox Church is to consider everything which is in and of the Church as sacramental or mystical.”
9. Closed Communion
In Evangelical gatherings, participation in the Lord’s supper is a matter of personal conscience. In Orthodoxy, guests are instructed NOT to participate but to receive a prayer of blessing instead. One hundred years ago, closed communion would not be a divisive issue since most churches served only their own members. e change to open communion in the majority of denominations is an example of evolving theology. e in uence of modern political correctness has led to the view that theological distinctions are intolerant and insensitive to others. To be loving, barriers of discrimination must be removed and divisive theological discussion must be set aside.
e Orthodox Church dares to believe that ancient truths are sacred. erefore, when St. Paul tells the Corinthians in (I Cor. 11) that to partake in an unworthy manner is to sin against the body and blood of Christ and this sin can even produce illness and death, he was speaking literally. Modern Evangelicals believe that this instruction is directed at each individual’s conscience. e ancient Church has always viewed the teaching to be not only a warning to individuals but instruction to the Church. e protection of those in attendance is the duty of the Church, which has been charged to care for, distribute, and maintain this holy sacrament. It must be seen as a loving position to restrict participation in the Holy Eucharist, or American guests will go away deeply o ended.
10. Calling a Priest Father
e title of Father is given to Orthodox priests because they are truly the head of a family. ey are not typically moved from congregation to congregation but are assigned for life so they develop familial relations with those who are a part of their parishes, guiding, guarding, nurturing. e Apostle Paul, in his letters, expressed such a relationship to the men to whom he was a spiritual father. He called Timothy his son (I Timothy 1:2 & 18, I Cor. 4:17), Titus his son (Titus 1:4), Onesimus his son (Phil. 1:10), and Mark his son (I Pet. 5:13). e tradition of spiritual fatherhood was part of the lifeblood of the early Church as shown in I Cor. 4:14-15: “I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.”
11. Formal Confession
Historically, the Roman Church used formal confession to control membership through the withholding of forgiveness and thereby salvation. is was a major point of contention by the reformers. An Evangelical might ask, “Isn’t asking Christ’s forgiveness enough? And, perhaps, if the o ense is great, the
person to whom I gave o ense?” e Orthodox Church does not discount personal and private confession, but it asks its adherents to go one step further for the health of their souls. At minimum, Orthodox Christians are instructed to go to formal confession twice a year during the Easter and Christmas seasons. Additionally, they should go as o en as they are struggling with besetting sins or need healing and relief from unresolved guilt. In Orthodox confession, there is no booth, and the priest is not hidden. Neither does the priest hold the power of eternal salvation and damnation. Regarding the question of whether the priest has the power to grant forgiveness, one must start with the commissioning of the Apostles:
“So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’ And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’” John 20:21-23
An Orthodox priest stands in the line of the Apostles. While he is a witness and a co-confessor, he is also the incarnational presence of Christ like the Apostles before him. An Orthodox priest provides accountability, counsel, and assurance of forgiveness for the truly repentant by stating the following at the end of a confessional session:
Our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath le power to His Church to absolves all sinners who truly repent and believe in Him, of His great mercy forgive thee thine o enses. And by His authority committed unto me, I absolve thee from all thy sins, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
If a Christian trusts the institution that Christ established, this power to forgive is a great source of comfort and assurance.


12. The Honoring of Mary
e elevation of Mary is instant proof in the minds of many Evangelicals that Orthodoxy is simply Eastern Catholicism, but theology concerning Mary di ers greatly between Rome and the Orthodox Church. e Roman dogma of the immaculate conception (Mary’s sinless birth) is relatively new, handed down in 1854, eight hundred years a er the East-West Schism. In Orthodoxy, Mary is highly honored, and her prayers are sought a er more than any other saint. She is by no means an ordinary girl randomly chosen by God to mother His Son. To begin to comprehend the ancient understanding of Mary, Evangelicals must admit that their demotion of her, like much of Protestant theology, is a reactionary position. e Orthodox Church calls Mary eotokos, which means Mother of God. She earned this title by giving her very esh to the incarnation and then birthing, training, and mothering the second member of the Trinity. No human being comes close to this magni cent service. Her “yes” to God opened the door, allowing Him to usher in His salvation for the whole world. e Orthodox do not confuse her with the Trinity but reverence her deeply.
13.Salvation and Evangelism
A classic Evangelical approach to sharing the Good News goes as follows:
If you died tonight and you are met by God at the gates of Heaven and He asks, “Why should I grant you entrance into my kingdom?” How would you answer?
Evangelical Protestants are drilled to reject all answers except one: “By grace through faith, having no righteousness of my own, I have asked Christ into my heart. His righteousness alone has saved me.” ose who adopt this approach do so as if the question is a direct quote from the pages of Scripture. Is it correct to ask such a question? If so, can an Orthodox believer answer in a succinct satisfactory way? No.
Some Protestant Evangelical systems o en refer to Romans 10:9-13 to be all-encompassing. e spoken confession “Jesus is
The elevation of Mary is instant proof in the minds of many Evangelicals that Orthodoxy is simply Eastern Catholicism, but theology concerning Mary differs greatly between Rome and the Orthodox Church.
eotokos and Prophet e oldest image of Mary and Christ infant. Twelve Madonna images survive in the Roman Catacombs. Priscilla Catacomb Icon, Rome (Italy) 2nd Century.
Lord” being key to the ful llment of our participation in salvation. In this matter, denominations vary, even within their own walls, on the importance of the sacraments, of baptism, and of the Lord’s Supper. ere is also much disagreement on the importance of the perseverance of the believer and acts of charity. e most fundamentalist position holds that eternal salvation is anchored completely in a voiced prayer of lordship and repentance.
Orthodox hold the view that salvation is a mystery, not a contract, that we are dependent on God’s mercy minute-by-minute from here on into eternity. e assurances of salvation as taught in the Epistle of I John are for con dence, not contractual certitude. An important distinction, and the reason no bumper sticker answer can be given, is that salvation is not acquired in a single step; rather, it is a lifetime journey. “ erefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Phil 2:12
e early Church had a process by which an interested person would go through slow deliberate steps of inquirer, catechumen, and then baptism into full membership,


The presence of icons educates, inspires, but most importantly, elevates the worshiper into a spiritual reality or heavenly space.
e Good Shepherd Icon
Priscilla Catacomb icon, Rome (Italy) third century. e favored and most equent icon theme during the Roman persecutions with over 300 preserved images dating back to 190 A.D.
which was just the beginning of salvation. e emphasis on a lifetime journey, which begins in the careful vetting and educational process for conversion, would feel painfully slow to a modern American Evangelical.
Orthodox salvation can be delineated as follows:
I was saved over 2000 years ago when God the Son took on esh and redeemed us through His life, death, and resurrection.
I am being saved daily through a multitude of choices to follow Christ.
I will be saved at the great and nal judgment when God’s grace is nally ful lled.
By far the most sensitive topic is the Protestant addition of “alone” to the right teaching of “faith”, creating the reformation declaration, “by faith alone.” Evangelicals o en place emphasis on the prayer of faith as both the entry and conclusion of salvation. Within this formula, so many of my evangelical friends judge a religion by “Do they have Jesus?” Historically, this is scary! e rst 300 years of Christianity was engaged in delivering the faith from many Christ-centered heresies. e sinner’s prayer is perceived to be the all-inclusive contract with God. What’s more, many Evangelicals pride themselves in this simple
summary message: Faith is all you need!
It is impossible to respond with equal brevity from the Orthodox viewpoint. No one-line answer can provide the necessary historical clarity and Biblical interpretation. Before attempting a brief answer though, it is foundational to understand that, rst, Orthodox do not judge the sincere convictions of other Chris- tians (lest we be judged); second, we weigh ALL the New Testament teachings on salvation as essential. is includes, but is not limited to, verses on receiving grace through faith.
An excellent historical example that tries to ful ll the Protestant desire for simplicity and brevity, while maintaining some respect for the teachings of the Church Fathers, is the correspondence in the late sixteenth century between Martin Luther and his colleague Philip Malancthon and Jeremiah II Patriarch of Constantinople. When the Bishop was asked about the Lutherine doctrine of salvation “by faith alone,” Jeremiah II responded with I Corinthians 13:13 from which he called faith, hope, and love the golden three-fold rainbow. If this word picture were employed on a bumper sticker or t-shirt, one might applaud its evangelical
simplicity, but, to wrap up the great mystery of salvation and iron it on a T-shirt, though very modern, is a deceptive over-sim- pli cation. For a moment, it seems catchy, but in reality, it is dreadfully misleading. Father Patrick Reardon drives the point, “[ e] ancient theology of the Christian Church regards as redemptive the entire “event” of Jesus Christ, beginning with His personal and permanent assumption of our esh. Everything about Jesus Christ is soteriological.” In other words, the life, person, and work of Jesus Christ in its entirety is our salvation.
FAITH is only one of many truths critical to salvation. Consider Matthew 25:31-46, which tells of Christ’s judgment on His glorious throne. Here, salvation is linked to the law of love, instructing and warning that those who “clothe Me,” “feed Me,” “visit Me,” “care for Me,” “give Me drink,” and “invite Me in” are saved. Works of mercy are the lone criteria for separating the sheep from the goats. In Matthew 24:13, Christ encourages the persecuted, stating, “He who endures to the end will be saved.” Many other facets of salvation are found throughout the New Testament, and to overemphasize one point compromises the


balance and harmony of the other teachings.
e Orthodox use the term synergy to describe the cooperation of man with the work of God to bring about salvation. e great majority of the work belongs to God, but He must have man’s permission and cooperation. Likewise, theosis is another truth governing salvation. eosis describes the mystery of human transformation as he or she participates in the Divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4, 2 Cor 3:18).
e Orthodox do not skim over passages that confuse a simplistic position on salvation. Equally important is the judgment of nations and cities (Matt.10:15, Matt.25:32, Matt. 19:28). e kingdom of Heaven parables prepare us to examine our willingness to forsake all as a necessary attitude toward salvation. First Timothy 3:6 warns of the damning danger of pride to corrupt a new convert. Mysterious is the salvi c role of family as mentioned in I Cor. 7:16 and I Tim. 2:15. Of utmost importance is participation in His mystical body, blood (see topic #2), and the fellowship of His su erings as truths contained within many verses sprinkled throughout the New Testament. ese major passages and countless minor references, like James 5:9 and 19-20, serve to emphasize the mystery of salvation.
e Orthodox position on salvation must not be viewed as yet another separate interpretation of Scripture. Her teachings regarding salvation are Apostolic. ey were established hundreds of years before the New Testament was nalized and were foundational in the very compilation of the New Testament canon.
Author’s note:
As a bene ciary of Evangelical outreach, I was initially a reluctant inquirer into Orthodoxy. My life path had been radically altered in my youth by a simple presentation of the Gospel, and I continue to not only be grateful for but to work alongside those of the Protestant persuasion. When I did begin to journey, I was confronted with the many cultural, philosophical, and doctrinal di erences enumerated in this brochure. I had to wrestle for two years before I found there was really only one issue facing me: Did I trust the Church? Could I be con dent that the Orthodox Church was the institution established by Christ through the Apostles? My inner struggle relied on my trusted practice of proof-texting from a Scripture alone perspective.
ese thirteen sections address some of the hurdles I had to overcome, but what I truly needed to determine was whether or not I could trust this 2000-year-old institution. I had been taught by my theological training and my individualistic culture to study and decide for myself, and salvation rested with each individual’s personal faith. e foundation of personal faith was truly the only option if the Church of Acts was a loose band of converted mis ts that fell apart within a few generations, only to be rediscovered and corrected een centuries later in the Reformation.
Ephesians 2:19-22 reads, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
Our Lord instituted a profound, holy, and perfect system of unity that could be sustained from the day of Pentecost to the end of the ages. e basic structure of the Church was established by Christ Himself, a simple hierarchical structure. Christ’s most trusted disciples were clearly Peter, James, and John. is circle enlarged to include the training of the twelve and then the seventy-two who were sent out (Luke 10:17). I had to see that, by Pentecost, leadership had grown to 120 well-trained men ready to assume leadership when 3000 souls suddenly needed to be baptized and integrated into the Church. Basically, hierarchical structure was bigger and better-organized from the beginning than I was ever previously led to believe. And this Ancient Church remains unbroken, unyielding, and essentially unchanged. is ful lls Jesus’ high priestly prayer of John 17 that the Church should be ONE.
Much more could be written about crossing oneself, corporate fasting, priestly robes, bowing, kissing, monastics, kneeling, holy days, bishops, and counsels, but those were not major hindrances to this author. If you are entering into Orthodoxy from any Western culture, expect it to be strange. e Western mind is steeped in scholasticism, causing it to approach faith with a rational mind. One of the most wondrous, yet nerve-racking, aspects of journeying to Orthodoxy from the West is the life-altering emphasis on mystery. It must be experienced. Truly, one must come and see.