Eastern Orthodox Church
according to jesus-is-savior.com
GREEK EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH EXPOSED!
Comment from webservant Jesus-is-Savior.com...
The Greek Eastern Orthodox Religion is straight out of the pits of hell. They teach that performing the seven sacraments are absolutely essential to go to heaven. This is the same damnable heresy which Roman Catholicism teaches.
END
About the Greek Eastern Orthodox Church...
Official Website- Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Headquarters- New York, NY (America)
There are approx 225 million worldwide and 3 to 5 million in USA. American Branch of Eastern Orthodox was formed in 1922.
Background and Formation.
According to Mead's Handbook of Denominations, The Greek Eastern Orthodox Church formed in 1054 when it split from the Roman Catholic Church. Since 869 AD, the Eastern and Roman were two branches of the same 'Holy Apostolic' church. In 1054 the head or “pontiff” of each group “excommunicated” the other! The Greek Eastern Orthodox rejected the idea that the Roman Pontiff was Supreme Ruler over Eastern Orthodox churches. While Orthodox churches share many of the prayers, litanies, and Eucharistic forms of worship with the Roman Catholic Church, it rejects and differs with Romanism on the following:
Greek Orthodox Church Beliefs.
The Bible.
- Use the Bible, along with tradition (7 ecumenical councils) as its two authorities. Their Bible adds 3 more apocryphal books than the Catholic Bible does and has 49 OT Books.
Eastern Orthodox Churches
believe the Bible teaches without error the Truth needed for Salvation, but must be interpreted within the Tradition of the Church and its 7 Ecumenical Councils from 325AD to 787AD.
God and Jesus Christ.
-Greek Orthodox Churches hold to the historical view, like Romanism, that God is Creator of all and that God exists as the Trinity. They believe too that Jesus is Deity as the Son of God who died at Calvary.
HOW ARE WE SAVED?
Salvation is achieved by performing 7 Sacraments during one's lifetime. These are 'Channels' in which we receive God's Grace.
To achieve salvation (justification), both faith and works are considered necessary.
- They reject salvation by faith alone in Jesus Christ. The Orthodox Churches accepts seven sacraments, as does Roman Catholicism.
"Thru Baptism and participation in the church, God's People receive the benefits of Christ's redeeming work as they persevere in Christ. God became a human so human beings might be deified"
Greek Orthodox does not believe in Eternal Security and does not teach the Believer can have Assurance of heaven during this lifetime.
Greek Orthodox churches consider themselves the one true church going back to the days of Peter and Jesus, and that Rome erred when it split from the Greek Orthodox Church in 1054. They believe in Apostolic Succession. There are over 3.5 million Orthodox church members in the U.S. But many more millions in Russia and Europe, where Greek Orthodox is prominent.
Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
Greek Orthodox believes baptism is a sacrament necessary to salvation, and usually occurs in infants. "Baptism initiates God's life in the one baptized. Sprinkling is rejected, and 3-fold immersion is practiced.
In the Eucharist, the bread and wine are 'changed into Jesus' body and blood' (mystery left unexplained)
Woman preachers (priests)? No
Speaking in Tongues - No (as of now)
Ecumenical? Yes
Member of NCC? Yes
Member of WCC? Yes
Style of Worship - Church government is Episcopal and the worship services are brilliantly and elaborately ritualistic.
Oppose Abortion? - Yes
Oppose Homosexuality? Yes
Do they have monks and nuns like Roman Catholicism? Yes
HOW ORTHODOX EASTERN (Greek) CHURCHES DIFFER DOCTRINALLY FROM ROMAN CATHOLICISM.
-reject the doctrine of papal infallibility and the authority of the Roman Pope.
- Have 2 pillars of authority (Bible & tradition)...not 3 as Roman Catholicism..
- allow their priests to marry (before ordination) However, bishops must be celibate.
- reject sprinkling as a mode of baptism
- They still practice infant baptism, but do it by immersion.
They, like Romanism, believe that baby baptism is one of the seven sacraments which is necessary for salvation, in Greek Orthodox Churches, baptism is done by three-fold immersion.
- They also practice infant communion.
- They reject purgatory, but it is believed that the dead may and do pray for those on earth.
- Greek orthodox churches reject image and relic worship which is prominent in Roman Churches, and they also reject the sale of indulgences (which are 'surplus' good works which can be transferred to others as RCC teaches)
- Mass is performed in the Greek language instead of Latin.
-The honor Mary but do not worship her in the way Roman Catholicism does. They do not believe in immaculate conception of Mary or Assumption of Mary like RCC does.
- They do grant divorce (unlike RCC)