1). There are many passages in Scriptures as a Protestant I had problems with.
A). Paul using the name Jannes and Jambres as the magicians at Pharoah's court. Yet nowhere in the OT are these names found.
B).I had problems in Matthew 1:23 when Matthew said "He shall be born a Nazarane". When nowhere in the OT was this prophecy found.
C). I had problems with Titus quoting two different times books that were not part of the canon of Scripture as they were Scripture.
However, I realized a thing called 'Holy Tradition'. Things that are believed and past down faithfully.
2). I realized that Jesus did not leave us a orphans as he said we would not. He said he would guide us into all truth. Paul mentions many times to avoid schisms and did not want any divisions among us. Jesus commanded us to be one as the Father and Him are one. I found unity in the Orthodox Church but only schisms and arguments of interpretation outside the church.
3). As an Orthodox I have found what God's love really is and how he is really the God of the universe. The Trinity is one God revealed in three persons who love each other. They have always loved each other. They will always love each other. They will always bring forth love. Whereas, the God of Islam only had the potential to love until he created mankind and the angels. He could only love until he created or he could have loved himself. But the Christian God did not need to create man to be loved or to love but did so to further express his love. For instance, (and this is a bad example), a husband and wife may deeply love each other and will always love each other and have fulfillment in their relationship and would not have a lesser relationship if they didn't have children but to further express their love have children. It doesn't make them better to society or more entertained or desire love from the child selfishly but to simply express their love in a sharing way.
As we embark on a new school year...
15 years ago
1 comment:
I also learned the Orthodox perspective of the fall of man.
Protestant would say that man was punished for eating of the fruit of the forbiden tree.
However, Orthodoxy says, it is not actually a punishment but a consequence.
For example, while cooking using the stove you tell your child not to touch the stove because he will get burned. You walk out of the room and the child touches it anyway. Your child is, quite frankly, burned. You didn't punish him by burning his hand but this was the result of touching it and you even warned him. Now the effect of the stove has cause him pain. However, this pain does not hurt the hand of their children. When their children grow up they too touch the stove.
Therefore, death is a consequence of sin. It is not a punishment by God.
Also, the child could run around the house screaming and refusing to take the bandage and cream to make the hand feel better (those who walk away from God or do not accept salvation on his terms) or they could come to the parent taking the bandage and anti burn cream (accepting God's salvation).
Therefore, the action is already taken and a burn has been caused. There is nothing the parent can do. It was by free choice the child is suffering by not listening to the parent. However, even though the parent can give aid and healing to the suffering the original consequence cannot be changed, which is the burn (or death in the case of sin).
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