In writing this blog, my main reference for Orthodox practice is the website of Fr. Josiah Trenham, the lead pastor of St. Andrews Orthodox Church in Riverside, California. Fr. Trenham was an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church but like Hank Hannegraf of the "Bible Answer Man" program, converted to Eastern Orthodox. I believe that both men converted after observing the difference in doctrine, lifestyles and practice of Protestant vs. Orthodox churches.
I recommend his websites:
Church: https://saintandrew.net
Blog and Youtube: https://patristicnectar.org/
https://www.youtube.com/user/PatristicNectarFilms/videos
The Eastern Orthodox Church pride themselves as THE church that maintained the Apostle's doctrines after the great schism against the more political (and, therefore, more worldly as history proves) Roman Catholic Church and in ONE sense, rightly so. And that sense is that they have been faithful as individuals and as a church to the Apostle's doctrine as written in Scripture and the doctrinal Traditions of the Christian Church, mostly the Ecumenical Councils. In practice, I like the fact that they have biblical activities demonstrating good works on a daily basis unlike most protestant churches, including many works of charity like feeding the poor. I also admire the fact that most modern day martyrs of the faith come from the Orthodox churches.
A reading of Fr. Trenham's websites will show that they are biblically sound in doctrine, very similar to true Wesleyan churches and most Messianic Jews. At the very bottom line, their soteriology are similar in the sense that they are anti-Reformation. In short, while the Reformation believed and proclaimed "justification by faith ALONE" (which is not biblical, James 2:24), the anti-Reformation churches believe that true and full salvation is "salvation by faith alone" AND MUST include sanctification of the convert where there is both a crisis experience (including a life exchange) and a progression in maturity (metamorphosis) demonstrated by a Christ-like life and a readiness to die for Christ and the gospel anytime. [YES, Sanctification is like metamorphosis. The crisis experience is the unseen change from worm to butterfly. The progressive experience starts from the butterfly evidentially leaving the cocoon and living its life as a butterfly and never desiring to go back to the cocoon nor making the mistake of becoming a worm again.]
On the negative side, however, what they also know but are NOT fully aware of, is that much of their ceremonies and icons were non-existent in the first century church and are almost 100% the Gentile interpretations of the Apostle's doctrines and tradition. Even Messianic Jews who came from ceremonial Judaism do not practice those.
As a Christian following Wesleyan doctrine and practice (and constantly thinking out of the box like Wesley did), I have to be critical of what contradicts clear Scripture and practices that result, not from clear declarations of Scripture, but from inferential and allegorical interpretations. Adherence to inferential interpretations for Scripture cost the prophetess Miriam seven days of leprosy as a disciplinary consequence of her presumptions. Furthermore, I would contend that practice arising from inferential deductions or allegories will, like the Law, spark human nature to swing into error.
Take the Holy Icons, for example. In the Orthodox explanations, veneration of the saints is simply that, veneration, i.e., demonstrating deep respect for those saints who have stood for their faith or the gospel in admirable ways and are now with the Lord. This is similar to kissing the picture of an exemplary relative whom you loved who has passed on. That is definitely NOT idolatry. However, this is the same excuse I got from a Roman Catholic friend who fanatically worships the "Virgin Mary" or the "Baby Jesus"! Like I said, inferential doctrines eventually lead to human sin. Who knows what goes on in the mind of a common orthodox Christian when he kisses icons? The Orthodox Church thinks that once a convert goes through or believes in their seven sacraments, the tendency to fall into such sins is remote. I agree but that possibility is never remote on this side of eternity.
[Added December 9, 2020] Here is where the Holy Orthodox Church and exposes their "Gentile-ness" and violations of the Jewish Apostles' tradition. There are no icons in Jewish Tabernacle nor synagogues, only symbols, but nothing that violates the full declaration of the second commandment which clearly says, "“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.". In fact, the "carved image" is an English translation. The Hebrew simply says "image" without the adjective which really is not necessary because God explains what he means in the next phrase which we underscored above. Romans 1:21-23 specifically mentions "images of mortal men" as idolatry or tending towards it. [end of Addition December 9, 2020]
Lets look at the Mother of God (the theotokos as they call it). They have great allegories (mind you ALL ALLEGORIES, a practice of the early Gentile Fathers at exegesis) that support the all-holiness of Mother Mary. One good allegory is that "The Tabernacle was the place where the Glory of God dwelt. So too, the Glory of God dwelt in the Theotokos the Living Tabernacle". As much as I love that allegory, I cannot place my faith on it. In fact, this is one practice that not only may result in idolatry which is quite evident in the Latin church but Jesus himself said the following while he was still in the flesh:
Luke 21:27-28: As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
So, according to Christ, who is more blessed? Mary? or....
Matthew 11:11: Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Luke 7:28: I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
So, if no human is greater than John the Baptizer, where does Mary weigh in????
Matthew 12:48-50: "“Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Mark 3:33-35: “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”
Luke 8:21: But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
The intentions of the veneration of Mary are good but " the road to hell is paved with good intentions". Yes, we should subscribe and even believe in Tradition but not when it squarely contradicts Scripture. Traditions should support Scripture and not the other way around.
This is not an extensive critique but I gave examples why I choose to remain Wesleyan in my basic beliefs and practice. I also choose to remain protestant living in the freedom to question any faith or belief to see if it is consistent or contradicts the clear declarations of Scripture. Unlike the Orthodox Church I believe in the spontaneity of demonstrations of faith and spontaneous manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit (again for as long as there are Biblical precedents or they do not contradict the intent of Scripture). So in spontaneity, I respect CS Lewis who prefers liturgy, but that is his faith. Unlike him, I get bored with predictability and became an atheist in my youth because of Methodist Liturgy (probably hitting an un-regenerate mind in those days but so are most people who sit in pews up to today!).
[Added December 9, 2020] Furthermore, the Gentile councils exceeded their mandate to address heresies when they added the Theotokos and the images. Both are NOT NECESSARY for salvation. [end of Addition December 9, 2020]
Yes, I respect Tradition and use it for Bible exegesis but allow me to bypass those rituals (other than the Lord's Supper and Baptism), just those rituals. Oh, and those icons too. This is a Gentile invention. The JEWISH church fathers (first century Christians) would throw those out the window as fast as you can create them. Thank you.
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