Jesus and Bible .com

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 andEurope, 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

 

Monks and nuns like Roman Catholicism? Yes

 

HOW ORTHODOX EASTERN (Greek) CHURCHES DIFFER DOCTRINALLY FROM ROMAN CATHOLICISM

 

1) reject the doctrine of papal infallibility and the authority of the Roman Pope.

2) Have 2 pillars of authority (Bible & tradition)...not 3 as Roman Catholicism..

3) allow their priests to marry (before ordination) However, bishops must be celibate.

4) reject sprinkling as a mode of baptism

5) 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.

6) They also practice infant communion.

7) They reject purgatory, but it is believed that the dead may and do pray for those on earth.

8) 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)

9) The Mass is called instead "The Holy Eucharist" and is performed in the Greek language instead of Latin.

10) 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.

11) They do grant divorce (unlike RCC)

 

 

THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

 

link 

http://jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Religions/Russian_Orthodox/russian_orthodox_exposed.htm

 

Russian Orthodox Cult Exposed!
(Russian Catholicism)

 

PHOTO RIGHT: Saint Basil's Cathedral, a well-known Russian Orthodox church situated in Moscow.

 

The Russian Orthodox Church (also known as the Orthodox Catholic Church of Russia) is the largest of all Eastern Churches, and after the Catholic Church she is the second largest religious denomination in the world.  Due to the closure of Russia to the outside she has remained to a great extent hidden or veiled from western eyes.

 

The Russian Orthodox Church should not be confused with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (also known as the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad), which was founded by Russian communities outside of Russia, which refused to recognize the authority of the then-Communist-dominated Russian church.  However, BOTH organizations teach the same damnable heresies.

 

The Russian Orthodox Church is a false religion, a cult, just as is Roman Catholicism.  In fact, Russian Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism are inseparably related.  The Russian Orthodox religion teaches most of the same damnable heresies as does Roman Catholicism.  The major difference is that Russian Orthodoxy refuses to recognize the Roman Vatican as their state head. 

 

Russian Orthodoxy requires that a person keep the Seven Sacraments, just like Roman Catholicism.  They teach the same heresy that baptism cleanses away "original sin."  The Bible teaches no such foolishness.  The truth is that only the blood of Jesus Christ can wash away our sins...

"In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins" —Colossians 1:14

 

No church can save you.  Russian Orthodoxy and Catholicism teach that baptism is required for a person to join the church.  On the contrary, the Bible teaches that the moment you believe upon Jesus Christ as your Saviour you are a member of the church (Acts 2:47).

 

Below is a Rosary of the Russian Orthodox false religion.

 

The Rosary is a wicked invention of false prophets.  The Rosary is from hell.  The Rosary is blasphemy!   It is a sin to pray repetitious prayers.  In fact, God calls it heathen...

"But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking." —Matthew 6:7

It doesn't get much simpler than that my friend. 

 

Furthermore, Russian Orthodoxy makes the arrogant claim (as do Catholics) that priests have been granted some special power to forgive sin.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Listen to the plain teaching of the Scriptures...

 

"And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?" —Luke 5:21

The wicked scribes and Pharisees rejected Jesus Christ and refused to see Him for Who He truly was...God in the flesh (1st Timothy 3:16).  Jesus forgave sin as ONLY God can do!  Jesus is Almighty God.  Luke 5:21 and Mark 2:7 clearly teach that ONLY God can forgive sin, NOT any priest or pope.  Don't fall for the devilish doctrine that a priest can forgive your sins.  The King James Bible teaches us to confess our "faults" one to another, NOT our sins (James 5:16).  The devil cleverly changed "faults" to "sins" in the devilish New International Version (NIV) of the Bible.  If you want the truth, then only use the King James Bible which hasn't been tampered with.  We are never commanded in the Bible to share our sins with anyone.  As my pastor use to wisely say..."Let people know that you have feet of clay, but never show them your feet."

 

In addition, praise of the Virgin Mother Mary is a sin.  There is NOT one Scripture in the entire Bible which leads us to recognize Mary in any way.  Mary was a sinner, just like we are.  Please read, Hail Mary! Hail Satan!

The Russian Orthodox cult also teaches the damnable heresy of transubstantiation (just as do the Roman Catholics).  This is the belief that the wine and bread at communion literally turn into Jesus' blood and flesh in a partaker's stomach.  The Bible is very clear that the Lord's Supper is simply a time for REMEMBERING the atoning work of our precious Saviour...

 

"And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.  After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.  For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." v-1st Corinthians 11:24-26

Nothing in the Bible even remotely indicates that we are digesting Jesus.  The belief is that the digested body and blood of Jesus will give us spiritual life.  On the contrary, the Word of God teaches that it is the Holy Spirit of God that gives us life...

"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." —Romans 8:11

 

The Russian Orthodox Church (in Russia and abroad) are false religions straight from hell.  Please don't believe their lies.  The Word of God declares that ONLY through childlike FAITH in Jesus Christ can a person be saved...

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." —Ephesians 2:8,9

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." —John 14:6

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." —Galatians 2:16

 

It's Jesus or Hell! I beseech you my friend, turn to Jesus Christ in faith. Simply receive Christ's payment for your sins. Jesus died, was buried, and rose again three days later. Jesus ascended into Heaven and applied His blood to the heavenly mercy seat in the holy place (Hebrews 9:12,24). It is Jesus' precious, literal, blood that washes away our sins (1st John 1:7; 1st Peter 1:18-19). Thank God for the gift of His dear Son (John 3:16).

 

Idolaters Worship Sergei Radonejsky