Early Church

[GratiaCorpusChristi]

Then did the prophets sit down and figure it out with others? I believe we're to check our faith against others, but there will always be the masses and the few. The Moses', John the Baptists, Pauls... those people who walk differently than the crowd and have different ideas but are RIGHT. You cannot live on other people's ideas and interpretations and accept them because the majority you're around does. That's just lacking education and discernment. (and frankly we're hardly "one church"... we are one faith, that's even questionable sometimes)

But... we're not the prophets. For the most part, we don't receive any direct revelations from God on matters of faith.

And we're no longer one church, but the Holy Tradition to which I'm referring does come from the time when the church was one: the first millennium, because the Great Schism between East and West in AD 1054. And the traditions from those times are central to the life of the church and the mind of faith, even if sects and denominations on the fringe of the church reject so much of it.

 

[IreneAdler]

lol. Ive had direct revelations from God on things directly related to me. Heard his voice. So again, I'm not sure how debate, concensus and discussion have to be the source of knowledge.

 

[GratiaCorpusChristi]

lol. Ive had direct revelations from God on things directly related to me. Heard his voice. So again, I'm not sure how debate, concensus and discussion have to be the source of knowledge.

Well that's why I said "for the most part." I don't want to discount the possibility that people can still have direct revelations today. God works, after all, in mysterious ways.

Holy Tradition as I understand it, though, has always made room for direct revelations. However, these enter into the life of the church through a process of discussion and meditation, which acts as a filter. If it contradicts earlier tradition than it is kept outside; if it does not, but rather enriches the life of faith, then it circulates through the body of Christ until it, too, is added to the traditions.

 

[IreneAdler]

but earlier tradition is just an opinion on prior happenings (not to mention, my revelations weren't for anyone but me so I fail to see why I'd share other than to uplift that God is with us anyway)

 

[jckstraw72]

nice posts GCC!

 

[Musa80]

I wonder how much "earliness" really matters. Even when we reference our commonly accepted original Scripture, it doesn't matter much to some here. If Jesus says "Eat; this is my body" some say "no it's not". If Paul calls himself father, some say Paul is wrong to do so. Where Scripture says "confess your sins one to another" some say "no, only confess to God"...etc.

Very true. Even sadder than that reality is that many of the same people who will run you down on here for quoting the ECFs are the very same whose depth and understanding of Christianity rests on the 3 foot tall stack of Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen books they've accumulated from the nearest pharmacy store rack.

 

[Athanasias]

When people speak of the early church why do they only go back to 367 or so?

I go back much farther but 367 is part of the early Church. Why would you say it isn't?

 

[MrPolo]

I have been in discussions with some posters that speak of the early church and when I ask how far back they are going they give me a 300 and some date

Read the debate between me and Simon on the Papacy we go back to 70-90 A.D. when all of Scripture wasn't even done being penned yet. Your opening presupposition is false.

 

[Standing Up]

Read the debate between me and Simon on the Papacy we go back to 70-90 A.D. when all of Scripture wasn't even done being penned yet. Your opening presupposition is false.

Clement of Rome? If so, which part? Or someone else?

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

I like early Church... We start Orthros at 9AM.

Forgive me...

 

[bbbbbbb]

I like early Church... We start Orthros at 9AM.

Forgive me...

Early is good, but not too early. Our service starts at 9:30 a.m.

 

[Montalban]

Some people think Luther re-founded the early church

 

[Montalban]

Early is good, but not too early. Our service starts at 9:30 a.m.

Some start the night before

 

[lighthouse_hope]

Some people think Luther re-founded the early church

re-formed would be little closer to the truth

 

[Musa80]

Some people think Luther re-founded the early church

And some might say the moon is made of cheese, but well.....

 

[Montalban]

re-formed would be little closer to the truth

I beg to differ

 

[MamaZ]

I wonder how much "earliness" really matters. Even when we reference our commonly accepted original Scripture, it doesn't matter much to some here. If Jesus says "Eat; this is my body" some say "no it's not". If Paul calls himself father, some say Paul is wrong to do so. Where Scripture says "confess your sins one to another" some say "no, only confess to God"...etc.

Sure it matters. This is why we read the full context of scripture and keep it in the context for which is was written. We read about confess your sins to one another but we do not read confess your sins to a priest.

 

[MamaZ]

Very true. Even sadder than that reality is that many of the same people who will run you down on here for quoting the ECFs are the very same whose depth and understanding of Christianity rests on the 3 foot tall stack of Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen books they've accumulated from the nearest pharmacy store rack.

I don't mind the quoting of the ECF if they are quoted in their full context. But then I for one take what they have said and measure it with the full context of the scriptures and take scripture over what a person says.. Don't know much about Joyce Meyer nor Joel Osteen so I cannot comment on what they say..

 

[MamaZ]

I go back much farther but 367 is part of the early Church. Why would you say it isn't?

Did I say it wasn't? LOL

 

[MamaZ]

Read the debate between me and Simon on the Papacy we go back to 70-90 A.D. when all of Scripture wasn't even done being penned yet. Your opening presupposition is false.

We can read through the scriptures now though.. And from the scripture we can see the earliest of the body of Christ So why not start there instead of 70-90 AD?