Depends on the language used. Where it is literal it is to be taken literal where their is symbols the symbols are usually explained, where metphor is used they teach a literal truth.
That’s a great question. They have not for only a few passages.
The Roman use of the term Magisterium includes includes ecumenical councils, whereas synods do not involve all of the bishop and thus are not on the same level as an ecumenical council, but what body or person defines the what and which of authoritative councils and what they mean?
The Church didn't go astray. It couldn't, because the Church is the Body of Christ, with Christ as it's head and the Holy Spirit its breath. The Church has bishops, ordained by the Apostles to carry on their ministries after their departure. Find the right Church, and you'll be in it. This is where Christ is. Following your own fallible interpretations of the Apostolic writings won't prevent you from holding fallible doctrines of you own making, and thereby following a Christ that is other than the True Jesus.
What Body defines the what and which of authoritative councils and what they mean? The Body of the Church does, always has, and always will, because Christ is the head of His Body and the Holy Spirit of God is the breath that gives it Life, to the the glory of God the Father.
Local Churches having problems with sin does not mean that the Body of Christ ever goes astray, for it can't, and is the pillar and foundation of truth (1 Timothy 3:15). Individual local parishes fade out of existence throughout the centuries, either due to being overcome by sin or persecution. I see vacant Orthodox Church buildings, fallen into disuse, here and there. It happens. But the Church remains now for about 2000 years, having survived persecution, heresy, and schism.
The Romans wanted to change the wording of the Church's creed, and the Church would not let them, but they did it anyhow because they had fallen into error. They finally parted ways with us around 1000 years after the birth of the Church. The ways they had established afterwards eventually led them into a rather dark place, until about 500 years after leaving us, a revolt/revolution broke out against the Roman church, and this is what is called the "reformation". The reformation rejected all authority in the Church accept for the Bible, which different people interpret according to their own abilities, and flawed conceptions, resulting in thousands upon thousands of variations in beliefs and practices. People born into these belief systems have either never heard about or understood what the Orthodox Church is, and are strongly influenced by the Christian traditions they've grown up with, so as to think and feel that they ought to disagree with Orthodox Church beliefs and practices.
Yes - I use Genesis as an example to providing us an introduction to God and his relationship to our universe and this world.
Which is actually absurd, for if Scripture is inerrant, which even your church itself historically affirmed
Your practiced preformatted parroted propaganda is just that, and i have seen the like from you before and countered it, and thus i see no real need (yet) to add to it here.
Which one true church? The representative i just responded to promotes his church as uniquely being the one true and apostolic church, which remains in conflict with you all after over 1,000 years.
