- May 2, 2017
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I've got a question I've been wondering about. Now, before we get started, I'm not saying that all churches are equal, that every religion is true, etc. Just want to get that out of the way. I believe the Orthodox Church is the Church founded by Christ Himself, and that it possesses the fullness of the faith, once for all delivered to the saints. That's why I converted to Orthodoxy and why I'm posting in the Orthodox subforum.
Nonetheless, how should we interpret other Christian denominations when it comes to St John's epistles? I'm thinking of one passage in particular:
1 John 4
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God (. . . .) 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
Members of other churches will confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh and is the Son of God. So how do we handle that without falling into ecumenicism? Does my question/confusion make sense?
Nonetheless, how should we interpret other Christian denominations when it comes to St John's epistles? I'm thinking of one passage in particular:
1 John 4
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God (. . . .) 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
Members of other churches will confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh and is the Son of God. So how do we handle that without falling into ecumenicism? Does my question/confusion make sense?