You do have to implicate the Apostles as well - they decided that to try to follow the Jewish law was judaizing. They did not put such requirements on gentile Christians. The Lord Himself began appearing to them on the first day of the week (not the 6th/sabbath) and this began the custom of meeting specially on that day. And in the post I cut your quotes from you also mentioned that no one could be priests apart from the line of the Levites, as a possible motive - yet the Apostles ordained presbyters and overseers from among even the gentiles.
All of this turns Orthodoxy on its head and speaks against the Apostles and the foundation they laid. Why believe the Scriptures at all (and I see recourse to them has been requested) if you can't trust the Church that produced it?
These are all late Protestant errors, not something newly "discovered". It doesn't even stand fast on Hebraic customs of language in some cases (particularly the 4th day resurrection). There is a reason so many of the holy elders through the centuries have warned against following "new ideas" we think we arrive at ourselves.
I'm not trying to be harsh, I'm just surprised to hear an Orthodox Christian fall for such things, having had the benefit of such a rich treasury of teaching and resources.
And I can say this as a former Protestant, well aware of the history and thought of such ideas as well as carefully having sifted out their errors.
At the time, there was a big discussion if the Gentiles had to first become Jews and then become Christians. The Apostles decide that first they had to accept that Christ was the Messiah that he died for us and was resurrected on the third day. They would need to stop worshiping idols and all the scarifies to them and then after going into the church, they would learn the rest of the law. Small steps at a time.
The Apostles did NOT ordain priest, but elders. Can you please show me where in the Bible do the Apostles use the word of PRIEST.
The Church I trust, because the Church is made up from
1) people like you and me
2) Priest and Bishops
Both are equal in the Church with a capital C, but in the church, with a small c, the Priest and Bishops are KING, and sometimes I don't trust their dogmatic teachings. Remember Paul said that we must read the scripture to find out the truth and he asked to be tested upon the scriptures. If St. Paul asked to be tested against the scripture (Old Testament) then all Priest should be tested against them.
We are not Catholic, where we believe that our religious leaders are inflammable. They can make mistakes since they are only human. If the Priest teach things that does not contradict the scriptures, that is the Old and New Testament, then we must LEARN from them. If they teach things that goes against the Bible, then they are false teachers, just as Jesus warned us about.
"4th day resurrection"
Jesus said that he would be dead for 3 days and three night. If this did not happen, then it makes him a liar. Is this what you are saying, that Jesus lied to us.
The Bible states that a day is from sunset till sunset, look at Genesis chapter 1
With a Friday crucifixion and a Sunday resurrection, we have
Night 1 Friday Night
Day 1 – Saturday day
Night 2 – Saturday Night
Sunday Resurrection means that Christ was dead for 1 day and 2 night, thus you make him into a liar OR that the Bible lied when it states his words. If this is the case, then how can we believe that he was even resurrected…
Friday Crucifixion does not work!!
I agree that we have to exterminate all the errors from our religion. The protestants have big problems when it comes to believing in the Saints.
Who can say that St. Mary Magdalen was not a Saint, her had is still soft after 2000 years in Mt. Athos, but the Church Fathers have taken her out of the picture. Go to any Greek Orthodox Church and look at the icons on the wall. Can you find any icons of her,
with her name on it, NO!!!! Like she never even existed for the Church Fathers (After 4th Century)
1. actually taken care of in Acts and St Paul.
4. we actually do observe what was given by God. Pascha, the Transfiguration, Christmas, Pentecost, etc. are all given their prototypes in Scripture.
most of what you said isn't actually what the Fathers said or did.
St. Paul stated that we must follow the law in
Romain 3:31 - "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law."
Do we as Christians follow the Law?
Do we observe the Feast of Trumpets, Tabernacle, Unleavened Bread...