Let Him Be Accursed

JM said:

Galatians 1 King James Version (KJV) 6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

What 'adding' to the Gospel would/should result in an anathema?

When I look around CF I see a lot and I mean a lot of people claiming they belong to a church that maintains 'the faith once delivered to the saints!' but their doctrines and worship looks nothing like the New Testament. In fact, they actually require specific and special doctrines for salvation that they will readily admit didn't exist for hundreds of years after the establishment of the canon.

Is requiring the belief in an unscriptural doctrine reason to be accursed?

Yours in the Lord,

jm

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No. Perverting the Gospel is an abomination. The purpose of heresy is to pervert the Gospel into something less than what it really is. So, even if the dogmatic expressions and worship of the Church gives the Church a different "look" than it seemed to have in the very earliest years of the Church's flowering (in a time when the Church was highly oppressed and persecuted throughout the civilized world, so that services had to be held in secret in people's houses) this does not necessarily mean that anything has been "added" to the Gospel. One needs to understand (by the Holy Spirit) what the Gospel is really about, and then one can see that Christ is the head of His Church, by the power of the Holy Spirit Who communicates grace and Truth within the Holy Church, so that His Church has indeed not been prevailed against.

If we want to know what the Gospel is really about, we must begin by learning, through practice, what James teaches us here: (James 1:26-27)

JM said:

Galatians 1 King James Version (KJV) 6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

What 'adding' to the Gospel would/should result in an anathema?

When I look around CF I see a lot and I mean a lot of people claiming they belong to a church that maintains 'the faith once delivered to the saints!' but their doctrines and worship looks nothing like the New Testament. In fact, they actually require specific and special doctrines for salvation that they will readily admit didn't exist for hundreds of years after the establishment of the canon.

Is requiring the belief in an unscriptural doctrine reason to be accursed?

Yours in the Lord,

jm

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I believe the apostle Paul's statement speaks for itself and needs no further explanation, unless someone doesn't agree with Sola Scriptura.

truefiction1 said:

No. Perverting the Gospel is an abomination. The purpose of heresy is to pervert the Gospel into something less than what it really is. So, even if the dogmatic expressions and worship of the Church gives the Church a different "look" than it seemed to have in the very earliest years of the Church's flowering (in a time when the Church was highly oppressed and persecuted throughout the civilized world, so that services had to be held in secret in people's houses) this does not necessarily mean that anything has been "added" to the Gospel. One needs to understand (by the Holy Spirit) what the Gospel is really about, and then one can see that Christ is the head of His Church, by the power of the Holy Spirit Who communicates grace and Truth within the Holy Church, so that His Church has indeed not been prevailed against.

If we want to know what the Gospel is really about, we must begin by learning, through practice, what James teaches us here: (James 1:26-27)

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Please explain not "adding to the Gospel" to the Roman Church, heresy indeed!

JM said:

What 'adding' to the Gospel would/should result in an anathema?

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I think the answer to that question would get me another warning from Grumman Tomcat.

JM said:

Fair warning, this is a Reformed forum...

How are Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic "innovations" excluded from Paul's condemnation? The apostle is saying if you require a belief for salvation that I do not explicitly declare you are accursed.

Yours in the Lord,

jm

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I'm not aware of any "innovations" in Orthodox Christianity. Orthodox Christianity desires only that a person deny themselves, take up their own crosses and follow their Lord, Jesus Christ, in whatever way that He calls them to personally do this. Yet, we don't do this as "individuals", but rather, as one body.

JM said:

Galatians 1 King James Version (KJV) 6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

What 'adding' to the Gospel would/should result in an anathema?

When I look around CF I see a lot and I mean a lot of people claiming they belong to a church that maintains 'the faith once delivered to the saints!' but their doctrines and worship looks nothing like the New Testament. In fact, they actually require specific and special doctrines for salvation that they will readily admit didn't exist for hundreds of years after the establishment of the canon.

Is requiring the belief in an unscriptural doctrine reason to be accursed?

Yours in the Lord,

jm

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I think the clearest examples are those preaching a Christ other than the Christ of Scripture. Key words are "pervert" and "any other". Perverting could involve adding or taking away from, twisting the meaning for selfish self-serving earthly gain, etc. I believe our sovereign God can save accursed people, we too were under the curse of sin and only because of Christ are we not accursed.

truefiction1 said:

I'm not aware of any "innovations" in Orthodox Christianity.

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You're well aware of your use of tradition in addition to, and often against, scripture. Otherwise, there would be no need for the Orthodox tradition, because it would coincide indistinguishably with the Bible. Of those two, it is the scripture which is older, and it is the scripture that makes the reference to innovations. Hence, the scripture is not an innovation beyond tradition, but it is the tradition which has innovated.

I could list the innovations which your tradition has added, but I think you know them better than I do. Otherwise, as I said, you can do away with your traditions and conform strictly to scripture, and then we'll see what Orthodox Christianity becomes.

nonaeroterraqueous said:

You're well aware of your use of tradition in addition to, and often against, scripture. Otherwise, there would be no need for the Orthodox tradition, because it would coincide indistinguishably with the Bible. Of those two, it is the scripture which is older, and it is the scripture that makes the reference to innovations. Hence, the scripture is not an innovation beyond tradition, but it is the tradition which has innovated.

I could list the innovations which your tradition has added, but I think you know them better than I do. Otherwise, as I said, you can do away with your traditions and conform strictly to scripture, and then we'll see what Orthodox Christianity becomes.

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It seems to me that Tradition of Orthodox Christianity is as follows: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."

All else that is seen, heard, touched, tasted, or felt have sprung from this.

JM said:

"Dogma (plural either dogmata or dogmas; Greek δόγμα, plural δόγματα) is the established belief or doctrine which is authoritative and is not to be disputed or doubted." Dogma - OrthodoxWiki

The link above directs us to Orthodox Dogmatic Theology by Protopresbyter Michael Pomazansky. I own a physical copy of this book and have studied it intently. This work requires of believers doctrines not explicitly stated or implicitly gleamed from the Bible. It cannot be demonstrated from the Gospel of Paul.

• The veneration of icons.
• The veneration of holy relics.
• Here we approach the subject of the toll-houses.

Is the Gospel preached by the Orthodox accursed?

Thank you,

jm

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It seems to me that the core dogma of Orthodox Christianity is as follows: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."

All else that is seen, heard, touched, tasted, or felt within Orthodox Christian worship and life have sprung from this. Until we have learned to live according to the core dogma, It seems to me that we cannot be very good judges over any of the other dogmas which spring forth from this kind of knowledge that we must have of God. Because until we've been given such knowledge as only God can give, by the Holy Spirit, then we will only be hearers of the Word and not doers, "deceiving ourselves", as James writes in his Epistle, and can be nothing more than judges over God's Law, condemning others for no reason at all, and thereby incurring our own condemnation.

truefiction1 said:

It seems to me that the core dogma of Orthodox Christianity is as follows: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."

All else that is seen, heard, touched, tasted, or felt within Orthodox Christian worship and life have sprung from this. Until we have learned to live according to the core dogma, It seems to me that we cannot be very good judges over any of the other dogmas which spring forth from this kind of knowledge that we must have of God. Because until we've been given such knowledge as only God can give, by the Holy Spirit, then we will only be hearers of the Word and not doers, "deceiving ourselves", as James writes in his Epistle, and can be nothing more than judges over God's Law, condemning others for no reason at all, and thereby incurring our own condemnation.

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As this is a Reformed forum may I ask you what is the EOC's position on the Doctrines of Grace i.e. Calvinism. Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace and Perseverance of the Saints?

Thank you in advance.

Scripture certainly condemns anyone bringing to the church a different gospel, That is why they are called false teachers. Why is it so harsh? Because its origin is demonic, of this world, of the flesh. And it slows down people from entering the kingdom of God. If God has called you then His call is irresistible, but can be opposed for a time, and false teaching troubles the church a lot.

Matthew 23:13-15 New King James Version (NKJV)
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.