Having traveled to Moldova on several occasions in the last few years for missions work, I’ve become interested in the beliefs and teachings of the Orthodox Church. The picture attached to this post is one I took of the beautiful Orthodox Cathedral in Chisinau, Moldova. Many people who consider themselves Christians in Eastern Europe belong to the Orthodox Church so knowledge of its teachings is essential to missions work there. Sadly too, some of the persecution aimed at evangelical Christians in this part of the world comes from the Orthodox Church as well. I was therefore intrigued when I recently came across a theological website written from an Orthodox perspective. The site is called Orthodoxwiki and is set up along the same lines as Wikipedia and Theopedia.
The site was founded by a gentleman named Father John who’s a priest in the Orthodox Church in America out of Chicago.
Like the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church claims to be the one true Church, descended directly from the Apostles and founded on the Day of Pentecost.
My first foray into the site was a search using the word ‘salvation’. This brought up a page devoted to Orthodox soteriology. I knew already that Orthodox Christianity teaches salvation to be a process rather than an event and that one can never be sure of having been converted. Salvation is more a journey in Orthodox teaching, the goal of which is something called ‘theosis’. This site reinforced that teaching providing an explanation that was very clear and concise. In part it says:
“Salvation is the goal of Christianity, and the purpose of the Church. The theology of salvation is called soteriology. Orthodox Christianity strongly believes that God became man, so that man may become like God. This concept of theosis, rejects that salvation is a positive result to a legalistic dilemma, but a healing process. Orthodoxy views our inclination to sin as a symptom of a malady that needs treatment, not just a transgression that requires retribution.”
Needless to say the ways in which this paragraph is at odds with Reformed Christianity are many. The same page goes on to say of the final judgment:
“Christ will judge all people exclusively on the basis of how they have served him by serving each other, the least of the brethren.”
Next I did a search for ‘justification’ and received the following response:
There is no page titled "justification".
Now, to be fair, it could be that the information on justification has not yet been posted, however, given the way salvation is defined, the more likely scenario is that the concept of justification simply does not exist in Orthodox theology. Like Roman Catholicism, they confuse justification and sanctification. In fact, when I input the word ‘sanctification’ into the search function on the site, I was taken to the page on ‘theosis’ which the Orthodox see as the end state of the salvation process.
This coupled with their belief that the dead are judged on the merits of their service to God rather than on the righteousness of Jesus Christ leads one to the conclusion that Orthodox Christianity is ‘another gospel’, a gospel of works where man’s salvation is, if not totally dependent upon him, at least unattainable without his help and cooperation.
What a belief system teaches about the Gospel is fundamental to understanding the other teachings they espouse. I plan to delve further into the teachings of the Orthodox Church on other theological topics in future posts.
12 comments:
You'll not really understand Orthodox theology properly as long as you are approaching it with your preconceived notions of theology. It is also very hard to understand Orthodox Theology outside of the context of the worshiping Church - much of its theology is conveyed in worship.
The juridical concepts of atonement are, after all, relatively young (hints in Augustine, formulated by Anselm 1000 years or so after the early Church and developed by the Reformers hundreds of years later). These are concepts foreign to the early Church and quite Roman Catholic at their core.
The following link might be helpful to you.
http://www.orthodoxpress.org/parish/river_of_fire.htm
-Fr. Deacon Peter
Fr. Peter. Thank you for your comments. I will indeed check out the site you referenced.
I don't think its a matter of my not understanding what is taught by the Orthodox Church, at least not where the issue of salvation is concerned, its a matter of my not believing it to be a true representation of the Biblical teaching. I'm sure you would say the same thing about what I believe.
The age of a doctrine is not the most important aspect, it is how closely that doctrine tracks with scripture. After all the heresy of the Judaizers was at work within the church during the first century of it's existence. Even so, the concept of the atonement was taught by Paul in Romans and elsewhere from the beginning.
Do I have preconceived notions? Probably, none of us approaches any subject with neutrality. There is in fact no such thing as neutrality. The important point is whether the presuppositions with which we approach things are based on truth.
On this topic you may be correct and I may be wrong. Conversely, I may be correct and you may be wrong. We both, however, cannot be right. The beliefs of the Orthodox church with regard to salvation are indeed 'another gospel' when compared to reformed protestant Christian beliefs on the same topic, just as I'm sure you would see the same distinction working in reverse.
Speaking as a Catholic (me) you say:
"This coupled with their belief that the dead are judged on the merits of their service to God rather than on the righteousness of Jesus Christ leads one to the conclusion that Orthodox Christianity is ‘another gospel’, a gospel of works where man’s salvation is, if not totally dependent upon him, at least unattainable without his help and cooperation. "
You raise a false dichotomy. It's not the merrits of Christ or the service to God. Your theology denies romans 2:4-8 and Matt 25, the sheep and the goats. Rather it is Christ working in and through us (eph 3:20-21) that is the righteousness that God sees and where our works come from, producing 30, 60, or 100 fold. I don't see how one can get around our deeds being a part of judgement with regard to the romans and mathew verses spoken of above.
Blessings
Thessalonian, thank you for your comment.
It is only a false dichotomy if one confuses sanctification and justification.
In the Matthew 25 passage, Jesus is speaking of the final judgment when He will separate His people (the sheep, see John 10:1-18) from those who do not belong to Him. The behaviors he lists are certainly characteristic of believers but it is not these behaviors that have made them 'sheep' they rather have these characteristics because they ARE sheep. Isaiah tells us clearly that all our righteousness is as filthy rags. There is nothing we can do to merit favor with God. It is only through the imputed righteousness of Christ that we can hope to stand on that judgment day.
The Romans passage is Paul speaking to and of unbelieving Jews just as he spoke to unbelieving Gentiles in Chapter 1. We need look no further than Romans 3:21-26 to see that salvation is by faith alone in Christ. We're told in verse 21 that the righteousness we need and that we receive when saved is 'apart from the law'. It is a righteousness that comes from God 'through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe' (v.22)
Given that, we must conclude that either Romans 2:4-8 and Romans 3:21-26 contradict one another or Romans 2:4-8 does not teach works righteousness.
God bless...
Larry
Larry,
When Paul speaks of our works as filthy rags he is illuding to Psalm 14. You might want to read that more closely to see whose works are filthy rags. On what basis would you call God's work in and through you a filthy rag? (see Eph 3:20-21 please). How does a filthy rag produce 30,60, or 100 fold?
I agree that sheep will do good if they respond to God's grace. Where did I say that the sheep were not sheep. But I don't see how you can say the works are optional and are not related to salvation. Once again, they are God working in and through us so I don't see why we have to deny them as a part of salvation. We could not do any good without Chirst "without him I can do nothing. In him I can DO ALL THINGS". Praise God.
I think it is pretty clear that Paul intends v. 2:4-8 to be for Jews and gentiles who are Christians. Otherwise he would not say what he does in v. 13-14 about the gentiles who have not the law (as in written law) doing what is on their hearts. Christianity involves doing. Faith without works is dead. Only those who DO the will of the father shall enter ("heaven").
First of all I don't claim to be saved by the law. There is a clear distinction between works of love (i.e. charity) and works of the law. It can easily be seen in Is 1 where God repudiates the works of the law that he commanded because the jews neglect the widow and the orphan.
Further romans 3 nowhere says faith alone. In fact in 273 passages in the NT using the word faith NONE (oh wait one James 2:24, it's not much help for you) puts the words faith and alone together. Faith has to be a living and active faith, producing GOOD fruit, i.e. works. That is why Paul never clears the air by ever saying "faith alone". Faith without works is dead bro.
By the way, sanctification and justification are not confused in Catholicism. The confusion about how they are taught is yours.
It's all our "righteousness" that is said to be filthy rags, not our works, It was Isaiah who said that BTW, not Paul (Isaiah 64:6)
I don't say, nor does the Reformed Faith teach that works are 'optional' they are a sign that we've been regenerated. They are not, however, the source of the merit by which we are allowed to come before God and be judged righteous. God requires perfection. Even on our best days we cannot achieve that. Only by God imputing the righteousness of Christ to us can we stand before the Father blameless. If we stand before Him and try to cover our sin with our "righteous" works we will stand condemned. We are told in fact that some will stand before Him on judgment day listing their works done on His behalf and he will cast them away (Matthew 7:22-23)
Again, works are a result of salvation, not the cause of it, nor do they contribute to it in any way. If they do, then when Christ said 'it is finished' on the Cross, He was mistaken.
God bless...
Larry
My apologies, I was thinking of the romans verse "all have sinned". Now question for you with regard to Is 64. Tell me, are you in your sins? You need to check the context of Is 64.
I do agree that on our best day we are not near perfect but God working in and through us is. Who are those in v. 5 who he meets in righteousness. He says they are currently in their sins. Not that they always were or will be. Again are you in your sins? Again we cannot claim the works that God does in and through us for they are by his grace. Again romans 2:4-8 says that those who DO good go on to everlasting glory. Those who do evil to eternal damnation. How is that not a part of our judgement.
If our righteousness when we go before Christ is only imputed and not real, we cannot enter heaven for we are unclean underneath and we are told "NOThING unclean shall enter".
I agree that OUR works won't get us to heaven but God's work in and through us does. There is a significant difference.
You are right that GOOD works are a result of salvation. We cannot do them without his grace, but again we MUST do them. The parable of the talents shows that. The two who multiplied what was given were given more but the one who did nothing with what he recieved, was cast out. One must be IN GRACE for works to be counted as anything. Yes of course.
Your usage of "It is finished" assumes what is finished. Nowhere does it say that at that instant your salvation is guaranteed and there is absolutely nothing else that has to happen. Don't you have to be born and struggle through coming to believe and then repent and then put your faith and trust in him, who brought you that far, by grace? Yes, the grace won 2000 years ago on that cross HAD TO BE brought forward and applied to your life NOW. I see "it is finished as meaning that all that was said of him
who saves us, Jesus Christ, in the Old Testament was fullfilled. The plan of salvation and the cause were carried out. His work was finished on this earth, but that does not mean there was no other work to be done in bringing souls to him and those souls repenting and walking in his ways and bringing others to him (works of love). I see no support for you it is finished being a putdown of us having to walkin in faith and do that good that he gives us the grace to do. I see no reason why, if it means what you say,
it is applied against works and not against repentence? explain if you would.
May Christ's peace be with you
Gerald
"Again, works are a result of salvation, not the cause of it,"
We both agree that Jesus Christ is the cause of our salvation. We both agree that it is by grace throgh faith that we are saved. Again the cause is Christ for the grace and the faith. I contend that the cause for the good that we do (Eph 3:20-21) is Christ as well. Therefore this reason you are raising for completely writing works (of love, i.e. charity as opposed to works of the law see Is 1) out of the equation, contrary to Rom 2:4-8 and Matt 25, is unneccessary.
Eph 3
[20]
Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,
[21] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.
We do not boast of these things because it is by his grace that we do them.
Thessalonian,
Again, I don't disagree that it is God's grace which allows us to do any good that we do. We can do nothing good apart from Him. However, the issue, again, is justification (being made positionally right with God) and santification (growing in Christ-likeness). We cannot confuse the two.
Let's approach this another way. How many works and what kind do you need to do to ensure that when you die, you go to be with the Lord?
Larry
Larry,
Could you do me a favor and tell me if v. 9 helps you understand who Romans 2:4-8 is speaking of? Jews? or Jews and Gentiles?
Let's not change the subject my friend. Who the audience is for Romans 2, is a secondary matter.
Let's go back to my previous question first: Exactly how many works and what kind are necessary for us to have sufficient righteousness to enter Heaven when we die?
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