Some Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox and the Living Church of God
Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople
A couple of weeks ago, I posted about some of the beliefs that the Eastern Orthodox shared with the Living Church of God (see Similiarities Between the Eastern Orthodox and the Living Church of God).
So, perhaps today would be a good time to go over some of the many differences between the groups.
Head Coverings for Overseers/Bishops/Patriarchs?
Orthodox:
The Rheims New Testament (used by Catholics, including some English-speaking Orthodox) in 1 Corinthians 11 teaches:
3. And I will have you know, that the head of every man, is Christ: and the head of the woman, is the man: and the head of Christ, is God. 4. Every man praying or prophesying with his head covered: dishonorest his head.
The Catholic Encyclopedia notes:
In the Orthodox Greek Rite (the other Greek Rites need not here be considered) a liturgical head-covering was not worn until the sixteenth century. Before this only the Patriarch of Alexandria, who wore one as early as the tenth century, made use of a head-covering, and his was only a simple cap (Braun J. Transcribed by William Stuart French, Jr. Mitre. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume X. Published 1911. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Nihil Obstat, October 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York).
All the Orthodox patriarchs I have ever seen photographs of were wearing head coverings of some type. And they seem to pray wearing them, thus they seem to ignore the early biblical practices and thus biblically appear to be dishonoring Christ. And while some try to tie the wearing of mitres to the Old Testament (and the Apostle John may have had some type of Levitical role prior to becoming a disciple of Jesus, and hence may have worn a mitre prior), the reality is that if the Orthodox did not adopt them until the 10th or 16th century, it obviously was not an original practice–or if it were an original practice, then they did not follow it for most of the time of their existence as a church.
Living Church of God:
Living Church of God leaders follow the teachings of the Bible, including 1 Corinthians 11:3-4. They do not pray or conduct church services wearing hats, mitres, or other head coverings. However, just like the Bible allowed the priests in the Old Testament to have beards (e.g. Leviticus 21:1-5; Psalm 133:22), church leaders can have beards or other facial coverings (though in modern times few do).
Those Orthodox male leaders wearing head coverings would appear to be dishonoring their head, who is supposed to be Christ. Hence, it may be that they are disqualifying themselves as true ministers of Christ by their head coverings.
Therefore, just seeing the appearance of any Orthodox bishop/patriarch should show people that the Living Church of God is more faithful than the Orthodox Church to the Bible and early traditions of the Church. An article of related interest may be What Were the Early Duties and Dress of Elders/Pastors?.
Icons
While the early church condemned all idols and icons, the Orthodox now have a different view.
Orthodox:
“…one will not find in the early Church any clear exposition of the current Eastern Orthodox theology of icons” (Cleenewerck L. His Broken Body: Understanding and Healing the Schism Between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches (An Orthodox Perspective). Euclid University Consortium Press, Washington (DC), 2007, p. 43)
“…within Christianity itself there had always existed a ‘puritan’ outlook, which condemned icons because it saw in all images a latent idolatry…The final victory of the Holy Images in 843 is known as ‘the Triumph of Orthodoxy’…One of the distinctive features of Orthodoxy is the place which it assigns to icons. An Orthodox church today is filled with them…An Orthodox prostrates himself before these icons, he kisses them and burns candles in front of them…Because icons are only symbols, Orthodox do not worship them, but reverence or venerate them…icons form a part of Holy Tradition…The Iconoclasts, by repudiating all representations of God, failed to take to full account the Incarnation” (Ware, pp. 31-33).
The first Sunday in Lent, commemorating the definitive restoration of holy ikons in 843 at the end of the iconoclast controversy, is known as the ‘Sunday of Orthodoxy’ or the ‘Triumph of Orthodoxy’ (The Philokalia, Volume 4: The Complete Text; Compiled by St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain & St. Markarios of Corinth. G.E.H. Palmer (Translator), Philip Sherrard (Translator), Kallistos Ware (Translator). Faber & Faber, January 31, 1999, p. 287).
“The Orthodox Church uses icons for veneration with the understanding that the respect is paid not to the material icon but to the person represented “in spirit and truth”…The Seventh Ecumenical Council (787 and 843) decreed the use of icons, following in the main the teaching of St. John of Damascus” (Litsas FK. A Dictionary of Orthodox Terminology – Part 2. http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article9152.asp 8/27/05) .
Icons are absolutely central to Orthodoxy, distinguishing it from both Catholicism and Protestantism. In the Orthodox calendar, the first Sunday of Lent celebrates the Triumph of Orthodoxy, a commemoration of the final triumph of icons in the long and bitter battle with the iconoclasts (literally, “image-smashers”) on March 11, 843. Included in this liturgy is an anathema on all those who reject icons.
Timothy Kallistos Ware…”In every Orthodox church the sanctuary is divided from the rest of the interior by the iconostasis, a solid screen, usually of wood, covered with icons…Orthodox churches are full of icons…When Orthodox people enter a church, their first action will be to buy a candle, cross themselves, kiss the icon, and light a candle in front of it…(Clendenin, pp. 17,18)
the church, through the voice of its councils and its hierarchs, ordains that icons be painted as they were formerly painted by the holy iconographers” (Clendenin, p. 50).
The Orthodox Church has a book called The Synaxarion which contains stories, handed down through some type of tradition, about early church leaders. The Synaxarion seems to have been composed between the ninth and eleventh centuries and apparently was motivated by the Orthodox devotion to icons:
The iconoclast heresy of the eighth and ninth centuries was directed against veneration of saints as well as against their holy images and, in general, opposed the presence of any intermediary between ourselves and God. The Orthodox reacted by attaching even more importance to veneration of the saints. Once the heresy was overthrown, they covered the walls of the churches with icons, were zealous in writing long lives of the heroes of Orthodoxy and completed the calendar and the Church service. The holy hymnographers of the Monastery of the Stoudion, Saint Theodore, Saint Joseph and others, ordered our Church services in the form they have retained ever since. After the sixth ode of the Matins canon, because of the number of hymns, the reading of the lives of the saints of the day was restricted to brief notices, called the Synaxarion, as a vestige of the practice of the first liturgical assemblies. From the ninth to the eleventh century, the compilation of the short notices that appear in the Synaxarion was completed (Hieromonk Makarios of Simonos Petra, Mount Athos. Introduction to The Synaxarion: The Lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. From Volume One of The Synaxarion: The Lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Published by the Holy Convent of the Annunciation of Our Lady, Ormylia (Chalkidike, Greece), 1998. From http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/general/synaxarion_intro.aspx 03/31/06).
Perhaps it should be mentioned that the earliest “portraits” of the Apostles Peter, Paul, Andrew, and John that have been found date from the late fourth/early fifth century according modern researchers such as Professor Fabrizio Bisconti, the head of archaeology for Rome’s numerous catacombs (Oldest portraits of Christ’s apostles found. Reuters, June 23, 2010. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/23/2934293.htm?section=justin viewed 06/23/10). Despite this fact, notice the following from Eastern Orthodox scholar Leonid Ouspensky:
The Orthodox church has never accepted the paintings of icons according to the imagination of the artist or from a living model, which would signify a conscious and total break from the prototype. The name which the icon bears would then no longer correspond to the person represented, and this would be a flagrant lie which the church could not tolerate…The ancient iconographers knew the faces of the saints as well as they knew those of their close relatives. They painted them from memory or by using a sketch of portrait…all kinds of accounts, and particularly sketches…were preserved on icons. (Ouspensky L. Theology of the Icons. Translated by Anthony Gythiel and Elizabth Meyendorf, 1992. As cited in Clendenin, p. 48)
But theological scholar Daniel Clendenin commented that at least part of the above was false as well as made other related comments:
This general rule has frequently been broken or abused in the past few centuries. (Clendenin D.B. ed. Eastern Orthodox Theology, 2nd ed. Baker Academic, 2003, p. 48)
Icons are absolutely central to Orthodoxy, distinguishing it from both Catholicism and Protestantism. In the Orthodox calendar, the first Sunday of Lent celebrates the Triumph of Orthodoxy, a commemoration of the final triumph of icons in the long and bitter battle with the iconoclasts (literally, “image-smashers”) on March 11, 843. Included in this liturgy is an anathema on all those who reject icons. This is no archaic, dusty doctrine, either. Recently I worshiped at an Orthodox church in Palo Alto on this celebration of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. In his homily, Father Vladimir explained the history and theology of icons, adding that the heresy of iconoclasm was alive and well…
Icons are not merely sacred art. Rather, they are a source of revelation. According to the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicea in 787, icons are of equal benefit as Scripture in presenting the gospel message. What Scripture proclaims by word, the icon proclaims by color. Thus, when an Orthodox believer once asked why his church did not do more doctrinal teaching, his priest responded, “Icons teach us all that we need to know.” Icons are, quite literally, a “theology in color.” (Clendenin D. Why I’m Not Orthodox. January 6, 1997. Copyright © 1997 Christianity Today)
Living Church of God:
“Man is incomplete, having cut himself off from the true worship of the true God. Yet he is to worship that God alone: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). The second commandment tells us how to worship the true God, what pitfalls to avoid in our worship, and of the continuing blessing or penalty that comes to our progeny as a result of the way in which we worship Almighty God. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord [Eternal] your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments” (Exodus 20:4–6). The natural physical mind cries out for something to help in the worship of God. Physical human beings want some physical object—some “aid” to worship—to “remind” them of the invisible God. Yet that is exactly what is forbidden in this commandment! Jesus said: “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth: for the Father is seeking such to worship Him” (John 4:23). Notice that it is only the “true” worshipers who are able to worship the Father in spirit and truth. Many others attempt some form of worship but, because they limit their worship by a false concept of God, it is largely in vain. “God is Spirit: and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (v. 24). The instant that human beings set up any representation of God, they deny what is essential in God. God is the essence of all power—all wisdom—all love. God is limitless. When a man invents his own mental or physical image of God, he automatically limits in his own thought and worship the God who will not be limited!” (Meredith RC. The Ten Commandments. LCG Booklet).
“Thousands of professing Christians employ representations or pictures of a so-called Jesus Christ in their worship—and even display them in their homes. What does your Bible say about such pictures? First of all, the second commandment itself obviously prohibits the use of anything that represents God or could easily become an object of worship. Certainly, since Jesus Christ is God (Hebrews 1:8), this would directly prohibit any picture or likeness of His person! In addition, for those who might wish to “reason” or argue about this point, these so-called pictures of Christ have no similarity whatever to the way Jesus Christ really looked! Jesus—when in human flesh—was a Jew (Hebrews 7:14). The features in most of His supposed pictures are obviously not Jewish! As the Word of God, Christ inspired the Apostle Paul to write: “Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?” (1 Corinthians 11:14). Yet these pictures invariably show a man with long hair, soft feminine features and a sentimental, sanctimonious look in His eyes. This is not the Christ of your Bible!” (Meredith RC. The Ten Commandments. LCG Booklet).
The Bible and some considered as early saints and/or “fathers” by the Orthodox condemned idols. This is documented in an article titled What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons? We in the Living Church of God do not believe that icons are needed for the gospel message, nor are they at a level related to scripture.
Perhaps I should add that when I spoke to an Eastern Orthodox scholar and priest about this on July 8, 2009, he clearly admitted to me that there was no veneration of icons by Christians in the second century. He (correctly) stated that the acceptance of icons was essentially a slow development. My response was to the effect of, “The Orthodox claim to be the original faith that has not been corrupted by changes that Rome and others adopted. Obviously the adoption of icons, Easter Sunday, anti-millenarianism, etc. were changes. Hence, the Orthodox should look into the practices and beliefs of the faithful in the true early second century church, which are the beliefs and practices of the Living Church of God.”
Tradition
Orthodox:
“While the Bible is treasured as a valuable written record of God’s revelation, it does not contain wholly that revelation. The Bible is viewed as only one expression of God’s revelation in the on-going life of His people. Scripture is part of the treasure of Faith which is known as Tradition. Tradition means that which is “handed on” from one generation to another. In addition to the witness of Faith in the Scripture, the Orthodox Christian Faith is celebrated in the Eucharist, taught by the Fathers, glorified by the Saints, expressed in prayers, hymns, and icons; defended by the seven Ecumenical Councils; embodied in the Nicene Creed, manifested in social concern; and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, it is lived in every local Orthodox parish” (Fitzgerald T. Teachings of the Orthodox Church. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article7062.asp 8/21/05).
“Orthodox are always talking about Tradition…It means the books of the Bible; it means the Creed; it means the decrees of the Ecumenical Councils and the writings of the Fathers; it means the Canon, the Service, Books, the Holy Icons — in fact the whole system of doctrine, Church government, worship, spirituality and art which Orthodoxy has articulated over the ages…Note the the Bible forms a part of Tradition. Sometimes Tradition is defined as the oral teachings of Christ, not recorded in writing by His immediate disciples. Not only non-Orthodox but many Orthodox writers have adopted this way of speaking, treating Scripture and Tradition as two different things, two distinct sources of Christian faith. But in reality there is only one source as Scripture exists within Tradition. To separate and contrast the two is to impoverish the idea of both alike…Among the various elements of Tradition, a unique pre-eminence belongs to the Bible, to the Creed, to the doctrinal definitions of the Ecumenical Councils: these things the Orthodox accept as something absolute and unchanging, something which cannot be cancelled or revised. The other parts of Tradition do not have quite the same authority” (Ware, pp. 196-197).
Yet it also acknowledges,
“Jesus said in the Matthew passage that the tradition of men produced hypocrisy and even vain worship” (Gillquist, p.67).
But also teaches,
“Tradition is there not just to preserve the Bible but to interpret it” (Gillquist, p.76).
Living Church of God:
“We believe that if religious people say they “believe” in the God of the Bible, they should really teach and believe what the Bible actually says.
..Although most western nations profess Christianity, do they get their version of “Christianity” from the Bible, or from human tradition?
…it is good to be sure that we understand what the Bible really says—not what people tell us the Bible says. For, if you are careful with this and truly honest, you will find that most of the churches of this world do not really understand the Bible or teach it in this way at all. Most individuals and religious organizations are more concerned with “tradition,” and “going along” with what the majority thinks, than they are with genuinely studying and then living by every word of the Bible—with the Old Testament, of course, magnified and interpreted by the New Testament” (Meredith RC. The Bible or Human Tradition? Tomorrow’s World. LCG Magazine. September-October 2004).
Even some who the Orthodox consider to have been early saints (such as Melito and Irenaeus) condemned tradition when it conflicts with scripture.
Furthermore, the Bible warns that eventually those who accepted the traditions of idols will realize that they have inherited lies. Notice what God’s prophet Jeremiah was inspired to write:
From the ends of the earth and say, “Surely our fathers have inherited lies, Worthlessness and unprofitable things.” Will a man make gods for himself, Which are not gods? ”
Therefore behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know My hand and My might; And they shall know that My name is the LORD (Jeremiah 16:19-21).
Thus the time will come, and it has not yet come, that the vast majority of those whose religion is based upon traditions that contradict the Bible will realize that they have inherited lies. Once they realize that, God will then cause them to know Him.
Do you want to wait until then to know God or do you want to know God now?
We in the Church of God believe that Scripture itself provides the answers about reliance on tradition.
Three articles of related interest may include Tradition and Scripture, Universal Salvation? There Are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the Doctrine of True Apocatastasis, and Hope of Salvation: How the Living Church of God differs from most Protestants.
Eucharist/Lord’s Passover
Orthodox:
“the Eucharist is offered. This sacrament is performed by a bishop or a presbyter using leavened (never unleavened) bread… (Clendenin, p. 28).
Living Church of God:
“At the end of Jesus’ human life, Luke tells us: “Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed. And He sent Peter and John, saying, ‘Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat…. ’ Then He said to them, ‘With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer’” (Luke 22:7–8, 15)…Also, the Apostle Paul clearly commanded the Gentile Church at Corinth to observe the Days of Unleavened Bread. Speaking of these days, Paul wrote: “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us KEEP THE FEAST, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:7–8). Paul was obviously speaking of “keeping the Feast” of Unleavened Bread…First comes the solemn observance of Christ’s suffering and death on our behalf. The Bible calls this the “Passover.” It pictures our acceptance of Christ’s broken body and shed blood, which He offered as our Savior. But remember, this is only the first step in God’s Plan for us! Next, we need to GROW in grace and knowledge (2 Peter 3:18) and begin to put our old sinful ways and habits completely out of our lives. This “overcoming” process is pictured by the Days of Unleavened Bread (Meredith RC. THE HOLY DAYS—God’s Master Plan. LCG Booklet, on-line version c. 2006).
There is no indication in the biblical text that leavened bread was ever used, which is why the Living Church of God (LCG) uses unleavened, and never leavened, bread. Why the Orthodox intentionally use leavened bread in violation of the practice of Jesus and Paul is unclear to this writer–especially since early Christians, including leaders recognized by the Orthodox kept the Days of Unleavened Bread (for details, please see Should Christians Keep the Days of Unleavened Bread?).
Worship Calendar
Orthodox:
“One of the major characteristics of the Byzantine liturgical tradition is the wealth and variety of hymnodical texts marking the various cycles of the liturgical year. A special liturgical book contains the hymns for each of the main cycles. The daily cycle includes the offices of Hesperinos (Vespers), Apodeipnon (Compline), the midnight prayer, Orthros (Matins), and the four canonical “hours”–i.e., offices to be said at the “First” (6:00 AM), “Third” (9:00 AM), “Sixth” (12:00 noon), and “Ninth” (3:00 PM) hours. The liturgical book covering the daily cycle is called the Horologion (“The Book of Hours”). The Paschal (Easter) cycle is centered on the “Feast of Feasts”–i.e., of Christ’s Resurrection; it includes the period of Great Fast (Lent), preceded by three Sundays of preparation and the period of 50 days following Easter. The hymns of the Lenten period are found in the Triodion (Three Odes), and those of the Easter season in the Pentekostarion (called the “Flowery Triodion”). The weekly cycle is the continuation of the Resurrection cycle found in the Triodion and the Pentekostarion; each week following the Sunday after Pentecost (50 days after Easter) possesses its own musical tone, or mode, in accordance with which all the hymns of the week are sung. There are eight tones whose composition is traditionally attributed to St. John of Damascus (8th century). Each week is centered around Sunday, the day of Christ’s Resurrection. The Easter and weekly cycles clearly dominate all offices of the entire year and illustrate the absolute centrality of the Resurrection in the Eastern understanding of the Christian message. The date of Easter, set at the Council of Nicaea (325), is the first Sunday after the full moon following the spring equinox” (Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Raska and Prizren. Worship and Sacraments. http://www.kosovo.com/doctrine3.html#Sacraments 8/20/05).
“In 190, the issue of Easter is in its agenda and a Synod is held, via the Eparch of Narkissos” (The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The Church of Jerusalem. http://www.jerusalem-patriarchate.org/en/home/homefr.htm 01/20/06).
“Orthodox Answers” reported the following Q&A:
QUESTION: 11/30/2008: Is it the Orthodox view that Sabbath has been transferred to Sunday? What is the Orthodox view on Sabbath?
ANSWER: The Orthodox believe that Sabbath is Saturday (to this day, the Greek word for Saturday is pronounced ‘sabbado’ – as is the case in many other languages). Hence, Saturday is the old Sabbath and Sunday is the Lord’s Day or the Day of Resurrection. In the Orthodox tradition, Saturday always has the feastly character of the Jewish sabbath; it is never a strict fasting day. Moreover, it has always been the liturgical practice to serve Divine Liturgy both on Sabbath and the Lord’s Day, and this remains the case in Orthodox monasteries. However, Christians are not under the Law and they are not subjects of the Old Creation. The old Sabbath was the seal of the old creation, whereas Sunday is seal of the New Creation, the first or eighth day. For this reason, Gentile Christians have never been bound by Sabbatical laws on the old Sabbath. (Cleenewerck L, editor. Orthodox Answers: Sabbath. http://www.orthodoxanswers.org/details.asp?ID=10 viewed 06/13/09)
The Orthodox Church reports this brief explanation in one of its timelines:
193 A.D. – Council of Rome, presided over by Bishop Victor, condemns the celebration of Pascha on Nisan 14, and addresses a letter to Polycrates of Ephesus and the Churches in Asia.
193 A.D. – Council of Ephesus, presided over by Bishop Polycrates, and attended by several bishops throughout Asia, reject the authority of Victor of Rome, and keep the Asian paschal tradition (Markou, Stavros L. K. An Orthodox Christian Historical Timeline. Copyright © 2003 OrthodoxFaith.com).
Although it appears that the Orthodox Church officially began to accept Easter around 190 A.D. (as it, as a Sunday holiday, originated in Rome a few decades earlier, though the churches in Asia Minor did not accept the change from Passover on the 14th of Nisan), those in Asia Minor (where it claims apostolic succession) did not accept the Roman change. Yet, the Orthodox Church officially made the change, based not on the Bible, but on a church council/synod.
Living Church of God:
“ANNUAL FESTIVALS PICTURE GOD’S MASTER PLAN OF SALVATION God’s annual Festivals are listed in Leviticus 23 and in Deuteronomy 16. These God-given holy days were commanded to be observed “forever” (Leviticus 23:14, 21, 31, 41). The Apostolic Church observed the annual Sabbaths (Acts 2; 12:3-4; 18:21; 20:6, 16; 27:9; 1 Corinthians 16:8). These Sabbaths will continue to be observed during Christ’s millennial rule (Zechariah 14:1, 9, 16-19). God’s annual Festivals picture the seven vital steps in His plan of salvation” (Official Statement of Fundamental Beliefs. LCG, 2004).
“1. The Passover pictures the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the “Lamb of God” (John 1:29, 36; Revelation 5:6) sacrificed for us, (1 Corinthians 5:7). Jesus established the New Testament Passover with the symbols of bread and wine (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
2. The Seven Days of Unleavened Bread typify purging the leaven of malice and wickedness out of the believer’s life, and partaking of God’s nature, the “unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:6-13; Luke 12:1).
3. The Feast of Firstfruits (Pentecost) pictures the small harvest of “begotten” followers of Christ who will be harvested at the “first resurrection” (Revelation 20:4-5), as “a kind of firstfruits” (James 1:18).
4. The Feast of Trumpets points prophetically to the second coming of Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:31; 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; Revelation 11:15-18; 19:15; Zechariah 14:9).
5. The Day of Atonement pictures the banishment of Satan, and man’s becoming “at one” with God (Leviticus 16:8, 10, 15-27; Revelation 20:1-3).
6. The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the soon-coming wonderful world under the government of Jesus Christ and His saints (Zechariah 14; Matthew 9:37-38; 13:1-30; Luke 12:32; John 7:6-14; Acts 17:31; Revelation 12:9; 20:4-6).
7. The Last Great Day features the great judgment that will occur at the end of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ on earth (John 7:37; Leviticus 23:36, 39, 33-34; Revelation 20:11-12)” (Official Statement of Fundamental Beliefs. LCG, 2004).“GOD’S SABBATH The Word of God reveals that “the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord” (Exodus 20:10; Deuteronomy 5:14). It is to be observed from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday. It is God’s “sign” between Him and His faithful people—picturing God’s “rest” and reminding us that He is the Creator. It also pictures the Millennium—the coming 1,000-year “rest” when Christ returns as King of kings (Hebrews 4:1-4; Revelation 20:4-6). Jesus Christ, the Apostles, and the early Church always observed God’s commanded Sabbath, (Luke 4:16; Acts 17:2), and it will be observed by “all flesh” during Christ’s coming millennial rule over the earth (Isaiah 66:23)” (Official Statement of Fundamental Beliefs. LCG, 2004).
The original worship calendar for early Christians was essentially the same one used by the Jews and the Church of God.
It is important to note that the Greek term Κυριακή DID NOT mean Sunday in classical nor koine Greek, even though it does in modern Greek. The second century expression that Justin Martyr used, that has been translated as “on the day called Sunday”, was the classic Greek expression ῾Ηλίου λεγομένη ἡμέρᾳ (which literally means “Helios said day”). And he was the first known writer associated with Christianity to use that expression. Of course, the modern and classic Greek term for Sabbath, meant Saturday, then and now. The reality as those considered as “Fathers” and saints by the Orthodox Church did keep Passover on the 14th of Nisan and did not observe Lent.
An article of related interest may be Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible?
The Church of the Seven Councils vs. One of the Seven Churches of Revelation 2 & 3
Orthodox:
“Constantine summoned the first General or Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church at Nicea in 325… Orthodox often call themselves ‘the Church of the Seven Councils’…Nicea was the first of the seven general councils; and these…occupy a central position in the history of Orthodoxy…next to the Bible, it is the seven councils which the Orthodox Church takes as its standard and guide” (Ware, pp.19,35).
“Why are the Seven Ecumenical Councils so important? Because they point out what the Church universally held to be the true teaching concerning the Person of of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Trinity” (Gillquist, p. 102).
“It is interesting that the Book of Revelation–although it is accepted as part of the scriptural canon–is never read during public worship” (Clendenin D.B. ed. Eastern Orthodox Theology, 2nd ed. Baker Academic, 2003, p. 81).
It may be of interest to note that a Roman Catholic scholar and historian basically has admitted that the 4th century Nazarene Christians held Christian doctrines, but that their real problem was that they would not accept most of the decisions of the Councils of Greco-Roman churches:
…the Nazarenes did not differ much in faith from the gentile Christians…
St. Epiphanius, speaking of the Nazarenes…they observed the Sabbath, and they celebrated Easter on the 14th…
They live in the city of Boroea (Aleppo), in Coelo-Syria, in the Decapolis near Pella and in Batanea in the place they call Cochabe and in Hebrew Kocabe. There name Nazarene comes from Nazareth “which today is a village in which the house of Joseph (Jesus) was educated”.
…they observe the Sabbath, but have no animal sacrifices…
St. Jerome, writing…”Nazarenes. They believe in Christ, Son of God, born of the Virgin…”
In conclusion, regarding the Nazarenes, both St. Epiphanius and St. Jerome have nothing to condemn them for except the observance of customs forbidden by the Councils (Bagatti, Bellarmino. Translated by Eugene Hoade. The Church from the Circumcision. Nihil obstat: Marcus Adinolfi. Imprimi potest: Herminius Roncari. Imprimatur: +Albertus Gori, die 26 Junii 1970. Franciscan Printing Press, Jerusalem, pp.31,34,35).
And since those councils basically wanted to enforce Sunday instead of the biblical Sabbath, Easter Sunday as a replacement for the biblical Passover, and define Catholics as those that believe in a certain type of trinity (a concept that was only held by second century heretics such as Valentinus), it should be clear to all that the “Nazarenes”, therefore were faithful to the earliest teachings of the true Church. It was the Councils that often made changes (the early church was not trinitarian–for proof, please see the article Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning). We in the Living Church of God trace our history through groups like the Nazarenes.
It should also be noted that an 8th Ecumenical Council is expected:
Orthodox St. Neilos the Myrrh-Gusher (16th century): During that time the Eighth and last Ecumenic Synod will take place, which will pacify the contentions of the heretics…(Tzima Otto, p. 111).
This 8th conference will likely grant the Orthodox certain doctrinal compromises from the Church of Rome (they too are looking for an ecumenical council), but will ultimately result in the destruction from God’s judgment. Also, the fact that this synod is expected to “pacify the contentions of the heretics” suggests that the Orthodox will have to commit doctrinal compromise as well.
Living Church of God:
“God’s Church has endured through the ages. It is a “little flock” (Luke 12:32), but God has always remained true to His promise that “the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18)…the true Church of God….In the aftermath of the Council of Nicea, Emperor Constantine and his successors sought to stamp out all non-conforming brands of Christianity. Groups that refused to conform to the teachings and practices of the “established” church, which now called itself the Catholic (universal) Church of God, were viewed not merely as heretics, but as subversive enemies of the Roman state…The true Church, symbolized by a woman in Revelation 12, was forced to flee into the wilderness…Thus, the true Church would have to remain in hiding for 1,260 years following the Nicene Council. Historically, that is what happened. Though these were truly dark ages, there was a light that continued to burn. Its flame sometimes flickered, but it was never extinguished. Several problems confront any church scholar or historian who wishes to trace the wanderings of the true Church during this 1,260-year period. This is because the true Church’s history is not about one continuous human organization. The preserved history of the Sabbath-keeping Church of God has been almost entirely written by its enemies who viewed it as heretical” (Ogwyn J. God’s Church Through the Ages. LCG Booklet, 2004).
“In chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation, Christ reveals the characteristics of the seven ages of ‘eras’ of God’s true Church. He finds some fault with most of the seven churches or ‘eras’ — but not Philadelphia…The Living Church of God…strives to retain the Philadelphian emphasis even in our Laodicean age” (Meredith RC. Where is God’s True Church Today? LCG booklet, 2005).
“The Living Church of God traces its history from the Apostolic Church in the Book of Acts (the Ephesian era) to the present. The message to the seven Churches in Revelation two and three successively shows the history of the true Church from that time forward. These seven Churches describe succeeding eras, or ages, of God’s Church. We believe that the Philadelphia era began in the 1930s, and that we are a continuation of that Philadelphia era” (Official Statement of Fundamental Beliefs. LCG, 2004).
One point that should be made here is that the Orthodox Church essentially believes that there were five patriarchs, including Rome which it now considers to be a little bit heretical (but usually only a little). Currently there seem to be about five main Orthodox patriarchs (Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, Jerusalem, Russian) which (with the possible exception of the Russian one) do claim a list of successors that claim at least one of the original apostles. However, the Patriarch of Constantinople (an area in Asia Minor, now Turkey) is essentially recognized as having pre-eminence over all of them (except perhaps Russian, which appears to be the largest).
It is recognized that there are various parts/branches of the true Church, with many believing that the Living Church of God is the group that best represents the remnant of the Philadelphia portion of the Church that the Apostle John wrote about.
Furthermore, it should be noted that there actually is no contemporaneous proof of the validity of the earliest portions of the lists of apostolic successors claimed by the Orthodox Churches of Alexander, Antioch, Constantinople, and Jerusalem. This is discussed in detail in the article titled Apostolic Succession.
LCG essentially teaches that since there are seven semi-consecutive Churches with different characteristics in Revelation 2 & 3, that there could not be one continuous organization. Another important differences is that the Orthodox Church teaches that the Council of Nicea was a very good thing, while the LCG has the opposite view of that Council. It is astounding that the Orthodox are taught much about the councils and relatively little about the Book of Revelation–people of the Book should know the Book of Revelation.
Perhaps I should mention that as far as I have been able to tell, the official Orthodox position on the Book of Revelation, which they call the Apocalypse is that within Orthodoxy there is “No dogmatic interpretation” (REVELATION UNVEILED UNDERSTANDING THE BOOK OF “THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST WHICH HE HAS GIVEN TO HIS SERVANT JOHN”. ST INNOCENT PUBLIC LECTURES Sponsored by Russ Jones, DDS, Powerpoint p. 11) and has not been normally read in Orthodox Church services.
Now, despite that there are many obvious differences, there are some similarities between the teachings of the Eastern Orthodox and the Living Church of God.
Of course, both groups claim to have the faith of the original church that Jesus founded through His apostles. Yet, as documented here, while the Orthodox changed on other doctrines, this has not been the case for the Church of God, specifically (for details, please see Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Living Church of God).
The Living Church of God has held fast to many original doctrines that the Orthodox still have, as well as many that the Orthodox ended up changing.
Some articles of possibly related interest may include:
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Living Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?
Why Should American Catholics Should Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster?
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics The talks for unification involve compromise and the apparent rising up of a changed religion that no one should accept.
There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? This is an article for those who wish to more easily sort out the different COGs. It really should be a MUST READ for current and former WCG/GCI members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.
 |
Tweet |
|