Eastern Orthodox...about doctrine

[SwordMaster]

Hello Eastern Orthodox!!!

I have some questions from the Western side of the Great Divide!

First, what does EO doctrine say about baptism?

What does EO doctrine say about the New Covenant?

What does EO doctrine teach about obedience to God as it has to do with eternal life?

Just curious!

Blessings!

[CDHealy]

I'm not quite sure what you're after, but here is a very brief sketch (which will raise more questions, I'm sure).

First, what does EO doctrine say about baptism?

Baptism is by immersion (triple immersion, in the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit), and results in the cleansing of sin, the freeing from death and promise of resurrection, and the illumination of the spiritual aspect of a person's heart-intellect.  It always includes chrismation (the anointing with oil) signifying being sealed by the Holy Spirit.

What does EO doctrine say about the New Covenant?

It is the fulfillment, in Christ, of the Old Covenant, the Church is the New Israel.

What does EO doctrine teach about obedience to God as it has to do with eternal life?

Faith without works is dead.

[SwordMaster]

I'm not quite sure what you're after, but here is a very brief sketch (which will raise more questions, I'm sure).

First, what does EO doctrine say about baptism?

Baptism is by immersion (triple immersion, in the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit), and results in the cleansing of sin, the freeing from death and promise of resurrection, and the illumination of the spiritual aspect of a person's heart-intellect.  It always includes chrismation (the anointing with oil) signifying being sealed by the Holy Spirit.

Is baptism how one enters into the New Covenant? Baptism is how one enters into Christ...anything about this?

What does EO doctrine say about the New Covenant?

It is the fulfillment, in Christ, of the Old Covenant, the Church is the New Israel.

What does EO doctrine teach about obedience to God as it has to do with eternal life?

Faith without works is dead.

does EO distinguish between the "works of the law" of the Old Testament and the Actions of faith in obedience to the law of the New Covenant?

thanks!

[trifecta]

does EO distinguish between the "works of the law" of the Old Testament and the Actions of faith in obedience to the law of the New Covenant?

thanks!

Um, not sure how to answer this, but let me give it a try.  Yes, sort of, is the short answer.  Faith and works go together, and the east doesn't make the clear distinction that the west focuses on.

If by works of the law you mean Jewish ritual rites--then yes, we are not enthralled with those (we have our own rites ).  If you mean good works in general, they are nice but they -- in and of themselves -- to do not save us.

In my personal opinion, Paul's writings don't make a distinction between these two types of "'works of the law in the OT"(as I'm guessing the Jewish mind would not have done at this time), making your question a bit hard to answer.


Feel free to follow up.

[SwordMaster]

does EO distinguish between the "works of the law" of the Old Testament and the Actions of faith in obedience to the law of the New Covenant?

thanks!

Um, not sure how to answer this, but let me give it a try.  Yes, sort of, is the short answer.  Faith and works go together, and the east doesn't make the clear distinction that the west focuses on.

If by works of the law you mean Jewish ritual rites--then yes, we are not enthralled with those (we have our own rites ).  If you mean good works in general, they are nice but they -- in and of themselves -- to do not save us.

In my personal opinion, Paul's writings don't make a distinction between these two types of "'works of the law in the OT"(as I'm guessing the Jewish mind would not have done at this time), making your question a bit hard to answer.


Feel free to follow up.

Basically, what I am seeing is that, according to Jesus, Paul, and John, the law of the Old Covenant has been fulfilled and superseded by Christ, and now we have the law of the New Covenant that we are to walk in obedience to...which is simply....love God and love your neighbor when the opportunity presents itself.

Just wanted to see if the Eastern Church sees it that way, or do they hold to the Reformed version where they can't even get together on Paul's statements on the law in academia? There seems to be a lot of confusion among scholars of the West on this point of the law, even to the extent that some state that Paul vacillated back and forth on his teaching of the law.

[LightHammer]

does EO distinguish between the "works of the law" of the Old Testament and the Actions of faith in obedience to the law of the New Covenant?

thanks!

Um, not sure how to answer this, but let me give it a try.  Yes, sort of, is the short answer.  Faith and works go together, and the east doesn't make the clear distinction that the west focuses on.

If by works of the law you mean Jewish ritual rites--then yes, we are not enthralled with those (we have our own rites ).  If you mean good works in general, they are nice but they -- in and of themselves -- to do not save us.

In my personal opinion, Paul's writings don't make a distinction between these two types of "'works of the law in the OT"(as I'm guessing the Jewish mind would not have done at this time), making your question a bit hard to answer.


Feel free to follow up.

Basically, what I am seeing is that, according to Jesus, Paul, and John, the law of the Old Covenant has been fulfilled and superseded by Christ, and now we have the law of the New Covenant that we are to walk in obedience to...which is simply....love God and love your neighbor when the opportunity presents itself.

Just wanted to see if the Eastern Church sees it that way, or do they hold to the Reformed version where they can't even get together on Paul's statements on the law in academia? There seems to be a lot of confusion among scholars of the West on this point of the law, even to the extent that some state that Paul vacillated back and forth on his teaching of the law.