Conflicts with the Protestants
The lecture presents several disputes between the Orthodox Church and the Protestants concerning teachings and ritual and fundamental matters of faith.
Main Points of Dispute
The talk mentions the dispute about the nature of the Holy Spirit and its procession, and several key points such as the Protestants’ non-belief in the sacraments of the church, the status of baptism and its spiritual efficacy, and the non-belief in human priesthood, confession, and the Eucharist as a sacrament.
Baptism and Its Effects
The speaker clarifies that baptism with us washes away sins, grants the spiritual birth, clothes one with Christ and signifies burial and resurrection with Christ, while the Protestants see it as a sign or symbol and do not acknowledge its effects in the same sense.
Rites and Symbols
The discussion touches on the Protestants’ rejection of rites such as incense, candles, liturgies, the sacrifice and the altar, and the absence of the altar and traditional rites from their churches.
Worship, Saints, and Fasting
The lecture shows that Protestants do not venerate saints nor believe in their intercession, they do not celebrate their commemorations or feast days, nor do they pray for the departed, and they also do not believe in the Church’s traditional fasts.
Tradition and Ecclesiastical Authority
The speaker affirms that they do not believe in tradition nor in councils nor in the laws of the church, and they use terms like “ministry” instead of the word “priesthood,” considering some offices merely service roles.
Social Issues and Recent Changes
Issues are mentioned such as the ordination of women and female bishops in some Protestant sects, belief in a millennial reign, and divergence in the concept of Christ’s coming among many denominations.
Spiritual and Educational Dimension
The lecture calls for cognitive discernment and returning to multiple verses to understand doctrine, urging spiritual humility and correct teaching to protect believers from wrong interpretations.
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