This article is a continuation of “Response to James White – Part 1 of 4.” Loaded Words At the 2:55 mark, James White refers to sola fide and sola scriptura as “fundamental beliefs.” Here he uses a phrase filled with good feeling words. This can lead the listener to think that these are basic beliefs held by all Christians universally from Day One. This claim needs to be substantiated by historical…
As I listened to James White’s 13 April 2017 podcast “Can a Consistent Eastern Orthodox Christian Be the Bible Answer Man?,” I was struck by the numerous fallacies that so often mar Protestant critiques of Orthodoxy. The quotes below are organized topically, not chronologically. The intent here is to promote good reasoning and courteous interaction in Protestant-Orthodox dialogue. Please see my earlier posting: “How NOT to Do Anti-Orthodox Apologetics” for a…
Towards Better Protestant-Orthodox Dialogue Hank Hanegraaff’s recent conversion to Orthodoxy has stirred up quite a reaction, most notably among Protestants. It is not surprising that Protestants would criticize Orthodoxy. However, what is dismaying is the poor logic employed in their critique of Orthodoxy. Below are some examples of the poor reasoning often found in Protestant critiques of Orthodoxy. The aim here is not to defend Mr. Hanegraaff, but rather to point…
A Reply to Dr. Peter Leithart’s “How the Reformation Failed.” Reverend Leithart writes: The Reformers did not start out with a plan to establish separated churches. Their goal was to reform the entire Latin church. In this they failed…. Some have charged that the Reformers were willing to split the church because they had little interest in visible unity, but that is false. All the Reformers and all Protestant confessions stressed the unity and catholicity…
Thank you for visiting the OrthodoxBridge! The primary purposes of this blog are: (1) to teach or lay out for Protestants (especially Reformed) with a genuine curiosity or interest in the Orthodox Church, what the Orthodox Church believes, and seeks to preserve and pass on to future generations, and (2) to engage those people in a friendly and helpful dialogue. Comments which seek to understand, engage, and clarify are very welcome, and we encourage your interaction. However, this is not…
Today Hades cried out groaning: “My power has been trampled on; the Shepherd has been crucified, and Adam He raised up. I have been deprived of those, over whom I ruled; and all those, I had the power to swallow, I have disgorged. He, Who was crucified has cleared the tombs. The dominion of Death is no more.” Glory O Lord, to Your Cross and Your Resurrection. Holy Saturday Morning…
Many Protestants know of Isaiah 53 which predicted Christ’s suffering, but few know of the Wisdom of Solomon which predicted the persecution of Christ by ungodly men. One unexpected blessing of becoming Orthodox has been a larger Old Testament. Where many Protestant bibles omit the Deuterocanonical books (often referred to as “Apocrypha”), Orthodox bibles include them. The reason for the inclusion is because the Old Testament used by the Apostles was the Septuagint which…