The Eastern Orthodox Church is the Church founded by Jesus Christ in 33 AD

Pro asked:”It does not preclude us, and yet we are apostates and heretics?” Rebuttal: I would kindly ask my opponent to read my arguments again. I explained that the body of Christ is composed of true believers. The denominational worship is the mechanism for interpretation. The entire (100%) Church of Christ is composed of believers. The EOC is not composed of 100% believing Christians. Therefore the EOC is not the Church of Christ. Pro stated: My previous round was set up as a way for us to easily identify where exactly in time you believe the Orthodox Church became heretical. Rebuttal: The EOC was never the one, true Church of Christ. The Church is a body of true believers, so your burden rest in providing proof that every succession of the Apostles where truly saved persons. After all, they created doctrines concerning scriptures. Interestingly, the EOC recognized 153 Popes prior to the schism in 1054 AD. Now they denounce the Primacy of Peter. This constitutes a break in traditions. [3] Pro said: “For instance, I can point to the year that the Reformed church came into existence. Can you do the same with the Eastern Orthodox Church?” Rebuttal: The EOC was doctrinally established in 1054 AD. There is no such thing as a reformed church nor is there such a thing as an Eastern Orthodox Church. Instead, it's the church that views scripture through reformed doctrine or the Church that views scripture through EOC doctrine. The Church is a body of believers, not the doctrine it accepts on a Corporate level. To prove this, I will simply replace the word “Church”, with the word “Body of Christ.” Here is what your statement looks like now:” For instance, I can point to the year that the Reformed Body of Christ came into existence. Can you do the same with the Eastern Orthodox Body of Christ?” Do you see that your understanding of the word “Church” would create “Two distinct bodies”? Yet the scripture tells us that the Body of Christ is undivided. That's because the Body of Christ is composed of true believers, not a doctrinal entity. Christ didn't come to save institutions, he came to save people. Pro claims:”Christianity is the source of Scripture, not the other way around.” Rebuttal: Christianity, or the tradition of following Christ, is not the author of scripture. It is the author of extra-Biblical content, like the Apocrypha. Again, the EOC doctrine condemns itself with Heresy. Consider 2 Peter 1:20–21 - “First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” Pro said:” But this debate is not about sola Scriptura....” Rebuttal:.....because the EOC does not consider the scripture sufficient by itself. Yet 2Timothy 3:15 shows us that the scriptures “are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” So what's left for EOC tradition and doctrine to teach us? Pro said:”However, I will state quite unequivocally that there is no doctrine of the Orthodox Church which goes against Scripture.“ Rebuttal: The EOC practice of prayers for the dead goes against scripture as does the EOC practice of praying to a Saint. Deuteronomy 18:9-12 specifically outlaws communication with the dead. Consider Psalms 6:4-5 - “Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies' sake. For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?” Pro objected to this statement:"The EOC doctrine teaches that unsaved mankind is not a slave to sin”, requesting a source. Ask and you shall receive. Rebuttal: “Sin is not viewed by the Orthodox as a stain on the soul that needs to be wiped out, or a legal transgression that must be set right by a punitive sentence, but rather as a mistake made by the individual with the opportunity for spiritual growth and development.” [4] Pro gave this source: "We believe the most good God to have from eternity predestinated...but not so that He would justify the one, and consign and condemn the other without cause." Rebuttal: We see the words “without cause”. These imply the act of free will of the person who is either condemned or saved. This is taken directly from the Confessions of Dositheus. [5] The problem with the idea of free will is John 10: The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.”This passage shows us this: We don't become sheep because we chose to believe. We believe because we are his sheep, given to him by the father. The Jews in this passage didn't believe because they are not sheep. They where not given to Jesus by the father. Pro said: "In the Orthodox Church, salvation is understood as theosis, the infinite process of becoming more and more like God." He then thanked me for not writing “godhood” with a capitalized “G”. Rebuttal: Saint Athanasius capitalized the theosis goal in his orthodox writings. “For He was made man that we might be made God.” [6] Is this an accident on his part? If so, why do you quote him so often, as if his writing was sacred or divine? Pro objected to this:"However, the EOC teaches that Christ is not “The Way”, but rather “He is the revealer of the way”, making it our responsibility to save ourselves by walking in his footsteps", and asked for a source. Rebuttal: “The Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, who did, through his transcendent love, become what we are, that He might bring us to be even what He is Himself”. This is done through the three stages, called “Katharsis, Theora and Theosis”. A gradual process of following the lifestyle of Christ, to become divine like Christ. [6] Pro asked for proof that the EOC doctrine teaches that we must earn our own salvation. Rebuttal: From the EOC 10 step program for salvation, I give you step 2: “Show our gratitude, accept this gift, and retain it, by living a life of devotion in faith to our Savior, Jesus Christ.” If you don't put in the work, you won't go to heaven. As per EOC doctrine. Pro objected: “First of all, I will again ask for sources on this (changes in EOC doctrine). Can you show precisely how a point of doctrine was changed 180 degrees, and not merely clarified?” Rebuttal: Yes, Prior to 1930 the EOC wholly rejected all forms of contraception. The contemporary EOC does not. That's a full 180 degree change in policy. Pro said: You say we follow the traditions of men, when you appear to follow the traditions of Zwingli and Calvin. Rebuttal: Yes. I agree with a large portion of Calvin's writing. However, I don't believe he has exclusive, God-given authority to safe-guard the scripture. The guy was a murderer for goodness sake. I just believe he hit the nail on the head with his understanding of scripture. Nothing mystical about it. He's just a man. http://instituteofbiblicaldefense.com... [1]http://www.newadvent.org... [2]http://en.wikipedia.org... [3]http://en.wikipedia.org...; [4]http://www.crivoice.org... [5]http://en.wikipedia.org... [6]