Posts Tagged ‘Orthodox Church’
On Infant Baptism
by Terry Wane Benton An Orthodox Church member writes: “Infant baptism is the new circumcision. We find its parallel to circumcision in the Old Covenant. Infants were circumcised as a sign of being part of the Old Covenant so infants should be baptized as a sign of being part of the New Covenant.” In the…
Read MoreThe Bible Is Understandable
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/The-Bible-Is-Understandable.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 119:97-112 I. When it comes to religion, people seem to prefer having a mystery A. Those in leadership of many denominations prefer it because people depend on them for answers. B. Those in the ranks of denominations are satisfied having others tell them what they need to know. C. The problem…
Read MoreHow is the church of Christ’s view of baptism different from the denominations?
Question: Hello, I recently came across a YouTube comment about baptism that puzzled me a bit: “It’s also important to know the church of Christ view of baptismal salvation is different from every other view; that of the Lutherans, Anglicans, Catholics or Orthodox.” Is this a correct assessment? If so, how is the church of…
Read MoreWhat are the books opened in Revelation 20:12?
Question: Good day. I have an argument with a Catholic defender on social media about Sola Scriptura. I used Revelation 20:12 that the written word will judge us in the last days. But he said that the books opened are not the Bible but the record of men’s deeds. What are the books opened in…
Read MoreHow do you handle the argument that the Greek Orthodox traditions date back to the days of the apostles?
Question: Have you ever debated with a Greek Orthodox and how did you handle the conversation when they brought up their traditions being able to trace back to the early apostles? They seem to think we ignore history for convenience’s sake. They also say we are a group that started in the 1800s so how…
Read MoreHow many times does a person need to be immersed during a baptism?
Question: I want to know if it is necessary to say “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit” during a baptism? And is immersion valid if it is done once in the name of the Father, once in the name of the Son and once in…
Read MoreIf Christ Built Only One, Where Did They All Come From?
by Jefferson David Tant At the beginning of the gospel age, there was but one church, and now, 2000 years later, according to some reports, there are over 1,200. How did this happen? People wonder where they all came from. Is this division and confusion what Christ intended? Let’s examine this situation to see just…
Read MoreWhat is the reasoning behind infant baptism?
Question: There is a Catholic whom I talk to and he told me that the reason for baptizing infants is for the opportunity for them to put on the body of Christ if they were to pass away before reaching the age of accountability. They also say that Paul went into the households and baptized…
Read MoreThe Split of the Catholic Churches
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/SplitOfTheCatholicChurches.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 23:1-12 I. Very shortly after the first century, one elder in the church became the chief elder and took on the title of bishop to distinguish himself from the other elders. A. Even though elder and bishop refers to the same duty – Titus 1:5,7 B. By the third century, we…
Read MoreThe Apostles’ Creed
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ApostlesCreed.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 17:11-23 I. Every once in a while someone will ask what is our statement of faith. A. Back when we were home schooling, we were wanting to get involved with a local group, but they wanted us to sign a statement of faith B. Another name for a statement of…
Read MoreInfant Baptism
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/InfantBaptism.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 7:7-25 I. Historians will admit that infant baptism did not appear in the church until the second or third century A. Roman Catholics 1. “There is no express mention of the baptism of infants in the New Testament” [Question Box, page 23]. 2. “It is difficult to give strict proof from the…
Read MoreIs the Bible for or against the use of holy water or salt?
Question: Hi, Holy water and salt have become a common religious tool, believed to be very powerful and frequently used in my country. Is the Bible for or against this practice? Answer: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not…
Read MoreApostolic Succession
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ApostolicSuccession.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 20:17-36 I. How do you prove that your brand of Christianity is real? A. For some, the argument is based on who was around the longest. 1. A religion that just recently started is declared to be suspect. If the church has been around for 2,000 years, then where was…
Read MoreIs it wrong to sit while praying?
Question: Believers in Orthodox churches have the biblical truth about body position during prayer. They stand, or kneel, but not sit, which I was taught is spiritual arrogance before the Almighty. Orthodoxy has lots of truth that evangelical protestants don’t. Remember that Jesus stood to pray. The apostolic church never sat to pray, except for…
Read MoreAscetic Vows vs. Scriptural Liberties
by Bryan Matthew Dockens Members of religious orders of the Catholic, Anglican, and Eastern Orthodox churches, most prominently priests and nuns, commit themselves to particular ascetic vows. Asceticism, by definition, is extreme self-denial. Self-denial, of course, is enjoined upon all those who would follow Christ (Luke 9:23-24). However, the Lord never placed such restrictions as…
Read MoreIsn’t the Nicene creed wrong and don’t most Christians celebrate Christmas on the wrong day?
Question: I was very interested in your ideas about the Roman Church, two changes were brought in not on your list. The Nicene Creed: Papists believe that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, whereas true Christians believe in what Jesus said, that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father. This change…
Read MoreWhat do you think about Coptic Orthodoxy?
Question: Hi. I got your site from Google. I have a few questions that I hope you can answer: What is your statement of faith? What happened to the twelve apostles; for example, Mark started Coptic Orthodoxy in Egypt, Thomas in India, Paul in Rome, etc.? How did they die? Is the original church the…
Read MoreWhen a church splits, who is right?
Question: I am a Catholic. I understand that my religion is kind of looked down on by the church of Christ. I am wondering how many churches of Christ are doing what is being asked for in the Bible? Recently a church in my town split up over an issue and I can’t help but…
Read MoreWhy did Jesus start Catholicism?
Question: Why did Jesus start Catholicism? Answer: The simple answer is that Jesus did not start Catholicism. Catholicism is a system of religion that gradually developed from the church started by Jesus, but Catholicism has long ago stopped resembling the original church. Jesus stated, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and…
Read More