What is the difference between Orthodox and regular Christianity?
The Orthodox Church differs substantially from the other Churches in the way of life and worship, and in certain aspects of theology. The Holy Spirit is seen as present in and as the guide to the Church working through the whole body of the Church, as well as through priests and bishops.
How is Greek Orthodox different from Catholicism?
The Catholic Church believes the pope to be infallible in matters of doctrine. Orthodox believers reject the infallibility of the pope and consider their own patriarchs, too, as human and thus subject to error. In this way, they are similar to Protestants, who also reject any notion of papal primacy.
What are the main beliefs of Greek Orthodox?
They believe Jesus is the son of God, as well as God, and they accept the doctrine of the Trinity as it was expressed in the early church councils. Like most other Christians, Greek Orthodox believe that Jesus was crucified, and in doing so, accepted the punishment for the sins of humanity.
Do Greek Orthodox believe in Bible?
For the most part, Orthodox Christians often stick to the officially prescribed daily readings that the church plans in advance. You can easily obtain a reading list from your church that will help. There is also a Bible known as the Greek Orthodox Study Bible that a lot of people use.
Does Orthodox Church pray to Mary?
The Orthodox focus on Mary as the Theotokos gives more emphasis to devotions that praise Mary’s role in the mystery of Incarnation, rather than other devotions, e.g., those that consider her sorrows at Calvary.
What is not allowed in Orthodox Christianity?
The Holy Tradition (written and oral) of the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church, while advising avoidance of olive oil, meat, fish, milk, and dairy products every Wednesday and Friday throughout the year, additionally includes four principal fasting periods per year when meat as well as dairy products and eggs are …
What Bible does the Greek Orthodox Church use?
Eastern-Greek Orthodox Bible
Eastern Orthodox Bible | |
---|---|
Full name | Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible |
Abbreviation | EOB |
NT published | June 2011 |
Textual basis | NT: Patriarchal Text of 1904 |
Does Greek Orthodox have confession?
Did you know that Holy Confession is one of the Holy Sacraments in the Orthodox Christian Church? Most Christians understand that in order for God to truly forgive us from our sins, we need to repent. In the Orthodox Christian Church, the Holy Sacrament of Confession is an integral part of the process of repentance.
Why can’t you cross your legs in Greek church?
Don’t Cross Your Legs
In the eyes of the church, this represents a form of arrogance that stands in the way of our relationship to God. Since a lot of people aren’t aware of this thinking, people tend to cross their legs without realizing that it is considered improper.
Do Orthodox Christians drink alcohol?
They do continue to consume alcohol in some cases, but the “strict fast” applies on many days, as laid out by the “Fasting Rule of the Orthodox Church.” This strict fast requires abstinence from “wine and other alcoholic beverages.” A number of extended fasting periods exist throughout the year and many Greek Orthodox …
What do Greek Orthodox believe about death?
Greek Orthodox Church members believe that death – what they refer to as “falling asleep” – isn’t the end. They believe life is everlasting, and that the soul is reunited with the body and with Christ. This provides hope in the midst of loss.
Do Greek Orthodox follow the Old Testament?
3 Text and Practices. The Bible that Orthodox Christians follow is similar to the Bible of other Christian denominations, which comprises two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Do Greek Orthodox have saints?
The saints are an important part of the Greek Orthodox church and faith. All baptised Greeks are named after a saint, and so the name day is celebrated rather than the birthday.
Do Greek Orthodox believe in Blessed Mothers?
Simply said, Orthodox theology thinks of the young Hebrew woman Mary of Galilee as a human like any other human who was or has ever been born. Her all-holiness was not a privilege, but truly a free response to God’s call.
Does God forgive all sins Orthodox?
John says that if we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
Why do Orthodox not eat meat on Fridays?
Abstinence from meat on Fridays is done as a sacrifice by many Christians because on Good Friday, Jesus sacrificed his flesh for humanity. In Orthodox Christianity, in addition to fasting from food until sundown, the faithful are enjoined to abstain from sexual relations on Fridays as well.
Can a Greek Orthodox marry in a Catholic church?
Most Orthodox Churches allow marriages between members of the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. For example, the Church of Greece would allow an Orthodox man to marry a Catholic bride in its church, providing the wife vows the children will be baptized Orthodox.
What is the Greek Orthodox Cross called?
The Orthodox Cross (also known as the Eastern, Greek or Russian Orthodox Cross) has been a variant of the Christian cross since the 16th century. However, it bears some resemblance to a cross with a bottom crossbeam slanted the other way (upwards) in the Byzantine Empire since the 6th century.
What are the 14 books removed from the Bible?
This book contains: 1 Esdras, 2 Esdras, The Book of Tobit, The Book of Susanna, Additions to Esther, The Book of Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, The Epistle of Jeremiah, The Prayer of Azariah, Bel and the Dragon, Prayer of Manasses, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, Book of Enoch, Book of Jubilees, Gospel of …
What New Testament does the Greek Orthodox Church use?
The EOB New Testament is a new translation of the official Greek Orthodox text called the Patriarchal Text of 1904.
Who is the founder of the Greek Orthodox Church?
The ancient Christian Greek Orthodox Church claims a founding by Jesus Christ and his apostles, as described in the Book of Acts in the Bible, along with a claim to an unbroken historical existence.
Can I confess my sins to God instead of a priest?
1. You can confess your sins directly to God. You do not need to confess to a pastor, priest, or spiritual leader to be forgiven.
Why did the Orthodox Church split from Catholic Church?
The Great Schism came about due to a complex mix of religious disagreements and political conflicts. One of the many religious disagreements between the western (Roman) and eastern (Byzantine) branches of the church had to do with whether or not it was acceptable to use unleavened bread for the sacrament of communion.
Is the rosary in the Bible?
A: As you know the bible does “not” tell us to pray the Rosary because this form of prayer originated only during the middle ages. However, important elements of the Rosary are biblical and/or belong to the common Christian beliefs.
Can a non Greek Orthodox marry a Greek Orthodox?
While non-Orthodox Christians can marry in the Orthodox Church, an Orthodox Christian is not allowed to marry in a non-Orthodox Church or ceremony. If an Orthodox Christian does get married outside of the Orthodox Church, then they are in effect excommunicating themselves from the Orthodox Church.
Why do we genuflect before entering the pew?
In front of the Blessed Sacrament
Genuflection is a sign of reverence to the Blessed Sacrament. Its purpose is to allow the worshipper to engage his whole person in acknowledging the presence of and to honor Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.
Can Christians eat pork?
Although Christianity is also an Abrahamic religion, most of its adherents do not follow these aspects of Mosaic law and are permitted to consume pork.
What wine is used in Orthodox communion?
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, for example, sacramental wine used in the Divine Liturgy must usually be fermented pure sweet red grape wine. The Greek Orthodox Church favours the use of Mavrodaphne or Nama, while the Russian Orthodox Church favours Kagor.
Do Orthodox Christians say Merry Christmas?
Orthodox Christians use the Julian calendar, so their Christmas Day is January 7. The world’s 300 million Orthodox Christians are wishing each other a happy Christmas today, almost two weeks after the rest of the world celebrated on December 25.
When was Jesus actually born?
The date of birth of Jesus is not stated in the gospels or in any historical reference, but most biblical scholars assume a year of birth between 6 and 4 BC.
Why do Orthodox Christians not believe in cremation?
In Christian countries, cremation fell out of favor due to the Christian belief in the physical resurrection of the body. Christians also used burial as a mark of difference from the Iron Age European pre-Christian Pagan religions, which usually cremated their dead.
Why do Orthodox eat fish after funeral?
A makaria is a tradition similar to a repast after a funeral; the family usually serves fish since this is a symbol of Christ, and there are no desserts or extravagances, though this is a time for religious celebrations.
What is not allowed in Orthodox Christianity?
The Holy Tradition (written and oral) of the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church, while advising avoidance of olive oil, meat, fish, milk, and dairy products every Wednesday and Friday throughout the year, additionally includes four principal fasting periods per year when meat as well as dairy products and eggs are …
What makes Greek Orthodox different?
The Orthodox Church differs substantially from the other Churches in the way of life and worship, and in certain aspects of theology. The Holy Spirit is seen as present in and as the guide to the Church working through the whole body of the Church, as well as through priests and bishops.
Does Greek Orthodox have confession?
Did you know that Holy Confession is one of the Holy Sacraments in the Orthodox Christian Church? Most Christians understand that in order for God to truly forgive us from our sins, we need to repent. In the Orthodox Christian Church, the Holy Sacrament of Confession is an integral part of the process of repentance.
Why doesn’t the Orthodox Church follow the pope?
The Eastern Orthodox Church is opposed to the Roman Catholic doctrine of papal supremacy. While not denying that primacy does exist for the Bishop of Rome, Eastern Orthodox Christians argue that the tradition of Rome’s primacy in the early Church was not equivalent to the current doctrine of supremacy.
Is Adam a saint in the Orthodox Church?
Beyond its use as the name of the first man, adam is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as “a human” and in a collective sense as “mankind”.
Adam | |
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Venerated in | Christianity (Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox Churches) Islam Druze Baháʼí Faith Mandaeism |
Feast | 24 December |
What does being Orthodox mean?
The definition of orthodox is someone or something that strictly adheres to religious beliefs or the conventional, normal way of doing things or normal accepted standards. An example of orthodox is a person who abides by all religious doctrine.
Does the Greek Orthodox Church believe in the Assumption of Mary?
In the Greek Orthodox Church, the first 15 days of August every year are dedicated to the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ. According to the Orthodox faith, the Virgin Mary fell asleep in the Lord and was assumed in the heavens.
Do Eastern Orthodox pray the Hail Mary?
The Eastern Orthodox Churches have apart from the Theotokion a quite similar prayer to the Hail Mary (without explicit request for the intercession of Mary), both in Greek and in translations, for frequent private prayer.
Does the Bible say tattoos are a sin?
The Bible warns against tattoos in Leviticus 19:28 (Amplified) which says, “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print or tattoo any marks upon you: I am the Lord.”
What is repentance orthodoxy?
To repent means to be fully aware of our sins and our iniquities and of their consequences of all that is pernicious to man, all that insults God and excludes us from His love, of all that creates discord in family life, in society, and of all that disturbs the soul’s peace and tranquility.
Can Orthodox drink alcohol?
They do continue to consume alcohol in some cases, but the “strict fast” applies on many days, as laid out by the “Fasting Rule of the Orthodox Church.” This strict fast requires abstinence from “wine and other alcoholic beverages.” A number of extended fasting periods exist throughout the year and many Greek Orthodox …