Originally Posted by OldHat
Originally Posted by antlers
Originally Posted by OldHat
You speak a lot non-sense and pretend it makes sense. All the apostles were orthodox Christians.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=define+orthodox&ia=definition
No they weren’t.

Christianity was a brand new faith, that began with Jesus’ Resurrection. There was no “traditional and established faith” of Christianity prior to this.
The doctrines of orthodoxy are the doctrines established by Christ. By definition, if you deviate from Christ's teachings you are unorthodox.
What often passes for ‘Christianity’ nowadays is very different from the brand new governing ethic that Jesus established for His brand new movement; what often passes for ‘Christianity’ nowadays is very different from the first-generation passion of what it meant to follow Jesus back then.

And that may be why so many ‘Christians’ aren't connecting with so many other people nowadays. The gospel of grace was and is an irresistible message. The first century approach of advancing the gospel of grace modeled by Jesus and His apostles and His other followers is the exception rather than the rule nowadays. It’s no wonder that so many resist it, reject it, and rebuff its professed adherents. The fault does not lie with Jesus or His teachings or His life’s example. He taught a simple ethic: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

But a heckuva bunch more than that is exemplified by many ‘Christians’ nowadays...and they’d seemingly rather only correct unbelievers than connect with them. Those first century Jesus followers lived in the armpit of the Roman Empire, and they were a subjugated people. Life was hard for them every single day in ways that we can’t even imagine. Would they be attracted to what passes for ‘Christianity’ nowadays...? Not likely. But they were attracted to the early...and accurate...Christian faith. They were attracted to what Christianity originally was. Which is often very different from what it is now.

The “doctrines of orthodoxy”…what is generally or traditionally accepted as right or true…is a man-made conglomeration of creeds, catechisms, and confessions; to say these were “established by Christ” is a manipulative attempt to tell people what they are ‘supposed’ to believe. If creeds and confessions and catechisms float your boat, then have at it.

I’ll draw my own conclusions on these matters, rather than have em’ dictated to me by someone else (another man), like Pope’s and Archbishop’s and other ecumenical ‘leaders’ and such.

Every day on this side of the ground is a win.