Orthodoxy through the Holy Bible - English Flowers of Orthodoxy 20

Orthodoxy through the Holy Bible

English Flowers of Orthodoxy 20

ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY – MULTILINGUAL ORTHODOXY – EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH – ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΙΑ – ​SIMBAHANG ORTODOKSO NG SILANGAN – 东正教在中国 – ORTODOXIA – 日本正教会 – ORTODOSSIA – อีสเทิร์นออร์ทอดอกซ์ – ORTHODOXIE – 동방 정교회 – PRAWOSŁAWIE – ORTHODOXE KERK -​​ නැගෙනහිර ඕර්තඩොක්ස් සභාව​ – ​СРЦЕ ПРАВОСЛАВНО – BISERICA ORTODOXĂ –​ ​GEREJA ORTODOKS – ORTODOKSI – ПРАВОСЛАВИЕ – ORTODOKSE KIRKE – CHÍNH THỐNG GIÁO ĐÔNG PHƯƠNG​ – ​EAGLAIS CHEARTCHREIDMHEACH​ – ​ ՈՒՂՂԱՓԱՌ ԵԿԵՂԵՑԻՆ​​ / Abel-Tasos Gkiouzelis - https://gkiouzelisabeltasos.blogspot.com - Email: gkiouz.abel@gmail.com - Feel free to email me...!

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Saints & Holy Virgin Mary - Luke 9:30, Jude 9, Deuteronomy 3, etc.

We will look at some verses from the Holy Bible that show that the dead Saints live and understand and help us.

We pray every day to Holy Trinity, to Jesus Christ our Lord, to Holy Virgin Mary Mother of God, to Holy Angels, and to All Saints.

Holy Virgin Mary and All Saints are alive in the Heaven and they pray to God for us!

The dead Saints are alive in the Heaven and they can pray for us to God. Also they can appear on Earth like Prophet Moses in Luke 9:30.

Luke 9:30: "Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus".

Moses died in Old Testament times.

Death of Moses in Holy Bible:

Jude 9 (New Testament)

Deuteronomy 34:5-8, 31:16, 31:27, 31:29, 32:48-51, 33:1

Numbers 27:12-13

Joshua 1:2

Appearance of Moses on Earth after his death: 

Luke 9:30

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Abraham who also died in about 1800 B.C., from heaven “saw it and was glad”(John 8:56). 

He saw the Incarnation of Christ. 

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About Saints and Holy Martyrs:

“Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you”.

—Matthew 5:12

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The Eastern Orthodox Church call the Mother of Jesus Christ “Most Holy Virgin Mary” like the Holy Bible in Old Testament, in 4 Maccabees 7:4 call the Eleazar “most holy man”:

4 Maccabees 7:4 >

“No city besieged with many ingenious war machines has ever held out as did that most holy man. Although his sacred life was consumed by tortures and racks, he conquered the besiegers with the shield of his devout reason”.

Other one wrong of Protestantism is that the Protestants don't accept the 4 Maccabees (Book) of Old Testament and other 10 Books of Old Testament.

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Jesus Christ through the Holy Bible allows us to use the word “Saints” for virtuous people. 1 Corinthians 1:2 calls the faithful Christians to become Saints:

1 Corinthians 1:2:

“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord theirs and ours”.

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Also, we know about their faithful Christian life of Saints before their death. 

"Let your light shine before others"

About faithful Christians and Saints:

Matthew 5, 15-16:

"15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven".

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Jesus Christ and the Apostles used the Septuagint as their Old Testament

The Septuagint ("Translation of the Seventy") was and is the official and authentic Bible of the Orthodox.

In the New Testament we see that Jesus Christ and the Apostles used the Septuagint as their Old Testament.

Jesus in Matthew 4:10 uses Deuteronomy 6:13 from the Septuagint.

The Hebrews 11:35-36 is from 2 Maccabees 6:19-22.

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Christ said about His Church that it will exist FOREVER and will never be destroyed even if evil people fight against it with all their might and all demons:

Matthew 16:18: "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it".

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Christ in the New Testament tells His disciples that from among you there will arise scandals, so that you do not be scandalized, and woe to those who will cause scandals:

Luke 17:1: "Jesus said to his disciples: 'Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come".

This means that within the Church there are good and bad clergy. We must follow and listen to the good ones. Let us not forget that of the 12 Apostles, one was bad.

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About the salvation of non-Orthodox Christians

The New Testament in Romans 2:14 tells us that pagans who have never heard of Christ will be judged based on the law of conscience that God has placed in all people. That is, they will be judged on whether they were righteous, whether they committed murders, whether they had love, etc.

Romans 2:14:

"Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law."

Thus, according to Romans 2:14, heterodox Christians (heretical Christians) will also be judged if they have never heard of Orthodox Christianity, the Eastern Orthodox Church. If they have not heard anything about Orthodoxy, they will be judged based on the Gospel, based on the basic commandments of Christ, i.e. if they killed, if they were righteous, if they committed fornication, if they loved Christ, etc.

If a heterodox Christian heard about Orthodoxy but did not become Orthodox, then Christ, who knows his heart, will judge him justly.

But if someone who was baptized as an Orthodox Christian rejects Orthodoxy and becomes a heretical Christian (Protestant, Roman Catholic, etc.) or becomes a pagan (Buddhist, Hindu, etc.) or is initiated into another religion and does not return with the Sacrament of Holy Unction to Orthodoxy, then unfortunately he will not be saved because God deserved him to be born or baptized into 100% of the Truth and he rejected it.

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In order to receive Holy Communion, one must have confessed their sins to their Spiritual Father (personal priest) and have been given permission by their Spiritual Father to receive communion. If someone falls into major sins (e.g. carnal sins) then their Spiritual Father will tell them in confession to receive communion e.g. after 15 days or after a specific period of time. This is not a punishment, but medicine for the soul.

Every Orthodox Christian must confess 1-2 times a month and their Spiritual Father will tell them if they are allowed to receive communion. If we have not confessed or if we do not have the permission of our Spiritual Father, we cannot receive communion.

On this subject the New Testament says:

1 Corinthians 11:28-30:

"28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep".

Holy Communion is not a prize, but a medicine for the soul. That is why it is not advisable to commune without Divine Confession. Our Spiritual Father will tell us each time when we should commune.

In order to receive Holy Communion, our sins must have been erased. Christ in the New Testament tells us that our sins are forgiven when we tell them to the Apostles, i.e. to our Spiritual Father (priest) who has priesthood, i.e. the authority from Christ to forgive sins:

John 20:22-24:

"22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Also, in order to commune, someone fasts the day before, does not eat meat. His Spiritual Director will tell him what fast he will do one day before. We fast one day before for better spiritual preparation.

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