For Protestants

This page answers some of the most common questions about the difference between Protestant Christianity and Orthodox Christianity.

Why do you pray to saints?

To be accurate, we pray with the saints, not to them. Much the same as you would ask your friends, family or other Christians to pray for you, we ask the saints to intercede on our behalf. It’s important to remember that the saints who are in paradise are alive! And as they are alive, they are able to pray for us!

What’s with all the icons?

Icons are our family album. In the same way that many people keep photo albums to help them remember people and events, we keep the icons to remind us of people and events. They adorn the walls of our worship spaces so that we are “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” as the author of Hebrews reminds us. Most Orthodox Christians have an icon corner in their home where they display icons of Christ, the Theotokos and the saints.

Icons are not just items made of wood and paint. Human beings are icons of God (that is, we are made in the image and likeness of God). Jesus Christ is called “the exact image (icon)” of God. In the end, icons point only back to God. Reverence which is made through these “windows into heaven” is directed at the image of God found in each of the saints depicted.

Why do you mention Mary so much? Why is she so important? Why do you pray to her?

It boils down to this: She’s Jesus’ mom! The issue really isn’t that we show her so much respect, but why other Christians don’t!

Why is she so important? Mary is the guarantor that Jesus Christ is fully man! The early Christians made a point of inserting into the Creed the statement that Christ was “Born of the Virgin Mary” to ensure there was no confusion on this matter!

As for prayers, we pray with Mary, and ask her to intercede on our behalf. It’s no different than asking your mom to pray for you. And in this case, we’re asking Jesus’ mom to pray for us! The question really is why anyone would pass up that opportunity?

Why do you cross yourselves?

Jesus calls us to “take up our cross” and this is a visible identification with that command of our Lord. We make the sign of the cross to remind us that we were bought and paid for by our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the cross, we are freed from bondage to sin and to Satan!

This isn’t a new phenomenon – Protestants, including Martin Luther used the sign of the cross, and some continue to do so still today.

Don’t you get tired of singing the same hymns every week?

Our hymns change every day. Yes, there are some hymns which we sing regularly, but each day different hymns are sung to celebrate a feast, or the life of a saint or some other event in the life of the Church. If an Orthodox Christian participates in Vespers (evening prayer), Matins (morning prayer) and the Liturgy, at least 15 different hymns will be heard! And even with the ones that are repeated at every service, very often verses appropriate to the day are inserted between the “standard” verses that we sing.

Like most churches, we have a large and varied hymnbook, and some of the hymns are used more than others. Keep track in your church over the course of a year and see!

Why do you repeat the same prayers all the time?

Because they are good ones! Seriously, why is it necessary to rewrite the prayers every week? There is no such call in Scripture. There we are told to refrain from “vain repetition” but that does not mean that all repetition is bad!

That said, listen carefully to the prayers used in your church. Week in and week out, the prayer will be nearly the same in content, if not in words! Try it sometime!

Why do you use incense?

Our worship is not merely mental – we use all our senses, sight, smell, sound, taste and touch. Isaiah and the Revelation of Jesus Christ tell us that incense is used in heavenly worship. Incense wafting upwards symbolizes our prayer rising to God in heaven.

Do you have to be Orthodox to be saved?

In a word, no. We believe that Orthodoxy represents the fullness of the faith – that is, the most complete and accurate expression possible by man. God honors truthful belief and proper faith anywhere it is found.

Then why become Orthodox? Simply put, the fullness of the faith is found here, the fullness of the truth is found here, and the fullness of worship is found here. Why would anyone want only partial measures?

Why do you fast so much?

Fasting is one of many tools that we use to “buffet our bodies” as St. Paul said, so that we might be pure and holy. Jesus said that when He had gone, his followers would fast. Like the early Christians, we fast so that we may learn to control our appetite for all things that are not good and holy. It is not about earning salvation, it is a tool to help us work out our salvation in fear and trembling.

Specifically, we fast each Wednesday to commemorate the day when Jesus was betrayed and each Friday to commemorate His death on the cross. In addition, we fast during the entire Lenten period and the entire Advent period, as well as during other times during the year.

Orthodox fasting practice, when followed strictly, means that the believer does not partake of any animal products from vertebrates (i.e. no meat, dairy, eggs, etc), nor of olive oil, nor wine. These choices reflect the desire to do no harm on these days, as well as giving up certain staples of life.

Do you believe the Eucharist is REALLY the body and blood of Christ?

What do you mean by “REALLY”? There are several ways to approach this. Although Orthodox Christians certainly recoil at the sacrilege of testing it using the scientific method, there is little doubt that you will find only wine, water and bread with such tests. And to most westerners, this settles the question. But does it really?

We don’t think it settles the question at all. In fact, it’s not even the right question! The Eucharist is very much really, truly the body and blood of our Lord. But this can be appraised only by our spiritual sight, what the early Christians called the “nous” – the eyes of the soul. Without this spiritual insight, we could not understand the mystery of the Eucharist.

To address a question that often arises, we do not view the Eucharist as a “re-sacrifice” or a “re-presentation” of the Sacrifice of the Cross. Rather, in the Eucharist, the Church is brought up to heaven to participate in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb – the future communion of all believers with Christ when He comes again.

What do the Orthodox think about the Bible? Do you agree with Sola Scriptura?

Much of the content of Orthodox worship services consists of readings from the Scriptures, especially the Psalms. Readings from the Gospel occur at most services, along with regular readings from the Epistles.

There are not now, nor have there ever been, any restrictions on the laity with regard to reading the Scriptures – they are, and always have been, encouraged to read them.

As for Sola Scriptura we believe that the Scriptures are the “canon” – the measuring stick – which must be applied to all doctrine, but it is not the only source doctrine. In other words, not all doctrine is found in the Scriptures, but no Orthodox doctrine contradicts the Scriptures.

Does tradition override the Scriptures?

Some place Scripture and Tradition in opposition to each other, but this is not the Orthodox position. Others place Scripture and Tradition on the same level and set them up as co-equal, but neither is this the Orthodox position. For Orthodoxy, there is but one deposit of faith that contains everything that God has given to the Church via the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures are part of this deposit of faith, and thus are part of Holy Tradition.

The Scriptures are not “overridden” or “trumped” by tradition, but are the cornerstone of tradition. They are the “canon” – the measuring stick – by which all doctrine must be judged. No Orthodox teaching is in contradiction to the Scriptures, nor can it be, for if it is, it most certainly could not be part of the deposit of faith. The Holy Scriptures, as interpreted by the Church, have the final say over any and all matters of faith and practice. They do not have the only say. (see 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 3:6-7; 1 Corinthians 11:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:1-2; 1 Timothy 3:14-15).

The Scriptures are themselves a product of the oral tradition of the early Church. The gospels were preached orally, later being written down by the leading of the Holy Spirit. Once can also see in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew usage of the Gospel of Mark – the use of prior tradition. The use of oral tradition in the Scriptures has precedents in both the Old and the New Testaments – the authors were simply following accepted practices. Similarly, both Luke and Matthew had access to some collection of sayings that they used in common which do not appear in Mark. This collection could have been oral, written or a combination of both.

This page answers some of the most common questions about the difference between Protestant Christianity and Orthodox Christianity. - See more at: http://stpeterandstpaulorthodoxchurch.com/information-for-protestants/#sthash.bzkX3wBL.dpuf
This page answers some of the most common questions about the difference between Protestant Christianity and Orthodox Christianity. - See more at: http://stpeterandstpaulorthodoxchurch.com/information-for-protestants/#sthash.bzkX3wBL.dpuf
This page answers some of the most common questions about the difference between Protestant Christianity and Orthodox Christianity. - See more at: http://stpeterandstpaulorthodoxchurch.com/information-for-protestants/#sthash.bzkX3wBL.dpuf

Why do you pray to saints?

To be accurate, we pray with the saints, not to them. Much the same as you would ask your friends, family or other Christians to pray for you, we ask the saints to intercede on our behalf. It’s important to remember that the saints who are in paradise are alive! And as they are alive, they are able to pray for us!

What’s with all the icons?

Icons are our family album. In the same way that many people keep photo albums to help them remember people and events, we keep the icons to remind us of people and events. They adorn the walls of our worship spaces so that we are “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” as the author of Hebrews reminds us. Most Orthodox Christians have an icon corner in their home where they display icons of Christ, the Theotokos and the saints.

Icons are not just items made of wood and paint. Human beings are icons of God (that is, we are made in the image and likeness of God). Jesus Christ is called “the exact image (icon)” of God. In the end, icons point only back to God. Reverence which is made through these “windows into heaven” is directed at the image of God found in each of the saints depicted.

Why do you mention Mary so much? Why is she so important? Why do you pray to her?

It boils down to this: She’s Jesus’ mom! The issue really isn’t that we show her so much respect, but why other Christians don’t!

Why is she so important? Mary is the guarantor that Jesus Christ is fully man! The early Christians made a point of inserting into the Creed the statement that Christ was “Born of the Virgin Mary” to ensure there was no confusion on this matter!

As for prayers, we pray with Mary, and ask her to intercede on our behalf. It’s no different than asking your mom to pray for you. And in this case, we’re asking Jesus’ mom to pray for us! The question really is why anyone would pass up that opportunity?

Why do you cross yourselves?

Jesus calls us to “take up our cross” and this is a visible identification with that command of our Lord. We make the sign of the cross to remind us that we were bought and paid for by our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the cross, we are freed from bondage to sin and to Satan!

This isn’t a new phenomenon  – Protestants, including Martin Luther used the sign of the cross, and some continue to do so still today.

Don’t you get tired of singing the same hymns every week?

Our hymns change every day. Yes, there are some hymns which we sing regularly, but each day different hymns are sung to celebrate a feast, or the life of a saint or some other event in the life of the Church. If an Orthodox Christian participates in Vespers (evening prayer), Matins (morning prayer) and the Liturgy, at least 15 different hymns will be heard! And even with the ones that are repeated at every service, very often verses appropriate to the day are inserted between the “standard” verses that we sing.

Like most churches, we have a large and varied hymnbook, and some of the hymns are used more than others. Keep track in your church over the course of a year and see!

Why do you repeat the same prayers all the time?

Because they are good ones! Seriously, why is it necessary to rewrite the prayers every week? There is no such call in Scripture. There we are told to refrain from “vain repetition” but that does not mean that all repetition is bad!

That said, listen carefully to the prayers used in your church. Week in and week out, the prayer will be nearly the same in content, if not in words! Try it sometime!

Why do you use incense?

Our worship is not merely mental – we use all our senses, sight, smell, sound, taste and touch. Isaiah and the Revelation of Jesus Christ tell us that incense is used in heavenly worship. Incense wafting upwards symbolizes our prayer rising to God in heaven.

Do you have to be Orthodox to be saved?

In a word, no. We believe that Orthodoxy represents the fullness of the faith – that is, the most complete and accurate expression possible by man. God honors truthful belief and proper faith anywhere it is found.

Then why become Orthodox? Simply put, the fullness of the faith is found here, the fullness of the truth is found here, and the fullness of worship is found here. Why would anyone want only partial measures?

Why do you fast so much?

Fasting is one of many tools that we use to “buffet our bodies” as St. Paul said, so that we might be pure and holy. Jesus said that when He had gone, his followers would fast. Like the early Christians, we fast so that we may learn to control our appetite for all things that are not good and holy. It is not about earning salvation, it is a tool to help us work out our salvation in fear and trembling.

Specifically, we fast each Wednesday to commemorate the day when Jesus was betrayed and each Friday to commemorate His death on the cross. In addition, we fast during the entire Lenten period and the entire Advent period, as well as during other times during the year.

Orthodox fasting practice, when followed strictly, means that the believer does not partake of any animal products from vertebrates (i.e. no meat, dairy, eggs, etc), nor of olive oil, nor wine. These choices reflect the desire to do no harm on these days, as well as giving up certain staples of life.

Do you believe the Eucharist is REALLY the body and blood of Christ?

What do you mean by “REALLY”? There are several ways to approach this. Although Orthodox Christians certainly recoil at the sacrilege of testing it using the scientific method, there is little doubt that you will find only wine, water and bread with such tests. And to most westerners, this settles the question. But does it really?

We don’t think it settles the question at all. In fact, it’s not even the right question! The Eucharist is very much really, truly the body and blood of our Lord. But this can be appraised only by our spiritual sight, what the early Christians called the “nous” – the eyes of the soul. Without this spiritual insight, we could not understand the mystery of the Eucharist.

To address a question that often arises, we do not view the Eucharist as a “re-sacrifice” or a “re-presentation” of the Sacrifice of the Cross. Rather, in the Eucharist, the Church is brought up to heaven to participate in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb – the future communion of all believers with Christ when He comes again.

What do the Orthodox think about the Bible? Do you agree with Sola Scriptura?

Much of the content of Orthodox worship services consists of readings from the Scriptures, especially the Psalms. Readings from the Gospel occur at most services, along with regular readings from the Epistles.

There are not now, nor have there ever been, any restrictions on the laity with regard to reading the Scriptures – they are, and always have been, encouraged to read them.

As for Sola Scriptura we believe that the Scriptures are the “canon” – the measuring stick – which must be applied to all doctrine, but it is not the only source doctrine. In other words, not all doctrine is found in the Scriptures, but no Orthodox doctrine contradicts the Scriptures.

Does tradition override the Scriptures?

Some place Scripture and Tradition in opposition to each other, but this is not the Orthodox position. Others place Scripture and Tradition on the same level and set them up as co-equal, but neither is this the Orthodox position. For Orthodoxy, there is but one deposit of faith that contains everything that God has given to the Church via the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures are part of this deposit of faith, and thus are part of Holy Tradition.

The Scriptures are not “overridden” or “trumped” by tradition, but are the cornerstone of tradition. They are the “canon” – the measuring stick – by which all doctrine must be judged. No Orthodox teaching is in contradiction to the Scriptures, nor can it be, for if it is, it most certainly could not be part of the deposit of faith. The Holy Scriptures, as interpreted by the Church, have the final say over any and all matters of faith and practice. They do not have the only say. (see 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 3:6-7; 1 Corinthians 11:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:1-2; 1 Timothy 3:14-15).

The Scriptures are themselves a product of the oral tradition of the early Church. The gospels were preached orally, later being written down by the leading of the Holy Spirit. Once can also see in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew usage of the Gospel of Mark – the use of prior tradition. The use of oral tradition in the Scriptures has precedents in both the Old and the New Testaments – the authors were simply following accepted practices. Similarly, both Luke and Matthew had access to some collection of sayings that they used in common which do not appear in Mark. This collection could have been oral, written or a combination of both.

- See more at: http://stpeterandstpaulorthodoxchurch.com/information-for-protestants/#sthash.bzkX3wBL.dpuf