Reading Colossians 2:23: “Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh.”

In its context, this is speaking of commandments of men which are innovations in self-denial (that is, in asceticism).  Such things might indeed seem wise due to the self-control, humility, and deprivation of the body which they promote on the surface- yet they don’t actually give deliverance to those who follow them from being carnal people under the power of sin.

The Eucharistic fasting, and the other ritualistic fasting practiced by the Eastern Orthodox Church, fit the definition of this well.  Such ritualistic fasting is not prescribed by the Bible.  Though Jesus recognized that there are times in which it is proper to fast still, His Word does not prescribe particular days, times, and frequencies of fasting.  

Titus 1:14: “Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.”

People can be drawn to the Eastern Orthodox Church due to its regimented guidelines and expectations which provide structure and discipline.  The lack of structure and discipline is a glaring weakness of many other churches.  One of the many tragedies among modern churches in general is that they do not emphasize discipline much at all.  

Yet discipline must be properly aimed in the right direction.  

The Eastern Orthodox system as a whole is not consistent with God’s prescribed means of approaching Him and being justified in His sight set forth in the Bible.  For that reason alone, it could not be the answer to the undisciplined, disorderly, often feminized mutations which are labeled as Christianity.

This might be all the more confusing to some because the Eastern Orthodox Church has not followed the churches in the Protestant and Evangelical realms in their view of cheap grace which teaches justification by faith alone.  

The Orthodox Church also generally does not support the modern nation of Israel like the Evangelical churches and the other churches influenced by the Scofield Reference.  Some Eastern Orthodox people have even been very outspoken in their criticism of Israel online (I believe that much of this criticism is just and commendable- yet with at least one of the more well known ones some of it can be foolish and perhaps even involve drunken antics).

Even with the foolish and perhaps drunken antics set aside and not taken into account, do these things validate the Eastern Orthodox Church?  Absolutely not.

The Eastern Orthodox Church’s prescription is simply not the Great Physician’s prescription set forth in Scripture and is rather based on unbiblical tradition.

A few examples:

Use of icons in its worship:  Those who defend this practice will not confess to worshiping these things, but God said in Scripture that to represent Him by a statue or an image is a form of idolatry (the Eastern Orthodox Church indeed uses icons intended to represent Jesus Christ); and bowing down before images is idolatry, period.  

Exodus 20:4-6: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.   Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”  

Praying to saints: It is also misguided and idolatrous to pray to saints and seek their intercession (which is also involved in the Eastern Orthodox Church’s use of icons).  This is assigning powers to mere humans which belong to God alone.  And though the Orthodox Church doesn’t officially call Mary a co-redemptrix with Jesus like the Roman Catholic Church does, it still considers her to be an intercessor with Jesus for humans on earth.  It thus still venerates her in an idolatrous way.

1 Timothy 2:5-6: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

Though some consider the Eastern Orthodox Church to not be corrupted by humanistic, feel-good religion like many other churches, it is a form of humanistic, feel-good religion to imagine that there is a sympathetic mother in heaven whom we can make our pleas to and thereby obtain favor with God.  

The same errors in the Roman Catholic Church related to the Mass being called a bloodless sacrifice of Christ, whereby bread and wine are supposedly literally turned into His body and blood during the liturgy, are present in the Orthodox Church.

This goes contrary to the truth set forth in the Bible, especially set forth in Hebrews chapters 9 and 10, regarding the sufficiency of Christ being offered one time for sin; and thus being in heaven at God’s right hand until He returns.

Also contrary to what was seen in 1 Timothy 2:5-6, the Orthodox Church also sets the priest as an allegedly necessary mediator to offer the sacrifice of the Mass.   

And also contrary to 1 Timothy 2:5-6, and strengthened by the alleged necessity of the priest to offer the bloodless sacrifice of the Mass, the priests in the Orthodox Church also perform the allegedly necessary sacrament of auricular confession whereby they are set up as mediators between God and men.  

Jesus’ finished work and sufficient High Priesthood are thus opposed and an alternative system of justification is set in its place.  This can be looked at in more detail in several of our other studies, especially the one called “There is No God-Ordained Established Christian Priesthood on Earth.”   

Like the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church practices infant baptism as part of its sacramental system which also stems from considering all born within the State to be members of the Church, the Church claiming secular power, and causing the masses of society in general to think that they are Christians from infancy.

Isaiah 8:20: “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

Along with that, the truth which is set forth in 1 Samuel 15:22 that: “… to obey is better than sacrifice…”

The properly aimed discipline which we need to exercise to obtain victory in the great spiritual war necessarily involves following directions.  

That war involves navigating through perilous times when a visible church which is a faithful witness of the Gospel of Christ, and faithful Christian leadership, are not connected to a well known brand; and might be a very great battle in itself to properly identify.  

Receiving properly aimed discipline involves not shrinking back from acknowledging this perilousness and the complication related to that.  

It also involves not running from the understanding that a large swath of the road to victory may involve standing with a small group or standing alone; and fighting courageously in following the directions of God’s Word- even when that involves standing with a small group or standing alone.

Deuteronomy 4:2: “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.”

Aaron’s email is: [email protected]

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