Category: Reformed

  • Orthodoxy and Forgiveness

    The Eastern Orthodox Church does not generally teach unilateral forgiveness in the sense of always requiring or mandating complete, unconditional forgiveness of others without any regard to repentance — but the teaching strongly emphasizes forgiving everyone from the heart as a personal spiritual necessity, even (and especially) when the offender shows no repentance. This is…

  • Did Calvin teach unilateral forgiveness?

    John Calvin did not teach unilateral forgiveness (i.e., a completely one-sided, unconditional granting of full relational pardon and reconciliation without any regard to the offender’s response or repentance). Calvin’s teaching on forgiveness aligns closely with the biblical pattern: Christians are commanded to maintain an attitude of love, forbear love, and readiness to forgive even toward…

  • Orthodox vs Reformed

    Theosis vs Union with God Summary: Both traditions teach an intimate, life-giving union/communion with God through Christ, but the Reformed tradition is extremely cautious about any language that sounds like we become divine in our being, whereas Orthodoxy embraces that language (with careful Palamite qualifications) as the very heart of the gospel. Here’s a clear…

  • The Death of Total Depravity

    Idol Killer joins Tyler Fowler of Faith Unaltered to discuss why Christians do and should reject the theological concept of Total Depravity w/ special guest, Fr. John Whiteford!

  • How Calvinism Destroys the Christian Faith

    Theistic Determinism destroys God’s righteousness, human knowledge, and helps atheists justifiably reject Christian theism. We note how Theistic Determinism is not only in opposition to the Bible, but any reasonable world view and thus should be rejected. Second video: Points:

  • Refuting RC Sproul on the Atonement

    Idol Killer reviews and responds to claims RC Sproul of @ligonier made about Jesus and the Atonement.

  • Lutheran Mode of Baptism

    My “baptism” as a Lutheran infant won’t count with the Orthodox Church so I will need to be baptized. Lutherans sprinkle infants during baptism. They do not practice full body immersion. They reject immersion as a mode of baptism for infants. LCMS – FAQs about Doctrine. The site quotes the Didache in a lazy and…

  • Towards a Theory of the Church

    One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church The Nicene Creed declares the Church to be One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. These are often called the four marks of the church. Can a Protestant affirm these words from the Nicene Creed or does he/she redefine the words from their traditional meaning when using the words? I don’t…

  • Bishops and Episcopos

    Perry Robinson looks at the difference between Bishops and Episcopos.

  • From Plato to Augustine to Calvin

    This is clarifying – Even Dositheus Did Not Think the Confession of Dositheus Was Infallible. The following was from Grok (X/Twitter AI tool) since I’m not a subject matter expert. It was posed as a series of questions and answers. The questions are in bold. What is the link between Plato, Augustine, and Calvin? The…

  • “Mysteries” in the Orthodox Church

    One word that I found difficult to understand when I studied Orthodoxy is the word “mystery”. In particular, the Orthodox Church refers to “The Mysteries” often in terms of the Seven Sacraments. One page puts it well. Unlike some other Christian denominations, which may view sacraments primarily as symbolic rituals, Orthodox Christians believe that the…

  • Assurance of Salvation

    Protestant Notion of the Assurance of Salvation is Unbiblical To a Protestant in the Reformed tradition, these words of Paul can be nothing but a theoretical impossibility. 1 Cor 9:27 But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should…

  • The Elect One

    There’s an Old Testament prophecy in the book of Isaiah that is a prophecy of the Messiah. Isaiah 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. The Messiah is the Elect One. This theme…

  • Human Letters Were Written in Hearts Before Written Letters

    The Apostle Paul wrote this second letter to the Church at Corinth. Paul’s first visit to Corinth had previously occurred during his second missionary journey and lasted for almost two years (50-52 A.D.) ref: Paul’s Visits and Letters to Corinth. In the letter Paul describes the Church there are the product of his preaching.  2 Corinthians…

  • Orthodoxy on Calvin and Calvinism

    This is clarifying – Even Dositheus Did Not Think the Confession of Dositheus Was Infallible. The Orthodox Church produced the following document: The Confession of Patriarch Dositheos of Jerusalem (1672).  This Confession of Faith has been ratified by all of the autocephalous Churches (Jerusalem, Russia, and Georgia in 1672; Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and the Bulgarians…

  • The Perspicuity of Scripture

    One of the more curious novelties of the Protestants is the notion of the “The Perspicuity of Scripture”.  One definition of this idea is found here: The doctrine of the clarity of Scripture (often called the “perspicuity of Scripture”) teaches that “the meanings of the text can be clear to the ordinary reader, that God uses…

  • Private Interpretation of Scripture

    Looking at this passage: 2 Peter 1:20-21 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Protestant Understandings of this Passage Like most…

  • St John Chrysostom – On the Scriptures

    From Homily 9 on Colossians Tarry not, I entreat, for another to teach you; you have the oracles of God. No man teaches you as they; for he indeed oft grudges much for vainglory’s sake and envy. Hearken, I entreat you, all you that are careful for this life, and procure books that will be medicines…

  • Sola Scriptura is Contrary to Scripture Itself

    Defining Sola Scriptura Sola scriptura (Latin for ‘by scripture alone’) is a theological doctrine held by most Protestant Christian denominations, in particular the Lutheran and Reformed traditions, that posits the Bible as the sole infallible source of authority for Christian faith and practice. The Orthodox churches consider Sola scriptura to be contrary to the phronema (Greek…

  • Orthodox View of Dispensationalism

    The End Times – Orthodox Vs Evangelical Protestant Teachings – Presentation 3 A good overview of Dispensationalism as contrasted to Orthodoxy.

  • Review of Father Josiah Trenham’s “Rock and Sand” book

    This is a great review of “Rock and Sand”. I’m only three chapters through the book (due to some vision problems). I took Reformation History at Fuller as well as a class on John Calvin at a secular university. I also did quite a bit of reading of Reformation History along the way so I…

  • Are Icons an Accretion? A Response to Gavin Ortlund

     This is very well written. Are Icons an Accretion? A Response to Gavin Ortlund ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY THEN AND NOW: Panegyric to Great Martyr Theodore the Tiro (St. Gregory of Nyssa) ca 396 AD

  • Daily Epistle Reading 2025-11-17

     The Epistle reading for today is Galatians 2:16-20. Galatians 2:16-20 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by…

  • Protestant authors that are gateways to Orthodoxy

    The Protestant authors that are gateways to Orthodoxy are largely English Anglican authors and still preserve something of the historical church. Two good ones are NT Wright and CS Lewis.  Wright and the New Perspective of Paul (NPP) have caused a stir in the Reformed world. He’s taken on the Reformed view of justification. The…