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Mina Monir
08-12-2005, 08:25 PM
saints and fathers :
Clement of Rome . Ignatius 'Theoforus'. Polycarp
I believe we got a pure orthodox teaching from the first century .. thanks to them , we do not have any missing link between the apostles and the the later father...
a well tied chain of handled tradition .
they are the witnesses of orthodoxy of the apostles!
in the modern time , we need their texts to face protestantism by the truth of the orthodox existence in the first church. for example, a protestant group called the charismatic group (excuse me , I cannot say charismatic church)use a hysterical acts in their meetings to prove that they posses what they don't have , i.e. the apostolic roots and the Holy spirit's act. with simple texts given by st.Ignatius we can tell them that Hysterical behaves were not valid in the first church , in contrary , the system and eucharistic communion was there.
protestant sophestric opinions tried some ways like 1) or 2) :
1) the so called orthodox teaching appeared later
2) or they attack the apostolic heritage.
but through the apostolic writings ... I don't think they can deny orthodoxy.
an american lutheran theologist and professor in Washington university studied and made deep researches in Patrology ... through years, he declared his orthodoxy thanks to these apostolic writings.
in the Alexandrian Codex which is considered one of the oldest copies of the scriptures (it is now in London Museum) it is found that the letter of St.clement of rome to the corinthians was added after the revelation books of st.John the apostle. what does that mean?
I believe that it was considered very important ... putting it after the revelation and not after the 'Catholikon' epistles (and we know that the holy bible is not arranged hitorically )means that it was considered as a blessed writing and in the second degree after the bible.
from some writings as Eusibius of caesaria , these writings were read on the baptised and he had to accept them to complete the baptism.
I believe we need to activate these writings through people to ensure them and make them see and feel the life of the first church
this first church gave us great martyrs ... the three apostolics were martyrd by fire and lions!! how could they bear that ?!!!!!!
the answer is in living their life.
Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. 8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever(Hebrews 13:7-9) amen.
IC XC
Mina Mounir

Byron Jack Gaist
09-12-2005, 07:18 AM
Dear Mina,

I don't know very much at all about the early church or the apostolic writings, having mostly read secondary sources so far. I did receive training in theology and religious studies at an Anglican college, and to the credit of my course directors I was not compelled to deny my Orthodox roots. With hindsight, I really didn't know much about any faith back then; but remembering now some of the conversations I overheard among Protestants of various denominations, I believe that one error which is often made is the attempt to justify current sociopolitical and ecclesiological convictions by arguing over what the early church really believed and practiced. It has taken me some years to understand, and I'm still doing so, that the Church is not a set of beliefs or a political entity, and the Scriptures are not of this world. Far be it from me to say what it is about the Orthodox Church that makes it the Church; but somehow it feels right. That doesn't mean to say our Protestant brothers and sisters don't have wonderful things in their own traditions to offer us, like academic scholarship for one thing. It just feels wrong to me to leave the Holy Tradition of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church - not in any of its "details".

In Christ
Byron