>> Yes and for thousands of years mankind cannot agree as to what that truth is. <<
Orthodox Christians have known the truth for nearly two thousand years. Jesus Christ and his Holy Church are Truth.
>> For anyone to decide that only his theology is that truth is rather egotistical. <<
it's not egotistical if it's true, right? well there is one true Church, the pillar and ground of truth (1 Tim 3:15), founded upon the Rock, Jesus Christ who is Truth.
Christ is Truth, and his Church is the pillar and ground of Truth, and his Church was manifested visibly two thousand years ago. Christ promised that the gates of hades would never prevail against his Church.
the holy apostle paul tells us in ephesians: "That he [Christ] might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
so if Christ is truth, and he is one with his Church which is truth, and Christ is returning to a holy and glorious Church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, then for you or sidney to say that the truth cannot be found is to make Christ out to be a false prophet! (God forbid!)
think about it. isn't that what you are saying? you are saying that the gates of hades have prevailed against Christ and his Church because you can't find any Church without blemish, holy, and spotless.
you are saying that no matter how often one makes supplications, how hard one seeks, how loudly one knocks, Christ has failed, and cannot show us the truth!
>> Statistically, it would seem that if you decided that truth should be determined by the largest religion or the largest growth than we should all be Muslims or Buddists. <<
why would we want to do that? why would we want to determine the truth by the majority?
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matthew 7)
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32)
>> The hundreds of Christian denominations who proclaim that they hold truth, especially the new interest in evangelical churches is proof to me that man is still searching for truth. <<
i would be willing to bet that you and sidney have never seriously investigated Orthodox Christianity. somewhere along the line you gave up. you stopped asking, you stopped seeking, you stopped knocking.
perhaps you could get down on your knees and pray for 40 days, asking God to show you his true Church. Christ promised he would present to himself a holy and blameless Church when he returns and he also promised the gates of hades would never prevail against it.
one thing that will greatly help you in your search for Christ's true Church is to recognize that Christ's Church existed 2,000 years ago. (actually the Church existed before the foundation of the world and was brought out of the shadows 2,000 years ago, but this is another topic for another time).
And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved. (Acts 2:47)
you see? there was a Church right from the beginning, as we see in the book of acts.
right here we can see that all these hundreds or even thousands of protestant denominations you spoke of cannot be the true Church, because they did not exist 2,000 years ago. they have been around for less than 500 years.
Christ did not say he was going to wait 1500 years to build his Church, the holy apostle Luke tells us in Acts chapter two that people were already being added to the Church daily.
there are NO protestant denominations that maintain the traditions passed down by the apostles, period. most protestants flat out reject apostolic tradition, rather inventing their own traditions of men.
Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. (2 Thessalonians 2:15)
whether by word of mouth, or our epistle. the holy apostle paul tells us that we must hold the traditions of the Church, EVEN ORAL traditions.
so there you have it. one simply needs to learn what the earliest Christians who have been universally recognized as saints taught, and maintain those teachings.
And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:2)
you see, st. paul lays down the principal of tradition right here in his epistle to st. timothy. he commands st. timothy to take the ORAL tradition he heard of st. paul and pass it on to other faithful men. that is how the Orthodox Church has operated for the last two thousand years.
what greater proof do we need that it is not just sacred scripture, but holy tradition that we must adhere to?
And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved. (Acts 2:47)
there was obviously a Church existing at Pentecost and people were being added to it daily. were there any new testament scriptures written at this time? any gospels written yet? of course not. the gospels were not written until decades later. so how did the Church exist and grow if there were no NT scriptures yet? WORD OF MOUTH.
protestants cannot grasp this and therefore reject all tradition or like the pharisees they hold and teach the tradition of men, replacing the traditions of the apostles, which were commandments given to them by Christ.
it is critically important that you make it your number one priority to find Christ's true Church, and not believe the lie that you don't need the Church to serve Christ.
...but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. (Matthew 18:17)
may the Comforter lead you and guide you into all truth,
Cyprian |
