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On Orthodoxy

Mojo

Mojo

Seasoned Member
Real Person
Male

Has anyone ever taken a deep dive into the liturgy, practices, history of the Orthodox churches?

The near identical practices to temple (then later synagogue) worship is fascinating. The priestly dress, altar, incense, prayers, holy of holies, court of the gentiles, architecture and layout....fascinating.

Video is long, but it’s truly an eye opener.

*note: I am neither orthodox nor trying to promote them, but I do admire their stands against modernism. Their adherence to male centric practices are to be admired in this crazy world.
 
Explain
Mystical or psychogically/spiritual dependence?

I just trip out on this video. I’m too low church to ever go for this brand but for the historically inclined, it’s so amazing to see what Second Temple worship was most likely like.

Remember that most of the earliest followers of Jesus were still going to the Temple and engaging in all those rites on Sabbath and then partaking or meals in the evening (considered Sunday).
 
FollowingHim said:
What do you mean by "church" and "assembly"? I would have taken those to be synonyms.
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Me too. It just something I heard one of their podcasters say and he didn’t go into detail about it but he seemed adamant that it was some kind of a doctrine that the church hierarchy was a type of husband to the people of the church.
 
The Revolting Man said:
Me too. It just something I heard one of their podcasters say and he didn’t go into detail about it but he seemed adamant that it was some kind of a doctrine that the church hierarchy was a type of husband to the people of the church.
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I think I see what you/he are saying.

Church: the organized leadership (bishops, presbyters, metropolitans...)
Assembly: the faithful believers attended to by the priests.

That is alluded to in the video. They see the sacerdotal element being passed down from OT to the modern day priesthood. They acknowledge the priesthood of the layman, but just not for the Eucharist or liturgy (symbolic of temple sacrifices and service only the levitical priesthood could do). The laymen minister to the world (prayer, evangelism, good works, etc).

Is that the dependence? There’s not enough priesthood of the believer?

It does seem rather patronizing, but when you think about it, the Levitical priesthood was to be kadosh. They were not like the rest of Israel. That’s what makes this all fascinating. They are essentially a historical time capsule showing what life was like for many first century Christians. Insert a bloody and burning lamb and...near identical 2nd temple worship.
 
Mojo said:
I think I see what you/he are saying.

Church: the organized leadership (bishops, presbyters, metropolitans...)
Assembly: the faithful believers attended to by the priests.

That is alluded to in the video. They see the sacerdotal element being passed down from OT to the modern day priesthood. They acknowledge the priesthood of the layman, but just not for the Eucharist or liturgy (symbolic of temple sacrifices and service only the levitical priesthood could do). The laymen minister to the world (prayer, evangelism, good works, etc).

Is that the dependence? There’s not enough priesthood of the believer?

It does seem rather patronizing, but when you think about it, the Levitical priesthood was to be kadosh. They were not like the rest of Israel. That’s what makes this all fascinating. They are essentially a historical time capsule showing what life was like for many first century Christians. Insert a bloody and burning lamb and...near identical 2nd temple worship.
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My problem with it is that there’s only one husband at that level. The church, in all of its forms is the bride. The guy I heard might have been misstating the case and I might have misheard it but it really struck me at the time.
 
The Revolting Man said:
My problem with it is that there’s only one husband at that level. The church, in all of its forms is the bride. The guy I heard might have been misstating the case and I might have misheard it but it really struck me at the time.
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No. You probably heard correct. For them, the “church” is the institution and they don’t buck the institution because it’s seen as an apostolic representation and who would defy one of Christ’s chosen apostles? That’s the division and dependence you probably are recoiling from. Most of us here are not very institutional.
 
The Revolting Man said:
My biggest problem with the Orthodox is that they consider the church to be some kind of a husband to the assembly.
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That is a problem with all churches. Pastor worship, or pastors claiming authority over the men in the congregation.

It should be more like rule of law. YHWH's law and His will is the authority, other men just hold each other accountable.

YHWH's original intent was for every man to "hearken to His voice" and be a priest.
Priestcraft in churches inserts other men where that scriptural chain of command has no gap. YHWH, Christ, man, woman/household.

This paper kinda got into a look at it.
 

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Joleneakamama said:
That is a problem with all churches. Pastor worship, or pastors claiming authority over the men in the congregation.

It should be more like rule of law. YHWH's law and His will is the authority, other men just hold each other accountable.

YHWH's original intent was for every man to "hearken to His voice" and be a priest.
Priestcraft in churches inserts other men where that scriptural chain of command has no gap. YHWH, Christ, man, woman/household.

This paper kinda got into a look at it.
Click to expand...
On the whole, I don’t disagree when it comes to a man’s home and family, but there is scriptural precedent for things being decently and in order in an assembled body of believers. I do believe our independent mindedeness is more cultural than biblical sometimes. The Christian believer is part of a greater whole.

I could go on more, but that wasn’t the purpose of this thread.

No other comments on the historical connections to 2nd Temple worship practices?
 
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