Polemics, Schmolemics...

As I sit down to write this, I must confess that I have grown weary of Polemics. I have no desire to continue comparing Orthodoxy to Protestantism. On the other hand, I have a little too much desire to defend Orthodoxy against Protestantism. We're all reading mostly the same Bible and coming to different conclusions based on preconceived ideas about the nature and purpose of the Christian life. In Orthodoxy, we call those preconceived ideas 'Tradition'. Everyone has a tradition. Everyone has dogma. So, what makes me feel that Orthodoxy has the correct Tradition? What gives it the weight to remain, in my opinion at least, the proper and authentic understanding of Christianity in the face of so many different ideas?

There is a great deal of diverse opinion in the world. In fact, there are as many worldviews as there are people. Particularly in America, perhaps as a result of our entrepreneurial spirit and value of individuality, we have come to a point where often we, as Christians, accept others on the grounds that they also assume the label of 'Christian'. In such a way, we have created an atmosphere in which it was possible to develop over 23,000 Protestant denominations (by some estimates). If that number is disturbing, you might be in agreement with a rapidly growing number of Christians who describe themselves as 'non-denominational'. 

When one confesses a particular doctrine, we may reasonably infer that they actually believe it and that they believe it to the exclusion of all others. When I say the Nicene Creed, it may be reasonably inferred that my Christianity fits within the context of that confession. What the Baptist, the Methodist, the Pentecostal, etc. are saying when they confess their particular creeds is that they believe what they are stating. No one objects to this. If the Baptist thought that their set of beliefs were wrong, they simply wouldn't be Baptist. But the Baptist that thinks that their set of beliefs is correct is doing so to the exclusion of all others. Often in religious conversation, we hear the words “I don't believe [Doctrine A], because I believe [Doctrine B]”. 

What any denomination is doing in reality is stating that they are the “Ark of Salvation”. They are marking a line in the sand and stating, “On this side you are correct and on that side you are wrong.” The logical conclusion is that they are also stating that no one was correct before they worked out their theology. For the Calvinist, no one had it before Calvin. The same applies for Luther. Even Roman Catholicism, with the advent of Papal Infallibility, is in some sense stating that Roman Catholicism was missing something before the doctrine was introduced. Even the non-denominational, although they may lean toward certain Protestant ideals, also takes the really strong stance that no one denomination has got it completely right. 

Furthermore, we are often faced with an utter lack of humility when working out our personal theological views. We will read, listen, and reason until we work out our own theological collage of doctrines and then search for the denomination that best fits us. Imagine that. We want a Christianity that fits us, rather than wanting to adjust ourselves to Christianity. 

The truth of the matter is that any Christian would likely give a limb to walk about the hills of Galilee with Jesus, or travel the Roman world with Paul, in order to get back to the 1^st century Church. We all want the most authentic faith that is possible. Despite whatever pitfall we happen to have fallen into, we really just want the truth. For most of us, if Jesus appeared as He did with Paul, and pointed at a particular denomination, we would abandon our own immediately. Just as Paul abandoned the Pharisees, we would completely readjust our theology to the religious view that Jesus pointed to.

In lieu of such a holy and miraculous event, I can suggest this defense of Orthodoxy. It and it alone can claim lineage from the Church of the first four centuries. All of Christianity was once a unified body of believers who did not refer to themselves as any denominational name but simply as the One, Holy, Catholic(universal), and Apostolic Church. The West split away and has been splintering since(Matt 7:15-20). With so many new denominational names coming into existence, the Church needed a way to set itself apart and took the name 'Orthodox'. Orthodoxy is pre-denominational.

What is significant about that defense is that it shows precedence. Whereas the Adventist is stating that Christ taught but no one really “got it” until the Adventists, the Orthodox Christian has been stating the same message for 2000 years. In fact, the Adventist isn't stating much of anything that goes past 500 years, except when they quote scripture. But they quote scripture and understand it from the Adventist tradition, which is less than 100 years old in its current form.

This is why someone can voice some protest against Orthodox doctrine and theology and it falls on deaf ears most of the time. Scripture has been studied and discerned. It has been worked through and the meaning understood by men who devoted their entire lives to prayer and communion with God. While our understanding can reach new depths and provide new insights, it cannot be negated and replaced by a different version. To negate Orthodox Theology is to negate the words of Jesus when He said, “the Gates of Hades will not prevail against” His Church (Matt 16:18). To take the position that only the Pentecostals got it right is to say that there was no true Christianity between Nicea and the Holiness Movement of the mid-19^th century. 

Thus, when seeking the most authentic understanding of Christianity, I saw no recourse except to come to Orthodoxy. The Orthodox Church is the Ark of Salvation. That is not to insinuate that those outside of the Church do not have Salvation. It does not mean that many if not most other denominations are not, in some sense, Christians. It does mean that they are in danger of misunderstanding, confusing, minimizing, and dismissing the authentic Christian life that they could have. Depending on the doctrine of their denomination, they could even miss the mark altogether on what it means to “work out your salvation”(Phil 2:12).