by Fr. John Whiteford On interpreting Scripture, one must be intellectually honest about quotations. George Demacopoulos gave another lecture at the Eagle River Institute which was recently posted on Ancient Faith Radio, and in the course of that lecture he made the following statement: “St. Gregory the Theologian actually wrote, in one of his most […]
Did the Early Church Venerate Icons?
October 24, 2016 By
from his “Stump the Priest” Series by Fr. John Whiteford Question: “Isn’t the fact that there were controversies over icons well into the 9th century proof that the early Church did not venerate icons?” There were indeed controversies at various times, most notably the Iconoclastic controversies of the 8th and 9th centuries, but these controversies […]
Bible Beatdown! The Septuagint Text VS. The Masoretic Text
September 2, 2016 By
Septuagint (LXX) text vs. Masoretic (MT) text Old Testament – know your Bible! by Fr. John Whiteford In the “Encyclical of the Eastern Patriarchs” of 1848, which was a reply to the epistle of Pope Pius IX, “To The Easterns,” the Patriarchs of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem, along with the other assembled bishops stated: […]
About Orthodox Communion Spoons
April 2, 2016 By
by Fr. John Whiteford In the Orthodox Church, Holy Communion is administered to communicants using a special spoon. Some have asked, doesn’t the 101st canon of the Council of Trullo forbid the use of Communion spoons? And why are the laity not allowed to receive Communion in the hand and from the chalice, as they […]
On Corrective Baptism
November 14, 2015 By
Another excellent post from our friend, Fr. John Whiteford in his ‘Stump the Priest’ series. Question: “I am/was a Baptist convert to Orthodoxy, and though it’s been many years (about 20) that I was accepted into Orthodoxy through Chrismation, I have read things in the Rudder, and Canons which state that this was an anathema […]
Can the Dead Repent?
June 23, 2015 By
by Fr. John Whiteford Question: “If someone dies without repentance, is it possible for such a person to repent after death?” Scripture, as explained by the Fathers of the Church, states that this is not possible. Psalm 6:5 says: “For in death there is none that is mindful of Thee, and in hades who will […]
Is the Veneration of the Cross Idolatry?
March 22, 2014 By
by Fr. John Whiteford Another grand slam from the Bible – from Fr. John’s “Stump the Priest” column Question: How would you answer a Protestant who considered our veneration of the Cross (bowing down before it and kissing it) to be idolatry? First we should consider whether or not bowing down before something or kissing […]
What About Slavery In The Bible?
September 30, 2013 By
by Fr. John Whiteford Question: “I often hear the argument that the Bible approved of slavery and that either this means that the Bible should be dismissed as having any validity, or that things evolve over time, and so just as we no longer allow slavery, perhaps we should change our views on homosexuality. How […]
