"Orthodox" is a term describing correctness to a specific set of principles
or rules. The word orthodox comes from 2 Greek words.
Orthos which means straight or correct,
and the word doxa, which means worship or
glorify.To be an orthodox Jew is to worship or glorify God
correctly according to the beliefs of Judiasm. To be an Orthodox Christian
is to worship or glorify God correctly acording to the beliefs of Christianity.
To be an orthodox Muslim is to worship or glorify God correctly according
to Islam.
Any teaching within Christianity that goes against the Bible is classified
as unorthodox or heterodox, thus it is unacceptable
within the limits of Christian teaching. Unorthodox teachings are known as
aberrations and are taught by false teachers and false
prophets who have lined themselves both inside and outside the Christian
Church walls. The Christian Church and the Christian Bookstore for the
most part are a mixture of true and false teachings leaving the individual
believer responsible for discerning which teachings are true, and which
teachings are false.
Some unorthodox aberrations include, soul sleep, baptismal regeneration*,
gospel in the stars*, word-faith*, health & wealth gospel*, slain in the
spirit, endtime restorationism*, annihilationism, pergutory*, mariology*,
gap theory, King James Onlyism*, holy laughter, bible codes (ELS)*,
universalism*.
*denotes heresy.
God has placed Essential Doctrines in the Bible that form the
foundation for Christianity. Essential doctrines are the doctrines
that separate Christianity from the cults, such as Jehovah's
Witnesses, Mormons, Masons, Scientologists, etc., and include doctrines
like The Trinity, The Nature of God, The Deity of Jesus Christ, etc.
Complete unity within the church is absolutely necessary when it comes
to Essential Christian Doctrine. Any group that claims to be Christian,
and denies or deviates from Essential Doctrine, is by their own twisting
of Christianity, a cult. Other groups are classified as cults when they
use control tactics and brainwashing to keep their devotees subject to
their aberrant ideology. Controlling cults rarely teach orthodox doctrine.
Scholars have discovered that God has used perspicuity in revealing His
word, and in essentials, God has made them concise and unambiguous
leaving no excuse for false teachers to alter Biblical teaching.
Outside of Essential Christian Doctrine there are also
orthodox doctrines which are non-essential to salvation. Doctrines like
baptism, tongues, tithing, works, the Lord's Supper, or foot washing, are
not necessary to be saved, and churches often differ in interpretation or
even acceptance, such as with tongues, or infant baptism vs. believer
baptism. These doctrines are either vague in the Bible or are not required
for salvation, therefore the churches are not dogmatic about them. They are
important doctrinally, and should be debated vigorously within the church,
but to cause division over such, would be unbiblical due to God's deliberate
ambiguity on these matters of faith.
Augustine (354-430 A.D.), known as the Father of Christian Theology, long
ago coined a phrase that has stood the test of time in wisdom, and has been
adopted as the Anthem of Apologetic Ministries to safeguard doctrine, yet
allow for constructive debate. 'In Essentials Unity, in
non-essentials liberty, and in all things charity'. In Essentials
we must have univocal unity, and to divide with others who deny or distort
Essentials is to enforce and maintain a safeguard against false doctrine,
false prophets, and the spirit of anti-christ. Therefore to divide over
Essentials maintains the pure message of Christianity. We are not to
divide over secondary doctrines, and to do so is to be divisive and an
earmark of improper and immature discipleship.
Christian Apologetics
The word "APOLOGETICS" is taken from a Greek word which appears 13
times in the New Testament. The Greek form is APOLOGIA, and
it means, "to give an answer," "to give a defense," or "to defend." Our
Apologetic (defense), is focused toward the correct teaching of the
Bible as opposed to unbiblical or unorthodox teachings. Several things
come into play in defending Christianity. Hermeneutics is the art and
science of Biblical interpretation and one can hardly expect to
master the Bible without applying hermeneutical principles. This
science covers everything from learning from former church leaders of
the past to developing literary skills in recognizing metaphors,
figures of speech, hyperbole, antropomorphisms, idioms, and other
sorts of interpretive techniques such as the grammatical and historical
context and the analogy of faith. Apologetics goes into the systematic
Theological study of scripture covering basics like the Autographa,
Christology, Soteriology, the Nature of God, the Trinity, the Person
of Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit, Sin, Creation, Humanity, and the
Death, Burial & Resurrection of Christ. Christian Apologetics is basically
a radical and orthodox understanding & defense of Biblical Theology
carried out in gentleness and respect.
Baptism, tongues, tithing, works, the Lord's Supper, feet washing.
Soul sleep, baptismal regeneration*,
gospel in the stars*,
word-faith*, health & wealth
gospel*,
slain in the spirit, endtime restorationism*,
annihilationism, pergutory*,
mariology*, gap theory, King James
Onlyism*, holy laughter, bible codes
(ELS)*, universalism*.
