Just reading your massage, how wonderful for you to find yourself on this path. Glory to God . I am not sure what church you are going to but take your time and look at everything very close . Don’t rush, there is so much to learn . God loves you and He is not in a hurry. God bless you
I discovered your channel while going through some big issues in my life and some doubts in my faith. Your channel has not only helped this Baptist boy find a renewed sense of faith, but also to point me towards Orthodoxy!
@@CrankyGrandma Saint Augustine (died A.D. 430): “No man can find salvation except in the Catholic Church. Outside the Catholic Church one can have everything except salvation. One can have honor, one can have the sacraments, one can sing alleluia, one can answer amen, one can have faith in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and preach it too, but never can one find salvation except in the Catholic Church.” (Sermo ad Caesariensis Ecclesia plebem)
This was a great interview! Fr. Peter presents Orthodox teaching in such a clear manner - completely devoid of pseudo philosophical speech and refreshing like a spring water.
This was so edifying, Austin! You might not realise, but these videos are just as helpful to us as Orthodox Christians in helping us understand who we are and what we need to become. God bless you!
Once more I see the beauty of the Orthodox faith. I was evangelical too, and there is not a second I regret returning to Christ and His Church. It may be hard and challenging, but it is real and sobering. I like how open and helpful you are as an interviewer! I enjoyed every second of this conversation! Thank you! Let God lead His people to all truth!
Orthodoxy is a construct of 5-7th centuries Byzantium in ritual and theology. There is only a marginal relationship between e. orthodoxy and Christ and the Apostles. Its a rapidly declining cultural form of Christianity, the largest centers of orthodoxy, Ethiopia and Russian are hemorrhaging 100s of thousands of believers to Evangelical and Pentecostal Churches. God bless.
@@felixguerrero6062, I think you misrepresent facts. Orthodoxy is continuation of Christianity form 1st century. Look at the history ot 1 century Christianity and you will see the links... Didache and texts from St. Client of Rome. He is a direct successor of st. ap Peter. See what he believed. You will instantly link it to Orthodox theology as it is and has always been. :) It is truth preserved. Orthdoxy is what Christ thought, the apostles preached and the fathers kept. All the best!!!
@@DesertFlowerQueen I understand your position, however there is no serious scholar of early Christianity that would agree with this assessment. Furthermore, the early sources you cite, the Didache and Clement* of Rome demonstrate none of the central features of Orthodoxy, theosis or high iconographic theology etc... Most protestant converts to Orthodoxy or RCC do so simply because of alienation and an appearance of antiquity of said traditions, without fully grasping that the form of Christianity they are buying into are merely and early-medivial or even late medieval (in most cases) which have almost nothing to with the Christianity of the First and Second Century much less the New Testament tradition itself. God bless.
@@felixguerrero6062 Sure, but western scholars are pretty biased in their reading of history. Both Catholic and Protestant. I don't know why but most of them interpret it in light of their own theology and ignore some important facts about the key Christian texts from 1-3 century. Orthodox theology is not a later development. It is a preservation of what has always been there. Iconography in Catacombs from 2 century are not enough evidence for you? What about the fact St. Luke made the first handcrafed icon? St. Jacob (1 st century) wrote liturgy. Yes, a liturgy. There wasn't a pastor reading the Scriptures then, because they were not spread and collected in the same way in every local parish, but there was the liturgy, which describes the faith. In prayer. Prayer and theology are connected. When it comes to protestants, usually they ignore in Dideche two important things: The real presense of Christ in the Eucharist (evident in the Eucharistic prayer there), and also the practice of fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays. This still happenes in the Orthodox Church. If you really read the texts by early church fathers from 1, 2 and 3rd century, you will see all Orthodox beliefs already there - including theosis. It is all there. It is all the faith deliveded to the saints once and for all. For me there is no way to read carefully the writings of Clement, Ignatius and Polycarp and remain protestant, unless you read them in a biased way and ignore certain unpleasant passages. And this is called confirmation bias. Orthdooxy was the last place I would like to find myself in.. I was protestant first. But when God leads you to His truth, you have two choices: 1. To go the way you percieve as the way; 2. To take the way God intends and follow Him in His true Church. I chose the second option although it was difficult, because I had lots of freinds to lose. So, to sum it up... Climent talks about the heirarchy in the Church and about apostolic succession. Continues St. ap, Paul's work to Corinthians. St. Ignatius discusses eccesiology in certainly Orthodox light. Not protestant. The Early Church Fathers are in favour of Orthodox theology. And this is one of the intellectual reasons I am now Orthodox as opposed to anything else. The other reasons are very personal and I would not discuss them here. The creed of faith from the first two ecumenical councils is also something to concider? Right? :) Take care! :)
@@DesertFlowerQueen God bless you sister. Again, scholars of early Christianity are specialized in the first three centuries, with fluencies, in Greek, Latin, Syriac etc... This is their exact area of study. You are simply repeating facile orthodox polemics that are very well known. All Protestants theologians are familiar with the Didache, and Patristics and most modern scholarship today on Patristics is done by Protestant (liberal protestations, which of course I do not support). This is a simple fact. Furthermore, St Luke did not create an Icon, neither did St Jacob create a liturgy in the 1st century these are all pious fables. The central tenants and practices of Orthodoxy did not emerge until the early medieval period. In the New Testament there is no strong differentiation between presbyters and bishops, no high sacramentology or sacerdotalism, nor explicitly prescribed liturgical practices, but it's clear that the earliest church as we see in the epistles of St Paul were small groups of Christians, men and women of various social groups and nations that met together in houses to break bread, sing hymns, read the Hebrew Bible and letters circulated by the Apostles, pray, prophesy and speak in tongues. The Church was a highly participative community of faith, everyone was actively involved and used their spiritual gifts in public worship. And this is what still goes on in the True Church of our Lord all across the world from Brazil to India and everywhere in between. Orthodoxy is sadly dead ritualism and prideful mysticism that has done nothing to proclaim Christ to the nations. 1 Corinthians 14 26 What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. 1 Corinthians 12 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines
He most certainly is! He has filled himself with the Holy Scriptures, Holy Fathers, Councils and Cannons, the lives of the Saints... in short the Ethos of the Church - the mind of Christ. He is both a firebrand but also a beautiful and soft hearted disciple of the Lord.
Fr. Peter is a treasure and a God-provided compass in our modern storm of confusion inside and outside of the Church. Austin has become a top-notch interviewer with more authenticity, empathy, humility, interest, knowledge, preparation, and hard-honed skill than most of the pros! Thank you both!
Yes! There were so many times I was like “wow Father gave a deep answer there, this interviewer is gonna need a moment to catch up, but NOPE came back with another great question that really captures the heart of what a lot of inquiries into the Orthodox Church from a Protestant perspective would look like. It’s clear that some good research was done online before this. I just want to say online research is Nothing like prolonged in person experience. I challenge serious Orthodox inquirers to attend as many services as possible during Lent! Try to fast and prepare along side the church for great and holy Pascha. See what you think after that!
Christ is the Church, the Body of Christ, of which He is the Head, and so we encounter Him here and not only or mainly in the written account of His three year Presence. His Presence continues, the incarnation continues, and just as they met His Body in real time and space then, so too do we meet Him in a particular time and space in His Body, which has never been absent or lost or corrupted - an impossibility by His nature but also because He promised us He would be with us until the end of time and guide us in all Truth. Come and see - this is what the Apostles said then, and they say today. God bless! - Fr. Peter FYI: You may be interested in learning more via our other online outlets:
I just subscribed! Love the content! I’m a former charismatic protest, to reformed Baptist.so full of joy to finally come to orthodoxy.it has truly been an amazing journey.
This is great man! At the end of the day for me it was stepping into and experiencing heaven (the divine liturgy) that converted me good luck on your journey!
Thank you, Father Peter and Austin! Another superb learning experience from Gospel Simplicity, reinforcing my embrace of Orthodoxy and my appreciation of this ministry.
Now THIS, is a man you can trust. Why? Because he will only tell you what the Holy Fathers say. ☦️ We only hand down what was handed down. Innovation 🚫
@Miss BellJr Yes, and the Holy Spirit-filled Fathers of the Church and Saints of God, and the Holy Orthodox Church founded by Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit of God.
@Miss BellJr Exactly why we listen to the church fathers. They weren't just random guys spouting their theories. These men were devout theologians who often times entire lives were devoted to Christ and his holy church. We trust the Holy Spirit has guided these men, and as He is trustworthy, the reporting of these men is trustworthy by proxy.
Peter Heers is impersonating as a church authority but has been publicly disavowed by reputable Orthodox sources, including ROCOR itself. He is not affiliated with any bishop or authority known to date. He presents his interpretation as fact and makes money off gullible people who think he is a legitimate source of Orthodoxy but many of his views are rejected as false or fringe by scholars and leaders in the church
I really appreciated his words on authority in the Church. Speaking of the Holy Fathers and Saints who have come before us, and how we are to regain both Image & Likeness of Christ (via Holy Mysteries & Ascetic struggle).
Austin, thank you for the sympathetic, courteous and considerate way of communicating with all your guests. I really appreciate that. It's great listening to that kind of discussion.
Hey Jay! Thanks for reaching out and sharing the video. I really appreciate that and this offer to do a discussion. Would it be ok if I took some time to think about a topic and get back to you?
Thank you so much for putting out these videos and interviews. I am Orthodox but they have been a great resource in helping me improve my ability to explain the faith to others, especially those with protestant backgrounds. God bless!
I can also vouch for our Holy Elder Ephraim. People don’t really begin to understand what a saint we had here in the USA. May he pray for us in front of the Throne of Christ!
Father Peter takes “being of one mind” with such importance and care. When I began reading the Fathers this was apparent as one of their central characteristics. And here we have in the 21st century another man holding to that same mindset. And I’ve heard and seen it come up against such resistance. But the Truth cannot be snuffed out. Keep Father Peter in your prayers.
Wonderful, Austin. I will have a seat at this table! As an aside, I hope you have been following Fr. Seraphim's reflections regarding the violence up on Capitol Hill and our duties as Christians. Profound. Brave. Challenging. I'm grateful he is here and that you two made an aquaintance.
@@WaterWhirld I won't link to them here because it's Austin's page, but if you go to Fr. Seraphim's Mull Monastery youtube channel he has 2 videos which specifically deal with the craziness. The are labeled "On Violence and Power" and "What Would Happen if we were all martyred for the Truth of Christ?"
hey,I can t wait to see this interview,I am a protestant and i want to learn more abt church history in general and i apreciate you Austin for doing al those things!! I am glad to be a protestant and to know the church history,it is amazing man! again,be blessed for those things and just as a little tip (i love the podcasts with Garvin) wish we can be able to see more of them ^.^
What’s up Austin, God bless brother. I just wanted to let you know that Constantine Zalalas from “Nicodemos the Hagiorite” Channel is also really good. God bless again and thanks for all the quality content.
Very helpful. Thanks Fr Peter. Thanks for GS for hosting it. It was good to know that there were more ecumenical councils than I knew. Jim Papandreas' 29 free lectures gave me a great insight to the early church fathers.
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me. Ever time I hear Fr. Peter talk I get given another confirmation that converting to Orthodoxy is my only option. Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.
@@joachim847 hehe you wondering? Two options: there is no change in the Orthodox Church in doctrine and we don't need light bulbs(artificial light) in Orthodox Church,we have the original Sun of Justice our Lord Jesus Christ...!!!! My interpretation of this joke.
@@evans3922 THere is no change in the Orthodox Church. Exactly. That's why it can't be the true Church of Jesus Christ -- The Church must both change and not change at the same time. A baby doesn't look like an adult human being. An acorn doesn't look like a Sequoia, but they are both one in the same. God Bless P.S. Light bulbs are a gift from God. We'd be fools not to use and give thanks for what God has gifted us.
@@WhiteBraveheart1 Change and not change. You mean remain relevant to a world that has always despised Jesus Christ and his disciples . This is one of the main reasons I returned to the Orthodox Church . Remaining relevant quickly becomes pandering to the world. A desire to be validated by the world creates far to much change. Worship becomes entertainment; Jesus becomes a cool hipster. The Orthodox Church is in the world but not part of it. The Orthodox Church loves the world but will not pander to it. The Orthodox Church will preach salvation through Jesus Christ no matter what the world does to it; and world has tried many times to destroy the Orthodox Church. And yet here she remains.
Might I add your works/videos are evergreen because the subject matter you explore is also evergreen and most importantly because what pertains to the scriptures and to the Salvation from God through Christ our Saviour is so very evergreen and relevant through the ages of ages!! I can’t thank you enough for what you do! May the Holy Spirit continue to illuminate and guide you in what you do!!
fall in love of your channel , I believe God directed me to watch your channel, there are a lot of information from your channel. am Catholic from Malaysia. God bless you
@@josiahkeenAbsolutely. Hits the nail on the head around the hour and five minute mark, essentially saying (paraphrasing here): "Are you philosophizing about God, or worshipping Him?"
This is going to be fun! Although if you go down this route on councils I'd love to see a deep dive on Oritental Orthodoxy too! (Coptic, Ethiopian, Syriac, Armenian, etc.)
@@CrankyGrandma personally I'd love to see one of these channels dive deep into either Ethiopian Orthodoxy or Indian Malankara Orthodoxy, which are in many ways extremely foreign to Western Christians. Also from a purely theological standpoint I'd love to see the Assyrian Church of the East or Ancient Church of the East, since they break off at the Council of Ephesus even before Oriental Orthodoxy breaks off at the Council of Chalcedon.
I love your channel and your guests. I am amazed to see the true church in USA. Love from Ethiopia. I am an oriental orthodox(Ethiopian tewahedo orthodox church). I would like to see a guest who speak on the eastern orthodox vs oriental orthodox. I think one small difference we have is on Christology - the natures of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Fr. Peter Heers discusses a reality of the Christian faith around the 56-57 min mark about living a crucified lifestyle that everyone claiming to believe in Jesus needs to pay very close attention to because he accurately describes how we are to live.
You should see if you can interview Fr. Stephen De Young of the Lord of Spirits podcast. If you haven't listened to their podcast it's mind blowing stuff.
@@icxcnika2037 Thank you, Glory to God! "You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it" -- Matt 16:18 We love you! God Bless
@@icxcnika2037 Sadly they think that the entire Church schismed from their then one local church and Ecumenical Bishop. It is nonsensical. All Bishops descend from St. Peter, especially Antioch. If those Saints in the first millennium saw what became of Rome, they would denounce it.
Well, to be fair, my most popular videos are still Catholic, but I have been pleasantly surprised by how well this interview and the one with Fr. Josiah have been received
To be honest...we are in America which is unequivocally tethered to Roman Catholicism via the Protestant Reformation! It is theologically Western Centric! Orthodoxy is somewhat novelty here but is on the incline!!
As an Orthodox believer, I’d like to add to Fr. Peter’s great message that as Orthodox Christians, our living authority is Christ Himself, who was (pre-incarnation) and is living eternally from the beginning, with the Father and Holy Spirit. The saints are also living authorities in that they live in Christ.
I am now a Traditional Catholic ✝️ born and raised Orthodox ☦️ I Love Fr Heers!! Thank you so much for having him on 😊 Ultimately it was the Mother of God through the Rosary 📿 which called me to the Traditional Catholic Church. Evil Popes will come and go as they always have. But the deposit of faith will remain with the Remnant ♥️
@Gramavic -- We pray you experience the life of the Church, are inspired by the lives of the Saints, and having done so return to the Church, for it is impossible to do this and leave the Church for the confusion and distortion of Papal Protestantism. Forgive us for our bluntness.
Well done! This is a great and important video. I want to ask a follow-up question (and I don't want it to be received as an attack; it's a sincere question; I am asking because I want to know): Presume for a moment that a pagan or atheist (or someone else with zero monotheist upbringing) in Year X (where X can be any year between the Ascension and now) suddenly becomes convinced by God's grace that there is Exactly One God, that Jesus somehow is God, that Jesus rose from the grave, and that Jesus established a Church, which we should all join. How can such a person figure out which Church to join? ...and, by what argument would that person ever "land on" the Greek Orthodox Church? ...as opposed to the Russian (who aren't currently in communion with the Greek), or the Assyrian Church of the East, or the Tewahedo, or the Catholic? Fr. Peter gives us an Orthodox principle for discerning which Ecumenical Councils are "real," and that principle includes a council being "received" by "the faithful." Okay...but, which "faithful" is he talking about? The ones who showed their faithfulness by rejecting the council? Or the ones who showed their faithfulness by accepting it? I mean, some groups rejected Chalcedon; others accepted it. If we start off assuming that the ones who accepted it were correct, then, fine: Those are "the faithful" and we should accept what they accept. But if they were wrong, and the non-Chalcedonian Christians are correct, then the "faithful" were those who rejected that council, and we should reject what they reject, since that council was not "received by the faithful." Doesn't that follow? In the end, it appears there is a Circular Logic Loop: I can know which teachings are true by locating the True Church and letting that Church teach me the true content of Christianity... AND, I can only identify which is the True Church by locating the group whose "faithful" accepted the councils you should accept, rejected the councils you should reject, and thereby ultimately wound up with the correct teachings... AND it's necessary for me to first determine (to my own satisfaction) what the correct teachings are, so that I can discern which councils were right or wrong, so that I can find the "faithful" who accepted only the correct councils, so that I can locate the True Church, so that I can find out what the true teachings are... ARGH! The only sure guide I have is that Jesus won't let the Gates of Hades prevail, and surely that means He won't let the True Church go extinct. Therefore, we can all exclude the Montanists and the Tertullians and the Paulicans. But it doesn't seem to help me to exclude the Assyrian Church of the East or the Copts or the Catholic. Imagine how confusing the choices would be, to my hypothetical former-pagan or former-atheist seeking the True Church in 87 A.D., or 125 A.D., or 305 A.D., or 490 A.D., or 730 A.D., or 915 A.D., or 1365 A.D., or 1620 A.D., or 1800 A.D., or now! It seems to me that Christ should have provided one principle, which my former-pagan or former-atheist could have used, in ANY of those time-periods, to choose Which Church. And, while it might require him to do some work, it shouldn't be IMPOSSIBLE. It shouldn't, for example, require that he suddenly become a great theologian and church historian, just in order to find the right Church. (We can't all have PhD's, after all. Someone's gotta be the Plumber or the Kitchen Renovator.) What principle would Fr. Peter provide?
The reception by the faithful is not a "stand alone" criterion. Others were given: the presence of glorified Holy Fathers, that the council is following the Holy Fathers before them, among the spiritual presuppositions, not to mention the legal and historic presuppositions which were mentioned in the video. But, remember: this is a council OF the Church, FOR the Church. It is not an intellectual discussion, a debate, a lecture, an opinion to be debated, etc. It is not a part of the Church's missionary work, per se (although it supports it, of course). The Church doesn't lead with its internal life, but with the preaching of Christ and Him Crucified. And, the Church shares the Gospel face to face and the people know that we are Christ's by the love we have for Him and for one another. . . and one could go on about how that hypothetical pagan or atheist would determine where Christ/the Church is. You are approaching the matter from the "outside," externally, rationalistically, looking for an answer without experience guiding you to it. One has to 'come and see' and experience Christ in the Church before epignosis / knowledge of the Truth can be attained (for it is an experiential knowledge). How did people know Christ was true? They went and sat at his feat and heard Him teach, for one. This is the same today and in every age, for the Church is Christ. The apostles did not only say "Christ is the one foretold by the Prophets," but also "come and see" Him Who is foretold by the Prophets. If you remain on the rational/logical plane, it will always appear to be circular. One cannot truly know the Truth of the Gospel - or Chalcedon - without experience, because the Truth of Christ and the experience of Christ is supra-rational (not irrational). Logical analysis, historical review, and the like, when taken ALONE, without experience of the Grace of God and the Life of the Church, can only take you so far...it cannot bring you into the Bridal Chamber. The Church submits to Christ. His disciples crucify their intellects. These are presuppositions of epignosis/experiential knowledge. The True Church will not be overcome, indeed, and it is not hard to get a good first assessment of Her on basis of the marks of the Church - One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic - IF you have the patristic understanding of these marks. So, this can bring you close - and there are many today who are close to Orthodoxy only on this basis. Even so, having arrived at knowledge ABOUT CHRIST, you have still not entered into experiential knowledge OF Christ. This begins when you "come and see" and pray and listen... The hypothetical former-pagan or former atheist - if he is still committed to his rationalism - would be confused even if he stood outside the tomb of Christ on the day of resurrection. Indeed, many have done this spiritually throughout Church history: seen and not believed because they still were idolaters in their mind, worshipping their own rational intellect, bowing down before that before all else. Your last paragraph reminded me of the Grand Inquisitor and his view of Christ's commitment to man's freedom. I highly suggest that you read The Brothers Karamazov! Remember: Christ is the Church and He walks among us and calls us. He doesn't need or want another "principle" than Himself. There were many Who saw Him in the flesh in Jerusalem - who know all the principles of Judaism - and yet did not see His Theanthropic Nature, His Divinity. This comes by way of experience of the Divine, by divine revelation. The same is true about Christ today as in those days, for He is His Body, the Church.
Thanks for this it was pretty cool! Can you please get a Coptic Priest that is Oriental Orthodox and have a discussion about miaphysitism vs heretical monophysitism? I would love to hear discussions about this. A lot of eastern orthodox attack coptics but it seems like the difference is in terminology/words.
He seems supersmart, but his ideas barely reach me with his wording. I think fr. Josiah Trenham did a better job explaining similar topics on this channel. But I'm still happy to watch the video. Keep it up! Thank you!
God bless Fr Peter. I love listening to this wise man, as a catechumen in the Orthodox Church coming from Protestantism. ☦️
Likewise! Many years to you fellow catechumen!
Welcome home 💗☦️💗
Welcome!
Just reading your massage, how wonderful for you to find yourself on this path.
Glory to God . I am not sure what church you are going to but take your time and look at everything very close . Don’t rush, there is so much to learn . God loves you and He is not in a hurry. God bless you
Welcome home sister! ☦️ I also was Protestant and was received into the Church on January 16, 2021.
Love Fr. Peter. I’m a convert from Roman Catholicism to Orthodoxy and never get tired of listening to this
Glad you enjoyed it!
@@GospelSimplicity Thanks. I pray for you and your journey (hopefully to Orthodoxy :)
And I ask you to please pray for me a sinner
I discovered your channel while going through some big issues in my life and some doubts in my faith. Your channel has not only helped this Baptist boy find a renewed sense of faith, but also to point me towards Orthodoxy!
Glad the channel has been helpful!
May God bless and illuminate your path towards His Orthodox Church. You’re in my prayers Tyler :)
Glory to God
I’m Catholic, but I rejoice when anyone comes to the Sacraments! Nothing like it.
@@CrankyGrandma Saint Augustine (died A.D. 430): “No man can find salvation except in the Catholic Church. Outside the Catholic Church one can have everything except salvation. One can have honor, one can have the sacraments, one can sing alleluia, one can answer amen, one can have faith in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and preach it too, but never can one find salvation except in the Catholic Church.” (Sermo ad Caesariensis Ecclesia plebem)
This was a great interview! Fr. Peter presents Orthodox teaching in such a clear manner - completely devoid of pseudo philosophical speech and refreshing like a spring water.
This was so edifying, Austin! You might not realise, but these videos are just as helpful to us as Orthodox Christians in helping us understand who we are and what we need to become. God bless you!
Amen sister.
Exactly!!!
Once more I see the beauty of the Orthodox faith. I was evangelical too, and there is not a second I regret returning to Christ and His Church. It may be hard and challenging, but it is real and sobering. I like how open and helpful you are as an interviewer! I enjoyed every second of this conversation! Thank you! Let God lead His people to all truth!
Orthodoxy is a construct of 5-7th centuries Byzantium in ritual and theology. There is only a marginal relationship between e. orthodoxy and Christ and the Apostles.
Its a rapidly declining cultural form of Christianity, the largest centers of orthodoxy, Ethiopia and Russian are hemorrhaging 100s of thousands of believers to Evangelical and Pentecostal Churches. God bless.
@@felixguerrero6062, I think you misrepresent facts. Orthodoxy is continuation of Christianity form 1st century. Look at the history ot 1 century Christianity and you will see the links... Didache and texts from St. Client of Rome. He is a direct successor of st. ap Peter. See what he believed. You will instantly link it to Orthodox theology as it is and has always been. :) It is truth preserved. Orthdoxy is what Christ thought, the apostles preached and the fathers kept. All the best!!!
@@DesertFlowerQueen
I understand your position, however there is no serious scholar of early Christianity that would agree with this assessment. Furthermore, the early sources you cite, the Didache and Clement* of Rome demonstrate none of the central features of Orthodoxy, theosis or high iconographic theology etc... Most protestant converts to Orthodoxy or RCC do so simply because of alienation and an appearance of antiquity of said traditions, without fully grasping that the form of Christianity they are buying into are merely and early-medivial or even late medieval (in most cases) which have almost nothing to with the Christianity of the First and Second Century much less the New Testament tradition itself. God bless.
@@felixguerrero6062 Sure, but western scholars are pretty biased in their reading of history. Both Catholic and Protestant. I don't know why but most of them interpret it in light of their own theology and ignore some important facts about the key Christian texts from 1-3 century. Orthodox theology is not a later development. It is a preservation of what has always been there. Iconography in Catacombs from 2 century are not enough evidence for you? What about the fact St. Luke made the first handcrafed icon? St. Jacob (1 st century) wrote liturgy. Yes, a liturgy. There wasn't a pastor reading the Scriptures then, because they were not spread and collected in the same way in every local parish, but there was the liturgy, which describes the faith. In prayer. Prayer and theology are connected. When it comes to protestants, usually they ignore in Dideche two important things: The real presense of Christ in the Eucharist (evident in the Eucharistic prayer there), and also the practice of fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays. This still happenes in the Orthodox Church. If you really read the texts by early church fathers from 1, 2 and 3rd century, you will see all Orthodox beliefs already there - including theosis. It is all there. It is all the faith deliveded to the saints once and for all. For me there is no way to read carefully the writings of Clement, Ignatius and Polycarp and remain protestant, unless you read them in a biased way and ignore certain unpleasant passages. And this is called confirmation bias. Orthdooxy was the last place I would like to find myself in.. I was protestant first. But when God leads you to His truth, you have two choices: 1. To go the way you percieve as the way; 2. To take the way God intends and follow Him in His true Church. I chose the second option although it was difficult, because I had lots of freinds to lose.
So, to sum it up... Climent talks about the heirarchy in the Church and about apostolic succession. Continues St. ap, Paul's work to Corinthians.
St. Ignatius discusses eccesiology in certainly Orthodox light. Not protestant. The Early Church Fathers are in favour of Orthodox theology. And this is one of the intellectual reasons I am now Orthodox as opposed to anything else. The other reasons are very personal and I would not discuss them here.
The creed of faith from the first two ecumenical councils is also something to concider? Right? :)
Take care! :)
@@DesertFlowerQueen
God bless you sister. Again, scholars of early Christianity are specialized in the first three centuries, with fluencies, in Greek, Latin, Syriac etc... This is their exact area of study. You are simply repeating facile orthodox polemics that are very well known. All Protestants theologians are familiar with the Didache, and Patristics and most modern scholarship today on Patristics is done by Protestant (liberal protestations, which of course I do not support). This is a simple fact. Furthermore, St Luke did not create an Icon, neither did St Jacob create a liturgy in the 1st century these are all pious fables.
The central tenants and practices of Orthodoxy did not emerge until the early medieval period. In the New Testament there is no strong differentiation between presbyters and bishops, no high sacramentology or sacerdotalism, nor explicitly prescribed liturgical practices, but it's clear that the earliest church as we see in the epistles of St Paul were small groups of Christians, men and women of various social groups and nations that met together in houses to break bread, sing hymns, read the Hebrew Bible and letters circulated by the Apostles, pray, prophesy and speak in tongues. The Church was a highly participative community of faith, everyone was actively involved and used their spiritual gifts in public worship. And this is what still goes on in the True Church of our Lord all across the world from Brazil to India and everywhere in between. Orthodoxy is sadly dead ritualism and prideful mysticism that has done nothing to proclaim Christ to the nations.
1 Corinthians 14
26 What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.
1 Corinthians 12
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines
Your Orthodox videos are always the best!
Fr. Peter Heers is a fount of wisdom with a true Orthodox phronema. 🙏🙏🙏
I had a great time chatting with him!
He most certainly is! He has filled himself with the Holy Scriptures, Holy Fathers, Councils and Cannons, the lives of the Saints... in short the Ethos of the Church - the mind of Christ. He is both a firebrand but also a beautiful and soft hearted disciple of the Lord.
Lvyc t d b s
@@Zepomajestic ???
Phd in Orthodox theology
Please explore more about Orthodoxy! ❤️☦️ Thank you for these interviews
I never expected this. This is going to be the BEST interview
Glad this could be a pleasant surprise!
Omg yassss! Orthodoxy ❤️
YESSSS....the treasure of Holy Orthodoxy revealed
Really inspirational. Learned a lot.
Father Peter is very dear to me. I know this will be a terrific interview. May it be blessed!
Thanks!
George! My brother!
Shut up...
George smells.
@@IAMFISH92 if you mean he smells like a fresh mountain spring... then you would be correct😬
@@IAMFISH92 Kieran my brother! Buzz off 😆
Fr. Peter is a treasure and a God-provided compass in our modern storm of confusion inside and outside of the Church. Austin has become a top-notch interviewer with more authenticity, empathy, humility, interest, knowledge, preparation, and hard-honed skill than most of the pros! Thank you both!
Wow, thank you so much!
Yes! There were so many times I was like “wow Father gave a deep answer there, this interviewer is gonna need a moment to catch up, but NOPE came back with another great question that really captures the heart of what a lot of inquiries into the Orthodox Church from a Protestant perspective would look like. It’s clear that some good research was done online before this. I just want to say online research is Nothing like prolonged in person experience. I challenge serious Orthodox inquirers to attend as many services as possible during Lent! Try to fast and prepare along side the church for great and holy Pascha. See what you think after that!
wow the part about memorizing all of scripture not being what saves you, but rather entering into the church was eye opening.
Christ is the Church, the Body of Christ, of which He is the Head, and so we encounter Him here and not only or mainly in the written account of His three year Presence. His Presence continues, the incarnation continues, and just as they met His Body in real time and space then, so too do we meet Him in a particular time and space in His Body, which has never been absent or lost or corrupted - an impossibility by His nature but also because He promised us He would be with us until the end of time and guide us in all Truth.
Come and see - this is what the Apostles said then, and they say today.
God bless!
- Fr. Peter
FYI:
You may be interested in learning more via our other online outlets:
I just subscribed! Love the content! I’m a former charismatic protest, to reformed Baptist.so full of joy to finally come to orthodoxy.it has truly been an amazing journey.
Fr. Peter Heers! What a most pleasant surprise! He is loved and deeply respected by so many, rightfully so! Thank you! 😀👍
My pleasure!
This is so helpful for me on my journey from Protestantism to orthodoxy! Thank you for a humble and open discussion!
Welcome home, Kaitie!
💝💝💝💒💒💒
What a shame. You have embraced heresy
@@lionsoftruthministries3126 yeah and you and those seven subscribers are the only ones who have the truth?
@@theunknownone2189
I just started this last week :)
It blows my mind that the auto-caption bot is able to properly transcribe "parakatathiki." I think a raise is in order.
Fr Heers' explanation of the uncreated nature of the Word blew my mind. Thank you for this great interview Austin and Fr Peter-God bless you! ☧
Glad you enjoyed it!
I know-I will have to listen to that part another time or two. And other things. Maybe the whole thing☺️
This is great man! At the end of the day for me it was stepping into and experiencing heaven (the divine liturgy) that converted me good luck on your journey!
Thank you, Father Peter and Austin! Another superb learning experience from Gospel Simplicity, reinforcing my embrace of Orthodoxy and my appreciation of this ministry.
Such an integration of the Faith and wisdom in these words! I'm so glad he took the time to explain Scripture and tradition the way that he did.
Now THIS, is a man you can trust. Why? Because he will only tell you what the Holy Fathers say. ☦️ We only hand down what was handed down. Innovation 🚫
@Miss BellJr Yes, and the Holy Spirit-filled Fathers of the Church and Saints of God, and the Holy Orthodox Church founded by Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit of God.
@Miss BellJr Exactly why we listen to the church fathers. They weren't just random guys spouting their theories. These men were devout theologians who often times entire lives were devoted to Christ and his holy church. We trust the Holy Spirit has guided these men, and as He is trustworthy, the reporting of these men is trustworthy by proxy.
Peter Heers is impersonating as a church authority but has been publicly disavowed by reputable Orthodox sources, including ROCOR itself. He is not affiliated with any bishop or authority known to date. He presents his interpretation as fact and makes money off gullible people who think he is a legitimate source of Orthodoxy but many of his views are rejected as false or fringe by scholars and leaders in the church
Fr Peter's was awesome ! And gospel simplicity appreciate your work. And appreciate your soft heart and humility.
Loved both !
I really appreciated his words on authority in the Church. Speaking of the Holy Fathers and Saints who have come before us, and how we are to regain both Image & Likeness of Christ (via Holy Mysteries & Ascetic struggle).
I am so glad to see you collaborate with Fr. Peter Heers! What an insightful, edifying talk. Thank you for this, Austin! 🙏🏻
Glad you enjoyed it!
Fr Peter is such a great teacher. I appreciate this channel.
Austin, thank you for the sympathetic, courteous and considerate way of communicating with all your guests. I really appreciate that. It's great listening to that kind of discussion.
Love love love Orthodoxy ☦️☦️☦️❤❤❤. Sending prayers from Sydney Australia
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney
@@junesilvermanb2979 high iq plays
Would you like to do a discussion?
Here for this
Pog
YES YES YES YES YES
Looking very much forward to it!
Hey Jay! Thanks for reaching out and sharing the video. I really appreciate that and this offer to do a discussion. Would it be ok if I took some time to think about a topic and get back to you?
Well, this is an unexpected collaboration.
I hope it’s a pleasant surprise!
Amazing interview and with a priest that has produced material that helped in my formation. Thanks for putting out great content like this Austin!
My pleasure!
This is based, thank you for having him, Austin. What did you think of the interview and how it went?
My pleasure! It was great. We covered a lot of ground and went deep, but he brought up things I had never considered.
Thank you so much for putting out these videos and interviews. I am Orthodox but they have been a great resource in helping me improve my ability to explain the faith to others, especially those with protestant backgrounds. God bless!
It’s my pleasure!
We're with you Fr. Peter - Jordanville misses you - God bless your efforts, and multiply them!
I can also vouch for our Holy Elder Ephraim. People don’t really begin to understand what a saint we had here in the USA. May he pray for us in front of the Throne of Christ!
An absolutely wonderful interview. So many things to take in. I'll definitely have to listen to it again. Thank you for this!
Nice! Looking forward to it. Father Peter is a good and knowledgeable priest.
Hope you enjoy it!
Fr. Peter is the best. A real voice in the church.
Father Peter takes “being of one mind” with such importance and care. When I began reading the Fathers this was apparent as one of their central characteristics. And here we have in the 21st century another man holding to that same mindset. And I’ve heard and seen it come up against such resistance. But the Truth cannot be snuffed out. Keep Father Peter in your prayers.
@@joshuamoore8278 the Church isn't Protestant or Roman Catholic.
@@joshuamoore8278 Oh man, that gives me a headache to think about. Lol
This was a lot... a lot. I keep having to start and stop the podcast so my brain can take a break. Lol. Love it!
I totally get that!
Going through comments on this and other videos of the channel, I can conclude this is one of the best Orthodox missionary channels :)
Wonderful, Austin. I will have a seat at this table! As an aside, I hope you have been following Fr. Seraphim's reflections regarding the violence up on Capitol Hill and our duties as Christians. Profound. Brave. Challenging. I'm grateful he is here and that you two made an aquaintance.
Hope you enjoy it! I’m so grateful for Fr. Seraphim’s work
@@WaterWhirld I won't link to them here because it's Austin's page, but if you go to Fr. Seraphim's Mull Monastery youtube channel he has 2 videos which specifically deal with the craziness. The are labeled "On Violence and Power" and "What Would Happen if we were all martyred for the Truth of Christ?"
YESSS!!!! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN WANTING!!!
Hope you enjoy it!
ABSOLUTELY TRUE...yesss
Great work, brother. Here's my sincere compliment with no intention of conversion.
Keep it up.
hey,I can t wait to see this interview,I am a protestant and i want to learn more abt church history in general and i apreciate you Austin for doing al those things!! I am glad to be a protestant and to know the church history,it is amazing man! again,be blessed for those things and just as a little tip (i love the podcasts with Garvin) wish we can be able to see more of them ^.^
This was such a helpful talk. Amazing, thank you Fr. Peter Heers and Austin. God bless
Thank you both for this interview. Father Peter is clearly not only a learned man, but also someone who seeks to live his faith.
Brother, you are killing it! Great job and God bless!
Thanks!
What’s up Austin, God bless brother. I just wanted to let you know that Constantine Zalalas from “Nicodemos the Hagiorite” Channel is also really good. God bless again and thanks for all the quality content.
Thanks!
He is a great teacher! I believe he is a Greek Orthodox layman.
Indeed! He’s a very solid lay theologian
@@Yallquietendown Fr. Peter is a priest.
Great video. Thank God for Father Peter🙏🏼 Thank you for this!
Very helpful. Thanks Fr Peter. Thanks for GS for hosting it. It was good to know that there were more ecumenical councils than I knew. Jim Papandreas' 29 free lectures gave me a great insight to the early church fathers.
Glad you enjoyed it!
This guy is awesome. I've only watched his Shorts. I really need to listen to his longer talks. He's so full of knowledge.
WOW!! Can’t wait, just saw it ok Facebook and rushed to see if it’s posted!!
That’s awesome! Hope you enjoy it when it comes out!
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me. Ever time I hear Fr. Peter talk I get given another confirmation that converting to Orthodoxy is my only option. Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.
Always like hearing from Fr. P. Heers. Great talk.
How many Orthodox does it take to change a lightbulb?
Change?
😂
Light bulb? 🤔
@@joachim847 hehe you wondering? Two options: there is no change in the Orthodox Church in doctrine and we don't need light bulbs(artificial light) in Orthodox Church,we have the original Sun of Justice our Lord Jesus Christ...!!!! My interpretation of this joke.
@@evans3922 THere is no change in the Orthodox Church.
Exactly. That's why it can't be the true Church of Jesus Christ -- The Church must both change and not change at the same time. A baby doesn't look like an adult human being. An acorn doesn't look like a Sequoia, but they are both one in the same.
God Bless
P.S. Light bulbs are a gift from God. We'd be fools not to use and give thanks for what God has gifted us.
@@WhiteBraveheart1
Change and not change.
You mean remain relevant to a world that has always despised Jesus Christ and his disciples . This is one of the main reasons I returned to the Orthodox Church . Remaining relevant quickly becomes pandering to the world. A desire to be validated by the world creates far to much change. Worship becomes entertainment; Jesus becomes a cool hipster. The Orthodox Church is in the world but not part of it. The Orthodox Church loves the world but will not pander to it. The Orthodox Church will preach salvation through Jesus Christ no matter what the world does to it; and world has tried many times to destroy the Orthodox Church. And yet here she remains.
Man, this was great. I can listen to him talk all day. ha!
Thanks!
Might I add your works/videos are evergreen because the subject matter you explore is also evergreen and most importantly because what pertains to the scriptures and to the Salvation from God through Christ our Saviour is so very evergreen and relevant through the ages of ages!! I can’t thank you enough for what you do! May the Holy Spirit continue to illuminate and guide you in what you do!!
Yes! So stoked for this! Love your interviews!
Thanks! Hope you enjoy it!
Elder Efraim filotheitis/Arizona is a Saint. Love to everybody especially to the persons that suffer. GLORY TO GOD!
Thank you for this interview... very well put by Fr Peter as always
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for an insightful exploration of orthodox understanding of Christian truth
How wonderful and marvelous the true Ethos of Christianity , well and alive.
You found a great priest to interview ☦️
Thanks!
fall in love of your channel , I believe God directed me to watch your channel, there are a lot of information from your channel. am Catholic from Malaysia. God bless you
Dear Austin, I wish a had a best friend like you. God bless you ❤️
I am looking forward to this!!
Hope you enjoy it!
People should spend less time philosophizing about God and more time praying to him - St Paisios the Athenite.
This is essentially what Fr. Peter presents about Orthodoxy in the episode.
@@josiahkeenAbsolutely. Hits the nail on the head around the hour and five minute mark, essentially saying (paraphrasing here):
"Are you philosophizing about God, or worshipping Him?"
Thank you so much!!!
Can't wait! 😁
Hope you like it!
This is gonna be epic.
Hope you enjoy it!
Update: It was epic.
Wonderful interview! Appreciate the content!!
This is going to be fun! Although if you go down this route on councils I'd love to see a deep dive on Oritental Orthodoxy too! (Coptic, Ethiopian, Syriac, Armenian, etc.)
Yes please
I’m still plugging for Chaldean Catholic. Amazing liturgy.
@@CrankyGrandma personally I'd love to see one of these channels dive deep into either Ethiopian Orthodoxy or Indian Malankara Orthodoxy, which are in many ways extremely foreign to Western Christians.
Also from a purely theological standpoint I'd love to see the Assyrian Church of the East or Ancient Church of the East, since they break off at the Council of Ephesus even before Oriental Orthodoxy breaks off at the Council of Chalcedon.
@@adambrickley9088 Me too.
Cool. This could be DEEP. ☦️ Great pick👍
This is a great interview. May I suggest Fr Zacharias Zacharou to be your next guest .
Thanks!
Keep talking to people like this! I would recommend Father Patrick Reardon, or Bishop Irenei Steinberg, if you can get in contact with either.
Fr. Patrick Reardon and I are already in touch about an in person interview!
@@GospelSimplicity Glory to God! I would also recommend Fr. Demetrios Carellas if he were willing to do something like that. I look forward to it!
@@GospelSimplicity good.
I love your channel and your guests. I am amazed to see the true church in USA. Love from Ethiopia. I am an oriental orthodox(Ethiopian tewahedo orthodox church). I would like to see a guest who speak on the eastern orthodox vs oriental orthodox. I think one small difference we have is on Christology - the natures of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Excellent interview!! I could tell this could have gone on for hours!! Wish it did haha! Thank you!
Thanks! Haha, maybe next time!
@@GospelSimplicity :-)
I wish I had more thumbs up to give
Fr. Peter Heers discusses a reality of the Christian faith around the 56-57 min mark about living a crucified lifestyle that everyone claiming to believe in Jesus needs to pay very close attention to because he accurately describes how we are to live.
Very good, great subjects covered very clearly 👍
Glad you liked it!
Love this Father! He’s the bomb! He’s trustworthy!🙏🙏
I know I'm biased, as Orthodox, but what a blessing to hear this presented this way. Thank you
You should see if you can interview Fr. Stephen De Young of the Lord of Spirits podcast. If you haven't listened to their podcast it's mind blowing stuff.
Thanks! I'll look into him
Yes, And Fr. Andrew on the same podcast.
@@upliftingcommunity2465 d
I'm Catholic, and I love my Orthodox brothers and sisters!
That’s great to hear!
@@icxcnika2037 Thank you, Glory to God!
"You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it" -- Matt 16:18
We love you! God Bless
@@icxcnika2037 I think you'll find that you schismed so you come home ;)
@@icxcnika2037 Sadly they think that the entire Church schismed from their then one local church and Ecumenical Bishop. It is nonsensical. All Bishops descend from St. Peter, especially Antioch. If those Saints in the first millennium saw what became of Rome, they would denounce it.
We love you too! Hopefully the Church will be one again soon!
Interesting to see much greater engagement and views whenever Orthodox are being interviewed when compared with Roman Catholic guests.
Well, to be fair, my most popular videos are still Catholic, but I have been pleasantly surprised by how well this interview and the one with Fr. Josiah have been received
To be honest...we are in America which is unequivocally tethered to Roman Catholicism via the Protestant Reformation! It is theologically Western Centric! Orthodoxy is somewhat novelty here but is on the incline!!
Watching this as a RC. I think there is value in Orthodoxy .
Hvala puno ☦️
Fr Peter is awesome!
This ought to be good!
Thanks!
Would love to see him and Michael Lofton together on your show
Oh wow that’s an interesting idea
As an Orthodox believer, I’d like to add to Fr. Peter’s great message that as Orthodox Christians, our living authority is Christ Himself, who was (pre-incarnation) and is living eternally from the beginning, with the Father and Holy Spirit. The saints are also living authorities in that they live in Christ.
Thanks
I am now a Traditional Catholic ✝️ born and raised Orthodox ☦️ I Love Fr Heers!! Thank you so much for having him on 😊 Ultimately it was the Mother of God through the Rosary 📿 which called me to the Traditional Catholic Church. Evil Popes will come and go as they always have. But the deposit of faith will remain with the Remnant ♥️
@Gramavic -- We pray you experience the life of the Church, are inspired by the lives of the Saints, and having done so return to the Church, for it is impossible to do this and leave the Church for the confusion and distortion of Papal Protestantism. Forgive us for our bluntness.
Well done! This is a great and important video.
I want to ask a follow-up question (and I don't want it to be received as an attack; it's a sincere question; I am asking because I want to know):
Presume for a moment that a pagan or atheist (or someone else with zero monotheist upbringing) in Year X (where X can be any year between the Ascension and now) suddenly becomes convinced by God's grace that there is Exactly One God, that Jesus somehow is God, that Jesus rose from the grave, and that Jesus established a Church, which we should all join.
How can such a person figure out which Church to join? ...and, by what argument would that person ever "land on" the Greek Orthodox Church? ...as opposed to the Russian (who aren't currently in communion with the Greek), or the Assyrian Church of the East, or the Tewahedo, or the Catholic?
Fr. Peter gives us an Orthodox principle for discerning which Ecumenical Councils are "real," and that principle includes a council being "received" by "the faithful." Okay...but, which "faithful" is he talking about? The ones who showed their faithfulness by rejecting the council? Or the ones who showed their faithfulness by accepting it?
I mean, some groups rejected Chalcedon; others accepted it. If we start off assuming that the ones who accepted it were correct, then, fine: Those are "the faithful" and we should accept what they accept. But if they were wrong, and the non-Chalcedonian Christians are correct, then the "faithful" were those who rejected that council, and we should reject what they reject, since that council was not "received by the faithful." Doesn't that follow?
In the end, it appears there is a Circular Logic Loop: I can know which teachings are true by locating the True Church and letting that Church teach me the true content of Christianity... AND, I can only identify which is the True Church by locating the group whose "faithful" accepted the councils you should accept, rejected the councils you should reject, and thereby ultimately wound up with the correct teachings... AND it's necessary for me to first determine (to my own satisfaction) what the correct teachings are, so that I can discern which councils were right or wrong, so that I can find the "faithful" who accepted only the correct councils, so that I can locate the True Church, so that I can find out what the true teachings are... ARGH!
The only sure guide I have is that Jesus won't let the Gates of Hades prevail, and surely that means He won't let the True Church go extinct. Therefore, we can all exclude the Montanists and the Tertullians and the Paulicans.
But it doesn't seem to help me to exclude the Assyrian Church of the East or the Copts or the Catholic.
Imagine how confusing the choices would be, to my hypothetical former-pagan or former-atheist seeking the True Church in 87 A.D., or 125 A.D., or 305 A.D., or 490 A.D., or 730 A.D., or 915 A.D., or 1365 A.D., or 1620 A.D., or 1800 A.D., or now!
It seems to me that Christ should have provided one principle, which my former-pagan or former-atheist could have used, in ANY of those time-periods, to choose Which Church. And, while it might require him to do some work, it shouldn't be IMPOSSIBLE. It shouldn't, for example, require that he suddenly become a great theologian and church historian, just in order to find the right Church. (We can't all have PhD's, after all. Someone's gotta be the Plumber or the Kitchen Renovator.)
What principle would Fr. Peter provide?
The reception by the faithful is not a "stand alone" criterion. Others were given: the presence of glorified Holy Fathers, that the council is following the Holy Fathers before them, among the spiritual presuppositions, not to mention the legal and historic presuppositions which were mentioned in the video. But, remember: this is a council OF the Church, FOR the Church. It is not an intellectual discussion, a debate, a lecture, an opinion to be debated, etc. It is not a part of the Church's missionary work, per se (although it supports it, of course). The Church doesn't lead with its internal life, but with the preaching of Christ and Him Crucified. And, the Church shares the Gospel face to face and the people know that we are Christ's by the love we have for Him and for one another. . . and one could go on about how that hypothetical pagan or atheist would determine where Christ/the Church is.
You are approaching the matter from the "outside," externally, rationalistically, looking for an answer without experience guiding you to it. One has to 'come and see' and experience Christ in the Church before epignosis / knowledge of the Truth can be attained (for it is an experiential knowledge).
How did people know Christ was true? They went and sat at his feat and heard Him teach, for one. This is the same today and in every age, for the Church is Christ. The apostles did not only say "Christ is the one foretold by the Prophets," but also "come and see" Him Who is foretold by the Prophets.
If you remain on the rational/logical plane, it will always appear to be circular. One cannot truly know the Truth of the Gospel - or Chalcedon - without experience, because the Truth of Christ and the experience of Christ is supra-rational (not irrational). Logical analysis, historical review, and the like, when taken ALONE, without experience of the Grace of God and the Life of the Church, can only take you so far...it cannot bring you into the Bridal Chamber. The Church submits to Christ. His disciples crucify their intellects. These are presuppositions of epignosis/experiential knowledge.
The True Church will not be overcome, indeed, and it is not hard to get a good first assessment of Her on basis of the marks of the Church - One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic - IF you have the patristic understanding of these marks. So, this can bring you close - and there are many today who are close to Orthodoxy only on this basis. Even so, having arrived at knowledge ABOUT CHRIST, you have still not entered into experiential knowledge OF Christ. This begins when you "come and see" and pray and listen...
The hypothetical former-pagan or former atheist - if he is still committed to his rationalism - would be confused even if he stood outside the tomb of Christ on the day of resurrection. Indeed, many have done this spiritually throughout Church history: seen and not believed because they still were idolaters in their mind, worshipping their own rational intellect, bowing down before that before all else.
Your last paragraph reminded me of the Grand Inquisitor and his view of Christ's commitment to man's freedom. I highly suggest that you read The Brothers Karamazov!
Remember: Christ is the Church and He walks among us and calls us. He doesn't need or want another "principle" than Himself. There were many Who saw Him in the flesh in Jerusalem - who know all the principles of Judaism - and yet did not see His Theanthropic Nature, His Divinity. This comes by way of experience of the Divine, by divine revelation. The same is true about Christ today as in those days, for He is His Body, the Church.
Very helpful interview! Thank you very much :)
Glad it was helpful!
Taking a few days to get through this, but its really good stuff. Thank you for brining this to us, Gospel Simplicity :)
Glory be to God 🙏🏼☦️
Always!
This helped me. Thank you.
Glad it helped!
I'd love if you arranged another interview with Fr. Peter. God bless.
That was absolutely awesome. Thank you, Austin.
Thanks for this it was pretty cool! Can you please get a Coptic Priest that is Oriental Orthodox and have a discussion about miaphysitism vs heretical monophysitism? I would love to hear discussions about this. A lot of eastern orthodox attack coptics but it seems like the difference is in terminology/words.
Could be interesting!
Yes!
He seems supersmart, but his ideas barely reach me with his wording. I think fr. Josiah Trenham did a better job explaining similar topics on this channel. But I'm still happy to watch the video. Keep it up! Thank you!
Fr Peter Heers is pretty epic
It was fun talking to him!