IS IT ERROR OR HERESY?

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

IS IT ERROR OR HERESY?

The question arises whether the theological differences between Churches are based on error or if its heresy? How does one determine what it is? The fact is that theologically error is not the same as heresy, though all heresy involves error; heresy is following own choice or opinion instead of Divine truth preserved by the Church, so as to cause division among Christians. Heresy is a system of thought which contradicts true doctrine. It is false teaching, which all true Christians must reject (Matthew 7:15; 2 Peter 2:1). Heresy undermines salvation, while error can be a mistake on a non-essential matter, often a difference in interpretation that does NOT break fellowship. Orthodoxy means "right belief," and heresy is a "choice" (from the Greek hairesis [αιρεσις) to deviate from that right belief on crucial points, often becoming a divisive sect.

Error can be minor (e.g., views on baptismal practice, the millennium), while heresy attacks foundational truths (e.g., the nature of Jesus, salvation by grace). A true heretic actively and deliberately promotes and spreads a false teaching that corrupts the faith, whereas someone in error might hold a mistaken view privately or unintentionally. Heresy is a "fatal wound" to the Gospel and the Church’s unity, potentially leading to apostasy, while error might just cause disagreement. Heresy like the ancient heresy of Arianism (denying Christ’s Divinity), Gnosticism (denying the physical world/body), or teaching of salvation through works instead of grace.

In short, Orthodoxy is the standard of "right belief," error is being wrong about something, and heresy is a deliberate, damaging rejection of core truth, making it a far more serious theological issue than simple error. To underestimate the danger that heresy pauses would be unimaginable and irresponsible. The Church has fought heresy and heretics relentlessly throughout its history by convening Ecumenical Councils to address the problem as one united Church. The Orthodox Church formulates dogmas primarily through Ecumenical Synods (Councils) which define truths revealed by God in response to heresies, not proactively, relying on Holy Scripture, Apostolic Tradition, and the consensus of the Church [hierarchy,
clergy, laity) guided by the Holy Spirit to articulate mysteries like the Holy Trinity or Christ’s nature, ensuring these dogmas are rooted in lived faith, not mere intellectual concepts.

Examples of Dogmatic Formulations:

Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.): Christ is homoousios (of one substance)
with the Father (Nicene Symbol of faith or Creed).

Council of Ephesus (431 A.D.): Ever-Virgin Mary is THEOTOKOS (Mother
of God).

Council of Chalcedon (451 A.D.): Christ is one Person with two
distinct Natures (Divine and Human).

In essence, dogmas in Orthodoxy are the Church’s authoritative, Spirit-
guided expression of Revealed Truth, safeguarding the faith from
distortion and corruption, and guiding believers towards spiritual
perfection, not a set of changeable rules.

"The Church of Jesus Christ is a unique entity compromising the Revealed Truths of the Christian religion. The Church, or rather the Church of the faithful, embodies the Christian faith, projects Christian hope, and gives life to Christian agape. The Church was founded by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who remains in it forever ITS HEAD. Christ entrusts His own Being to the Church, handing down Divine Revelation, in oral form, and later recorded in written form, to constitute Holy Tradition at large. The faithful, Saints, and sinners, assemble together under the Church’s shelter to achieve repentance and forgiveness and to fortify the steadfastness of their will for the accomplishment of the Will of God. In this Church, the truth is preserved, proclaimed, and shared sacredly among the faithful. This Church is the Divine Workshop for the teaching and sanctification of the faithful. It is the DEPOSITORY OF TRUTHS FOR THEIR REDEMPTION. There is nothing that contributes to the salvation of the faithful, which is not contained in the Chruch’s ministry, its DIAKONIA. The Church is the whole strength of faithful and pious Christians. These people constitute the "ROYAL PRIESTHOOD" by their sanctification and dedication.

The Church of the faithful embodies the "CONSCIENCE OF THE CHURCH" in its pronouncements and missions. Jesus Christ, the CORNERSTONE OF THE CHURCH, is "THE LORD GOD, WHO IS, AND WHO WAS, AND WHO IS TO COME, THE ALMIGHTY" (Revelation 1:8). Who has erected, established, and bequeathed to the Church the Divine Grace which is the Almighty Power. Therefore, the Militant Church on earth is a part of the Kingdom of Heaven, for the King is Ever-present to lead and sanctify the members of His own Mystical Body. He is "Jesus Christ, Who is the faithful Witness, and the First-begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own Blood" (Revelation 1:5).

The Church of Christ has in its nature the tendency to become and to grow; it has the nature to engulf and develop the truths or Revelation (Apocalypse); it is to be delved into from time to time to find and pronounce the truths of which the Church is the Pillar. The Church, AS A WHOLE , IS INFALLIBLE, but its not God-inspired to the extent that it has understood the entire depths of the truths and formulated and proclaimed them to the world. The Church, by nature and duty, from time to time — to settle controversies — formulates, defines, and pronounces some of these Revealed truths. In such instances, the Holy Fathers of the Church have assembled in Synods to discuss the disputed points and to decree and interpret the correct meanings of those truths. In doing so, the Synods of the Holy Fathers, as a whole and as individuals, have believed that their decisions are infallible. Their decisions, however, are not considered permanent until they are accepted by the "CONSCIENCE OF THE CHURCH," the WHOLE BODY OF THE FAITHFUL, CLERGY, AND LAITY, WHO MUST GIVE THEIR CONSENT…

The Church of Christ and its Divine nature, as set forth above, is the foundation upon which the Eastern Orthodox Church continues to administer and nourish its faithful, thereby protecting its fundamental essentials. The essentials of the Orthodox Church and its members can be divided into four correlated parts:

1. Principles of belief and faith;
2. The worship of God, in Whom lies belief
and hope of salvation;
3. The living of life so as to serve one’s
neighbor and especially the "least of
them" as well as oneself, and
4. The enforcing of a system of order of
discipline and administration for the
members of this Church.

The Teachings and the Practices of the Orthodox Church are to be found in the Holy Scripture and Sacred Apostolic Tradition, which have been handed down to the Church of Christ IN THE REVELATION OF GOD. These Sacred Sources are essential not only for CORRECT TEACHING AND WORSHIP, but ESPECIALLY AS SOURCES OF THE PROMISES AND COVENANTS OF GOD FULFILLED IN THE PERSON OF CHRIST. The Father, out of agape and compassion, sent Christ TO SAVE MANKIND AND TO REMAIN FOREVER IN THE ECCLESIA WHCIH HE FOUNDED. It is imperative for all Christians to understand the content of these Sacred Sources in order to strengthen their faith in God and to accept Jesus Chris AS THE ONLY REDEEMER BY WHOM AND IN WHOM MAN’S PERSONAL SALVATION IS WROUGHT." (The Fundamental Teachings of the Eastern Orthodox Church by Reverend George Mastrantonis)

Having expound on the teachings of the Orthodox Church, I must emphasize the importance of Orthodox theologians to tread carefully when it concerns the sacred truths of our faith. No one at all has the right or the power to either compromise the Orthodox faith or to alter it in any way. Heresy is heresy and heresy is NOT an error. Error does not continue to be an error for hundreds of years. However, heresies continue to be heresies as in the case of the Roman Catholic Church. For example: the violation of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed by inserting or adding the FILIOQUE CLAUSE which changes the Procession of the Holy Spirit, Papal Supremacy and infallibility of the Pope, the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Ever-Virgin Mary and her Bodily Assumption, the doctrine of Purgatory and others.

The Filioque Clause: The Roman Catholic addition to the Nicene Creed
stating the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father AND THE SON (Filioque),
which the Orthodox Church REJECT as a heresy.

Papal Supremacy and Infallibility. The Orthodox reject the Pope’s
universal jurisdiction and claims of infallibility, seeing them as a
departure from the early Church’s conciliar (council-based) structure.

Immaculate Conception: The Roman dogma that the Ever-virgin Mary
was conceived without the ancestral ("original") sin.

Purgatory: The Roman doctrine of Purgatory and the selling of indulgences.

____________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George