Is the Orthodox Church like the Catholics or Protestants?

Well, the Orthodox Church is "catholic" in the original meaning of the word: "whole, complete, and universal." But centuries before the Reformation split Western Europe between Roman Catholics and Protestants, Orthodox Christians were resisting Latin doctrinal innovations and the Roman Pope's attempts to become supreme over the Church. Before there were Protestants, before the Roman Catholic Church began innovating, there weren't denominations; there was just the Church. That early Church hasn't gone anywhere. It's still around. It's Orthodox. That's a pretty bold claim, isn't it? It is a bold statement — but Jesus Christ promised that he would found His Church, that His Spirit would lead her into all truth, and that the gates of hell would not prevail against her. So it makes sense that the community of believers, established by Christ on the foundation of prophets and apostles, should continue uninterrupted until He comes again. Jesus never left room for us to believe that the ...  more

Well, the Orthodox Church is “catholic” in the original meaning of the word: “whole, complete, and universal.” But centuries before the Reformation split Western Europe between Roman Catholics and Protestants, Orthodox Christians were resisting Latin doctrinal innovations and the Roman Pope’s attempts to become supreme over the Church. Before there were Protestants, before the Roman Catholic Church began innovating, there weren’t denominations; there was just the Church. That early Church hasn’t gone anywhere. It’s still around. It’s Orthodox. That’s a pretty bold claim, isn’t it? It is a bold statement — but Jesus Christ promised that he would found His Church, that His Spirit would lead her into all truth, and that the gates of hell would not prevail against her. So it makes sense that the community of believers, established by Christ on the foundation of prophets and apostles, should continue uninterrupted until He comes again. Jesus never left room for us to believe that the ...  more