/christian/ - Christian Discussion and Fellowship

1. Begome Orthodox and go to confession.

2. Smash any idols you may have acquired during your LARPagan phase

3. Follow the two greatest commandments Jesus tells you to follow

Love God and Love thy neighbor

Other than that, just make sure to exercise your Faith pray, read your Bible, attend Church, give time or money to charity, etc

Also, welcome back anon :)

>>753652

1. Was under the impression that confessions were a Catholic exclusive. My father is a Protestant Christian and felt like I may go own a similar path.

2. Never really was much for Idols.

3. I cannot say with confidence that I know what love is, nor how to express it. Hoping the Bible will guide towards an answer.

Is the King James Bible an acceptable version of the Bible? I know some versions have their twists and turns in order to cherry pick and I'm unsure which ones to be weary of.

Please define "christian"

Would you say they primarily follow a bishop or Jesus Christ?

>>753654

Confession is in the Bible:

>If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9

>He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion

Proverbs 28:19

>was never much for idols

Deep down in your subconscious you must have known God was always the truth

>what is love, how do I express it?

My definition of love is sacrifice. Looking in the Bible and you'll see various Acts of love:

>John the Baptist sacrificed his time and energy to preach God's love and performed Baptisms on people.

>Moses sacrificed his wealth and power in Egypt because he loved his people

>Jesus performs the ultimate sacrifice and gives his life for us so that we may be worthy of God's love once again.

The same can be applied in your daily life. When I got married to my wife, I sacrificed my vidya and my drinking habits so I can fullfill my duties as a husband and a Father. We sacrifice sleeping in on Sunday so we can go to Church because we Love God. Etc etc.

You'll eventually learn how to Love, anon. I believe in you :)

>is the KJV a good Bible

Funnu enough, when I first decided to begome a hieromonk priest monk told me the KJV is the best Bible for English beginners. Eventually my preist gave me an Orthodox Study Bible as well. I read from both, but I consider the OSB superior because it has commentaries from church fathers, beautiful icons and the KJV does leave out passages like Azariyah's prayer in the book of Daniel.

>>753661

Jesus Christ, Church is not required to be a Christian, it's merely a place for guidance and education.

At least that's my understanding of it so far.

>>753668

Question. We have two men, both profess to be Christian.

One goes to Church every Sunday, and shares his communion. He is fully living in the body of Christ.

The other reads the bible at his own pace, stays away from Churches and never is apart of a communion.

Which man is being more true to what the Bible says? Who is the one more immersed in the Spirit? Which Faith is living and growing seed, and which faith is dry of substance?

>>753671

I don't believe I can answer your question.

I've been straying from god ever since the 9th grade, I'm 22 years old now and this is one of my first attempt to come back to god.

>>753674

>let me guess you believe that sola scriptura means personal interpretation

No. My background is from a calvinist teaching

>>753667

Thank you for this.

>>753671

That's an utterly nonsense question. Both could be spiritually dry as a desert. None of the things you've mentioned are signs of a fruitful spiritual life.

>>753654

>My father is a Protestant Christian and felt like I may go own a similar path

I'd encourage you to at least research the Catholic and Orthodox Churches before getting involved with any of the Protestant denoms… as a disgruntled Prot in the process of converting to Catholicism, I wish I had sooner.

>I cannot say with confidence that I know what love is, nor how to express it

I had almost zero empathy for people until I found Christ again. He can heal even the most broken heart, if you're willing to welcome Him into your life.

>Is the King James Bible an acceptable version of the Bible?

When first getting back into my faith, that's what I purchased. It's quite beautiful to read, although certain verses may be difficult to understand and, as with any other English translation, the text contains mistranslated words and biases that wouldn't be found in the original Hebrew/Greek/etc. text. I personally don't care much for the KJV as of late, and would recommend the ESV (or RSV with the deuterocanon) instead. I'm not sure if you have a smart device, but the YouVersion Bible app is free and has a bunch of translations just so you're aware.

>>753671

The first one COULD be spiritual thriving, but not necessarily, depends on how much he actually learns form going to church and reading the bible.

The second one can't be.

>>754391

Yep of i'm of this take, there's no question in my mind at this point. I had a friend from, Germany who said he was *Christian*. But when we got into theology, where he didn't believe in church, thought all religions were full of it. But yet believed in the reformers of Sola Scriptura, Sola Fidel, etc. How that comes out of Martin Luther. Try to talk about the Church fathers with him, nothing didn't ring a bell. Needless to say, a few months later. The guy who stayed up in his home in his private church where all the other secs and religions of the world are bullshit and his, is the only one true one of the *Christian* Faith. Suddenly i get msg's from him, I'm done with *Christianity*. Which just further shows me how spiritually bankrupt the protestant/Reformer churches are. Cause it leads to people like this who just aren't even a sect. But just shut themselves off from the world in their homes. Cause that's funny, i tried showing him, Dude even the reformers originally like Martin Luther weren't anti church they didn't just say, stay in your homes read your personal bible, never go to church and get communion etc. So no someone saying they don't go to church. Red flag cause from what i've seen they're all in some personal cult, that they've made up. They're not even churchgoing. But how weird, they all tend to take theology of the reformers, of the protestants sects, faith alone, bible alone, grace alone. Yea man, Protestant Theology, never again, it's just a basket case of Contradictions streaming out everyday. But now suddenly i guess to my German Friend i guess to him *Christianity just fell if he actually followed his logic. Since he was in the only correct Faith, that no other religion was Correct. Which is retarded, if you take five mins and open a history book. I mean It's just so retarded. Sorry for semi rant post. But anyone who's dealt with protestant or, God, even worse people who don't go to a protestant church but just hunker down in their homes and read a bible and make up their own theology. It really is just such nonsense they throw out. But to be fair the idea that all religions are bull from his point of view would at least be semi consistent. Cause if he gave these other denominations a fair hearing. He'd soon realize actually this has nothing in connection with Christianity. All i've been doing is just sitting in my house, reading a bible, making vague prayers, and really picking and choosing piece meal theology from the reformers mostly.

>>754388

>I had almost zero empathy for people until I found Christ again.

This. This so much.