Choose your question below. Under each one is a short answer you can read here; for the full biblical answer, click "Read more".
- Does church tradition equal the Bible in authority?
Sacred Tradition, however living and however ancient, is not equal to the Bible in authority, and it is not infallible. The written Word of God alone is the supreme, settled rule by which every tradition is judged. When a doctrine arises that you cannot find in the Bible, the answer is not "tradition completes it," but to test it by the Bible. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself rebuked those who set tradition above God's Word: "making the word of God of none effect through your tradition" (Mark 7:13). The living church submits to the Word, not the Word to her.
Read more → - Do the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ in the Liturgy?
In the Divine Liturgy it is taught that the bread and wine truly become the body and blood of Christ, but the Holy Bible reveals that the Supper is a sacred memorial of a sacrifice accomplished once, not a change of substance. The Lord called the Supper a "remembrance" (Luke 22:19), and in John 6 He interpreted the eating of His flesh as believing on Him, declaring "the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit." His sacrifice "is finished" (John 19:30), and is not repeated. The bread remains bread, and the power is in what it symbolizes: the complete redemption.
Read more → - Is icon veneration idol worship?
The believer may not make images of God or of the saints and then bow before them, kiss them, or honour them with worshipful honour. Bowing and worshipful honour belong to God alone, and the commandment is plain: "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image... thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them" (Exodus 20:4-5). The fine distinction between "veneration" and "worship" does not change what the heart does before the wood and paint. God is a Spirit, and is worshipped in spirit and in truth, not before a manufactured image.
Read more → - What is theosis and does the Bible teach it?
The believer does not become a god, nor cross the gulf between the Creator and the creature. The phrase "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4) means sharing in God's holiness and life — being made like Christ in righteousness — not transformation into a god by grace. Salvation is not a path of gradual deification where you never know how far is far enough, but a gift received in the moment of faith, after which the believer grows in holiness as its fruit. You remain a redeemed, beloved creature — not a god in the making.
Read more → - How is a person saved — by faith or by sacraments?
Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ — a gift received in the moment of faith, not wages earned by cooperation over a lifetime. The believer is justified, declared righteous before God, in a single moment, and then grows in holiness the rest of his life as the fruit of that justification, not its cause. When asked "Are you saved?" the biblical answer is not "I am being healed little by little and have not yet arrived," but "yes" — for "he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life" (John 3:36), now.
Read more → - Is praying to saints biblical?
The believer may not pray to the departed saints, nor seek their intercession, nor bring his needs to them — even if he feels them nearer than God Himself. Prayer is worship belonging to God alone, and the one mediator between God and men is the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). The departed saint, however honoured, cannot hear your requests or carry them up. But the Lord Jesus Christ hears you this very moment, and He alone is able to intercede for you before the Father.
Read more → - Are the Church Leaders infallible?
The writings of the church leaders are not an authority equal to the Holy Bible, nor an infallible rule of faith. The written Word of God alone is the supreme rule by which every teaching is judged — even the teaching of the church leaders themselves. We honour them as useful witnesses to history and faith, but they erred and disagreed among themselves, and what they agreed on is received because it accords with Scripture, not because their consensus is infallible. The rule is the Berean rule: "searching the scriptures daily" (Acts 17:11).
Read more → - Does baptism save?
Baptism does not produce the new birth, nor wash away sin by itself, nor save an unbelieving child. It is a sign that follows faith and the new birth, not a cause that produces them. The new birth comes by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16) — faith first, then baptism as its fruit. This is why many baptized as infants grow up with no faith and no knowledge of the Saviour; the water did not give them birth, for faith alone gives birth.
Read more → - Can I know I am saved right now?
You can know that you are saved now — and this is not pride, but trust in God's promise. Not because you have reached a sufficient stage in the path of deification, but because the Lord Jesus Christ finished the work, His promise is plain, and the Holy Spirit bears witness in the believer's heart. The teaching that present assurance is presumption, and that salvation is an unending journey, leaves the soul without rest. But Scripture says: "that ye may know that ye have eternal life" (1 John 5:13) — that you may know, not merely hope.
Read more → - Why is the Bible alone sufficient?
Scripture and Tradition are not two equal streams of one fountain. The written Word of God alone is inspired, and it is the sufficient supreme rule by which every tradition is judged. The claim that the Bible "cannot be understood by itself" denies what Scripture testifies of itself: that it is "profitable for doctrine... that the man of God may be perfect" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The Holy Spirit who inspired the Word is able to guide the believer in understanding it. Tradition is tested by Scripture, not Scripture by tradition.
Read more → - Do we need a human priesthood today?
There is in the New Testament no special sacramental priesthood standing between the believer and God and monopolizing grace. Every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is a priest, with direct access to God through the one great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter wrote to all believers: "an holy priesthood" (1 Peter 2:5). You need no veil separating you from the sanctuary, for the veil of the temple was torn the day of the cross, and the way to God was opened to everyone who believes, with no mediating priest.
Read more → - The Sincere Orthodox Believer and the Question He Dares Not Ask
The sincere Orthodox believer carries a question he dares not ask: Is what I have enough? Scripture answers: "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life" (John 3:36) — certainty now, not at the end of a journey.
Read more →
An Invitation to Receive Divine Salvation — Accept The Lord Jesus Christ as Your Personal Saviour
Dear reader — if these words have touched your heart and you have recognised that you are a sinner in need of a Saviour, know that God is calling you to Himself in this very moment. You do not need a priest, or a human mediator, or a holy place, or rituals or works. The Lord Jesus Christ paid the full price on the cross, and the promise of God is certain and clear:
What saves you is not the words of this prayer — but the faith in your heart that the Lord Jesus Christ died for you and rose from the dead. But if you want to express your faith in sincere words, read this prayer with a humble heart as though you are speaking to the living God:
The Prayer of Salvation
"O Great, Holy, and Loving True God,
I come to You now with complete humility, confessing that I am a sinner. I have broken Your commandments many times in my thoughts, in my words, and in my deeds. I know that my sin deserves eternal death and eternal separation from You. I have no good work I can offer that is able to redeem my soul, and no righteousness of my own to cover my nakedness before Your holiness.
But I believe with all my heart in the testimony of Your Word that Your only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, died on the cross for my sins — bearing in my place the punishment I deserved. I believe that He was buried, and that He rose from the dead on the third day, alive and victorious over death and the grave, and that He is alive now unto the ages of ages.
In this blessed moment, I receive the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour. I trust in Him alone — not in my works, not in my religion, not in rituals or any person or angel or saint. On the Lord Jesus Christ alone, and on His precious blood shed on the cross, I build the hope of my eternal salvation.
I thank You, my Father, that You have now received me in the Lord Jesus Christ, and have forgiven all my sins, and have given me eternal life as a free gift by Your grace. I thank You that You have sent Your Holy Ghost to dwell in my heart, bearing witness to me that I have become Your child. Give me grace to know You more day by day, and to live the rest of my life for Your glory alone.
I pray all this in the name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Ghost. Amen."
After You Have Prayed — What Now?
If you prayed this prayer from a truly believing heart, the greatest miracle in all your history has happened in this moment: you have passed from death to life, from darkness to light, from the kingdom of sin into the kingdom of the beloved Son of God. You have become a child of the living God, and God's own promise guarantees this to you in His trustworthy Word:
Notice the power of this promise: "gave he power" — a settled right, guaranteed, not a wish or a possibility. And notice "them that believe on his name" — not "those who performed great deeds," not "those who completed rituals," but simply "them that believe." You are now one of them — with absolute certainty.
Here are five simple steps to establish you in your new life with the Lord Jesus Christ:
First — Read the King James Bible every day. Begin with the Gospel of John, then continue through the rest of the New Testament, then the Psalms and Proverbs. God speaks to you through His Word as a father speaks with his son. Do not read quickly — read with meditation and prayer. "The holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation" (2 Timothy 3:15).
Second — Pray every day. Speak to God as a loving Father — not with memorised words, but with words from your heart. Share with Him your joys and sorrows and questions and fears. Prayer is the breathing of the Christian life. "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Third — Join a Bible-believing church. Do not walk this road alone. Faith grows in the fellowship of believers, where the Word is preached faithfully and baptism and the Lord's Supper are practised according to the King James Bible. "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" (Hebrews 10:25).
Fourth — Be baptised according to the King James Bible. Baptism is not a condition for salvation, but it is the first step of obedience after faith. It is a public declaration that you died with the Lord Jesus Christ and were buried with Him and rose with Him to a new life. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16) — faith first, then baptism as its natural fruit.
Fifth — Witness to others about the Lord Jesus Christ. What you have experienced of salvation and love cannot remain hidden. Begin with your family and friends. Tell them simply and honestly how the Lord Jesus Christ changed your life. "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you" (1 John 1:3).
And finally, remember always that your salvation is not built on your feelings or on any work you perform — but on the unchanging promise of God:
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life."
— 1 John 5:13
Notice: "that ye may know" — not "that ye may hope," not "that ye may wish," not "that ye may wait in anxious fear." But that ye may know with complete, unshakeable certainty that you have eternal life. This is the difference between all the world's religions and the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ: religions say "work and perhaps you will be saved" — and the Word of God alone says: "believe and know that you are saved."
✉ Share Your Testimony of Salvation
"Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." — Luke 15:10