VIDEO: Guest: Andrew Rappaport from Striving for Eternity Ministries

16 thoughts on “VIDEO: Guest: Andrew Rappaport from Striving for Eternity Ministries”

1. I found this to be a very good discussion. It's strange how he can't see that his thoughts are not based on the bible but on Protestant interpretation of the bible as well as western logic. He claims he can put up with you (with a lot of huffing and puffing) because you are deceived because you believe in the tradition the church has handed down, yet he will not acknowledge the recent tradition he puts faith in. He really lost me when you said "If you can lose it you never had it at all." in what world does that statement make any sense? There is no logic in that statement, in order to "lose something" you had to have "had something" first.

2. Rappaport said "U get reenrated then get baptized". This goes against the following Scritpures:

   Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the WASHING(LEUTRON) of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

   same Greek word is used in the following verse again:
   Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the WASHING(LEUTRON) OF WATER by the word,

   So clearly we see the connection btw water Baptism and regeneration already. Furthermore the Scriptrues say:

   1 Peter 3:21 The like figure whereunto even BAPTISM DOES ALSO NOT SAVE US (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

   So water baptism actually saves us according to the apostle Peter where the significance of this Holy Baptismal Water is that it doesnt do so by putting off the dirt from our flesh BUT IT ACTUALLY SPIRITUALLY CLEANSES US COZ THE HOLY SPIRIT IS WORKING AT THE SAME TIME. This gnostic seperation btw the material and Spirit working is not known to the authors of Scripture.

   Christ said:
   John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

   For those protestants who think He's referrring to birth fluid using water and thus meaning he/she has to be born into the world first that is absurd for He goes on to say that whatever is born of flesh is flesh and which is born of Spirit is spirit . He did not say whatever is born of water is water. 2ndly He wldve phrased the verse differently saying something like "Having been born of water he must now be born of the Spirit to enter the kingdom of God." the fact that he refers to the person as a "man" prior to saying what that "man" must be born of clearly implies the person is already brought into existence and must now further go on to be born of water and the Spirit.

3. Rappaport misreads 1 John 2:19 it doesnt say "they were never of us" it merely says they wree not all of us. This cld very well mean that at one pt in time whlst they still looked like beleviers theyd already made the decision in their heart to walk away. it doesnt mean they never belevied to begin with. for 1st occurs a change of heart and then the manifestation one engaging in the act.

4. Rappaport says Orthodox believe we put in our effort whereas on his view God does it. Didnt he acknoledge though we need to believe in order to be saved? So we r still doing something then rnt we? now he may say that's the Work of God and wed agree. HOWEVER what follows after mentally beliving in a belvier IS ALSO THE WORKS OF GOD. Did not ST Paul say when he laboured more than others that it not him BUT THE GRACE OF GOD IN HIM? Protestants create this false dichotomy btw all types of pratical works that manifest themslves through us visibly and Grace. Clearly St Paul did not make that distinction. He distinguished works that we do on our own with those that God does THROUGH US. Ofc we dont beleive God's Grace is irresistable so at any point we can cut ourselves off unless we repent.

5. Rapaport seems to disagree with explicit Scripture which says "there's a sin NOT UNTO DEATH. and one unto death" so his idea that God still requires perfection on this earth from a perosn IN CHRIST in order to continue to be saved is NOT in acordance with the very Scriptures he claims to believe in.

6. Lol Baptism is regeneration
   Titus 3:5
   “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”

7. John 6:28-29
   "Then said they unto him, 'What shall we do, that we might WORK the WORKS of God?' Jesus answered and said unto them, 'This is the WORK of God, that ye BELIEVE on Him whom He hath sent.'"
   FAITH = a kind of WORK!

8. Too much talking past each other, one from history and experience the other from scripture.

9. The point is the reformation 500 yrs ago dissected and formulated a novel system.

10. Sigh Protestants just don't get it.

11. I think presuppositional apologetics would be more useful with Protestants. Once you shake their sola scriptura worldview, the superstructure of their argument falls and they are at your mercy. Rappaport kept playing either-or games, when Orthodoxy provides both-and explanations. For example: Rappaport keeps making this legalistic distinction between faith and works. Orthodoxy believes that works and faith operate concurrently. Also, what "faith" actually is is different between Protestantism and Orthodoxy. Protestants believe faith is an intersubjective conceptual agreement to contractual terms between man and God. Orthodoxy believes it is a system of operation given to us by Christ (inartfully put, I know). You can't even get Protestants to understand Orthodox soteriology unless you define terms and get loose of sola scriptura.

12. Getting to the end. Rappaport is insufferable, pedantic, nit-picky, sanctimonious, and patronizing. Really hard to listen to now. Destroying his presuppositions would be a more effective way to debate him, especially given that's what he's doing to Dn. Joseph.

13. Drunk on protestaant coolaid

14. Andrew Rappaport is correct about salvation!

15. No matter how much Andrew explains salvation through Grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ Alone, these Orthodox believers will never get it! They are clinging to man centered religion where sinful man tries to justify his sinful flesh and work his way to God. These are walking dead men and will never understand that salvation only comes through the finished work on the cross. It was never works. Jesus said “it is finished” . These were His final words.

16. God bless you deacon Joseph. Your patience is amazing. Andrew slandered the One Holy Church many times. It’s heartbreaking to hear these slanders by people that follow a tradition that was created 500 years ago. I was in the same position as him three years ago. My family and I were baptized into the Church last Sunday. Glory to God for his mercy.

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