Theology
The devil can tempt you with anything except what?
The devil cannot tempt you with what you do not know.
What is Abraham best known as?
The father of everyone. The first Patriarch. Father of Nations.
What is a Covenant? Name one example.
A covenant is a promise, and in the case of the Bible it is usually a promise from God.
EX: When God made a covenant with Noah - he promised never to destroy the world again by flooding it.
Who went to Egypt and why?
Abraham and Sara went to get food and supplies due to the famine in Canaan.
Why are social events in our Thursday meetings important?
Everything we do as a youth body demonstrates being in communion with one another.
In Noah, why did God destroy innocent animals, even though men were the ones who corrupted earth?
Innocent animals, although they did not sin and were not corrupt, they were made specifically for Man’s pleasure and it needed to be taken away to show Man that they were being punished for the decisions they made and the path they chose to take.
Who is Enoch, and why was he so special?
According to Genesis, he “Walked with God”, on a higher path. He was so pure that he was taken “UP” early.
What is the Pentateuch? What books are included in the Pentateuch?
The first 5 books of the Old Testament.
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.
Is the Garden of Eden here on earth?
Yes. The Garden of Eden's location is in relation to four rivers: the Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, and Euphrates.
Geography suggests that Eden was located in Mesopotamia (common day Iran).
Why is it important to understand the Old Testament?
We must know the Old Testament and understand it well for the purpose of absorbing New Testament and following Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God.
What proof do you have that Man is God’s best creation? (Think God’s commandment)
When God commanded man to “be fruitful, and multiply, have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and all creatures on earth, and to rule over them”.
Noah is pure like many holy men. Why is his situation different than his predecessors the righteous people?
He was the only one in the entire world with his family, who stayed true to the faith of God. As he tried to save others, nobody heeded is warning. As a result of this, him and his family were the only ones worthy of being brought onto the Ark.
What is the significance of the Shepherd’s Rod and Staff? (Guest Speaker Topic)
“Your Staff” is used as reference to how God leads the best possible way for our growth. “Your Rod” refers to how God uses lessons to teach us in life though they maybe difficult.
Why did God prevent the completion of the Tower of Babel?
As man continued to grow, they decided to build a tower to see where God dwells attempting to reach the divine when they were not supposed to.
Building this tower was the ultimate act of defiance
What is a sermon? Why is it important to make sermons a part of our daily life?
A reminder of many of the things of which we heard at one point or another. If you listen closely, you will notice that the same repeated sermons, may sometimes affect us differently in a positive way each time we truly open our ears and listen.
What do the church fathers warn us about? What should we avoid when it comes to the topic of Creation vs Evolution?
We are warned, that while it is okay to have ‘some’ questions and to try and use our brain to understand at maximum capacity, that we should not dwell or “get stuck” on the things that have to do with creation versus evolution.
For all characters, good or bad, why is it that there is no excuse for where they end up, after they pass away on earth?
They all are given the chance to repent.
Define “Oosia”. Why is it important in the Orthodox Faith?
“Substance” or “Essence”
Characteristics of His nature are all of the same “Oosia”, because any attempt to create a differentiation between the elements of an “Oosia” undermine the perfection of God as the only powerful being, in this world, and not of this world.
What exactly does it mean that Adam and Eve “ate from the forbidden tree”?
Adam and Eve were given a direct commandment by God, which could have meant anything. After a slight push they disobeyed whatever commandment they were given.
Describe the difference between what Christ came to do, and what the Jews expected him to do. (Palm Sunday)
The Jews expected Jesus Christ to come into Jerusalem and garner enough support/power to overthrow the rule of the Roman Empire.
When Christ came, He came to establish the heavenly kingdom, and not an earthly one.
Why would God, who is all-knowing, allow the temptation of Adam, knowing that Adam and Eve would stumble?
It was important that Adam and Eve fight temptation and resist on some degree so that they would be worthy of gaining salvation.
Who were Cain and Seth, and what did their descendants represent? Did they have a brother? What happened to him, and what does he represent?
Cain and Seth were both offsprings of Adam and Eve. Seth came after both Cain and Abel after Cain killed Seth. Cain and his descendants represent the earthly generations, where everything about them was physical beauty.
Abel has no descendants because he was murdered early in his life by Cain. He represents all things that neglect the need for an earthly kingdom, and serves as an example for us all to strive to gain the heavenly rewards.
What are the two hypostatic unions?
The first hypostatic union is the union between the Holy Trinity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The second hypostatic union is the union between the nature of Christ, which is composed of two states of; Perfect Humanity, and Perfect Divinity (Godliness).
What can you take from Genesis 1:1-3, when it is written that “The Earth was invisible and unfinished, Darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”?
Let us compare ourselves to the earth, and how it was unfinished before Christ came into our lives. Let us compare ourselves by saying that we too were dark without the spirit of God. As soon as we were immersed in the water, and received the Baptism, just like earth, we too were filled with light, and then God sees us as Good, just as He saw the earth as good.
What is the point of all of this? Why get together for meetings? Why build relationships with each other? What is the point of everything that we do?
As we have repeatedly seen man try to go away from God, we have learned that this is an aimless life with no purpose. Working towards a life in Christ means an eternal life of never-ending happiness, and achieving a life we have never dreamed of where we will never be oppressed, stressed, or unhappy ever again.