I discovered your channel while going through some big issues in my life and some doubts in my faith. Your channel has not only helped this Baptist boy find a renewed sense of faith, but also to point me towards Orthodoxy!
@@CrankyGrandma Saint Augustine (died A.D. 430): “No man can find salvation except in the Catholic Church. Outside the Catholic Church one can have everything except salvation. One can have honor, one can have the sacraments, one can sing alleluia, one can answer amen, one can have faith in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and preach it too, but never can one find salvation except in the Catholic Church.” (Sermo ad Caesariensis Ecclesia plebem)
Be aware - this "priest" has been publicly denounced by orthodox bishops. He is a wolf amongst the flock and is a far right conspiracy theorist and grifter. Turn to the true church and do not be taken in by his deceit and lies.
Once more I see the beauty of the Orthodox faith. I was evangelical too, and there is not a second I regret returning to Christ and His Church. It may be hard and challenging, but it is real and sobering. I like how open and helpful you are as an interviewer! I enjoyed every second of this conversation! Thank you! Let God lead His people to all truth!
Orthodoxy is a construct of 5-7th centuries Byzantium in ritual and theology. There is only a marginal relationship between e. orthodoxy and Christ and the Apostles. Its a rapidly declining cultural form of Christianity, the largest centers of orthodoxy, Ethiopia and Russian are hemorrhaging 100s of thousands of believers to Evangelical and Pentecostal Churches. God bless.
@@felixguerrero6062, I think you misrepresent facts. Orthodoxy is continuation of Christianity form 1st century. Look at the history ot 1 century Christianity and you will see the links... Didache and texts from St. Client of Rome. He is a direct successor of st. ap Peter. See what he believed. You will instantly link it to Orthodox theology as it is and has always been. :) It is truth preserved. Orthdoxy is what Christ thought, the apostles preached and the fathers kept. All the best!!!
@@DesertFlowerQueen I understand your position, however there is no serious scholar of early Christianity that would agree with this assessment. Furthermore, the early sources you cite, the Didache and Clement* of Rome demonstrate none of the central features of Orthodoxy, theosis or high iconographic theology etc... Most protestant converts to Orthodoxy or RCC do so simply because of alienation and an appearance of antiquity of said traditions, without fully grasping that the form of Christianity they are buying into are merely and early-medivial or even late medieval (in most cases) which have almost nothing to with the Christianity of the First and Second Century much less the New Testament tradition itself. God bless.
@@felixguerrero6062 Sure, but western scholars are pretty biased in their reading of history. Both Catholic and Protestant. I don't know why but most of them interpret it in light of their own theology and ignore some important facts about the key Christian texts from 1-3 century. Orthodox theology is not a later development. It is a preservation of what has always been there. Iconography in Catacombs from 2 century are not enough evidence for you? What about the fact St. Luke made the first handcrafed icon? St. Jacob (1 st century) wrote liturgy. Yes, a liturgy. There wasn't a pastor reading the Scriptures then, because they were not spread and collected in the same way in every local parish, but there was the liturgy, which describes the faith. In prayer. Prayer and theology are connected. When it comes to protestants, usually they ignore in Dideche two important things: The real presense of Christ in the Eucharist (evident in the Eucharistic prayer there), and also the practice of fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays. This still happenes in the Orthodox Church. If you really read the texts by early church fathers from 1, 2 and 3rd century, you will see all Orthodox beliefs already there - including theosis. It is all there. It is all the faith deliveded to the saints once and for all. For me there is no way to read carefully the writings of Clement, Ignatius and Polycarp and remain protestant, unless you read them in a biased way and ignore certain unpleasant passages. And this is called confirmation bias. Orthdooxy was the last place I would like to find myself in.. I was protestant first. But when God leads you to His truth, you have two choices: 1. To go the way you percieve as the way; 2. To take the way God intends and follow Him in His true Church. I chose the second option although it was difficult, because I had lots of freinds to lose. So, to sum it up... Climent talks about the heirarchy in the Church and about apostolic succession. Continues St. ap, Paul's work to Corinthians. St. Ignatius discusses eccesiology in certainly Orthodox light. Not protestant. The Early Church Fathers are in favour of Orthodox theology. And this is one of the intellectual reasons I am now Orthodox as opposed to anything else. The other reasons are very personal and I would not discuss them here. The creed of faith from the first two ecumenical councils is also something to concider? Right? :) Take care! :)
@@DesertFlowerQueen God bless you sister. Again, scholars of early Christianity are specialized in the first three centuries, with fluencies, in Greek, Latin, Syriac etc... This is their exact area of study. You are simply repeating facile orthodox polemics that are very well known. All Protestants theologians are familiar with the Didache, and Patristics and most modern scholarship today on Patristics is done by Protestant (liberal protestations, which of course I do not support). This is a simple fact. Furthermore, St Luke did not create an Icon, neither did St Jacob create a liturgy in the 1st century these are all pious fables. The central tenants and practices of Orthodoxy did not emerge until the early medieval period. In the New Testament there is no strong differentiation between presbyters and bishops, no high sacramentology or sacerdotalism, nor explicitly prescribed liturgical practices, but it's clear that the earliest church as we see in the epistles of St Paul were small groups of Christians, men and women of various social groups and nations that met together in houses to break bread, sing hymns, read the Hebrew Bible and letters circulated by the Apostles, pray, prophesy and speak in tongues. The Church was a highly participative community of faith, everyone was actively involved and used their spiritual gifts in public worship. And this is what still goes on in the True Church of our Lord all across the world from Brazil to India and everywhere in between. Orthodoxy is sadly dead ritualism and prideful mysticism that has done nothing to proclaim Christ to the nations. 1 Corinthians 14 26 What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. 1 Corinthians 12 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines
This was so edifying, Austin! You might not realise, but these videos are just as helpful to us as Orthodox Christians in helping us understand who we are and what we need to become. God bless you!
This was a great interview! Fr. Peter presents Orthodox teaching in such a clear manner - completely devoid of pseudo philosophical speech and refreshing like a spring water.
God bless Austin. Great interview. I’m an Orthodox convert from Evangelical Presbyterianism. I’m glad you started with defining terms. Understanding Orthodox is really a paradigm shift and starts with an understanding of what scripture even is.
Thank you so much for putting out these videos and interviews. I am Orthodox but they have been a great resource in helping me improve my ability to explain the faith to others, especially those with protestant backgrounds. God bless!
Just reading your massage, how wonderful for you to find yourself on this path. Glory to God . I am not sure what church you are going to but take your time and look at everything very close . Don’t rush, there is so much to learn . God loves you and He is not in a hurry. God bless you
Glory be to Christ!!! Orthodoxy is a beautiful representation of the embodiment of the transformative nature of Christ and the ideas that surround Him and His ministry. Love that you, as a protestant, and a follower of Christ, engage in conversation with all forms of Christianity. Praise God!
Fr. Peter is a treasure and a God-provided compass in our modern storm of confusion inside and outside of the Church. Austin has become a top-notch interviewer with more authenticity, empathy, humility, interest, knowledge, preparation, and hard-honed skill than most of the pros! Thank you both!
Yes! There were so many times I was like “wow Father gave a deep answer there, this interviewer is gonna need a moment to catch up, but NOPE came back with another great question that really captures the heart of what a lot of inquiries into the Orthodox Church from a Protestant perspective would look like. It’s clear that some good research was done online before this. I just want to say online research is Nothing like prolonged in person experience. I challenge serious Orthodox inquirers to attend as many services as possible during Lent! Try to fast and prepare along side the church for great and holy Pascha. See what you think after that!
Very good interview and Fr. Peter explains the life of the Church with clarity. I noticed your reaction when he spoke about Byzantium being a fabricated word and that people in Constantinople were Romans. Fr. John Romanides speaks and writes about this. It was a revelation to me when I converted from the Catholic church! Thank God He les me to the Orthodox Church!
@@marieegypt7091 But Catholic Church says that they only one truly Church of Jesus , So one of them are satanic becouse they doing things differently.... My question is which one is true , So all people from One Church they gonna go to hell:((( which is sad.....
@@man2841 Catholic Church had to use forgeries to establish themselves as the “head church” and to establish the papacy. That was a huge problem I cannot overcome in staying catholic. I’ll be converting to orthodoxy.
Hey thanks for this, I grew up Romanian Orthodox, and didn't understand the terms used, pretty much pushed the faith away as I grew to be a young adult. I just didn't want to hear it. My mother always stayed a faithful woman, now on my own in my early thirties. Your vids have helped me understand in English. Now I understand both, and it's clarifying and not depressive or shameful, as I categorized the religion w these feelings. There was also a fear of authority as a child. Confession for me was forced. I'm understand God and the religion in a more warm, loving and welcoming environment. Thank you for the breakdowns.
I just subscribed! Love the content! I’m a former charismatic protest, to reformed Baptist.so full of joy to finally come to orthodoxy.it has truly been an amazing journey.
I sincerely appreciate you & what you've built with this channel. Your demeanor, respect & intrigue in all your interviews is refreshing. My wife & I are converts to the Orthodox Church & I am personally thankful for your 'deep dive' into our Orthodox life & praxis. Thank you.
Christ is the Church, the Body of Christ, of which He is the Head, and so we encounter Him here and not only or mainly in the written account of His three year Presence. His Presence continues, the incarnation continues, and just as they met His Body in real time and space then, so too do we meet Him in a particular time and space in His Body, which has never been absent or lost or corrupted - an impossibility by His nature but also because He promised us He would be with us until the end of time and guide us in all Truth. Come and see - this is what the Apostles said then, and they say today. God bless! - Fr. Peter FYI: You may be interested in learning more via our other online outlets:
Thank you, Father Peter and Austin! Another superb learning experience from Gospel Simplicity, reinforcing my embrace of Orthodoxy and my appreciation of this ministry.
Hi Austin. First of all, thank you for making this great conversation possible. I also thank Fr. Peter Heers, of course, and wish him many years! He's the kind of priest we need. What I want to say is, I wish the best from God for you. I love you, dude (don't take it wrong, lol). I believe I've watched all of your videos with Orthodox priests and the one you told about your Divine Liturgy experience as well. If I said I didn't wish you to become Orthodox I'd be absolutely lying. Of course I wish (and I hope) you join the Church, but even if it doesn't happen or if it takes like 10 or 20 years to happen, I still truly wish that God bless you for all the work you're doing. You're clearly an honest guy, a God-seeker and a truth-seeker and I believe your videos are helping many people. Thank you. Glory to God for all things!
Austin, thank you for the sympathetic, courteous and considerate way of communicating with all your guests. I really appreciate that. It's great listening to that kind of discussion.
I am an agnostic atheist, but I was raised Orthodox by my parents. Orthodox theology is really facinating. Even if I don't believe fully in the religious sense of the word, there is a lot of merit and truth in the Orthodox Christian ethics and worldview.
Not looking to debate, but I am curious what caused you to leave the faith. You seem to still have affection for it. Does it have more to do with the fact that you see little evidence for it? Do you have any particular atheists whose ideas were instrumental in your “deconversion?” I hope all is well with you!
I pray for everyone who has left Orthodoxy. I have many friends who did for various reasons. God help them to see their error and return. That will be difficult to account for as the last judgement.
God bless you Austin, your humility and kindness is evident to all, may we all search for the truth in the same manner you do! From an Orthodox a Christian
This is great man! At the end of the day for me it was stepping into and experiencing heaven (the divine liturgy) that converted me good luck on your journey!
He most certainly is! He has filled himself with the Holy Scriptures, Holy Fathers, Councils and Cannons, the lives of the Saints... in short the Ethos of the Church - the mind of Christ. He is both a firebrand but also a beautiful and soft hearted disciple of the Lord.
I really appreciated his words on authority in the Church. Speaking of the Holy Fathers and Saints who have come before us, and how we are to regain both Image & Likeness of Christ (via Holy Mysteries & Ascetic struggle).
@@dusanstankovic2015 actually, saints never teached that they are authority nor other saints, they were always poiniting to Lord and church as authority. Saints are examples, not authority. And orthodox saints and spiritual teachers teach the same, just like catholics. But because of hatred and aversion toward catholics, you must invent some stuff like this, that are ironicly in contradixtion with EO. BLessings buddy.
I already liked this before I started watching lol. Love your humbleness to learn from different perspectives and also bless us with this content. God bless you my brother from another mother.
Really good interview. I listened twice. I’m in a period of discernment, and this was helpful. If I can make a general observation, I find the Orthodox not only intellectuall, but also connected on a spiritual level.
Might I add your works/videos are evergreen because the subject matter you explore is also evergreen and most importantly because what pertains to the scriptures and to the Salvation from God through Christ our Saviour is so very evergreen and relevant through the ages of ages!! I can’t thank you enough for what you do! May the Holy Spirit continue to illuminate and guide you in what you do!!
Wonderful, Austin. I will have a seat at this table! As an aside, I hope you have been following Fr. Seraphim's reflections regarding the violence up on Capitol Hill and our duties as Christians. Profound. Brave. Challenging. I'm grateful he is here and that you two made an aquaintance.
@@WaterWhirld I won't link to them here because it's Austin's page, but if you go to Fr. Seraphim's Mull Monastery youtube channel he has 2 videos which specifically deal with the craziness. The are labeled "On Violence and Power" and "What Would Happen if we were all martyred for the Truth of Christ?"
Thank you wholeheartedly Father Peter for your salvific Orthodox teaching! May our Lord and our Panagia be your guide and strength throughout your life and help you in the journey of your salvation and in bringing others to our Lord, to Orthodoxy, to salvation!
Very helpful. Thanks Fr Peter. Thanks for GS for hosting it. It was good to know that there were more ecumenical councils than I knew. Jim Papandreas' 29 free lectures gave me a great insight to the early church fathers.
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me. Ever time I hear Fr. Peter talk I get given another confirmation that converting to Orthodoxy is my only option. Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.
Now THIS, is a man you can trust. Why? Because he will only tell you what the Holy Fathers say. ☦️ We only hand down what was handed down. Innovation 🚫
@Miss BellJr Yes, and the Holy Spirit-filled Fathers of the Church and Saints of God, and the Holy Orthodox Church founded by Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit of God.
@Miss BellJr Exactly why we listen to the church fathers. They weren't just random guys spouting their theories. These men were devout theologians who often times entire lives were devoted to Christ and his holy church. We trust the Holy Spirit has guided these men, and as He is trustworthy, the reporting of these men is trustworthy by proxy.
Peter Heers is impersonating as a church authority but has been publicly disavowed by reputable Orthodox sources, including ROCOR itself. He is not affiliated with any bishop or authority known to date. He presents his interpretation as fact and makes money off gullible people who think he is a legitimate source of Orthodoxy but many of his views are rejected as false or fringe by scholars and leaders in the church
Harley Mann I would like some names please! Even though I am Orthodox, I teach at a Classical Christian school, so I am trying to learn more about Catholicism, so I can relate more to my students and so I can see the world better! I have great sympathy and fascination by St. John Paul II’s idea that the church must breathe with her two lungs.
Harley Mann I don’t know much about Peter Heels, this was the first time I have ever heard him speak. I don’t have a fundamentalist approach to Orthodoxy actually. The reason I am in this comment section is actually because church unity is extremely important to me. Christians need reunite and work to repair the ruins of Christendom. I have love for all three major branches of Christianity. I misunderstood what sort of stuff you were going to send. I too am wary of “internet Orthodoxy.”
I can also vouch for our Holy Elder Ephraim. People don’t really begin to understand what a saint we had here in the USA. May he pray for us in front of the Throne of Christ!
Father Peter takes “being of one mind” with such importance and care. When I began reading the Fathers this was apparent as one of their central characteristics. And here we have in the 21st century another man holding to that same mindset. And I’ve heard and seen it come up against such resistance. But the Truth cannot be snuffed out. Keep Father Peter in your prayers.
hey,I can t wait to see this interview,I am a protestant and i want to learn more abt church history in general and i apreciate you Austin for doing al those things!! I am glad to be a protestant and to know the church history,it is amazing man! again,be blessed for those things and just as a little tip (i love the podcasts with Garvin) wish we can be able to see more of them ^.^
I love your channel and your guests. I am amazed to see the true church in USA. Love from Ethiopia. I am an oriental orthodox(Ethiopian tewahedo orthodox church). I would like to see a guest who speak on the eastern orthodox vs oriental orthodox. I think one small difference we have is on Christology - the natures of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
fall in love of your channel , I believe God directed me to watch your channel, there are a lot of information from your channel. am Catholic from Malaysia. God bless you
What’s up Austin, God bless brother. I just wanted to let you know that Constantine Zalalas from “Nicodemos the Hagiorite” Channel is also really good. God bless again and thanks for all the quality content.
@@GospelSimplicity You don't have to join the church to interpret the Scriptures. The church still believe there's going to be a physical second coming, when the Scriptures only speak of a spiritual second coming of Christ which was fulfilled at the end of the age in 70 AD. If the Church got its eschatology wrong, what else have they got wrong?
I am now a Traditional Catholic ✝️ born and raised Orthodox ☦️ I Love Fr Heers!! Thank you so much for having him on 😊 Ultimately it was the Mother of God through the Rosary 📿 which called me to the Traditional Catholic Church. Evil Popes will come and go as they always have. But the deposit of faith will remain with the Remnant ♥️
@Gramavic -- We pray you experience the life of the Church, are inspired by the lives of the Saints, and having done so return to the Church, for it is impossible to do this and leave the Church for the confusion and distortion of Papal Protestantism. Forgive us for our bluntness.
I discovered your channel while going through some big issues in my life and some doubts in my faith. Your channel has not only helped this Baptist boy find a renewed sense of faith, but also to point me towards Orthodoxy!
Glad the channel has been helpful!
May God bless and illuminate your path towards His Orthodox Church. You’re in my prayers Tyler :)
Glory to God
I’m Catholic, but I rejoice when anyone comes to the Sacraments! Nothing like it.
@@CrankyGrandma Saint Augustine (died A.D. 430): “No man can find salvation except in the Catholic Church. Outside the Catholic Church one can have everything except salvation. One can have honor, one can have the sacraments, one can sing alleluia, one can answer amen, one can have faith in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and preach it too, but never can one find salvation except in the Catholic Church.” (Sermo ad Caesariensis Ecclesia plebem)
You always need a "paper and a pen" when you listen to Fr Peter H.
Thanks, Austin, for this amazing interview and teaching. God bless Orthodoxy!
Be aware - this "priest" has been publicly denounced by orthodox bishops. He is a wolf amongst the flock and is a far right conspiracy theorist and grifter. Turn to the true church and do not be taken in by his deceit and lies.
Once more I see the beauty of the Orthodox faith. I was evangelical too, and there is not a second I regret returning to Christ and His Church. It may be hard and challenging, but it is real and sobering. I like how open and helpful you are as an interviewer! I enjoyed every second of this conversation! Thank you! Let God lead His people to all truth!
Orthodoxy is a construct of 5-7th centuries Byzantium in ritual and theology. There is only a marginal relationship between e. orthodoxy and Christ and the Apostles.
Its a rapidly declining cultural form of Christianity, the largest centers of orthodoxy, Ethiopia and Russian are hemorrhaging 100s of thousands of believers to Evangelical and Pentecostal Churches. God bless.
@@felixguerrero6062, I think you misrepresent facts. Orthodoxy is continuation of Christianity form 1st century. Look at the history ot 1 century Christianity and you will see the links... Didache and texts from St. Client of Rome. He is a direct successor of st. ap Peter. See what he believed. You will instantly link it to Orthodox theology as it is and has always been. :) It is truth preserved. Orthdoxy is what Christ thought, the apostles preached and the fathers kept. All the best!!!
@@DesertFlowerQueen
I understand your position, however there is no serious scholar of early Christianity that would agree with this assessment. Furthermore, the early sources you cite, the Didache and Clement* of Rome demonstrate none of the central features of Orthodoxy, theosis or high iconographic theology etc... Most protestant converts to Orthodoxy or RCC do so simply because of alienation and an appearance of antiquity of said traditions, without fully grasping that the form of Christianity they are buying into are merely and early-medivial or even late medieval (in most cases) which have almost nothing to with the Christianity of the First and Second Century much less the New Testament tradition itself. God bless.
@@felixguerrero6062 Sure, but western scholars are pretty biased in their reading of history. Both Catholic and Protestant. I don't know why but most of them interpret it in light of their own theology and ignore some important facts about the key Christian texts from 1-3 century. Orthodox theology is not a later development. It is a preservation of what has always been there. Iconography in Catacombs from 2 century are not enough evidence for you? What about the fact St. Luke made the first handcrafed icon? St. Jacob (1 st century) wrote liturgy. Yes, a liturgy. There wasn't a pastor reading the Scriptures then, because they were not spread and collected in the same way in every local parish, but there was the liturgy, which describes the faith. In prayer. Prayer and theology are connected. When it comes to protestants, usually they ignore in Dideche two important things: The real presense of Christ in the Eucharist (evident in the Eucharistic prayer there), and also the practice of fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays. This still happenes in the Orthodox Church. If you really read the texts by early church fathers from 1, 2 and 3rd century, you will see all Orthodox beliefs already there - including theosis. It is all there. It is all the faith deliveded to the saints once and for all. For me there is no way to read carefully the writings of Clement, Ignatius and Polycarp and remain protestant, unless you read them in a biased way and ignore certain unpleasant passages. And this is called confirmation bias. Orthdooxy was the last place I would like to find myself in.. I was protestant first. But when God leads you to His truth, you have two choices: 1. To go the way you percieve as the way; 2. To take the way God intends and follow Him in His true Church. I chose the second option although it was difficult, because I had lots of freinds to lose.
So, to sum it up... Climent talks about the heirarchy in the Church and about apostolic succession. Continues St. ap, Paul's work to Corinthians.
St. Ignatius discusses eccesiology in certainly Orthodox light. Not protestant. The Early Church Fathers are in favour of Orthodox theology. And this is one of the intellectual reasons I am now Orthodox as opposed to anything else. The other reasons are very personal and I would not discuss them here.
The creed of faith from the first two ecumenical councils is also something to concider? Right? :)
Take care! :)
@@DesertFlowerQueen
God bless you sister. Again, scholars of early Christianity are specialized in the first three centuries, with fluencies, in Greek, Latin, Syriac etc... This is their exact area of study. You are simply repeating facile orthodox polemics that are very well known. All Protestants theologians are familiar with the Didache, and Patristics and most modern scholarship today on Patristics is done by Protestant (liberal protestations, which of course I do not support). This is a simple fact. Furthermore, St Luke did not create an Icon, neither did St Jacob create a liturgy in the 1st century these are all pious fables.
The central tenants and practices of Orthodoxy did not emerge until the early medieval period. In the New Testament there is no strong differentiation between presbyters and bishops, no high sacramentology or sacerdotalism, nor explicitly prescribed liturgical practices, but it's clear that the earliest church as we see in the epistles of St Paul were small groups of Christians, men and women of various social groups and nations that met together in houses to break bread, sing hymns, read the Hebrew Bible and letters circulated by the Apostles, pray, prophesy and speak in tongues. The Church was a highly participative community of faith, everyone was actively involved and used their spiritual gifts in public worship. And this is what still goes on in the True Church of our Lord all across the world from Brazil to India and everywhere in between. Orthodoxy is sadly dead ritualism and prideful mysticism that has done nothing to proclaim Christ to the nations.
1 Corinthians 14
26 What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.
1 Corinthians 12
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines
Love Fr. Peter. I’m a convert from Roman Catholicism to Orthodoxy and never get tired of listening to this
Glad you enjoyed it!
@@GospelSimplicity Thanks. I pray for you and your journey (hopefully to Orthodoxy :)
And I ask you to please pray for me a sinner
This was so edifying, Austin! You might not realise, but these videos are just as helpful to us as Orthodox Christians in helping us understand who we are and what we need to become. God bless you!
Amen sister.
Exactly!!!
This was a great interview! Fr. Peter presents Orthodox teaching in such a clear manner - completely devoid of pseudo philosophical speech and refreshing like a spring water.
God bless Austin. Great interview. I’m an Orthodox convert from Evangelical Presbyterianism. I’m glad you started with defining terms. Understanding Orthodox is really a paradigm shift and starts with an understanding of what scripture even is.
Thank you so much for putting out these videos and interviews. I am Orthodox but they have been a great resource in helping me improve my ability to explain the faith to others, especially those with protestant backgrounds. God bless!
It’s my pleasure!
God bless Fr Peter. I love listening to this wise man, as a catechumen in the Orthodox Church coming from Protestantism. ☦️
Likewise! Many years to you fellow catechumen!
Welcome home 💗☦️💗
Welcome!
Just reading your massage, how wonderful for you to find yourself on this path.
Glory to God . I am not sure what church you are going to but take your time and look at everything very close . Don’t rush, there is so much to learn . God loves you and He is not in a hurry. God bless you
Welcome home sister! ☦️ I also was Protestant and was received into the Church on January 16, 2021.
Your Orthodox videos are always the best!
Glory be to Christ!!! Orthodoxy is a beautiful representation of the embodiment of the transformative nature of Christ and the ideas that surround Him and His ministry. Love that you, as a protestant, and a follower of Christ, engage in conversation with all forms of Christianity. Praise God!
Orthodoxy is Christianity.
I never expected this. This is going to be the BEST interview
Glad this could be a pleasant surprise!
Omg yassss! Orthodoxy ❤️
YESSSS....the treasure of Holy Orthodoxy revealed
Really inspirational. Learned a lot.
Fr. Peter is a treasure and a God-provided compass in our modern storm of confusion inside and outside of the Church. Austin has become a top-notch interviewer with more authenticity, empathy, humility, interest, knowledge, preparation, and hard-honed skill than most of the pros! Thank you both!
Wow, thank you so much!
Yes! There were so many times I was like “wow Father gave a deep answer there, this interviewer is gonna need a moment to catch up, but NOPE came back with another great question that really captures the heart of what a lot of inquiries into the Orthodox Church from a Protestant perspective would look like. It’s clear that some good research was done online before this. I just want to say online research is Nothing like prolonged in person experience. I challenge serious Orthodox inquirers to attend as many services as possible during Lent! Try to fast and prepare along side the church for great and holy Pascha. See what you think after that!
Father Peter is very dear to me. I know this will be a terrific interview. May it be blessed!
Thanks!
George! My brother!
Shut up...
George smells.
@@IAMFISH92 if you mean he smells like a fresh mountain spring... then you would be correct😬
@@IAMFISH92 Kieran my brother! Buzz off 😆
Very good interview and Fr. Peter explains the life of the Church with clarity. I noticed your reaction when he spoke about Byzantium being a fabricated word and that people in Constantinople were Romans. Fr. John Romanides speaks and writes about this. It was a revelation to me when I converted from the Catholic church! Thank God He les me to the Orthodox Church!
Why you convert from Catholic to Orthodoxy?
@@man2841 Because I believe that Orthodoxy is the Church of Jesus Christ and the Apostles. There were 5 Patriarchs in the early Church and Rome left.
@@marieegypt7091 But Catholic Church says that they only one truly Church of Jesus , So one of them are satanic becouse they doing things differently.... My question is which one is true , So all people from One Church they gonna go to hell:((( which is sad.....
@@man2841 Catholic Church had to use forgeries to establish themselves as the “head church” and to establish the papacy. That was a huge problem I cannot overcome in staying catholic. I’ll be converting to orthodoxy.
Jerry Ndjdjd trust in the mercy of God and pray for our salvation! I don’t think everyone in the “wrong” church is doomed to hell.
Hey thanks for this, I grew up Romanian Orthodox, and didn't understand the terms used, pretty much pushed the faith away as I grew to be a young adult. I just didn't want to hear it. My mother always stayed a faithful woman, now on my own in my early thirties. Your vids have helped me understand in English. Now I understand both, and it's clarifying and not depressive or shameful, as I categorized the religion w these feelings. There was also a fear of authority as a child. Confession for me was forced. I'm understand God and the religion in a more warm, loving and welcoming environment. Thank you for the breakdowns.
I'm glad this was helpful!
I'm glad this was helpful!
I just subscribed! Love the content! I’m a former charismatic protest, to reformed Baptist.so full of joy to finally come to orthodoxy.it has truly been an amazing journey.
Please explore more about Orthodoxy! ❤️☦️ Thank you for these interviews
I sincerely appreciate you & what you've built with this channel. Your demeanor, respect & intrigue in all your interviews is refreshing. My wife & I are converts to the Orthodox Church & I am personally thankful for your 'deep dive' into our Orthodox life & praxis. Thank you.
Thank you so much for the kind words! It’s truly my pleasure!
Fr Heers' explanation of the uncreated nature of the Word blew my mind. Thank you for this great interview Austin and Fr Peter-God bless you! ☧
Glad you enjoyed it!
I know-I will have to listen to that part another time or two. And other things. Maybe the whole thing☺️
wow the part about memorizing all of scripture not being what saves you, but rather entering into the church was eye opening.
Christ is the Church, the Body of Christ, of which He is the Head, and so we encounter Him here and not only or mainly in the written account of His three year Presence. His Presence continues, the incarnation continues, and just as they met His Body in real time and space then, so too do we meet Him in a particular time and space in His Body, which has never been absent or lost or corrupted - an impossibility by His nature but also because He promised us He would be with us until the end of time and guide us in all Truth.
Come and see - this is what the Apostles said then, and they say today.
God bless!
- Fr. Peter
FYI:
You may be interested in learning more via our other online outlets:
This is so helpful for me on my journey from Protestantism to orthodoxy! Thank you for a humble and open discussion!
Welcome home, Kaitie!
💝💝💝💒💒💒
What a shame. You have embraced heresy
@@lionsoftruthministries3126 yeah and you and those seven subscribers are the only ones who have the truth?
@@theunknownone2189
I just started this last week :)
Fr. Peter Heers! What a most pleasant surprise! He is loved and deeply respected by so many, rightfully so! Thank you! 😀👍
My pleasure!
Thank you, Father Peter and Austin! Another superb learning experience from Gospel Simplicity, reinforcing my embrace of Orthodoxy and my appreciation of this ministry.
Hi Austin. First of all, thank you for making this great conversation possible. I also thank Fr. Peter Heers, of course, and wish him many years! He's the kind of priest we need.
What I want to say is, I wish the best from God for you. I love you, dude (don't take it wrong, lol). I believe I've watched all of your videos with Orthodox priests and the one you told about your Divine Liturgy experience as well. If I said I didn't wish you to become Orthodox I'd be absolutely lying. Of course I wish (and I hope) you join the Church, but even if it doesn't happen or if it takes like 10 or 20 years to happen, I still truly wish that God bless you for all the work you're doing. You're clearly an honest guy, a God-seeker and a truth-seeker and I believe your videos are helping many people. Thank you. Glory to God for all things!
Wow, thank you so much for these kind words. This really meant a lot. God bless!
Fr Peter's was awesome ! And gospel simplicity appreciate your work. And appreciate your soft heart and humility.
Loved both !
Such an integration of the Faith and wisdom in these words! I'm so glad he took the time to explain Scripture and tradition the way that he did.
Austin, thank you for the sympathetic, courteous and considerate way of communicating with all your guests. I really appreciate that. It's great listening to that kind of discussion.
I am so glad to see you collaborate with Fr. Peter Heers! What an insightful, edifying talk. Thank you for this, Austin! 🙏🏻
Glad you enjoyed it!
I am an agnostic atheist, but I was raised Orthodox by my parents. Orthodox theology is really facinating. Even if I don't believe fully in the religious sense of the word, there is a lot of merit and truth in the Orthodox Christian ethics and worldview.
Not looking to debate, but I am curious what caused you to leave the faith. You seem to still have affection for it. Does it have more to do with the fact that you see little evidence for it? Do you have any particular atheists whose ideas were instrumental in your “deconversion?” I hope all is well with you!
I pray for everyone who has left Orthodoxy. I have many friends who did for various reasons. God help them to see their error and return. That will be difficult to account for as the last judgement.
God bless you Austin, your humility and kindness is evident to all, may we all search for the truth in the same manner you do! From an Orthodox a Christian
This is great man! At the end of the day for me it was stepping into and experiencing heaven (the divine liturgy) that converted me good luck on your journey!
Fr Peter is such a great teacher. I appreciate this channel.
Fr. Peter Heers is a fount of wisdom with a true Orthodox phronema. 🙏🙏🙏
I had a great time chatting with him!
He most certainly is! He has filled himself with the Holy Scriptures, Holy Fathers, Councils and Cannons, the lives of the Saints... in short the Ethos of the Church - the mind of Christ. He is both a firebrand but also a beautiful and soft hearted disciple of the Lord.
Lvyc t d b s
@@Zepomajestic ???
Phd in Orthodox theology
It blows my mind that the auto-caption bot is able to properly transcribe "parakatathiki." I think a raise is in order.
I really appreciated his words on authority in the Church. Speaking of the Holy Fathers and Saints who have come before us, and how we are to regain both Image & Likeness of Christ (via Holy Mysteries & Ascetic struggle).
"the saints are our authority" exactly
Saints never teached that
@@petars4444 Thats why they are authority
@@dusanstankovic2015 actually, saints never teached that they are authority nor other saints, they were always poiniting to Lord and church as authority. Saints are examples, not authority. And orthodox saints and spiritual teachers teach the same, just like catholics.
But because of hatred and aversion toward catholics, you must invent some stuff like this, that are ironicly in contradixtion with EO.
BLessings buddy.
@@petars4444 You missed my point, read again
well, you havent wrote anything deep , just that saint are authority. They arent, ortho saints and church dont teach that. This is some new theology
Amazing interview and with a priest that has produced material that helped in my formation. Thanks for putting out great content like this Austin!
My pleasure!
I already liked this before I started watching lol. Love your humbleness to learn from different perspectives and also bless us with this content.
God bless you my brother from another mother.
Thanks!
You're right, this is a deep dive. I really appreciate the timestamps as I'm repeatedly pausing, rewinding/re-listening!
An absolutely wonderful interview. So many things to take in. I'll definitely have to listen to it again. Thank you for this!
Wow thank you for this Father Heers and Austin, as an inquirer into Oriental and Eastern Orthodoxy, this was excellent.
We're with you Fr. Peter - Jordanville misses you - God bless your efforts, and multiply them!
Going through comments on this and other videos of the channel, I can conclude this is one of the best Orthodox missionary channels :)
Thank you both for this interview. Father Peter is clearly not only a learned man, but also someone who seeks to live his faith.
Really good interview. I listened twice. I’m in a period of discernment, and this was helpful. If I can make a general observation, I find the Orthodox not only intellectuall, but also connected on a spiritual level.
I could listen to Fr. Heers for hours. God bless him 🙏🏼 ☦️
Might I add your works/videos are evergreen because the subject matter you explore is also evergreen and most importantly because what pertains to the scriptures and to the Salvation from God through Christ our Saviour is so very evergreen and relevant through the ages of ages!! I can’t thank you enough for what you do! May the Holy Spirit continue to illuminate and guide you in what you do!!
We love all interviews and lectures by Fr. Peter!
This has been a most enlightening interview. Thank you.
Wonderful, Austin. I will have a seat at this table! As an aside, I hope you have been following Fr. Seraphim's reflections regarding the violence up on Capitol Hill and our duties as Christians. Profound. Brave. Challenging. I'm grateful he is here and that you two made an aquaintance.
Hope you enjoy it! I’m so grateful for Fr. Seraphim’s work
@@WaterWhirld I won't link to them here because it's Austin's page, but if you go to Fr. Seraphim's Mull Monastery youtube channel he has 2 videos which specifically deal with the craziness. The are labeled "On Violence and Power" and "What Would Happen if we were all martyred for the Truth of Christ?"
Great work, brother. Here's my sincere compliment with no intention of conversion.
Keep it up.
This is gonna be good.
Hope you enjoy it!
Thank you wholeheartedly Father Peter for your salvific Orthodox teaching!
May our Lord and our Panagia be your guide and strength throughout your life and help you in the journey of your salvation and in bringing others to our Lord, to Orthodoxy, to salvation!
Nice! Looking forward to it. Father Peter is a good and knowledgeable priest.
Hope you enjoy it!
This guy is awesome. I've only watched his Shorts. I really need to listen to his longer talks. He's so full of knowledge.
Very helpful. Thanks Fr Peter. Thanks for GS for hosting it. It was good to know that there were more ecumenical councils than I knew. Jim Papandreas' 29 free lectures gave me a great insight to the early church fathers.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me. Ever time I hear Fr. Peter talk I get given another confirmation that converting to Orthodoxy is my only option. Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.
Love love love Orthodoxy ☦️☦️☦️❤❤❤. Sending prayers from Sydney Australia
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney
@@junesilvermanb2979 high iq plays
Fr. Peter is amazing. He knows the Orthodox Faith inside and out.
YESSS!!!! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN WANTING!!!
Hope you enjoy it!
ABSOLUTELY TRUE...yesss
Now THIS, is a man you can trust. Why? Because he will only tell you what the Holy Fathers say. ☦️ We only hand down what was handed down. Innovation 🚫
@Miss BellJr Yes, and the Holy Spirit-filled Fathers of the Church and Saints of God, and the Holy Orthodox Church founded by Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit of God.
@Miss BellJr Exactly why we listen to the church fathers. They weren't just random guys spouting their theories. These men were devout theologians who often times entire lives were devoted to Christ and his holy church. We trust the Holy Spirit has guided these men, and as He is trustworthy, the reporting of these men is trustworthy by proxy.
Peter Heers is impersonating as a church authority but has been publicly disavowed by reputable Orthodox sources, including ROCOR itself. He is not affiliated with any bishop or authority known to date. He presents his interpretation as fact and makes money off gullible people who think he is a legitimate source of Orthodoxy but many of his views are rejected as false or fringe by scholars and leaders in the church
Powerful ! / BENEFICIAL !! / BEAUTIFUL !! / VICTORY !!! / THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN !!!!
I’ve never heard anyone frame scripture like that. I feel like it should be obvious, but I never thought of it anywhere close to being like that.
Standard Orthodox understanding
I can totally relate! After a few years of learning about Orthodoxy, it still blows my mind!
The body of Christ is always simple and obvious.
Harley Mann I would like some names please! Even though I am Orthodox, I teach at a Classical Christian school, so I am trying to learn more about Catholicism, so I can relate more to my students and so I can see the world better! I have great sympathy and fascination by St. John Paul II’s idea that the church must breathe with her two lungs.
Harley Mann I don’t know much about Peter Heels, this was the first time I have ever heard him speak. I don’t have a fundamentalist approach to Orthodoxy actually. The reason I am in this comment section is actually because church unity is extremely important to me. Christians need reunite and work to repair the ruins of Christendom. I have love for all three major branches of Christianity. I misunderstood what sort of stuff you were going to send. I too am wary of “internet Orthodoxy.”
I can't wait to watch this. Thank you Austin for this interview
My pleasure!
@@Hello-ro8fq Who is Sam?
@@Hello-ro8fq get a life dude. Sam is anything but a cult leader
@@halfgrain I think he means Sam Shamoun, he's a great Christian apologist
@@Hello-ro8fq I hope that we can all come together and search for the truth.
I can also vouch for our Holy Elder Ephraim. People don’t really begin to understand what a saint we had here in the USA. May he pray for us in front of the Throne of Christ!
fascinating and englightening, Heers's explanations made me rethink some of my core beliefs ...
This was such a helpful talk. Amazing, thank you Fr. Peter Heers and Austin. God bless
Fr. Peter is the best. A real voice in the church.
Father Peter takes “being of one mind” with such importance and care. When I began reading the Fathers this was apparent as one of their central characteristics. And here we have in the 21st century another man holding to that same mindset. And I’ve heard and seen it come up against such resistance. But the Truth cannot be snuffed out. Keep Father Peter in your prayers.
@@joshuamoore8278 the Church isn't Protestant or Roman Catholic.
@@joshuamoore8278 Oh man, that gives me a headache to think about. Lol
Brother, you are killing it! Great job and God bless!
Thanks!
hey,I can t wait to see this interview,I am a protestant and i want to learn more abt church history in general and i apreciate you Austin for doing al those things!! I am glad to be a protestant and to know the church history,it is amazing man! again,be blessed for those things and just as a little tip (i love the podcasts with Garvin) wish we can be able to see more of them ^.^
Well, this is an unexpected collaboration.
I hope it’s a pleasant surprise!
Great interview with Fr. Peter. Thank you
Thank you father for your good insights. we learn more of things we do not know. - Simon from India.
Yes! So stoked for this! Love your interviews!
Thanks! Hope you enjoy it!
I love your channel and your guests. I am amazed to see the true church in USA. Love from Ethiopia. I am an oriental orthodox(Ethiopian tewahedo orthodox church). I would like to see a guest who speak on the eastern orthodox vs oriental orthodox. I think one small difference we have is on Christology - the natures of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
A very informative and enlightening interview. Thank you very much.
Great video. Thank God for Father Peter🙏🏼 Thank you for this!
This was a lot... a lot. I keep having to start and stop the podcast so my brain can take a break. Lol. Love it!
I totally get that!
Always like hearing from Fr. P. Heers. Great talk.
This literally blew my mind specially the chapters on tradition and authority.
Thank you for this interview... very well put by Fr Peter as always
Glad you enjoyed it!
WOW!! Can’t wait, just saw it ok Facebook and rushed to see if it’s posted!!
That’s awesome! Hope you enjoy it when it comes out!
Dear Austin, I wish a had a best friend like you. God bless you ❤️
This is based, thank you for having him, Austin. What did you think of the interview and how it went?
My pleasure! It was great. We covered a lot of ground and went deep, but he brought up things I had never considered.
Thank you for an insightful exploration of orthodox understanding of Christian truth
Man, this was great. I can listen to him talk all day. ha!
Thanks!
Wonderful interview! Appreciate the content!!
Oh boy, can't wait! Thank you Austin for your work!
Hope you enjoy it!
fall in love of your channel , I believe God directed me to watch your channel, there are a lot of information from your channel. am Catholic from Malaysia. God bless you
What’s up Austin, God bless brother. I just wanted to let you know that Constantine Zalalas from “Nicodemos the Hagiorite” Channel is also really good. God bless again and thanks for all the quality content.
Thanks!
He is a great teacher! I believe he is a Greek Orthodox layman.
Indeed! He’s a very solid lay theologian
@@Yallquietendown Fr. Peter is a priest.
I know I'm biased, as Orthodox, but what a blessing to hear this presented this way. Thank you
I love your videos. Greetings from Brazil. May God bless you all.
Thank you very much!
Thanks!
Thank you for your generosity, Richard!
@@GospelSimplicity Your 1 of my favorite channels and you ask well thought out intelligent questions to whomever your interviewing.
@@GospelSimplicity
You don't have to join the church to interpret the Scriptures. The church still believe there's going to be a physical second coming, when the Scriptures only speak of a spiritual second coming of Christ which was fulfilled at the end of the age in 70 AD. If the Church got its eschatology wrong, what else have they got wrong?
Elder Efraim filotheitis/Arizona is a Saint. Love to everybody especially to the persons that suffer. GLORY TO GOD!
WELL. I'm here for this!!
Hope you enjoy it!
Thank you so much!!!
Can't wait! 😁
Hope you like it!
I am now a Traditional Catholic ✝️ born and raised Orthodox ☦️ I Love Fr Heers!! Thank you so much for having him on 😊 Ultimately it was the Mother of God through the Rosary 📿 which called me to the Traditional Catholic Church. Evil Popes will come and go as they always have. But the deposit of faith will remain with the Remnant ♥️
@Gramavic -- We pray you experience the life of the Church, are inspired by the lives of the Saints, and having done so return to the Church, for it is impossible to do this and leave the Church for the confusion and distortion of Papal Protestantism. Forgive us for our bluntness.
I am looking forward to this!!
Hope you enjoy it!
I can’t wait for this. I love Fr. Peter!
Hope you enjoy it!
Absolute excellency. Thank you!