 Initially, the beginning of the East and West heading in two
different directions came in 395AD when Emperor Theodosius (the
Great) divided the Roman Empire between his two sons.
Theoretically the empire continued as one, but in practice the
Eastern and Western roads of the empire began to diverge.Whilst the Council of Chalcedon in 451 accepted the mystical credulity that Peter (the Apostle) was speaking through Leo, the Council also agreed that equal status should be given to the Constantinople See. Pope Leo’s representative of the Western Roman Church protested this proposal of equality, and as a result, the Latin Roman Church of the West and the Greek Orthodox Church of the East also began to diverge in directions that supported their own primacy, and consequently their theology. The alien philosophy of Eastern Orthodox belief first appeared in the East under Constantine in the 4th century when the Christian Roman Empire was politically birthed and then overseen by the Emperor himself. As a result, the separation previously recognised between Church and State became necessarily reduced. With the Emperor now overseeing the affairs of the Church, he gained respect from within the Church’s ranks. In fact, such was the status of the his importance, that Constantine commissioned the placement of a thirteenth tomb inside his Church of the Twelve Apostles for himself to rest beside the twelve symbolic tombs of the NT apostles. The unprecedented procedure of an Emperor ‘assembling a council’ to agree upon and define correct tradition and doctrine also began with Constantine at the Nicene Council in 325AD. Thereafter, until 787AD again in Nicaea, each subsequent Emperor called and presided over all seven councils. Today the Eastern Orthodox still refer to themselves as the “Church of the Seven Councils” as a way of affirming the ordinance of Church/State union. In the West, after the sacking of Rome in 410 by Alaric, and the fall of Rome in 455 by Gaiseric, the year 476AD is generally recognized as marking the end of the Christian Roman Empire. It was also at this time that the long line of Roman Emperors inaugurated by Augustus (Gaius Julius Octavius) in 27AD ended, and the rule of German Leaders initiated by Odovocar began when he deposed the then Romulus Augustus.  Eastern Orthodox belief systems and doctrines, continued to be
enforced with vigor during the reign of Justinian (482-565AD)
the Byzantine Emperor (picture). Whilst he extinguished the threat of any potential invasion from the vandals, destroyed the Ostrogoths, and reclaimed North Africa etc, his religious focus was equally determined. 1. He spread the Eastern Orthodox faith believing he (as Emperor) was accountable to God, and continued Constantine’s precedence of “Emperor ruling the Church Body” (that is, all the people of his Christian empire). 2. He pursued a strong policy of repression against non-believers, Jews and heretics. 3. He freely selected, and deposed of patriarchs and bishops, and often dictated to the western Pope. 4. He commanded the construction of churches, including the restoration of Cathedral Hagia Sophia – Holy Wisdom Church of Constantinople (538AD). Upon completion, Justinian claimed he had even outdone Solomon. The East and West continued to contend over issues surrounding each others Patriarchal hierarchy, papal authority, doctrine, and the “Filioque Controversy” (which argued who sent the Holy Spirit – was it the Father only [East], or the Father and Son [West]. The Latin term “Filioque” means "and from the Son" and refers to the phrase in the Western version of the Nicene Creed which states that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. Originally this addition was not in the document agreed to at Nicaea in 325, neither at Constantinople in 381. It is believed to have been first inserted at the Council of Toledo in 589 and thereafter gradually accepted in the West as founding Trinitarian doctrine. The Filioque clause may have been inserted to safeguard the Nicene truth that the Son is co-substantial with the Father to militate against the threat of Arianism, which was still prevalent at the time, and denied the full divinity of the Son. The East, however, claimed the addition never had ecumenical approval and reflected a particular Western conception of the Trinity, which most Byzantine theologians objected to. The interpretation of two verses in particular, were the point of contention. John 14:26, "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name...", and John 15:26, "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, He will testify about me." The rift between the East and West again increased during both the “Icon controversy”, and beliefs concerning “the Body” [of Christ]. The Body. Contrary to the early accepted identity of the Body of Christ, as being separate from the world (and State), Byzantine doctrine believes all subjects of the Empire were church members by default. That is, “the State was the body of God’s community.” The visible representative issuing God’s will upon this Imperial body, the Eastern Orthodox body of Christ, was the Emperor. Icons.  Toward the end of the third century under the rule of
Theodosius, East and West alike created and used images. The
West used pictures, statues of Christ, Mary, and the Apostles to
aid illiterate people in their prayers. Scripture, at this time
was not made available to the general populace. However, it was
in the Eastern Orthodox East, which saw the Church worship the
icon images (which gained the official Emperors’ blessing during
Justinian's rule). Picture: Eastern Orthodox icon of Peter and Paul. Eastern Orthodox believed the icons to be a ‘window’ between them and heaven, and that the icon of an image of God, a saint, or heaven would provide them an “experience of God and heaven”. The emphasis was placed upon ‘how you felt’ and how one could enter an experience of God through the icon, the building, the chanting, or even the incense. The Mysticism of images had entered the Church of the Orthodox East to aid “an experience”, and thereby, according to some scholars, encouraged a form of sorcery. The “mystic awe and heavenly experience”, was the testimony of the Vladimirs envoys when they visited the Church of Holy Wisdom, and thereupon took the Eastern Orthodox faith back to Russia. Eventually, icons were given such status that the icon of the Emperor was viewed as the literal presence of the Emperor himself. The term salvation also took on another meaning. Eastern Orthodox belief is founded upon their doctrine of ‘man being the image of God’ (purposely excluding the word “made”). Therefore salvation was believed to consist of restoring or maximizing this image. Through ‘a spiritual experience’ they claimed they encountered a form of rebirth, a recreation and transformation. Accordingly, it is believed that during this ‘mystic experience’ salvation is realized, as in it, man becomes restored to the likeness of God, even God-like. This belief was not too different from Greek mythology. With so much doctrinal error progressively cemented in the Byzantium Church, it was only a matter of time until it would no longer stand before its enemies (Jud 2:12-14). In 636 AD, only four years after the death of Mohammad, a small Islamic army led by Mohammad’s successor (the second Caliph, Umar) engaged in a battle termed “The Battle of Yarmouk” Given they were confronting the might of the Byzantium army; a Byzantium victory was expected within a couple of days. It lasted six. However, despite the size of the battle, this David and Goliath contest triggered a heavenly displacement resulting in turning the course of history forever. It marked the first of a rapid wave of Muslim conquest outside of the Arabian Peninsula; and is now considered to be one of the most significant battles of all time. As a result of this crucial battle, within four short years Palestine, Syria, Egypt and Mesopotamia changed from being dominantly Christian to Islamic. Within 100 years, all the land between southern France and India also became spoil to the Muslim armies. This occupied the attention of both the Eastern Church and Pope Leo’s West (which also came under attack) for some time.  In 726 Pope Leo, in an attempt to restore a more biblical
perspective to prayer, forbade the use of icons (but only dared
to after having gained the people’s respect by eventually
resisting the advancing Muslim armies). He tried to replace the
icons of monks, angels, and heavenly scenes etc, with images of
the Cross and the Bible. However, opposition to the iconoclastic
movement was fierce and lasted for some time. John Mansour (picture) known as John of Damascus (675-749) a Greek orthodox theologian and poet, in 730 defended the use of icons stating they dispensed grace, and had sacramental value. He claimed that to deny any true icon was in effect to deny the incarnation. Finally in 787, being influenced by John of Damascus’s writings, the Nicene Council surrendered to pressure and again approved the use of icons. Eastern Orthodox churches today still celebrate this victory as the “Feast of Orthodoxy”.  The split between the East and the West became official in 1054
AD. It was then when Cardinal Hubert (picture), who was later re-named Hilderbrand before becoming Pope Gregory VII in 1073, and while representing Pope Leo IX, placed a ‘Bull of Excommunication’ upon the alter of the reverenced Church of Holy Wisdom, Hagia Sophia, in Constantinople. Essentially, the irreconcilable differences again concerned the spiritual authority of the Emperor, the Pope, and their conflicting doctrines. The rift between the Roman Catholic West, and the Eastern Orthodox east had by this point eroded, and had parted too far. As a result of the Bull, the East then in turn excommunicated the West. In time, further military losses, heresies and the spread of Islam whittled away the Eastern Orthodox Empire created by Constantine and Justinian. In 1204AD, a renegade fourth Crusade, ordered by Pope Innocent III to deliver the Holy Land (Jerusalem) instead sacked Constantinople. This widened the schism. Eventually in 1453, the great Constantinople fell to the Islamic Turks and the Christians have become a minority in the land (Turkey) run by Muslims ever since. Subsequently, Moscow became the new capital of Eastern Orthodoxy practiced in Russia, Greece, Cyprus, and Serbia. Relevant Scripture: John 3: 3-8, John 6: 28-35, 63. Exodus 20: 4 |