Greek Free Church - English site English website
Greek Free Church - Greek site Greek website

 

Questions and Answers

Do you have a question that is not answered here?
Ask us here, anonymously if you wish. We will endeavour to post an answer to your question on this page.

What is the Greek Free Church?

The Greek Free Church is an evangelical Bible-believing Christian church, which comprises of people from many different walks of life. While most of us are Greek, don’t let the name mislead you – we do have English services which all are invited to attend.

What is the history of the Greek Free Church?

The Greek Free Church has its origins in Greece in the late 1920's. Amongst the first congregation in Athens was the founder Mr. Kostas Metalinos. The first Greek Free Church congregation outside Greece was established in the United States by Dr Zervopoulos in the early 1950's. Since then, Greek Free Churches outside Greece have been established in several countries, including Canada, Germany and Australia.

Where are your churches?

In Australia, we have churches in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide.

My mum is Irish and my dad is Italian. Can I attend your services?

Yes! Of course! As long as you can speak English you are more than welcome to attend any of our English services.

When are your English services?

In Melbourne, we have a Saturday night Gospel service beginning at 7pm, while our Sunday Worship service begins at 11:15 am. In Sydney, our Sunday Worship service begins at 10am, while the evening Gospel service begins at 6pm. We also have Bible Study and Prayer services. Feel free to come along.

What should I expect?

We know it can be quite intimidating to go somewhere for the first time, so we have set up an online forum where you can meet a few of our church members. Feel free to register on the forum and post any pertinent questions you may have about us and our church.

But what can you expect when you attend one of our services?

A loving, warm welcome from all. You will be greeted at the door by a member of our welcoming team, where you will be able to ask any further questions you may have.

Our services include a bit of everything: praise and worship, prayer, and a Bible- centred message which lasts about 30 minutes. All messages are quite practical in nature, offering meaningful principles that can be applied in all our lives.

If you are yet to accept the grace of Jesus Christ, we pray that your time with us encourages you to make the most important decision of your life.

Is it just Church?

Absolutely not! We have a number of different groups which cater for people of all ages. We encourage everyone to attend our various groups: Youth Group, Junior Youth Group, Peel St Kids Church, Married Couples and Seniors.

What is the predominant nationality at the Greek Free Church?

Almost all (95%) of the Church attending members are from a Greek background. However, our English services are attended by both Greek and non-Greek speaking people. Anyone from any background may attend our services.

How does the Greek Orthodox Church view the Greek Free Church?

We are predominantly Greek and as any Greek person would know, if you are Greek but not Greek Orthodox, you are likely to be labeled as a heretic. Given the ecumenical movement in religion today we would like to believe that this has changed, but we are not aware of the official views of the Orthodox Church about our Church at this present time. We would like to believe that anyone who reads, believes and lives by scripture is not a heretic.

Is the Greek Free Church affiliated with the Archdiocese’s in Australia?

Following on from the answer to the question above, no, we are not affiliated the Archdiocese’s in Australia.

Are you a breakaway Church from the Greek Orthodox Church?

If the question is, “were we as individuals once part of the Greek Orthodox Church?” the answer would have to be yes - all Greeks were/are. If the question is, “did we leave the Greek Orthodox Church because we had a falling out?” the answer would have to be a qualified “no”. Our Church aligns itself with the teachings found in scripture rather than those passed on by Church leaders of whatever denomination (Colossians 2:8).

Are you a registered Church in Greece and Australia?

Our Church's views are mainstream. We are not a religious sect with unusual views or emphasis. We have an association with the Greek Free Evangelical Church registered in Greece. Our Church is registered in Australia.

Do you have Holy Communion?

The Lord's Supper is a term we use for Holy Communion, taking the bread and wine (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). We conduct the Lord’s Supper every Sunday morning.

What are your views on the Gnostic texts?

These Coptic Gnostic manuscripts dating back to around AD350 were discovered in 1945 near Nag Hammadi in Egypt and were translated into English in 1977. The Nag Hammandi discoveries generated much enthusiasm. The overriding but misleading assumption was that these documents contained the "lost books of the Bible", putting them at least on par with the New Testament books. The title of “Gospel” given to these documents sparked much interest, the connotation being that as a “gospel” it presented the life of Jesus is the same way as the canonical gospels found in the New Testament, in particular the gospels of Thomas, Philip, Mary, the Egyptians, and the Gospel of Truth.

These texts do not form part of the New Testament and they reveal the dualistic and polytheistic worldview of the Gnostics of the first and second century. The early church had to deal with the heresy of Gnosticism so it is not surprising that the Gnostic gospels are not contained in the New Testament. No doubt the promoters of anti-biblical New Age Gnosticism have a different view.

We believe that God has spoken to man through the Bible both in the Old and New Testaments. We also believe that God has not only inspired the writers of the Bible, He has also ensured that only the God inspired texts such as the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John form part of the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16).

Reading about your youth group sounds exciting but do you have a youth program in Adelaide?

Unfortunately, we do not currently have a youth program in Adelaide. However, those aged 16 or older are more than welcome to attend our January and National Easter Youth camps at our Walkerville retreat in Victoria. For more information, about our camps or our youth programs held in Melbourne or Sydney, please email gfc@greekfreechurch.com.au

You claim to be the Greek Free Church in Melbourne, but as far as my own personal experience, there is no such thing as a spirit of freedom in your church. There are many idiosyncrasies and regulations that main stream society would find disturbing. How can you claim to be Greek when you do not follow or respect any of the many customs that are an integral part of the Greek Culture? Why do you act like Anglo-Saxon people, when you are not?

Thank you for getting in contact with us with your question. What you say is partially correct and has been raised with us a number of times in the past.

The members of our congregation do not follow all the Greek customs and traditions when it comes to religious practices that most Greek speaking people believe to be an integral part of the Greek Orthodox faith and Greek culture. We do not follow these because we believe they are not in line with God's Word. Nonetheless, those attending our Greek services and the majority attending our English services are Greek and proud to be Greek. We defend the rights of the Greek people, we are very interested at what is happening in Greece and we have a number of programs that target Greek-speaking people. Similarly, our sister Churches in Greece are ready to defend their country.

The bigger question for us is not whether we follow all the practices of our countrymen, but whether we are the people that God wants us to be. Our name is the "Greek Free Evangelical Church". It does not mean we are free of Greeks or we have abandoned our name and country.  The "Free" relates to being free from the traditions of men and other religions. Our Church aligns itself with the teachings found in scripture rather than the traditions passed on by Church leaders of whatever denomination (Colossians 2:8). To us, it is not a matter of culture as much as faith.

To follow blindly in the tradition of men may give us a sense of belonging. Many people do that including some extreme zealots of recent times, at huge personal cost. If that is the criterion, then any faith/religion/ideal is fine. But to us it is not about simply having faith. It is the object of our faith that makes a difference, Jesus. He said, "I am the way the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me." He did not say I am one of many ways, truths and lives that we can follow. He excluded all others before and after Him.

Free from traditions and things of the past does not equate to being free to do whatever, whenever I please. We are not sure of your experience and when you attended our Church services, but we openly defend our position on many issues. Mainstream society accepts the general concepts of love, compassion and peace, but finds the concept of "sin" and being "accountable to the Lord" disturbing. The biblical position on unmarried people living together, on gay relationships, on language, conduct, appropriate dress, entertainment and many other issues always disturbs mainstream society.

We make no secret of our position which is based on Romans 6:22, "But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life." And Romans 12:1-2, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." To some that may be interpreted as idiosyncrasies, rules and regulations. To us, it is a way of life, free from sin, preparing for our meeting with the Lord.

We hope this answers your questions. If not, please email us and we can clarify whatever you like.

Will you be singing Greek Christmas carols [this Christmas]? From what I know they refer to Saints (like St Basil etc)....

Thanks you for your question relating to Greek Christmas Carols presented by the young people from our Church. We understand there are 2 parts to your question.

With respect to the language, most of the carols were sung in Greek and one in English because a number of non-Greek speaking people attended.

With respect to the lyrics, the songs were about the Jesus, the only begotten Son of God that came into the world for one purpose, not to establish another religion, but to bring salvation to man through His sacrifice on the cross and the shedding of His blood for our sins. The carols included the Greek version of “Silent night”, “O Come all ye faithful”, “Hark, the herald angles sing”, “Joy to the world”, etc, all about the same theme: Jesus was born in Bethlehem, to offer hope and give purpose to people that place their trust in Him. More specifically in answer to your question, no, we didn’t sing any songs that referred to any of the saints whose lives may have been touched by Jesus.

St Paul was clear: ...hold the TRADITIONS...by word or by letter. So how far back do you go in terms of TRADITION? the 1920s?

This question relates to traditions and refers to 2 Thessalonians 2:15, “Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.” We would like to point out that verses taken out of context will always get us into trouble. The word “tradition” as used by Paul refers to what the Church had at that time, the inspired word of God through the prophets, and the written word from the apostles. The chapter from which that verse was taken warns the Thessalonians about something: “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?”

[Answer continued here]

How can you maintain the supremacy of Holy Scripture when It was compiled into book form by the historical institution that you as a group reject?

The collection of books that form the Holy Scripture were sorted out well before our time and canonized over a period of time in 3-4th centuries AD. We are grateful to the work of several faithful men that worked hard to ensure that we have God's Word.

However we are much more grateful to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who ensured that God's Word would survive through the ages to be in our hands today. Many may try to lay claim to that heritage - we do not see the point of that. At one point in time the Pharisees did the same but John the Baptist rebuked them. The past is the past and we cannot dwell on it. We look to the future.

We would prefer to let God reward His faithful from the past, while we study His word in order to prepare ourselves for that wonderful day when Jesus will return again to take His bride.

Your beliefs and values are remarkably similar to essential Orthodox Christianity. Why can't you express the same faith within the Orthodox Church?

If it is as you say, then one day we may see each other in heaven in God's presence.

I doubt that our values and beliefs are all that similar. The Greek Orthodox Church brands us as heretics. It is a little difficult to fellowship in a Church when the same Church brands you as such.

We do not accept infant baptism, nor the confession of sins to authorities within the Church, nor the many "mysteries" that the Greek Orthodox Church has, nor the many hierarchical positions and ordination as practiced by the Greek Orthodox Church, nor paying to "saints" nor μνημόσυνα, and many other things.

Further, many testify to the difficulty they have had in finding the Truth that satisfies their inner most needs within the Orthodox Church. On a purely experiential level there would be difficulty in expressing the faith within the Orthodox Church.

As you only exist from 1920, who held the truth for the previous 1900 years (approx)?

We could argue that one church group or another held the truth since the times of Jesus. In fact we could let the different churches and their doctrines argue about who has the truth - they have been at it for centuries.

The truth is that through all the ages, true believers held the truth because they based their life on the Word of God and not because they belonged to any one "Church". The truth remains unchanged the challenge for each generation regardless of religious denomination to find and live the truth. No denomination, institution or "Church" is the Truth or the sole repository of the Truth.

Do you have any affiliation with the Evangelical Orthodox Church?

No, we have no affiliation with the Evangelical Orthodox Church.

You have stated that no "Church" solely holds the Truth. Doesn’t that contradict St Paul who proclaimed that the "Body of Christ" can never ever be divided (First Corinthians 1:10-17)?

When we use the word “Church” we should clarify the meaning of the word, as the word is used in a number of contexts. Firstly, we do not refer to “Church” as the building where people meet. Secondly and very importantly, the “Church” is the total number of believers whether living or departed that are the Body of Christ. This can be termed the “universal Church”, it is invisible in the sense that it is made up by all those that Christ calls his own. Thirdly, “Church” can also refer to a localised congregation or group of believers or a denomination made up of more than one localised congregation or parishes. The writings of Paul you refer to are addressed to such a Church. Through history no one denomination or local congregation can claim to be the universal Church whether it is the Orthodox Church, Evangelical Church or some other congregation. Localised Churches have, to a greater and lesser extent adhered to the truth as revealed in the Holy Bible. No Church in this third sense can claim to be the universal Church, nor claim to having exclusive hold of “the truth”.

What Paul writes in the first chapter of Corinthians is not contradictory to the fact that a localised Church may not hold and live the truth. The epistle is a letter to a localised Church at Corinth. The problem Paul writes about is division among the members of the Church as to whom they followed (Paul, Apollos etc). Paul writes to this Church and tells them they are followers of Christ and part of the universal Church. Their sectarian stances were wrong.

You place sole emphasis on Holy Scripture. How can an illiterate be treated equally if he/she can’t read the Holy Word? Isn’t this an argument FOR the retention of some tradition?

Because one is unable to read the Holy Bible, it does not mean that tradition takes its place. The responsibility of the Church it to read and explain the Holy Bible in a way that is understood by a contemporary audience by taking into account the make-up of that audience (i.e. language, education levels etc). This involves reading the Bible as it has stood over the years and explaining it in a way that contemporary man can understand. This does not mean that tradition takes the place of the Holy Bible. Where the audience or congregation has people that are illiterate, this responsibility is more acute. We personally know of people who were illiterate and through personal study and the grace of God have been able to read the Holy Bible for themselves. In any case, audio versions of the Bible are readily available.

If the Bible book was compiled in 3rd-4th century AD, what took its place for the full 200-300 years before then? Isnt this an argument for the retention of some tradition?

During the first 3 centuries there was no official canon established for the New Testament that was universally recognized, but the early Church had in essence decided which books it would accept. These writings of the apostles were copied and circulated amongst the Christian churches in the early history of the Church. The New Testament canon (list of New Testament books) as we have it today was circulated in a letter by St. Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria in 367 AD. This list gained wider recognition and acceptance and was adopted by the Third Council of Carthage, 28 August 397AD (canon 24). Tradition did not decide the Bible canon; men of God with a firm belief in Him were given discernment to arrive to where they did.

To extend the above history into the realm of tradition is fraught with dangers. Man’s ingenuity to come up with new ways to worship and serve God is amazing. Today, the word "tradition" encompasses many liturgical, ritualistic and religious practices for many churches and denominations. We cannot allow it to colour our understanding of, nor alter the application of God’s Word in our life. Indeed, much of what is called tradition today falls outside and is often contrary to the Word of God. We need to exercise the same discernment used by the early Church in accepting the true books of the Bible and not follow blindly the traditions of men.

Does your Church accept historical Church Councils? If so, which ones? If not, why?

 I answer with a qualified "Yes" - The councils took place and give us
an insight to the issues faced by the established church during history
and how those issues were dealt with. The answer is "No" if the point of
your question is whether we accept the resolutions and outcomes of those
councils as binding in the same way as God's Word. History shows us that
in some councils the theological issues were driven by political forces.
The councils were human attempts to deal with the issues of the day just
as the church today must deal with issues as they arise. To the extent
that the issues are relevant today and council decisions do not
contradict scripture (the Bible) the decisions are valuable.

You have mentioned Saint Athanasius quite positively. Wasn't he also known to history as the "Father of Orthodoxy"? AND Who was St Athanasius? He sounds like a Greek Orthodox saint to me.

Yes to both questions. As with many others during that time, he was one of the early pioneers of the faith and stood up for many truths. The result of all his efforts and the efforts of others will one day be revealed and rewarded by the Lord Himself. The real question for us is in whose footsteps are we following? The footsteps of men, or those of the Lord? The Lord invites us lean and rely on Him for our every need. He said, I am the way the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but through Me. All the men of past ages did whatever they did for themselves and we can learn valuable lessons from their victories and mistakes.

Which day of the week is your "day of rest" - Saturday or Sunday?

The day of rest of the Lord’s Day for us in Sunday. The debate in the past and present in some circles is whether it should be the Sabbath, as was held by the Jews. Paul says in Romans 14:5-6 “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.” The early Christians met on the first day of the week to do the Lord’s supper. That is good enough for us.

"All the men of past ages did whatever they did for themselves and we can learn valuable lessons from their victories and mistakes." - So why dont we spend time reading about them at our church?

Thanks you for your question. Since you use the expression “our church”, you probably attend the Greek Free Church but the answer below applies in any case.

If there is one thing we aim to do from the pulpit of our church it is to spend as much time possible studying the Word of God. In there we read about the men of God, their lives and what we can learn from them in order to understand the Lord who calls us to serve Him. Since the early times, many other things were written and said and several traditions were established based these. In order to avoid the distortion that history has introduced through the writings of men, we limit our review of these men to those presented to us in scripture. There are definitely other people who devoted their lives to serving their beloved God, but the Apostle John tells us that ‘These things have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in his name’ (John 20:31). We are comfortable resting on what John said under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

If we were to add other things to what is written in the Bible we run the risk of promoting teachings outside scripture. Hence, we take the view that whatever the Lord wanted us to know, he gave it to us in scripture. To lean on things outside scripture begs the question of where we draw the line and who is trustworthy enough to be listened to. Jeremiah helps us here: “Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD”. (Jeremiah 17:5)

Putting people on a pedestal is not something scripture encourages either. Even the apostles shirked away from taking this position (Acts 14:15) “And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein.”

We understand that this is not the view of all churches, but it is our position.

"Do you have a question that is not answered here? Ask us here, anonymously if you wish. We will endeavour to post an answer to your question on this page." - I hope all questions are responded on this page not being picked and chosen as your theology is.

We understand that in a world such as ours, people have the freedom to pick and choose many things in life, including religious beliefs. We can assure you that every question that is sent to us is answered. There may be an occasional delay, but they all get answered. The only questions we do not publish are those that are personal in nature, or offensive, or if the visitor has provided an email address and enters into a dialogue with us. To date we haven’t had to leave out any question.

Our theology in your view it may not be appealing but then, we seek to be pleasing to God and not men. We are conscious on the fact that God’s Word is a stumbling block for some and a joke to others. We also understand that the churches under the banner of “Christianity” are numerous in number and colour. That is why Jesus asked, “when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

The question that should concern us is whether we are following the truth in His word. If we are not, Jesus portrays a very fearful scene that will shock people on that day. He said, in Matt 7:22-23, “On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?' Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.' Consequently, our theology is based on scripture. Our church position on many things is no secret and is found through the links of the main page.

Out of interest, would you elaborate which aspects of our theology you have issues with?

msg: "The early Christians met on the first day of the week to do the Lord s supper. That is good enough for us." - If that is good enough then why don’t you hold onto other practices of the early Christians?

Your question is a good one. There are many things in scripture that have been given to us to follow. Jesus said that if we love Him, we will obey His commandments.

There are many things in the early church that we do not do today and the reasons that we do not do them today is because they were for that period. For example, we do not have all things in common today as they did in the early church in order to give to each of the believers according to their needs (Acts 2:24). The situation today is different. If difficult times arise and the church faces persecution, it may have to return to “having all things in common”. Nor do we get the revelation from the Holy Spirit as to who is lying today. People that lie to the Lord or to the church do not drop dead as in the case in the early Church with Ananias and his wife (Acts 5:1-10)

When you say “practices” you are probably referring to the traditions set out by the church subsequent to the apostles. These “practices” we are told were introduced by the apostles and the basis is made through some serious convolution of scripture. Here we would argue that such things are not found in scripture. Our position is quite clear. We do not hold traditions, especially when we believe they contradict scripture. An extensive discussion of this issue is found in the forum pages.

"No denomination, institution or "Church" is the Truth or the sole repository of the Truth." - If you believe this then you are calling Christ a liar. Read the scriptures carefully before stating things like that please.

We could have an academic argument over this but that would not be in our interest. Jesus said “I am the way the truth and the life”.

He made the point very clear when speaking to the Samaritan woman in John 4:19-26: “The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.”

We can make a big deal about where we worship. Jesus is more interested that we worship Him in truth. To do that we need to recognise He is the truth and that "No denomination, institution or "Church" is the Truth or the sole repository of the Truth."

msg: "No denomination, institution or "Church" is the Truth or the sole repository of the Truth." Again your "pick and choose" theology forgets the fact that the scripture says that the 'Church is the ground and the pillar of Truth,' It does not say that the scriptures are the ground and the pillar of the truth. All truth is contained in the Church including the Bible.

Your state your points clearly enough. Now please point to the scripture that supports what you say. We start with scripture as our reference point in all discussions. Where does it say that today’s “Church is the ground and the pillar of Truth?” Where do we find the scripture that supports your principle that “All truth is contained in the Church including the Bible”, such that we can place today’s Church on equal footing with the Word of God?

On the contrary, the Bible states that it is the solid ground on which we can build our lives upon. We read in 2 Timothy 3:14-17, “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Furthermore in Hebrews 4:12 we read, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Finally, we do not accept additions to the scripture in the form of traditions. Again, we find that principle in God’s word. Jude 1:3 states, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” What needed to be delivered to us has already, once and for all. We rest on scripture.

To us this scripture very clearly says that God’s Word is the ultimate authority on all issues. It is the pillar of truth we stand on. We are both comfortable and secure on that foundation. Related discussion is found on the forum pages. Please continue this discussion there.

msg: "We understand that this is not the view of all churches, but it is our position." Our position is wrong because Jesus does not forbid us from learning more about him. I think reading about people who were closed to God could offer advise to help us also. I'm sure Jesus would be upset if you and our church restricted us from wanting to learn about Christ from other people's lives. It is not a sin so it should be encouraged. It is impossible to think that our God is contained in one book. The creator of everything we have contained in one book. I'm not sure our church is living up to its name of being a free church when everything is restricted to the leaders interpretation of the bible. The truth is contained within us not by the pastors own interpretation.

The issues you raise here are a little misplaced. Jesus does not forbid us to learn more about Him. He does warn us to be careful of whom we place our trust in. We are comfortable placing our trust in Him and His word. Our Church does not restrict anyone from learning more about Him. If you feel that your Church does restrict you in that way, it is time to find a church that edifies you by preaching the truth and not man-made religion.

What is possible is not determined by our finite reasoning and understanding but on the infinite God in whom we trust. In Romans chapter 1 we read that everything that can be known about God can be gleaned from the world around us. Jesus Himself said “know the truth and the truth will set you free”…. And to make sure we understood Him well He said, I am the way, the truth and the life. Furthermore, John tells us in John 20:30-1, “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” If the Apostle John believed the Bible was enough for him, who are we to argue?

We have never claimed that the leader’s interpretation of scripture is the basis on which to build our lives- far from it. We promote the position of the Bereans who searched the scriptures to see if what the Apostle Paul said to them stood the test of scripture (Acts 17:11). What we encourage is that people read the scripture and use it to test everything they read and hear. Our soul is too valuable to not apply that test to everything we read and hear. The truth is not contained within us. It is found in God’s Word.

This Q&A section of our website essentially deals with one-off questions that people may have about us. For more in-depth discussion of this and any other issues, please take them to the forum page.

msg: "Out of interest, would you elaborate which aspects of our theology you have issues with?"

That only your church contains the Truth! That people's dress code is more important than their souls. That we dont dance when it does not clearly say You shall not dance! Or you shall not drink alcohol! Our church is not free but run like a nazi camp. I walked into another church and did not get the judgemental looks i get at our church. Im sorry but Christ does not want this in His church.

We respectfully disagree with your statement that only our Church contains the truth. I am not sure where that came from. If you look at our past answers to your questions and others, we explain ourselves clearly. We point to God’s Word as the truth.

Your second issue here relates to worldliness. God’s word tells us not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:1-2). The sad tragedy in the Christian world today is the emphasis Christians put on getting as close as they can to the world to such a point where there is eventually no difference. Christianity has attempted to justify anything in the name of God. Christian tattoos are fine and homosexual relationships are just another way of man “expressing his love to another man”. And everything is fine to the point where we make a mockery of Jesus’ prayer to the Father when He asked the Father to not take us out of this world but to keep us safe from the evil one … that we be sanctified (John 17:15-17).

This debate about worldliness is not a new one. The definition of worldliness has created much division in churches through history. You are entitled to your views about our position on the things of this world. By the way, we do not say that you shouldn’t drink alcohol, but that if alcohol controls you, give it up. We do say that the new life in Jesus is a transformed life where the old things have passed away and everything is made new; that we cannot continue to live as we did when we were far from Jesus. We must be transformed – that is what Jesus does. We don’t hide that message for fear of driving people away. If preaching God’s Word with the fear of the Lord equates to running a “Nazi Camp” in your view, we would say that no one is forcing you to attend this Church. Find yourself one that preaches God’s Word according to your liking. The bible tells us that in the last days people will look to surround themselves with teachers to tickle their ears (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

As far as being judgemental is concerned, we could say much about this topic. The most abused scripture in the bible is found in Matt 7:1-5, "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considereth not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? THOU HYPOCRITE, first cast the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." Jesus didn’t say to take the beam out of our own eye and forget about the speck in our brother’s eye. What He said was that when we get the beam out of our eye, WE WOULD THE BE ABLE to get the speck out of our brother’s eye. He was warning about being a hypocrite.

Scripture commands us to judge. Christ commanded, "Judge righteous judgment" (John 7:24). It is our positive duty to judge. He told a man, "Thou hast rightly judged" (Luke 7:43). Jesus asked others, "Why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?" (Luke 12:57). Paul says, "I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say" (1 Cor 10:15). "He that is spiritual judgeth all things" (1 Cor 2:15). We are to judge sin in the church (1 Cor. 5:3, 12), matters between the brethren (1 Cor. 6:5), preaching (1 Cor. 14:29), those who preach false gospels, false christs, and false spirits (2 Cor. 11:1-4), the works of darkness (Eph. 5:11), and prophets (1 John 4:1).

We apologise if you get judgemental looks. That shouldn’t happen. But we do not condone worldliness.

For further discussion on this topic, please take this topic to the forum page. Further question on these issues will not be entertained on this page.

msg: "All the men of past ages did whatever they did for themselves and we can learn valuable lessons from their victories and mistakes." You did not answer my question. As you have stated that the early christian pioneers such as "Athanasius the Great" had valuable victories, these victories must be discussed and learnt as to strengthen ourselves from similar circamstances. We must introduce it as it will only make us stronger in faith. Thoughts please.

This issue has been dealt with in earlier questions. What Athanasius did in his life was his life. What we do today is our life. How much his life can help us we could discuss at length. We prefer to study the men of God found in scripture – that is what will make us stronger. In there we read about their successes and failures. We read of David – the man that God loved very much. How he defeated Goliath and how he committed the terrible sin of adultery with Bathsheba. About the great Solomon and his Godly wisdom and how his many wives led his heart to worship other gods. About Samson who fell to the seducing voice of Delilah and many, many others. We cannot understand the need to go to the lives of people outside scripture. The rich man asked father Abraham to send poor Lazarus to tell his brothers to not make the same mistakes he made in his life by ignoring God and his fellow man. Abraham replied that they had Moses and the prophets and that even if a dead man went back to tell then they would not listen. We can learn as well from other men outside scripture but the tinkering with history leaves much uncertainty about what actually happened in the lives of those men.

More discussion on this is found in answers to other questions in this section. We would like to continue this discussion on the forum pages and not on these pages.

msg: "We can make a big deal about where we worship. Jesus is more interested that we worship Him in truth" Then why dont we gather at the same place every week?? Why do we own a building?? Every donation should be given to charity. Lets get out of peel St and go to different places every week. As long as we worship in Truth.

I think you missed the point we were trying to make. Jesus pointed to the problem with established religion and the emphasis man places on it when one religion points the finger at the other’s faults. Man’s ingenuity is amazing when it comes to discovering ways to get closer to God, while at the same time closing his eyes and ears to what God is saying. Religion is not what brings people closer to God. It is knowing who Jesus is and fellowshipping with other like-minded people to encourage one another by remaining in the true teaching, prayer, fellowship and by taking part in the Lord’s supper (Acts 2:42). That is based on scripture.

We don’t see what we give to the Lord as donations. These are our tithes. The need to give to the poor (not necessarily meaning charities) is a commandment, not at the expense of our tithes. In fact, Jesus clearly separated the two issues when He said (John 12:4-8) “But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He had said this not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.” Too bad Christians carefully count the pennies they give God when God did not spare His only begotten Son to die for our sins – not to give us religion, but a new life in Jesus.

Finally, the idea that abandoning a building will then enable us to worship in truth is a little naïve. The first church couldn’t own a building because of the persecution it faced. In some countries today the same happens. Persecution drives God’s people to underground “churches”. If the bricks of our building become more important than the souls that Jesus died for, we have lost our way. No one is stopping anyone from being a living witness, a walking testament to the love and glory of Jesus Christ.

I am now a Greek Orthodox priest in Chicago whose congregation is Full of former Evangelicals..Most became Orthodox when reading the early church Fathers and realizing the Church was Orthodox from the begining. You may have some remnents of truth but you are unfortunately Heretics because you reject the ONLY church Christ started " The Holy Orthodox Church" and you cannot know Christ fully outside His church..You should read about the 2000 Evangelicals who became Orthodox in 1987 and started this HUGE movement of Evangelicals into the Orthodox Church..

We thank you for your email. Yes, we are aware of the shift of some 2,000 – 3.000 “evangelicals” into the Orthodox Church. The leader was Peter Gilquist and other prominent people like Franky Schaeffer also made the shift. In view of the total number of “evangelicals” this is a very small number. In any case, numbers are not the measure of truth.

These evangelicals saw the joining to the Orthodox Church as a coming home to the original apostolic church. This should be seen in light of the fact that many of them did not belong to an organised church but were rather a part of para - church organisations. Their response to the real or perceived weaknesses of their situation is not necessarily an indicator of truth or correctness. The greatest error they made is that they assumed that the Orthodox Church remained the same for 2000 years. This is not borne out by history. You may care to look at the chapter in Daniel Clendenin’s Eastern Orthodoxy Theology Reader, It explains this assumption well. The Orthodox Church has not remained static or true to the apostolic church and teaching, like every institution it has changed over time and it is wrong to assume that a claim to apostolic succession is a guarantee to the maintenance of truth, correct doctrine and practice.

We have had many join the Greek Free Church from the Orthodox Church; they describe how enlightening the experience of understanding in plain language the message of salvation truly is.

On the issue of heresy and heretics, we suggest that to call one a heretic requires one to have certainty of truth and correct doctrine. We do not concede that the Orthodox Church is the repository of truth and correct orthodox doctrine, consequently the label of “heretic” from that quarter is of little concern. It is God’s view that matters.

What is your view on the orthodox church?

Our aim and purpose is to spread the Gospel and the message of God’s grace manifested through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is the author and perfector of our faith. As such our focus is not to engage in polemics with the Greek Orthodox Church (GOC). Having said that, our view is that the GOC is a religion that claims to be the only true Christian church. We do not accept this view. The true universal church crosses all denominational and man made institutions, it comprises of all those who have understood that they are sinners and fall short of the glory of God and have put their trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We disagree with the GOC on many issues including but not limited to the role of tradition, veneration of icons, Mariolatry etc. We believe that these issues are a hindrance to finding the truth as revealed in scripture. That is the experience of many of those who attend the Greek Free Church.

Converting old people who are ignorant of their own faith is a petty excuse for conversion. Your religion should be ashamed of itself.

Not sure what you are getting it here. If they are ignorant of their faith, someone hasn't been doing their job properly, else they have seen how empty their faith world was and decided to do what any wise person would do, Matt 13:44-6 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he fo:und one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it."

We don't fool people. We point them to scripture and the promises therein. What is there to be ashamed of? Paul himself said, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." (Rom 1:16-17)

We are neither afraid nor ashamed to direct people to God's word for direction in their life. Why not build on the foundation of Jesus Christ and His Word:

Matt 7:24-28, "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall. And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."

People on the site and other sites have been stating a lot of interesting things on the Orthodox Church. Can you guys give me a list of orthodox churches in Tasmania as i am very interested to go and visit one? Thank You.

Sorry, we do not have a listing of Orthodox Churches in Tasmania. We are not affiliated with the Orthodox Church.

I have visited your church many times having family and friends associated with your church.  I must say that for a 'free'church who don't follow tradition of man, you sure have a lot of man made laws within the church that do not support scripture. No pants,no dancing sounds like real fun.

Thank you for your question. I am sorry you feel that way. I make the following comments:

  • The word “Free” in our name indicates we are not associated to a particular denomination or Church hierarchical structure. It does not mean free to do as we please.
  • You indicate we have a lot of man made laws that do not support scripture. I assume you meant are “not supported by scripture” scripture does not need any support.
  • “Fun” is quite subjective I can have a lot of “fun” without dancing or dressing in a particular way.
  • The real issue is not “man made laws” there are no such laws within the Church. The real issue is freedom, let me explain.
  1. Christ calls for obedience, He calls a man to take up his cross (the life of sacrifice and obedience and to follow Him;
  2. Christ’s yoke is light and easy to bear
  3. Christ claimed and we believe that he IS the truth;
  4. When we know the truth (Christ) we are made free;
  5. The apostle Paul understood this well. In 1 Corinthians 6:12 and 10:23 he tells us ALL THINGS are lawful (including dance, fashion, pants etc) BUT there are three qualifications: (1) not all things are profitable for our walk in Christ (2) not all things are edifying to us and the people around us (3) we are not to come under the power, or be enslaved to anything;
  6. That is true freedom to be able to have all things at your disposal but to freely choose to walk away from what enslaves, destroys, and hinders our walk with Christ;
  7. The Church has the responsibility through the agency of its teachers and preachers to speak of holiness and separation from the world. This involves speaking about the present age and its rebellion to God. If this means speaking against partying/dancing/ drinking and carousing so be it. If it means speaking against provocative dress so be it;
  8. These things are not done by force or rules. It is the conviction of the Holy Spirit that leads us to live lives worthy of the calling of God;
  9. Keeping “rules” achieves nothing if the heart and mind is not transformed; and
  10. Freedom, (much more satisfying than “fun”) comes from willing obedience to the only truth, Jesus Christ.

I hope this helps explain our position. May God bless you richly.

Ask us a question if you have one:

*optional
*optional
*optional

"And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

John 8:32


Subscribe to our newsletter:
[more info]

To have these newsletters sent to you by mail, please click here.
If men will not be governed by God, they will be ruled by tyrants.
William Penn - Founded the US Province of Pennsylvania - (1644-1718)
© Greek Free Church (Evangelical) 2006
Home | New to the Site | Melbourne Announcements | Who We Are
Beliefs and Values | What We Do | Questions And Answers
Service Times | Contact Us | Articles | Perspectives | Sermons | Forums | Radio