Not the real Theophan but a recluse Orthodox Christian neophyte ☦️ MA Theology, MDiv Ecumenically exclusivist The greatest struggle is the struggle against self
The Rustbelt of the US
Joined June 2018
- Tweets156K
- Following4.9K
- Followers7.7K
- Likes217K
Pinned Tweet
Principles for Orthodox apologetics.
1 - Before anything, revere God in your heart. This involves prayer, attending services, and seeking God with all your heart. This is only found on your knees in prayer.
2 - Be prepared.
For Protestants this "preparation" centers around knowing the Bible very well. If you are going to debate a Sola Scriptura person you need to be prepared to answer them on their terms - from Scripture, not tradition. And Scripture supports Orthodoxy because it came out of the Church.
But the Bible also tells us that we are not to prepare a defense in advance.
Luk 21:14-15 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
This means we are to be guided by the Spirit.
3 - When apologetics is done right, it's done with ""gentleness and respect". Pride and arrogance are the downfall for all of us.
Talking over the other person is one evidence you are not acting with respect. The other person is allowed to be rude. The Orthodox Christian is not. They are allowed to be arrogant. The Orthodox Christian is not.
Thread of Orthodox daily Scripture readings and Lives of the Saints.
Going to open a Space to do the readings and lives later today. It will be a recorded Space and will just cover the readings and lives.🧵
Theophan the Recluse Fan retweeted
As of the 119th United States Congress, there are six Orthodox Christian members serving in the legislature.
Because official reports detailing the specific party registration of each individual Orthodox member in the 119th Congress have not been fully itemized by name in aggregate reports, a precise partisan breakdown of these six members is not explicitly available.
For historical context, the distribution of Orthodox Christians in recent legislative sessions has shifted as follows:
• 119th Congress: The total dropped to six members across both major political parties. This decrease followed the departures of two Democratic representatives:
Mary Peltola of Alaska (Russian Orthodox) and John Sarbanes of Maryland (Greek Orthodox).
• 118th Congress: There were eight Orthodox Christian members, who were evenly split with four members belonging to each major political party.
Orthodox Readings and Saints for Today. xitter.cf/i/spaces/1nJOLQlpQXyxR
Saint Theophilus of the Kiev Caves, Bishop of Novgorod
oca.org/saints/lives/2026/10…
Commemoration of the Great Earthquake at Constantinople
oca.org/saints/lives/2026/10…
Saints of the Day
THE HOLY GREAT MARTYR DEMETRIUS THE MYRRH-STREAMER
The Holy Great Martyr Demetrius the Myrrh-streamer
oca.org/saints/lives/2026/10…
JOHN 15:17-27; 16:1-2
The Lord said to his disciples: "This I command you, to love one another. If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But all this they will do to you on my account, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. It is to fulfill the word that is written in their law, 'They hated me without a cause.' But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me; and you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning. I have said all this to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.
ST. PAUL'S SECOND LETTER TO TIMOTHY 2:1-10
Timothy, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier on service gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to satisfy the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hardworking farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will grant you understanding in everything. Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descended from David, as preached in my gospel, the gospel for which I am suffering and wearing fetters like a criminal. But the word of God is not fettered. Therefore, I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus with its eternal glory.
Here's a story you rarely hear because it happened over 100 years ago. It was shared with me by a Muslim friend in Jordan @ziyad_kayyali (great guy to follow). It's part of why the Orthodox Church in Jordan is respected by the Muslim community there.
It concerns the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch under Patriarch Gregory IV Haddad...
During World War I and the subsequent collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the Levant region (which encompasses Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine) was devastated by a severe famine exacerbated by a massive locust plague and wartime blockades.
The defining details of this event include:
Selling Church Wealth:
To save the starving population, Patriarch Gregory IV borrowed heavily against church endowments and systematically sold off the Antiochian Patriarchate’s properties, gold, and silver assets.
The Tsar's Crucifix: In one of the most famous accounts, the Patriarch pawned a magnificent diamond crucifix that had been gifted to him by Russian Tsar Nicholas II in 1913, fetching 1,000 Ottoman pounds to buy bread.
Aid Regardless of Religion:
Patriarch Gregory strictly mandated that the church distribute food and financial aid to anyone who knocked on the door, regardless of whether they were Christian or Muslim. This earned him the widespread, revered moniker "The Patriarch of the Arabs".
While Jordan falls under the spiritual jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem (rather than Antioch), the stories of the Orthodox Church exhausting its treasures to feed the starving populations across the Levant during the Ottoman collapse are entirely accurate and remain a major point of historical pride in the region.
The area in front of the Western Wall used to be very small and narrow. The rest of what is now the plaza in front of the wall was an 800-year-old Moroccan community of about 600 people.
Space for the large plaza was created in a weekend by ethnically cleansing the area after the 1967 war.
Incredible to visit Israel last week & pray at the Western Wall. Anyone of ANY faith can pray at the Western Wall, the holiest site in Judaism. Prior to the 1967 Six Day War access was restricted while now anyone of any faith can visit. As a Christian, I’m grateful that the IDF protects some of Christianity’s holiest sites, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site of Christ’s crucifixion and Resurrection. Look forward to posting this week photos from the journey.
Jordanian spokesman announces the three men who attacked the Orthodox Church in Jordan have been apprehended.
الأردن يقتص لدماء شهداءه … الأجهزة الامنية بذلت جهود جبارة تكللت بالنجاح…
الأمن العام : بعد عملية أمنيّة مشتركة، فرق التحقيق والمداهمة المتخصّصة تُلقي القبض على الإرهابيين الثلاثة منفذي العملية الإرهابية الجبانة وإصابتهم جميعاً، بعد اشتباك مسلّح معهم دون أيّة إصابات بصفوف القوّة الأمنيّة
** عمليات البحث والتمشيط استمرت منذ لحظة الجريمة الإرهابية لحين تحديد مكان تواجد الإرهابيين الثلاثة فجر اليوم في أحد المنازل المهجورة في محافظة الكرك
*** الإرهاب لا مكان له بيننا، وهذه الثلة الخارجة عن الدين والأعراف والأخلاق لاقت مصيرها العادل على أيدي القوة الأمنيّة
** نقف بالمرصاد وسنضرب بيد من حديد دون رأفة أو تهاون كل من يحاول المساس بأمن الأردن وسلامة مواطنيه
** نجدد الدعوة للشهداء بالرحمة ولمصابي الحادث الإرهابي بالشفاء العاجل
أعلنت مديرية الأمن العام أن فرق التحقيق والمداهمة الخاصة المشتركة والأجهزة الأمنية تمكنت فجر اليوم وبعد جهود مستمرة لم تتوقف من عمليات البحث والتمشيط من تحديد مكان تواجد الارهابيين الثلاثة منفذي العملية الارهابية الجبانة بحق مواطنين أردنيين في كنيسة في قرية حمود في محافظة الكرك.
وأكّدت المديرية في بيان لها أنّ الإرهابيين الثلاثة تحصنوا داخل أحد المنازل المهجورة ورفضوا الاستسلام وبادروا بإطلاق عيارات نارية باتجاه القوة الأمنيّة حيث طبقت معهم قواعد الاشتباك لحين السيطرة وإلقاء القبض عليهم بعد إصابتهم جميعاً، دون وقوع أية إصابات في صفوف القوة الأمنيّة.
وتابعت المديرية أنّه ضبط بحوزتهم بعد القبض عليهم وتفتيش مكان تواجدهم مجموعة من الأسلحة النارية والعتاد.
وجددت مديرية الأمن العام دعاءها بالرحمة للشهداء والشفاء العاجل للمصابين الذين طالتهم أيدي الارهاب الجبانة.
مؤكدة أن الاردن سيبقى عصياً على كل من يحاول المساس بأمنه واستقراره وسلامة مواطنيه ..حمى الله الأردن قيادة وشعباً.
