Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia
All my siblings and I were raised Lutheran, but recently my brother has taken an interest in joining an Orthodox (ROCOR) church. I am a little razzled by the whole situation and I really have no clue what the Orthodox believe. I tried to search the Internet, but every article was about Greek Orthodox, and none of them were from a Lutheran perspective. What is the difference between Lutherans and Russian Orthodox?
The differences between confessional Lutheranism and The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) are similar to the differences between confessional Lutheranism and Roman Catholicism.
Major differences include the ROCOR’s rejection of Scripture as the only source of Christian doctrine; they consider church tradition as an additional source. The ROCOR rejects the Bible’s teaching that people are spiritually dead by nature, teaching instead that people can cooperate with God in their salvation. As with Roman Catholicism, there are also doctrinal errors regarding the Lord’s Supper and prayer.
Perhaps the best way you can serve your brother is to ask him if he understands the teachings of the ROCOR and how they compare to the Bible. Keep pointing him to Jesus Christ as his perfect and complete Savior. Pray that God guide and keep him in the truths of his word.