The Holy Metropolis of Kifisia issued the following statement to counter the influence of a large gathering within the Metropolis of members from the Pentecostal sect of the Free Apostolic Church of Pentecost (Ελευθέρα Αποστολική Εκκλησία Πεντηκοστής) on Saturday 11 May 2013.
On Saturday 11 May 2013, within the geographical boundaries of our Holy Metropolis, there will take place a pan-hellenic gathering of the new heresy of Pentecostals (Free Apostolic Church of Pentecost or ΕΑΕΠ). We want to inform all the pious that this heresy fights against the Church of our Lord, teaching its followers a number of blasphemous cacodoxies.
Specifically:
They accept only the Bible, which they interpret any way they want. They do not accept what Christ and the Apostles delivered to us orally. They argue that the Panagia bore many children. They do not believe in the intercessions of Saints. They do not honor the Holy Icons or the Relics of the Saints. They do not believe that within the Church there is a special Priesthood which is founded on the existence of Apostolic Succession. They do not accept the Mystery of Holy Confession, nor of Memorial Services. They do not fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. They are against the virginal life of Monasticism.
THEY ARE FALSE PROPHETS AND FALSE TEACHERS: They have often prophesied the Second Coming of Christ! Even their founder has given us (till today) two different ages of the Antichrist who, according to him, has already been born.
They teach the doctrine of the "rapture of the Church", according to which Christ before the Great Tribulation of the Antichrist will grab up His Church in order to escape the oncoming suffering.
Their congregations claim to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit which the Apostles received on the day of Pentecost, but in fact they receive DEMONIC gifts which lead them to 1) Speak in incomprehensible tongues which they do not interpret, and 2) Falsely prophesy.
They have used and continue to use DECEPTION to win over Orthodox Christians from our Church. They do this by claiming our Church apostatized in the fourth century and became pagan, as opposed to what the Lord Himself said: "The gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18).
THEY CREATE PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS TO THEIR FOLLOWERS: They urge them to "speak in tongues" in order to be accepted by the community. If one does not receive this "gift", this faithful one will get finger-pointed by everyone and his faith will be questioned.
The Holy Metropolis calls on believers to not listen to the proclamations of the heretics and not participate in their events. If you come across proselytizing activities by them, immediately inform the Office of Heresies of the Holy Metropolis.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos
