Dor said:
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: itis the gift of God: Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
And there are many verses showing faith alone is the cause of Salvation but works end up going along with it not to cause it but because of it.
Again there are many verses in the bible about this for example..2Ti 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
and Mar 7:13Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
If by that you mean the fact that regular old people have the same right as ordained ministers to communicate with God, interpret scripture and minister in Christs name well thats all in that book too.
Seems all that is in the bible so why shouldnt it be followed....and there is a big difference in trying to take a certain churches doctrine out of it and taking Jesus Christ out of it!!!!
Hi Dor, and peace.
You did not understand the point of my post. I am not saying that the changes made in the Protestant Reformation were wrong (how could I, they were crucial in the formation of my faith as well). The point is that all of those things were drastic changes from what was previously viewed as The Only True Christianity. And, since you brought it up, using a radical sola scriptura approach to the Bible does allow a myriad of interpretations, including Spong's.
Example, the Baha'i Faith (I know I know, I'm always bringing this up, but it is something I know well and so is part of my thinking). The Baha'i Faith denies the physical resurrection of Christ, denies the deity of Christ, says that the Promised Comforter who brings us to all truth is actually not the Holy Spirit, and a whole lot of other things that are contrary to what you know in your bones are Biblical truths. Yet, from a purely sola scriptura approach, none of those things are inconsistent with the Bible from a sola scriptura reading, they way they interpret it.
So Dor, please do not think I am attacking you. I have the greatest respect for your faith and Biblical knowledge, and I learn a lot from you. I always miss you when you stop posting for a while, and I would hate to see that happen. But I must say, when there is so much defensiveness about what can be allowed on the Christianity forum and everyone has to start walking on eggshells so as not to be seen to offend, well, it makes it a much less inviting place to spend time conversing.
There are threads devoted to conservative, traditional and Bible based topics. Q and Juan do a great job, IMO, keeping those threads on track. But, couldn't there be room here for some conversations to explore the edges of Christian thought without everyone's feathers getting so ruffled? There are many other fourms out there that seperate all the Christian denominations and alternative Christians and JWs and LDSs and every other flavor you can imagine. This forum, IMO, attempts to do something just a bit different. And, in the hopes of greater fellowship, communication, and love between the different parts of the Body of Christ, and outreach to those who consider themselves on the fringes, I hope that we can make room here for each other.
Respectfully, and Sincerely in His Peace,
lunamoth
