Results 1 - 8 of 8
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Titus 3:5 and washing of regeneration | Titus 3:5 | Dalcent | 132307 | ||
Don't give me ‘the thief on the cross wasn't baptised’ objection because frankly an exception proves nothing. God can save who he wills and baptism (even where only an ordinance) is obviously normative for Christians. The Catholic Church has always recognized the ‘baptism of desire.’ Nevertheless, bi-millennial Catholic and Orthodox Christianity has always recognized that baptism is the normal entry into the Christian-fold and is for the remission of sins (as in the Nicene creed and other creeds) I appreciate that some cannot accept plain, literal readings of scripture, because they believe their fundamental slant on theology is 'definitely correct' and verses not fitting such as ‘be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS...’ (Acts 2:38) need allegorising, “metaphoricalising”, spiritualising, call it what you fancy: I call it not rightly dividing the word of truth. My conclusion, is that some understandings of Christian theology cannot accept that God uses matter (in this case, the WATER of baptism) to impart spiritual realities. They prefer to think God sends His grace through the spiritual dimension only. Their fear, is that if God exalts matter in this way, it makes water baptism, the Lord’s Supper, etc. something ‘magical’. However, I believe that not only is this sacramental view (that God uses physical matter imbued with spiritual realities as avenues of His grace) ubiquitously biblical but it is also entirely fitting. God chooses to deal with human beings in this way because has created us with both spirituality and materiality. To Him Alone be the Glory |
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2 | Titus 3:5 and washing of regeneration | Titus 3:5 | flinkywood | 132309 | ||
Dalcent, "God uses physical matter imbued with spiritual realities as avenues of His grace." Just as His word became flesh? Colin |
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3 | Titus 3:5 and washing of regeneration | Titus 3:5 | Dalcent | 132326 | ||
Of course! and the whole of creation is now exalted to a new glory by this unique event. And to be deliberately controversial I will cite God using (viz. imbuing mere matter with powerful spiritual reality) "relics": Elisha's bones to raise a corpse (2 Kgs 13:20-21) Elijah's mantle to divide water (2 Kgs 2:14) And Paul's clothing healing the sick (Acts 19:11f). |
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4 | Titus 3:5 and washing of regeneration | Titus 3:5 | flinkywood | 132342 | ||
Dalcent, thank you. Also, regarding the thief on the cross and Jesus' promise to him, "...Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." (Luk 23:43), since John 20.17 indicates several days elapsed before Christ ascended to the Father, what Paradise is Jesus referring to? What is the Catholic teaching on this verse? Colin |
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5 | Titus 3:5 and washing of regeneration | Titus 3:5 | Dalcent | 132413 | ||
Sorry, I don't know and would be equally interested in finding out! | ||||||
6 | Titus 3:5 and washing of regeneration | Titus 3:5 | flinkywood | 132445 | ||
Dalcent, I Googled Catholic sources for Luke 23:43. Here’s what I found. http://www.catholic.com/library/Purgatory.asp and, CCC: 1472: “..A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain." The NT indicates a third place, neither heaven nor hell, a place where Jesus went to preach the Gospel after the resurrection (1 Peter 4.6). Also, in the story of Lazarus and the poor man (Luke 16:19-31) Jesus describes “Abraham’s bosom” as a place far more congenial than where the rich man abides in agony. Scripture indicates Abraham’s bosom, not Heaven, as the Paradise where Jesus dined with the thief. Colin |
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7 | Titus 3:5 and washing of regeneration | Titus 3:5 | Dalcent | 132463 | ||
Thanks Colin, I am not sure what I believe about purgatory. If it even exists! Ultimately I am a man with very Eastern Orthodox theology in a Catholic setting. Of course, the Eastern Church Fathers were part of the Catholic Church before the great schism. I'm certainly not a person who claims to know everything nor would I say I've formed my 'mature theology'. Regards Steve |
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8 | Titus 3:5 and washing of regeneration | Titus 3:5 | flinkywood | 132485 | ||
Steve, Regarding "mature theology", me neither. Colin |
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