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NASB | Ephesians 4:3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ephesians 4:3 Make every effort to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the bond of peace [each individual working together to make the whole successful]. |
Subject: catholic and protestant salvation view |
Bible Note: Happily, however, by-and-by men would arise – both in Europe and in America – who would grasp the concept of restoring Christianity to its primitive status, free from the stifling encumbrances of sectarianism. The ideal was to start afresh. Honest souls, in humble fashion, would embrace nothing but the pure gospel of Christ, unveneered by human tradition, and follow the New Testament as their only rule of faith and practice. What a breath-taking concept it was – indeed still is, at this very hour! The “restoration” ideal There are two basic attitudes regarding the Christian religion. 1. One disposition affirms that Jehovah, across several millennia of history, meticulously prepared for the initial advent of Christ, and the spiritual system – Christianity – that He would inaugurate. This ideology argues that the divine format of the Christian system – as such existed in the first century under the guidance of inspired teachers – was exactly what God intended it to be. Moreover, this view asserts that this sacred plan, as designed by the eternal and omniscient Creator, would be perpetually relevant, thus age-lasting (cf. Dan. 2:44). Those who advocate this concept maintain that if the world is ever to be saved, it must conform to the mold of primitive Christianity – and that the reverse should never prevail (cf. Rom. 12:2). 2. On the other hand, there is the adverse theory which alleges that the Christian religion was not designed to be static. Proponents of this credo argue that aside from a few “core” components (e.g., the fact that Jesus is the Son of God, and that He died for the sins of humanity, etc.), the advocates of “Christianity” are free to alter its forms and rites, fashioning them anew as cultural peculiarities fluctuate. Supposedly, the Christian movement is free to experience an “evolutionary” development. It is thus suggested that the “Christianity” of today may be vastly different from that of the first century – yet still enjoy Heaven’s approval. Which of these concepts is valid? |