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NASB | Hebrews 12:23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Hebrews 12:23 and to the general assembly and assembly of the firstborn who are registered [as citizens] in heaven, and to God, who is Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous (the redeemed in heaven) who have been made perfect [bringing them to their final glory], |
Subject: Are Catholic members consider Christian? |
Bible Note: Dear RakPak, Yes, we are so blessed to have the verbal plenary inspired Word of God. You asked, "Are they [Gill and Barnes] 100 percent correct on everything?" No, they are not inerrant -- just as the prophets and the apostles were not inerrant. Inerrancy and infallibility are attributes of the Scriptures alone. I will explain further in a moment. These great pastors and teachers of church history have been examined, scrutinized, studied, critiqued, etc. by Christian scholars for generations. They have stood the test of time -- not only in their respective denominations, but across the spectrum of orthodoxy. In order to appreciate any given commentator, one must understand the basis from which they speak. That will allow you to rightly judge them. Nonetheless, to neglect them altogether -- a common malady in the anti-intellectual movements of our day -- is neglecting an explicit gift from the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:8), part of the plunder of which we are beneficiaries (Psalm 68:18). How would we want to neglect even the least of His gifts, much less the ones that will make us more like Him (Ephesians 4:13) and prevent us from falling into error (v14)? It is good that you ask these questions, for they are fundamental to the doctrine of sola Scriptura, something important for you to understand when posting on the SBF. I would commend to you the Westminster Confession of Faith (1646). You see, Albert Barnes was a Presbyterian, and if you want to know anything of the Presbyters, you would appropriately start there. (For a more brief summary, look to the Westminster Shorter Catechism.) Barnes would have affirmed that document in accepting and retaining his ordination. To understand John Gill, you would correctly start with the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith. That document is built on the WCF. I will, therefore, quote it alone for you, with the assurance that virtually the same words are in the older document. Gill was also a pastor -- in fact, he was the pastor of the same church that would eventually call Spurgeon to its pulpit. Gill was what we would call today an Historic Baptist, and his ordination and continued ministerial position necessitated his affirmation of this confession. "The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith and obedience (2 Timothy 3:15-17; Isaiah 8:20; Luke 16:29, 31; Ephesians 2:20), although the light of nature and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom and power of God, as to leave men inexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and His will which is necessary unto salvation (Romans 1:19-21; 2:14-15; Psalm 19:1-3). Therefore it pleased the Lord at sundry times and in divers manners to reveal Himself, and to declare that His will unto His church (Hebrews 1:1); and afterwards for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan, and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing; which maketh the Holy Scriptures to be most necessary, those former ways of God's revealing His will unto His people being now ceased (Proverbs 22:19-21; Romans 15:4; 2 Peter 1:19-20)." --1689 LBCF 1:1 "The supreme judge, by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to rest, can be no other but the Holy Scripture delivered by the Spirit, into which Scripture so delivered, our faith is finally resolved (Matthew 22:29, 31-32; Ephesians 2:20; Acts 28:23)." --1689 LBCF 1:10 You will notice that in the last statement, the framers of these documents included themselves! Fundamental to the doctrine of sola Scriptura is that all authority must be rooted and wholly rooted in Scripture. I will answer your other question, tomorrow, after the Lord's Day services. In Him, Doc |