Subject: need for a bible-anyone |
Bible Note: Raven, in reviewing this thread I find that Reformer Joe has already posted a response to your post, and an excellent one it was in my estimation, so I won't attempt another, which would be essentially a duplication of what Joe has said, since he and I are on the same page regarding this faith-works question..... You asked whether I'd ever looked through Paul's letter to the Romans. The answer is yes, I have managed in my 53 years as a Christian to develop a nodding acquaintance with it, have in fact taught it verse by verse in Bible study classes. It was this same apostle who penned Romans, by the way, who wrote a letter to the Ephesians saying, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (2:8,9) Raven, how do you fit these clear-as-crystal verses, among others such as Joe cited, into your salvation equals faith plus works equation? Oh, we would have to add water baptism to the equation too, wouldn't we, so we could be sure we'd touched all bases. So, let's revise what Paul said; perhaps he wrote in haste and left out a couple of things. Let's "improve" the passage just a bit so that it fits more nicely in your doctrinal scheme: For by grace you have been saved through faith, plus baptism, plus good works, and part of that is of yourselves, of works so anyone can boast, and part of it is a gift of God. See how easy it is? Simply change a word here and there and presto! it can be tailor-made to fit just about any theology. --Hank |