Subject: New Perspective of Sha'ul |
Bible Note: Dear TYHM, Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." (I noted that someone quoted Mark Twain on the forum recently. One non-Christian quote deserves another.) Hopefully, when I contradict myself, it won't be a case in which both original statements are wrong! :-) For a contradiction to exist, there must be two coequal premises. Reading back through my post the only things that might be construed as coequal are my mention of Pharisaic and Pauline soteriology -- although, technically, those would not be considered proper premises as they are not factual statements, but are, instead, only subjects. Anyway, based on what you have revealed of yourself on the forum thus far, I'd guess that you deem Pharisaic soteriology to be equivalent to Pauline soteriology. I think it was that presupposition that resulted in your sensing a contradiction. The assessment of the synonymity of these soteriologies is something with which I'd disagree. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves." (Matthew 23:15 ESV) "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV) As to the other things: When you rise to the stature of Augustine, Chrysostom, Luther, Calvin, Owen, and Edwards, you will have the opportunity to be for your doctrines to be verified through the Scriptures by thousands of unnamed scholars of the church. Although, with further study, you will learn that these men uncovered truth, rather than introduced it -- by their own admission and the admission of the church. Revelation of truth is the strict domain of the closed canon of Scripture. One other item, you wrote "I only seek to do..." I'd humbly submit that doing (orthopraxy) only properly flows out of knowing (orthodoxy) -- see Colossians 1:9-10. God has given us four powerful aids in knowing sound doctrine and helping us to avoid error: (1) The Holy Spirit (John 16:13); (2) the Word of God (John 17:17, Acts 20:32); (3) teachers and Pastors -- from the past and in the present (Ephesians 4:11-12); and (4) one another (Colossians 3:16, Galatians 6:1). Yes, the primitive church is certainly interesting, but they were far from perfect. That's certainly clear from the epistles written to correct their mistaken thinking, confused theology, and improper behaviors. Although the divines and learned men of the last two millennia are not inspired in the same sense as the authors of Scripture, neglecting them will inhibit our maturity and increase our vulnerability to deception (Ephesians 4:14). In Him, Doc |