Subject: Acts 13:1 |
Bible Note: Dear Jamison, You claim that the idea of soul sleep has “plenty of biblical basis”. Please support that with scripture references. Concerning your reference to Solomon, Ecclesiastes 12:7 says otherwise: Ecclesiastes 12:7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. And we don’t do others disservice for shooting down a theology that isn’t in harmony with scripture. We do Christ a disservice as well as the individual for not correcting them. Any interpretation doesn’t amount to a hill of beans if it is not the truth. Concerning your reference to Matthew 25 and it only mentioning works: You are not looking at this with all of scripture in mind… Take for example James 2:26 and what Matthew Henry wrote concerning it: “Faith is the root, good works are the fruits, and we must see to it that we have both. We must not think that either, without the other, will justify and save us. This is the grace of God wherein we stand, and we should stand to it.” – Matthew Henry As well the following: “If faith produces no fruit of good living, that fact proves that it is dead, that it has no power, and that it is of no value. This shows that James was not arguing against real and genuine faith, nor against its importance in justification, but against the supposition that mere faith was all that was necessary to save a man, whether it was accompanied by good works or not. He maintains that if there is genuine faith it will always be accompanied by good works, and that it is only that faith which can justify and save.” – Albert Barnes What is the root of the good works described in Matthew 25:31-46? Faith? What is the root concerning the lack of good works? There is none because faith is lacking. Please support your claims with scripture. As Matthew Henry points out: “This is the grace of God wherein we stand, and we should stand to it.” Stand in His grace, WOS |