Here’s the preamble to the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” (NIV)
Jesus makes it abundantly clear that salvation is by works.
How do you read it?
The ‘Salvation’ Christ preached was not ‘eternal salvation’ as preached by St Paul….. which is by grace alone, but instead Christ was sent to the Jews…. to fulfill the kingdom promises God made with their forefathers… which requires being *found worthy* to enter Christ’s kingdom.
Thus ‘Salvation’ under Christ’s Kingdom gospel required Faith PLUS works.
http://blog.eternalvigilance.me/2014/05/rediscovering-dispensational-truth-exposing-the-frauds-of-orthodoxy-one-fallacy-at-a-time-part-1-christs-gospel/
> The ‘Salvation’ Christ preached was not ‘eternal salvation’ as preached by St Paul
Yes, I get that. I’ve been reading The Rival Philosophies of Jesus and of Paul by Ignatius Singer. You know the one.
Now, there are two paths you can go by. You can go down the Dispensationalist path. I can see why you would. Or you can reject Paul’s gospel as unreliable. You can see why I would.
from my perspective It’s almost comical because Paul is trying to reveal to you *a mystery*… yet you reject it because it’s too mysterious! 🙂
You are rejecting *Christianity* Richard… that’s what Paul Preached *After Jesus… After Peter*.
The command is to love, an implicit union with God, who is love. If one is going to put a 16th Century dynamic on it by reducing love to “works”, one will never truly love, nor understand how to love.
The Apostle Paul repeats the same concept in Romans 13:8-10. There is no difference between Paul and Christ. There is only a difference in how the Reformers interpret Paul, and the Christ of both Paul and the Gospels. We solve this by jettisoning the Reformers’ awkward faith/works reduction in favor of the approach of the first millennium Church, which was synergia: Our cooperation in Christ’s love and savings acts. At which point I refer you back to my previous post of Fr Hopko 🙂
Paul has some advice for you Richard…
” Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump….”
Gal 5 vs 1-9
http://experimentaltheology.blogspot.co.nz/2015/01/unpublished-being-biblical-means-being.html
The Bible teaches us that Satan and False teachers work against unity and consensus for the very intent of causing divisions Richard… so this empirical fact you mention… though sad… is itself in completed accord with what the Bible says and thereby *adds weight* to belief… not doubt… of the reliability of the Bible itself.
Paul… calling believers *to remain faithful to his doctrines* says… ” For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” 2 Cor 2
“11 Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. 2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. ”
2 Cor 11…
“28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.” Acts 20
And there is plenty more where that came from…
Paul is our God-appointed Apostle,Preacher of the Gospel, Teacher, example…
Tim – you are a Marcionite. All you lack is to take it to its logical conclusion – as Marcion did – that there are really two (or more) gods.
Tertullian is the antidote – especially Book V:
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0312.htm
Brilliant!
(Richard Beck quote that is)
Enlighten us, please, Rosjier!
Salvation is by faith AND works!