Blacksword
Acrobat
All four Gospels emphasise the uniqueness of Christ, of his life, death and resurrection. Though John is the only Gospel to explicitly state that Jesus is the only way to salvation this fact is strongly implied throughout all four Gospels. Acts was written by the same author as Luke and thus Acts reflects the view of Luke's gospel. Most significantly Acts implies quite strongly that it's author knew Paul very well and travelled with him extensively. Most likely he knew some of the apostles. The view point that Christ is the only way to salvation is not a fringe view. Nor is it when it comes from Paul, someone who definitely knew Christ's apostles first hand. The authorship of the other Gospels is less certain but of the Synoptics (Matt, Mark and Luke) none was written after 90 AD (Mark perhaps earlier than 70) and though John is later (roughly 100) recent scholarship is showing that John has at the very least a solid factual basis in history. In terms of texts, the NT has the best attested documentary history in antiquity. No other book of its age exists in as many copies, so close to its original writing. The text we have is without a doubt very close to it's original form. And as to an agenda, what kind of grandeose agenda can a fringe movement within fractious minority relgion have. Power meant nothing to these people, if only for the reason that they thought the world was about to end. And why would they want to exclude people? Paul despaired because people wouldn't accept the message. He wept because many of his fellow Jews rejected Jesus. Anyone who can read Romans and not feel Paul's agony is frozen stiff.
One either accepts the Gospels as authoritative or one doesn't, you can't have both. One either accepts the authority of Paul's writings and the other writings in the NT or one doesn't. As soon as you start picking and choosing what you like you are simply creating a God which suits your aesthetic sense. There is a great deal of material in the Gospels as well as the rest of the Bible that I find uncomfortable but accept it because to do otherwise is to admit that we can know nothing and that God has abandoned us to float rudderless, directed by our own whims and self effacing fantasies. I don't accept it unquestioningly as I know that God's revelation has come through human hands, we were told to be wise as serpents for a reason. Yet I sense truth in these pages and I trust that God would not allow lies to pass by the discerning spirits of the hundreds of people who carefully and with much sincerity decided what was cannon. Not all were of highest mind, but modern cynicism goes much too far in deciding that no one ever believed genuinely and put aside self-interest to follow their beliefs in sincerity.
I wish that all would choose salvation, but I know human nature well enough that there will always be those who will look truth in the eye and choose an illusion.
Does that mean I think only those who have declared aloud their belief in Jesus will be saved. No. Rather we are told that God's Grace acts through Christ alone. Conscious belief in Christ is the only sure way to salvation we know of. We do not know the other ways God's Grace works. But we do know that people were saved through Christ without knowing about him before he came, and I think that to still be the case. If a person would have believed in Christ if he/she had been told about him, I regard that as being the same as if they have declared belief in him. Why do Christians feel the need to tell others about Christ? Because conscious belief in him is the only way one can be sure of their salvation. The assurance that comes from belief is a gift from God. To not give someone that chance to know that they are free is a crime. But most importantly we tell others because Christ told us to. The only certain way to ensure salvation. In John we are also told that in death Christ has spoken directly to everyone who ever lived. But why should one only find out that God loves them and accept that love when they die? And I think that one can accept Christ in the split second before the tractor trailer squashes you flat. But life is better if you do it long before that moment.
In summary through Christ alone does not necessarily mean through delaration of belief in Christ alone, but that's the only way that we can know for sure that we are saved. And no, not everyone will be saved, but I don't presume to say who that is. I can say with certainty that one who honestly puts their faith in Christ is saved. But I can't tell you who that is, cause I don't live inside the hearts of others. I only know the state of my relationship with God and no one elses. I can say that I am saved without arrogance cause I sure didn't do anything to earn it. I don't know why God puts up with me to be honest. But I have the assurance (not without doubt... doubt of my worthiness, doubt as to whether I truly believe) and I am eternally greatful and I would not deny that gift to anyone.
Basically I can give a category of people who certainly have salvation (those who believe in Christ)... though I can't tell who for certain wheather a person falls into that category. I can give probablities, and thus I have more concern for the salvation of someone who doesn't believe in Christ than for someone who does because that is the only indicator of salvation I have. But in the end I don't know. But by all rights a faithful Hindu may be saved through Christ while someone who attends church every Sunday is not. But I can't know that, so I can only do what Christ has asked of me, and that is to tell people about him and hope that they will accept him.
Very wordy but I hope that made sense.
One either accepts the Gospels as authoritative or one doesn't, you can't have both. One either accepts the authority of Paul's writings and the other writings in the NT or one doesn't. As soon as you start picking and choosing what you like you are simply creating a God which suits your aesthetic sense. There is a great deal of material in the Gospels as well as the rest of the Bible that I find uncomfortable but accept it because to do otherwise is to admit that we can know nothing and that God has abandoned us to float rudderless, directed by our own whims and self effacing fantasies. I don't accept it unquestioningly as I know that God's revelation has come through human hands, we were told to be wise as serpents for a reason. Yet I sense truth in these pages and I trust that God would not allow lies to pass by the discerning spirits of the hundreds of people who carefully and with much sincerity decided what was cannon. Not all were of highest mind, but modern cynicism goes much too far in deciding that no one ever believed genuinely and put aside self-interest to follow their beliefs in sincerity.
I wish that all would choose salvation, but I know human nature well enough that there will always be those who will look truth in the eye and choose an illusion.
Does that mean I think only those who have declared aloud their belief in Jesus will be saved. No. Rather we are told that God's Grace acts through Christ alone. Conscious belief in Christ is the only sure way to salvation we know of. We do not know the other ways God's Grace works. But we do know that people were saved through Christ without knowing about him before he came, and I think that to still be the case. If a person would have believed in Christ if he/she had been told about him, I regard that as being the same as if they have declared belief in him. Why do Christians feel the need to tell others about Christ? Because conscious belief in him is the only way one can be sure of their salvation. The assurance that comes from belief is a gift from God. To not give someone that chance to know that they are free is a crime. But most importantly we tell others because Christ told us to. The only certain way to ensure salvation. In John we are also told that in death Christ has spoken directly to everyone who ever lived. But why should one only find out that God loves them and accept that love when they die? And I think that one can accept Christ in the split second before the tractor trailer squashes you flat. But life is better if you do it long before that moment.
In summary through Christ alone does not necessarily mean through delaration of belief in Christ alone, but that's the only way that we can know for sure that we are saved. And no, not everyone will be saved, but I don't presume to say who that is. I can say with certainty that one who honestly puts their faith in Christ is saved. But I can't tell you who that is, cause I don't live inside the hearts of others. I only know the state of my relationship with God and no one elses. I can say that I am saved without arrogance cause I sure didn't do anything to earn it. I don't know why God puts up with me to be honest. But I have the assurance (not without doubt... doubt of my worthiness, doubt as to whether I truly believe) and I am eternally greatful and I would not deny that gift to anyone.
Basically I can give a category of people who certainly have salvation (those who believe in Christ)... though I can't tell who for certain wheather a person falls into that category. I can give probablities, and thus I have more concern for the salvation of someone who doesn't believe in Christ than for someone who does because that is the only indicator of salvation I have. But in the end I don't know. But by all rights a faithful Hindu may be saved through Christ while someone who attends church every Sunday is not. But I can't know that, so I can only do what Christ has asked of me, and that is to tell people about him and hope that they will accept him.
Very wordy but I hope that made sense.
