What does John 15: 26 have to do with our discussion? John 15: 26 says that the helper will help the people who walked with Christ. And testify of Christ. that has nothing to do with salvation. Studying one verse does not make you a Bible Scholar.
[/b][/color]
The pharisees had a basic message.
1. We can trace our routs back to the fathers. No one else can.
2. We can trace our traditions back to the fathers. No one else can
3. God has given us alone the power to interpret scripture. No one else has that ability.
4. Our way is the right way. Other ways do not have the complete message.
5. Taught a works based Gospel based on deeds, and not on faith.
Sounds just like the Roman church, whether it be Catholic or Orthodox. So forgive me, It is not slander, it is based on facts.
27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.
1. Justification is by Faith. I can't find any other thing Paul is trying to say we are justified by other than faith. If we are justified by anything other than faith. why did Paul leave it out?
2. Faith minus deeds of the law. Paul speaking to people who were infiltrated by jews trying to add works of the law to faith in order to receive justification. He tells them plainly., you are saved by faith, not works.
No to mention. all one has to do is look at ocntext to easily see this.
Rom 3:20 - 24..Therfore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified. For by the law is knowledge of sin. but now the rightiousness of God apart from the law is revealed being witnessed by the law and the prophets even the rightiousness of God through faith in Christ to all on on all who believe for their is no difference. for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. being justified freely by the grace of God through the redemption in Christ Jesus. ( rom being justified ( greek dikaiosumenoi - "having been acquitted"or Made perfect) freely by the grace of God through the redemption in Christ. Jesus.
What does Paul say? Justification is free. If it is free. what work can be added to EARN justification? Paul only makes one thing which grants justification. faith. So did Luther change the meaning by screwing up and adding the word "alone" No he did not. It is what Paul said. Luther messed up, and many have suffered because of his errors. But it does not make some of what he said true!
Was paul the first to say this?
Acts 13:39 - And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
Here belief (faith) grants justification. Nothing else is added to belief or faith. and should not be added.
How about what Paul said later,, which supports this view?
Romans 4 : What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
1. One can not say works of the law here. There was no Law in Abrahams time.
2. One can not say religious works, or laws Given by God. There were none at this time.
3. One can say what Paul makes clear. ANY WORK OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. which would include ANY GOOD DEED, Whether religious in type or not.
4. Abraham was justified by one thing and one thing only. Faith. Paul makes it clear. If we try to work or earn justification. we will not get it. Because justification is a gift not a reward. If we try to earn it by obeying a set of religious guidelines or works. We are trying to recieve a reward. Thus will NEVER be justified. One who is never justified, is still guilty and will die in his sin. And spend eternity separated from God.
I could Go on and On Scott. But I should not have to. You are more than capable of seeing truth for yourself. Paul taught justification by Faith alone. Not of works, whether these works be of the law. Any Good deed, or religious wors (sacraments) as taught by the roman church or any other church. If you try to earn justification. you will fail. Because only one thing can help you get to heaven on your own accord by your on works. That thing is the law. And only Christ fuflilled this law. As paul said in rom 3. ALL Have sin and fallen short of the mark set by God. thus all will suffer eternal damnation unless they recieve the gift given by God through his son. Try to work for it. You will fail.
The penalty of sin is death. Not being baptised. Not taking the eucharist. Not confessing to a priest. or any other sacrament or work people try to add to the gospel of Christ. Since the penalty of sin is death. We have two choices. Recieved Christ's gift based on his death, and offered by Grace (unmerited favor) or suffer our own death as a result of sin. as a reward. (merited judgment)
Dear eternally-gratefull: In: "Re: Are the Scriptures plain to all Christians that read them, your thread #115, you write: "What does John 15:26 have to do with our discussion? John 15:26 says that the helper will help the people who walked with Christ."
Actually, John 15:26 does not say that. Here is what John 15:26 does say, "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me." John 15:26 KJV. You are right when you say the Spirit will testify of Christ. But the verse does not say the helper will help the people who walked with Christ. If you can't get your Scripture quotes correct, you shouldn't quote the verse only from memory. You must be thinking of perhaps 14:26 of John, perhaps, or at least drawing an inference from this. But you're not actually referring to all the words of either Jn. 14:26 or 15:26.
This speaks to your lack of credibility when you refer to Scriptures. If you get this wrong, what else do you get wrong? If you say "faith alone", you contradict another verse in the Bible, James 2:24. And the Bible can't contradict itself. But Protestantism doesn't care. All it cares is the testimony of Martin Luther, and Luther can offer no proof or justification from Scripture. He says faith alone is so because he, Martin Luther says it is so. "It is so. And I will have it so. And my will is reason enough. It is so because I, Dr. Martin Luther, say it is so."
The whole basis of faith alone is subjectivism, not the Holy Word of God, the Holy Bible.
The Bible, then, in Luther's hands, can mean anything that Luther personally wants the Bible to mean, not what our Lord Jesus Christ intends for the Bible.
In Erie PA October 13, 2011 AD Scott Robert Harrington, B.A.
