Authority
Who holds the highest authority?
The Father.
The son who did what the Father showed Him.
The Holy Spirit who teaches us what the other two are telling us.
Ideas can take us captive. Some call it lenses.
The only lens we can use is other verses that bring balance to the issue we
are grappling with. If there are a few things that are essential what are they?
The nature of God and communion with Him
The nature of man, where sin takes him captive and how the cross frees him.
Jesus and the law. Salvation, forgiveness and walking like Jesus.
There is truly one true solution, and God keeps it, it is the secret that Paul talked
about.
But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.
1 Cor 2:7
Even in Pauls day people disputed what it meant and how it worked.
Jesus says simply this
For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Matt 7:14
It is easy to miss a few words, an emphasis here and their and go off on the wrong tangent,
or excuse something that should not be excused because it appeases ones conscience.
The arguments we are having here are as old as the church, so without new information or a
change of heart things will not budge.
A simple example of this is Luther and grace. He always preached law which is given and implemented
in Christ by grace. But many think Luther is just a grace man.