I read most of the Bible when I was about 20 years old or so. Encountered what appeared to be contradictions and ended up reading what Jesus was quoted as saying. I connected well with what Jesus had to say. Sometime over the past 30 years the penny dropped and the apparent contradictions largely disappeared. The main reason I've created an account here is to check my understanding with other Christians.
Best Regards,
James
Greatings to you. At 73 and studying scripture and looking at various documents historic like the Apostles Creed and other creeds as well as a systematic theology book that takes topics and lists every verse in the Bible related to the topic what I have found is outside the Apostles Creed it is agree to disagree on all other issues. This concept goes back to when the creed was created in 312 and the earliest document of it is dated 390. For example we have two diametrically opposed viewpoints that use scripture to back up their view. The creating elders wrote it to define the minimum beliefs a Christian MUST HAVE. Everything else is agree to disagree. There were lots of disagreements then and today. They are relatively minor issues. The major ones are in the creeds. Here is an example of this.
Five Points of Calvinism and Armenianism
Arminianism vs Calvinism Controversial Passages
https://www.xenos.org/essays/calvinism-arminianism-controversial-passages
The five points of Arminianism (from Jacobus Arminius 1559-1609) are in contrast to the five points of Calvinism (from from John (Jehan) Calvin 1509-1564). The Arminian five points with the Calvinist points listed beneath it are listed below. Armenianism is listed first and Calvinism is listed right under it.
1.
Human Free Will--This states that though man is fallen, he is not incapacitated by the sinful nature and can freely choose God. His will is not restricted and enslaved by his sinful nature.
Total Depravity - - this states a man is incapable to choose God.
2.
Conditional Election--God chose people for salvation based on His foreknowledge where God looks into the future to see who would respond to the gospel message.
Unconditional Election - - God reached in and chose forcing the person to respond to the gospel message.
3.
Universal Atonement--The position that Jesus bore the sin of everyone who ever lived.
Limited Atonement - - Jesus only bore the sin for only those who choose him.
4.
Resistable Grace--The teaching that the grace of God can be resisted and finally beaten so as to reject salvation in Christ.
Irresistible Grace - - The teaching that when God reaches in and touches the person his grace is irresistible.
5.
Fall from Grace--The Teaching that a person can fall from grace and lose his salvation.
Perseverance of the Saints - - Once saved always saved OSAS.
Armenian
1. Free will
2. ConditionalElection
3. Universal Atonement
4. Resistable Grace
5. Fall from Grace
Basically, Calvinism is known by an acronym: T.U.L.I.P.
1. Total Depravity (also known as Total Inability and Original Sin)
2. Unconditional Election
3. Limited Atonement (also known as Particular Atonement)
4. Irresistible Grace
5. Perseverance of the Saints (also known as Once Saved Always Saved)
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