Not By Works

Therein lies your error . This is a huge presupposition you have that will colour your entire understanding of the bible. I don't say that lightly. //The ONLY ( Emphasis mine ) change Acts 2 brought was Holy Spirit power to spread the Gospel and edify the church - it had ZERO effect on how we accept, retain, or lose salvation, // This has to to date the saddest comment . Wow !! I'm not sure where to begin with that.

There IS NO distinction!

What's sad is how Dispensationalists slice and dice the Scripture to make it say what they want. You guys are exactly who Peter warned us about: unlearned and unstable wresting.

You can't seem to recognize that when it comes to salvation, the only Biblical differences revolved around outward expression: the inward experience has ever been the same.

Noticed how monogamous marriage ceremonies around the world differ from the wonderful to the weird to the downright bizarre, but the inward commitment is still the same? "forsaking all others, till death to us part".

No . The body of christ was not known until its revealed to Paul. Yes I know there's some wacky churches that do teach foot washing as part of salvation. The ' Church ' is not the ' disciples.

What's sad is how Dispensationalists slice and dice the Scripture to make it say what they want. You guys are exactly who Peter warned us about: unlearned and unstable wresting.

You can't seem to recognize that when it comes to salvation, the only Biblical differences revolved around outward expression: the inward experience has ever been the same.

Noticed how monogamous marriage ceremonies around the world differ from the wonderful to the weird to the downright bizarre, but the inward commitment is still the same? "forsaking all others, till death to us part".

So, why do all churches have Communion?

Peter warned people would not understand Paul's teachings . You seem to not notice Paul's teachings . Your still before the cross . God did not speaking in the four Gospels contrary to certain denominations .

Was the Death ,burial and resurrection Just as casual as you described the giving of the Holy spirit in Acts 2 ? Or did things change?

Peter warned people would not understand Paul's teachings . You seem to not notice Paul's teachings . Your still before the cross . God did not speaking in the four Gospels contrary to certain denominations .

Because Paul teaches it in Corinthians. Foot washing is absent.

Because Paul teaches it in Corinthians. Foot washing is absent.

Please, let's get something straight: The "church" was not established at the time of Paul or at the time of Acts 2....it was spiritually established by faith in the coming "Christ, the Son of the living God", understand?

That means the "church" has existed spiritually since Adam, and is why the Israelites were referred to as "the church in the wilderness" though the promise of Jesus' church was yet unfulfilled.

Your problem is exactly what plagues much of Christendom today: man-centered theology. Everything has to happen according to man's participation, interpretation, perspective. Robert Shuller started popularizing this heresy with his "self-esteem" doctrine. Before him, Ribera with his 70th Week Antichrist. I assure you, Christ's church didn't start with our names on membership rolls - but with the Master Carpenter's invitation since time immemorial.

Oh...so Jesus saying it doens't matter...Paul is the authority. Like I said, man-centered theology.

Paul said in Romans 8 that we are to be "in the Spirit" and that anyone that doesn't have the Spirit of Christ is "none of his"....in 2 Corinthians 13 he said we are to be "in the faith" continually lest we be "reprobates"...but we're not supposed to conclude that when Christ said "abide in Me", He was only giving instructions to a few people?

Listen, we have to pray for the spirit to have spiritual discernment so that we can spiritually discern that "abide in Me", "be in the faith", and "be in the Spirit" are all talking about the same exact thing: a surrendered, love relationship with Christ as a husband and wife are to each other.

Sorry, but were you really expecting a word used as a euphemism for a thing to be actually defined as that thing? Let's not be obtuse. It's a euphemism for being a slave to Christ our Master, right or wrong?

The sinner's will is surrendered to Satan to do his bidding as his slave...then the goodness of God leads him to repentance, at which time the sinner withdraws his surrendered will from Satan and surrenders it to Christ, making him a slave to Christ, according to Paul.

I can't believe I'm in a debate with someone who thinks we have the option to abide in the Vine and backs it up with Dispensationalist nonsense.

BADDEST CAT ON THE PLANET.

Trusting in a false doctrine has deadly consequences. Trust in the Word and what His Word says: that belief which doesn't lead to our total, continuous, unconditional surrender is no different that the belief of devils.

We gotta "abide in the Vine" and only in the Vine; we can't divide our time between that and Satan's Holly tree.