The meaning of salvation

I am trying to see where you are determining that Peter is speaking to all humanity. Can you pin that to me in a more specific scripture?

Oh you bet I am. You can twist scripture any way you want. The Holy Spirit does not indwell unbelievers in order to get them to choose to be saved.

Calvinism is one of the worst cultish type beliefs Christianity is sad to say exists.

I am a bit confused by you saying I am taking this verse out of context. I simply quoted the verse and did not even make a comment on it?

Yes, I agree that all Scriptures harmonize. . .

But the approach one takes is very important:
(1) A person can decide what their doctrines are and then go to Scriptures to harmonize the Scriptures with one's doctrine
or (2) A person can study all the applicable Scriptures in their context - and then come up with doctrine from that.

I think method #2 is the correct approach: as with this method the interpreter is free to honestly look at each verse and the intended meaning when the author wrote it.

Although I am not a follower of John Calvin, people on this forum accuse me of being his follower.

You are correct in claiming that the elect is the church. Most of the new testament books are letters to the churches instructing them in the doctrine of Christ.

The church is depicted in the scriptures to be the household of Jacob/Israel, which is spiritual Israel.

Most of spiritual Israel was disobedient to God, and God punished them by blinding their eye's to understand Christ's doctrine (Zeph 3:11-13) but God left in the mist of them a remnant that he has revealed the knowledge of the doctrine of Christ.

This harmonizes with Ezk 10, especially verse 10. The larger outer wheel representing blinded household of Jacob/Israel, and the smaller inner wheel representing the remnant of the house of Jacob/Israel

This also harmonizes with the two gates in Matt 7. The outer wheel is represented by the wide gate, and the strait gate representing smaller inner wheel.

All of his elect people make up the sum total of the church, whom God gave to his Son to redeem them from their sins, and give them his promise of an eternal inheritance of heaven.

The church is Jesus kingdom on earth which he reigns over from his throne in heaven, and has promised to come back and raise it up at the last day.

Sorry Chester, my 89 year old mind probably got you confused with someone else.

I am trying to follow your reasoning, but could you direct me to the scripture that makes you think that Peter is talking to the unborn spiritually?

I do not know what version of the bible you study from, but the version I study from has the word "us-ward" indicating that Peter is including himself in verse 9.

I try to furnish scripture backup with my statements. It would help me to better understand your viewpoint if you could do the same.

You are 89! Very sharp for that age! God bless you!

That would be where he states that God wants all of mankind to come to salvation

Not sure why you seem to either gloss over that or understand the words having a different meaning then

not ANYONE to perish

that's it for me. you say you are not a Calvinist, but by definition, what you say you believe, fits that moniker quite nicely

It is no wonder that there are so many conflicting scriptures on this form, because men have come up with so many versions of the bible to try and word them to fit the theories they have been taught.

I use only the original KJV and in Rev 22:18-19 says for I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall shall add unto him the plagues that are written this book And that if any man shall take away from the words of the book of the prophesy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

My bible says concerning 2 Pet 3:9 - The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

In your response to me, you have exchanged the word "any" to "anyone" which changes the meaning of the word to include people other than those of Peter's audience of like precious faith (2 Pet 1:1). Also you have taken away the word "us-ward" which includes Peter as a part of the "any".

It is no wonder that we have difficulty in having an honest discussion concerning the harmonizing of the scriptures.

oh the irony

I very much agree, that scripture proves scripture. The KJV is my only source of study, along with a concordance.

It is sad that you still believe in the old law of works.

Respectfully Magenta, don't you believe the "FAITH" in this scripture has reference to the faith of Christ Jesus, in considering Gal 2:16?

I appreciate your support of the doctrine of Christ.

And John 10:26-29 tells us who can and cannot believe.

Not in consideration of 1 John 5:4.


1 Peter 1:23 plus 1 John 5:4

Receiving Jesus' atonement is not the "old law of works". Your statements are blatantly odd and deceptive.

Christ's atonement on the cross, for only those that his Father gave him, was an offering to God, for God's acceptance, and not to mankind for their acceptance.