Saved by faith alone?
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Jesus said this to a live audience before He had died and risen again to pay for our sins. The Gospels are narratives, not theological textbooks. The meaning is conveyed in accounts of real life events and things said are primarily time and circumstance specific. We cannot automatically assume that because something Jesus said during His ministry was true when He said it, that it would be true for all time and in all situations.
For instance Jesus said that the Father was drawing people to Jesus during Jesus ministry, but Jesus also said that if He was lifted up, He Himself would draw all men to Himself. So there was some change after the crucifixion and resurrection in the mechanism of God drawing people to Jesus.
Jhn 3:18 He that is believing (ὁ πιστεύων) into him (εἰς αὐτὸν) is not being condemned (οὐ κρίνεται, present passive indicative): but he that is not believing (ὁ δὲ μὴ πιστεύων) is being condemned already (ἤδη κέκριται, present passive indicative), because he has not believed (ὅτι μὴ πεπίστευκεν, present perfect active indicative) into the name (εἰς τὸ ὄνομα) of the only begotten Son (τοῦ μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ) of the true God (τοῦ θεοῦ).
Applying this principle to John 3:17, Jesus was addressing a particular audience at a particular time, telling THEM that the person believing and who has been baptised has done enough at this time in history is not under condemnation at this time in history; but the person who is not believing at this time is condemned already, because they have not believed into the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
This was the algorithm by which God was justifying or condemning people during Jesus' ministry. This algorithm was superceded by another, after Jesus was resurrected and glorified.
For instance Jesus said that the Father was drawing people to Jesus during Jesus ministry, but Jesus also said that if He was lifted up, He Himself would draw all men to Himself. So there was some change after the crucifixion and resurrection in the mechanism of God drawing people to Jesus.
Jhn 3:18 He that is believing (ὁ πιστεύων) into him (εἰς αὐτὸν) is not being condemned (οὐ κρίνεται, present passive indicative): but he that is not believing (ὁ δὲ μὴ πιστεύων) is being condemned already (ἤδη κέκριται, present passive indicative), because he has not believed (ὅτι μὴ πεπίστευκεν, present perfect active indicative) into the name (εἰς τὸ ὄνομα) of the only begotten Son (τοῦ μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ) of the true God (τοῦ θεοῦ).
Applying this principle to John 3:17, Jesus was addressing a particular audience at a particular time, telling THEM that the person believing and who has been baptised has done enough at this time in history is not under condemnation at this time in history; but the person who is not believing at this time is condemned already, because they have not believed into the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
This was the algorithm by which God was justifying or condemning people during Jesus' ministry. This algorithm was superceded by another, after Jesus was resurrected and glorified.
Valid question but not the question at hand.
We may debate by what means we are to be made righteous but not the verbiage of the verse..
If we allow ourselves the right to inject a grammatical definitive (alone) into a scripture then nothing in the Bible is safe.
It is this line of reasoning that is used by the JW when they inject the word "a" into John 1:1, as in "a God".
Adding this grammatical determiner (a) changes the meaning of the verse.
Do you not agree?
We may debate by what means we are to be made righteous but not the verbiage of the verse..
If we allow ourselves the right to inject a grammatical definitive (alone) into a scripture then nothing in the Bible is safe.
It is this line of reasoning that is used by the JW when they inject the word "a" into John 1:1, as in "a God".
Adding this grammatical determiner (a) changes the meaning of the verse.
Do you not agree?
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If you will check my post you will find that I was responding to 1 question you asked; not 3.
No the Bible does not say we are saved through faith alone. But the next obvious question is: is this what the Bible teaches? Thus, my question: besides by grace and through faith, what else does the Bible say we are saved through?
No the Bible does not say we are saved through faith alone. But the next obvious question is: is this what the Bible teaches? Thus, my question: besides by grace and through faith, what else does the Bible say we are saved through?
Correct, the Bible is clear on the issue of faith not being the sole agency of our salvation.
Regardless of the object, degree or sincerity of our faith we cannot come to God on our terms but only on His.
We may debate what those terms are but simple faith alone is not His terms. Hence the lack of any verses claiming "faith alone" and the unequivocal discourse found in James 2:14-25.
Now on your question of besides the need for faith what is needed for our redemption?
So what are His terms? Obedience.
The flow and form of the Bible has always been the need for mankind to obey His Creator.
From putting blood on the doorposts to casting a fishing line, obedience is necessary for our redemption.
Faith is part of the obedience commanded by God. (Hebrews 11:6)
But the fat lady does not sing when we believe, regardless of how much.
Regardless of the object, degree or sincerity of our faith we cannot come to God on our terms but only on His.
We may debate what those terms are but simple faith alone is not His terms. Hence the lack of any verses claiming "faith alone" and the unequivocal discourse found in James 2:14-25.
Now on your question of besides the need for faith what is needed for our redemption?
So what are His terms? Obedience.
The flow and form of the Bible has always been the need for mankind to obey His Creator.
From putting blood on the doorposts to casting a fishing line, obedience is necessary for our redemption.
Faith is part of the obedience commanded by God. (Hebrews 11:6)
But the fat lady does not sing when we believe, regardless of how much.
First, the Bible not saying explicitly that faith alone saves is not the same thing as saying that other things are necessary for salvation. Jesus accomplished our salvation on the cross. He did all that was necessary.
When God draws us to Himself, He is merely making known to us what He has done on our behalf. He employs the word of God to bring about faith and the Spirit of God to make us alive to what He has done.
All that follows is the result of what God has done in us. Do we repent? Yess. Do we obey? Yes? Do we believe? Yes. But all of these things come after salvation, and are its result; not its cause.
When God draws us to Himself, He is merely making known to us what He has done on our behalf. He employs the word of God to bring about faith and the Spirit of God to make us alive to what He has done.
All that follows is the result of what God has done in us. Do we repent? Yess. Do we obey? Yes? Do we believe? Yes. But all of these things come after salvation, and are its result; not its cause.
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Not only does the Bible not "explicitly" say that faith alone saves, it does not say it at all. Regardless of what adverb you use it does not state in any form the notion that faith alone is the sole agency of redemption. Injecting "alone" into any verse distorts the meaning of the scripture just as it does in any subject.
The rest of your words are simply human surmising.
If you or anyone else needs to inject a definitive into a verse to assert a theology then your theology is in question.
The rest of your words are simply human surmising.
If you or anyone else needs to inject a definitive into a verse to assert a theology then your theology is in question.
I haven't injected anything. But you misconstrue things that attend salvation with the cause of salvation.
Salvation is by grace. Grace is the result of the activity of God. This, then, relegates any action on behalf of men impotent to cause salvation. Again, you see the things that attend salvation as the cause of salvation. This isn't grace. Rather than not being of ourselves, you make salvation of ourselves by requiring actions on the part of men.
Salvation is by grace. Grace is the result of the activity of God. This, then, relegates any action on behalf of men impotent to cause salvation. Again, you see the things that attend salvation as the cause of salvation. This isn't grace. Rather than not being of ourselves, you make salvation of ourselves by requiring actions on the part of men.
Abraham's faith was displayed by his works (taking Isaac to offer him as a sacrifice) just like the Book of James proclaims.
You see, when we have Faith in God it should reflect in the types of works we display (helping others, giving to those in need, being a witness for God, and so forth).
It's literally impossible to be a true Follower of God and not display works that signify your Faith in whom you are a disciple of.
You see, when we have Faith in God it should reflect in the types of works we display (helping others, giving to those in need, being a witness for God, and so forth).
It's literally impossible to be a true Follower of God and not display works that signify your Faith in whom you are a disciple of.