The Arminian must believe before he would choose to believe (a form of repentance). The Calvinist must believe before he chooses to repent. It's just in how we define repentance. Jesus says whoever believes has eternal life. So all are saved by grace before they decide anything.

The first step - Interpretation - involves trying to determine what God's intended message was to the initial audience. This involves looking at the verse or passage in context and following the flow of thought, asking questions like "What point is the author making?"

The second step - principlization - involves trying to determine what timeless principles are being taught, applicable to the first audience and to us many years later. This is where we deal with difficult issues like...

I posted the following two articles in another thread. I thought the topic important enough to start a new thread on it.

An Analysis of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000

Baptist Freedom and Conscience Series: An Unconscionable Confession

I don't know if this has been discussed at length here previously, but it was mentioned in another thread I was reading, so I thought I would make it a topic. What do you think happens in the afterlife to those who never had a chance to hear or accept the Gospel in this life?

Matthew 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

I read this in my Bible reading this morning. I’m not wanting to create an argument, just sharing thoughts this morning.

If my salvation is pre-determined, without anything to do with God’s foreknowledge of my choices, how is it that it can be said that a man can lose his own soul?

In my mind, this clearly implies man has a free will.

In another thread, there was a disagreement concerning the promise of Jesus.

Were there promises that were given to the Apostles alone.?

Or can we just claim them to ourselves?

I had posted this;

Iconoclast said: ↑
The Holy Spirit guided the Apostles into All Truth, not us.
We are given the Spirit to be able to welcome truth, but we do not have the same promise the Apostles had.
No... this is not milk issues, but meat.
Correct doctrinal root leads to correct spiritual fruit.

In a...

In another thread, a member made the suggestion that this thread be started after he made the statement: "this is what is called private interpretation by Peter himself". So let us look at this "private interpretation" concept and see who uses it.

Is it us Catholics (or other Orthodox believing Christians) who believe in Christian Orthodoxy i.e. a belief one Universal (Catholic) Christian Church (and the sacraments it taught) that existed from the very beginning of the newly forming...

There were several posts that needed an examination and answer from the other thread.
JonC
The problem is where you have tried to take these teachings. You have moved away from Scripture inch by inch until you have decided God either did not love us while we were sinners or that in our lost state we were the "seed of the woman".

I have always posted God loved us[the elect] while we were yet sinners. That is the teaching of Romans 5.
There was never a time when the elect were not considered...

on a doctrine or ethical issue? I have done so with one in particular, just in the last year or so. But I don't think I can talk about it here. I really studied and researched it, and what I was once so certain about, now I am not. I was just wondering if anyone else had gone through this.

...as the intact stained glass windows portraying Jerry Falwell Sr. and Jerry Vines are unveiled on stage after being rescued from Southwestern Seminary:

Video here:

Vines, Falwell Reclaim $$$, Scrapped Conservative Resurgence Memorial Windows from Texas Seminary
At Liberty University’s Baccalaureate Service on Friday night, President Jerry Falwell made a bold statement to the Southern Baptist Convention when he displayed two stained-glass windows that were recently removed from...