Let's discuss purgatory

With those beliefs he wouldn't be able to join most Baptist churches. He wouldn't get past the statement of faith. He seems to be a Baptist in name only.

 

absolutely!

 

Yes, it’s pretty well known. It is clearly a minority view but a few others also believe in baptismal regeneration.

No, I really never thought much about that until Amy posted this thread a few days ago.

In the time I have been a member of my church no one has ever been asked to sign a doctrinal statement, not even the pastor. My church just isn’t into doctrine very much. We’re very big on missions, feeding the hungry, etc. We’re also very much into individual and community prayer. We’re also really good at socializing. This Christmas season I will be going to four social events connected with the church.

I’m pretty sure no church in my association has its members sign doctrinal statements. Any church that tried to do that had better be prepared to lose a lot of members.

 

I have never signed a document as such confirming my belief as such, but I affirm the dogmas of Faith in the recitation of the Nicene Creed daily, and the renewal of Baptismal Vows yearly.

 

This is something I see here on the BB from time to time, especially from the Reformed types (not saying you are one, DHK). I've been around a lot of Baptists. Probably visited in 40 or 50 different Baptist churches, all in the South. I have never heard talk of asking someone to accept a statement of faith. For new professions of faith, the pastor will simply ask if the candidate if he/she believes in Jesus Christ as his/her personal saviour and wants to follow Him. For people moving their letter they don't even ask that. For those coming on statement, they simply ask about their former church and their baptism. Then they are accepted into the membership by acclamation. No questions about doctrinal beliefs at all. Also, there is almost never any inquiry by the prospective member about what we do or don't believe. If you want to join a Southern Baptist church in my neck of the woods, just respond to the invitation, tell the pastor you are a baptized believer and you're in.

 

My church, as well as me personally, affirms the 2000 BF&M in the bylaws. When I joined my church in 2004, I was not asked any questions about doctrine. I just made a request for baptism after affirming faith in Jesus Christ. Prior to that, I lived in South Carolina and attended a United Methodist church, although I was never baptized or a formal member of any church until my present one.

 

I don't belong to any denominational Baptist church: an association or convention, etc. Every church I have ever been to, one has been required to read and agree to at least the statement of faith, and most the entire constitution which would include the statement of faith. Why would a church allow someone to join it if they are not in agreement doctrinally? The Bible says: "Can two walk together lest they be agreed?"
There can be no unity in the local church, unless there is unity in doctrine.

 

On all of which I agree with you. You're still leaving out the 'how', though. Now, I've heard the term 'glorification' mentioned several times on these various threads; I've asked what that means and haven't yet had an answer.

 

Wow! That's one heck of a bit of eisegesis.

 

Or the Anglicans! We're sort of Reformed Catholics, and have kept Apostolic Succession (despite what you might read in Apostolicae Curiae!)

 

I thought you chaps had soul liberty? Surely Zenas therefore has the right - if that is what he has discerned from Scripture - to (a) hold those views and (b) publish them in his church.

 

Sanctification is part of salvation and it will always follow justification as a result thereof. Justification is not the only part of salvation. I do not believe in purgatory; those who do say that sanctification continues after death. That seems to be the heart of the matter: Is sanctification complete upon death or not?

 

Exactly!:thumbsup:

 

No, sanctification is not a part of justification. Sanctification is a result of justification, not a cause of it.

OK. I'll bite: what other part of salvation is there than justification?

Paul, are you a Christian?

 

Did you ever play the prank, when you were a child, of putting dog feces in a bag and lighting in on fire and tossing it on someone's doorstep, while you and your friends ran away and hid in the bushes?

That's essentially what you're doing now.

It's easy to call his explaination "eisegesis", but it's cowardly to do so and then run away without giving any explanation about why it's eisegesis or what the correct exegesis is.

Please explain how he is guilty of eisegesis and explain what the correct understanding of those three judgements is.

 

I've never heard of a church that didn't ask members to affirm a statement of faith.

Then you need to find a new church.

 

Same here. We couldn't accept him as a member.

 

I never said it was.

I agree.

Sanctification and glorification.

Yes.

 

What verse is that?

 

Yes, you did. Here are your very own words from your last post:

"Sanctification is part of salvation "

So then, you agree that justification and sanctification are two completely seperate and distinct things, and that justification must occur first in its entirity before sanctification begins?

No, neither is a part of justification. We are justified through the blood of Christ. We are sanctified and glorified as a result of our justification.

So if I were to ask you how you believe you were saved, what would your answer be?