Featured The Bible and Secondary Documents

Actually it is because you are derailing this thread and your comments are off-topic.

 

Point taken.

 

Wow, just the Catholics do with their Catechism!

 

So are you against statements of faith?

 

I'm Primitive Baptist, and we have our statement of beliefs, but you'd search (nah, you wouldn't, I already know that) long and hard to find even once that I've used PB statement of faith in lieu of scripture on this board. I use scripture directly.

 

You realize that is what the confessions do as well right? So, if you only use Scripture directly, how do you claim the Trinity?

 

You've misunderstood me. I've invested a small fortune into 'secondary documents' in my search for truth over the years. 'Secondary documents' written by men like Edersheim, Pink, Gill, Jamieson, Fausset, Brown, Gross, Goins, Seiss, Hodge, and many others have provided much meditation for me over the years, but none, no man, have I yet to find that I agree with totally. And that's my right of private judgement to do that - disagree or agree. And for various reasons I do quote from these 'secondary documents' on the BB often. But I don't use PB confession of faith in lieu of scripture because that'd make me like some of these Reformed robots that I wonder have ever had, or would dare to have, an original Bible thought of their own. They parrot 'Sola Scriptura' but they don't practice it.

 

And badly.

 

...so says a robot.

 

Amen! Man is saved by faith (rightly understood) in Christ alone. The Bible clearly states in many passages of scripture that we are saved through belief/faith "apart from additions or modifications." (John 1:12; 3:15,16,18,36; 6:40,47; 11:25,26; Acts 10:43; 13:39; 16:31; 26:18; Romans 1:16; 3:22-28; 4:5; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:21; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8; Philippians 3:9; 2 Timothy 3:15; 1 John 5:13 etc..).

You don't need to add the word "alone" next to "belief/faith" in each of these passages of scripture in order to figure out that the words "belief/faith" stand alone in connection with receiving eternal life/salvation. Do these many passages of scripture say belief/faith "plus something else?" Plus works? NO. So then it's faith (rightly understood) in Christ alone. *Not to be confused with an empty profession of faith/dead faith that remains "alone" -- barren of works (James 2:14)

Those who teach salvation by faith and works will argue that you won't find a verse in scripture that specifically says, "justified by faith alone" yet you also won't find a verse in the Bible that specifically says man is "justified by faith and works" or "saved by faith and works."

*We must properly harmonize scripture with scripture in order to reach the proper conclusion on doctrine. Man is saved through faith and not by works (Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9); yet genuine faith is vindicated, substantiated, evidenced by works (James 2:14-24).

*Christ saves us through faith based on the merits of His finished work of redemption "alone" and not based on the merits of our works.*

It is through faith "in Christ alone" (and not by the merits of our works) that we are justified on account of Christ (Romans 3:24; 5:1; 5:9); yet the faith that justifies is never alone (solitary, unfruitful, barren) if it is genuine (James 2:14-24). *Perfect Harmony*

 

Amen! This is correct. However this is NOT the Sola that the Reformed robots parrot.

 

However, you being a free willer synergist means that you don't really really really believe it's 'Christ alone'. Your theology demands your cooperation, so it's you and Christ together, not 'Christ alone'.

 

Christ is the ALL-sufficient means of our salvation and faith is the instrumental means by which we receive the gift of eternal life, so it's still salvation through faith in CHRIST ALONE. I am trusting in CHRIST ALONE for salvation and not in Christ "plus works."

 

Go get 'em.

 

Is this correct in this context?

Acts 8:26-35 (KJV) And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to [him], and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

 

From the horse's mouth:
"The Westminster Confession of Faith will do you as the one book you have on a deserted island. It will do you if you're an elder or pastor as a foundation for virtually everything you encounter in the life of the Christian church, including principles for applying the gospel to situations that the Westminster Divines never contemplated would exist."
Ligonier Ministries

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No doubt Catholics believe the same about their Catechism. It's all they really need.

 

Boy way to twist what he is actually saying....good grief. He DID NOT SAY it replaces Scripture.

 

And what do you understand that to mean?

 

Well first of all @kyredneck took the quote out of the context of the whole. This was during a Ligonier question and answer session. The question was this: Is it important that a church subscribe to a confession of faith? Here was Dr. Ferguson's full answer (lightly edited to take out repeated words etc)

He is talking about the Bible is our final authority yes, but a Confession tells you what the Bible actually says. In other words, what do you believe about this book.