Scholars vs. Laity

[Havensdad]

I believe people can be Godly with very little knowledge of the word of God.

Very, very wrong. A person cannot be obedient to a Word he does not know.

 

[Thinkingstuff]

Very, very wrong. A person cannot be obedient to a Word he does not know.

Which is why I brought up the NT. The first book of the NT wasn't written for 20 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. Thus the limit of God's word was based soley on the testimony of The apostles. Also in those days the majority of people were illerterate. Yet they were willing to lay down their lives for the sake of a gospel that hadn't even been writen yet.

 

[Havensdad]

What if I said: "The majority of scholars/seminary professors reject Calvinism whereas it's mainly the uneducated laity that believe in Calvinism. That does seem to suggest something."



How would you react to a statement like that?

Probably the same way I reacted to it, when I heard the very same thing from Micheal Patton (Of DTS, and bible.org), before I was a Calvinist. I got angry. Then I found out he was right.

Tell me, if a bunch of doctors, who had gone to medical school, gave you a diet plan for losing weight and getting in shape, and your uncle Bob, who read Men's Health said they were wrong, who would you tend to believe?

When it comes to teachers, I'll take the guy who makes the study of God's Word a priority, over the guy who'd rather just "get by" every time. Where a person's money is, is where there heart lies. And a person who is willing to work his tail off, and shell out large sums of money, because he believes that God's Word is THAT important, trumps the guy who says "I can get by without all that" and goes out and spends his money on cars, T.V.'s, and fishing boats.

 

[Steven2006]

Steven...



Although JAMES said this, true enough, the word religion here means something like "ceremonial observance." True Christianity is first and FOREMOST right belief/doctrine. Salvation by Grace through faith in Christ...and not the "Christ" of Mormonism, Jehovah's witnesses, etc., etc.

The context that I understood thinkingstuff to be talking about wasn't salvation at all.

This entire thread is about a Christians studying, and learning God's word and comparing "scholars" and "layman" in doing so.

This discussion has not been about salvation at all. You are completely changing the subject. And surly you are not trying to imply one needs to be of a certain level of education in order to understand the gospel?

 

[Havensdad]

Which is why I brought up the NT. The first book of the NT wasn't written for 20 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. Thus the limit of God's word was based soley on the testimony of The apostles. Also in those days the majority of people were illerterate. Yet they were willing to lay down their lives for the sake of a gospel that hadn't even been writen yet.

And yet, like Peter, they often fell into grievous, church splitting error because of their ignorance.

Secondly, they had the Old Testament. It was not simply "limited" to the apostles words. And no, at least the Jewish men, by and large, were not illiterate.

 

[Steven2006]

trumps the guy who says "I can get by without all that" and goes out and spends his money on cars, T.V.'s, and fishing boats.

Wow, you really make assumptions about and look down your nose at anyone who doesn't get a degree in theology.