Craigbythesea
Well-Known Member
According to your method of Bible interpretation, all of the Early Church Fathers, whom it pleased God to use to establish the New Testament Canon and to formalize the doctrine of the Trinity, were a bunch of dingbats and dimwits who couldn’t understand the Bible. And according to your method of interpretation, all of the Bible scholars who lived prior to the 16th century were a bunch of incompetent fools who couldn’t understand the Bible. And according to your method of interpretation, the large majority of Bible scholars who lived during the past four centuries were a bunch of meatheads who couldn’t understand the Bible. And according to your method of interpretation, the large majority of Bible scholars who are alive today still do not understand what the Bible says about salvation. And according to your method of interpretation, you do understand what the Bible says about salvation.But I'll repeat the essence of something else I said: That one's position concerning this matter of "Conditional salvation" is a point of view which comes out of one's method of Bible interpretation and it's proper application.
Of course, however, there is that other possibility—that the Bible was written by a twelve-year-old with poor communication skills and that it is, therefore, extremely difficult—if not impossible—to understand, and yet you, of all people, have figured it out.
According to my method of interpretation, the Early Church Fathers, whom it pleased God to use to establish the New Testament Canon and to formalize the doctrine of the Trinity, were anointed men of wisdom and learning who clearly understood what the Bible says about conditional salvation. And according to my method of interpretation, the Bible scholars who lived prior to the 16th century were a mixed lot, but they all understood that the Bible teaches conditional salvation. And according to my method of interpretation, the large majority of Bible scholars who lived during the past four centuries were a mixed lot, but they all understood that the Bible teaches conditional salvation. And according to my method of interpretation, the large majority of Bible scholars who are alive today do understand that the Bible teaches conditional salvation. And according to my method of interpretation, I do understand what the Bible says about salvation, and what I believe about salvation is in harmony with what the Early Church Fathers believed about conditional salvation; it is in harmony with what Bible scholars who lived prior to the 16th century believed about conditional salvation; it is in harmony with what the large majority of Bible scholars who lived during the past four centuries believed about conditional salvation; and it is in harmony with what the large majority of Bible scholars who are alive today believe about conditional salvation.
Of course I do not believe that the Bible was written by a twelve-year-old with poor communication skills and that it is, therefore, extremely difficult—if not impossible—to understand. I believe that it is the inspired Word of God that was so perfectly worded that no one misunderstood that the Bible teaches conditional salvation until John Calvin allowed Satan to deceive him, and in turn deceived many others, either directly or indirectly.
