What do you mean "His people" ?? Jesus was talking directly with the twelve when He spoke that. The Holy Spirit guided only the apostles into all truth. They preached it, and some wrote it.
If this was a promise to every believer, then there would never be a doctrinal disagreement between believers. ALL truth, right?
Anyone with the slightest variant understanding must not have the Spirit, for the Spirit will most assuredly lead the genuine believer into all truth, right?
Your argument, when examined with care, negates a sound hermeneutical principle.
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:
In the immediate context, Jesus was speaking to His disciples.
Yet while there is an immediate context, there is at the same time a universal context applicable to all generations by which Christians born of the Spirit are to understand that it is the Holy Spirit who is their ultimate Teacher, the Spirit of truth.
Without the Spirit’s illumination, no man would understand the things of the Spirit of God.
Furthermore, the Spirit gives gifts to Christians, not the least of which is the gift of teaching.
Not all teachers are expert in every subject.
Nonetheless, no matter the subject they endeavor to teach it behooves them to teach it correctly.
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
Would you not agree that there are certain fundamental doctrines which must be believed in order to be considered ‘Christian’?
There are truths which Christians MUST get right.
It is into
these truths that the Holy Spirit will lead all His Christian people truthfully.
Furthermore, because it is God who teaches, He cannot fail to teach His people that which must be believed in order to salvation.
As stated in my previous post, Jesus does not promise the Holy Spirit will lead all Christians into an infallible understanding of every biblical truth.
However, when a truth is taught by the Spirit, it will be completely truthful and contain no error.
The truth in dispute with DHK concerns the Body of Christ, the Church of Christ, the Bride of Christ, whether they are one and the same.
Unfortunately his dispensational looking glass has distorted his biblical vision.
Disparity of Views
You mention disparity of views.
Not all are damning.
Let’s look at the issue of baptism.
Through an unbiased careful examination of the two primary evangelical positions – infant water baptism vs. believer’s water baptism – (I am not including the RCC doctrine of baptismal regeneration which is unbiblical and which most evangelicals do not believe) – it is not difficult to conclude that both positions have scriptural support. Their disparate interpretations did not materialize out of thin air.
Therefore, there are three possible positions as to the disparity:
(1) One interpretation is in error.
(2) Both interpretations are in error.
(3) Neither interpretation is in error due to the lack of a specific universally recognized commandment regarding infants, pro or con.
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
If there is but one true baptism as Scripture declares, it is impossible that the Spirit of truth has neglected to teach that fundamental truth to either side for hundreds of years, whether they be Baptist or not.
Thus, the unbiased truth seeker must conclude that the ‘one baptism’ stressed in the above Scripture must be that which is not given by men, but rather given by the Spirit.
And is not that baptism of the Spirit the same about which John the Baptist speaks?
John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
And is not this Holy Spirit baptism the same about which Jesus speaks?
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Whether Baptist or not, ALL parties believe in the necessity of the new birth by the Spirit.
Thus, they are all in agreement as to the necessity and identity of the ‘one baptism’ of Ephesians 4:5, whether they discern an agreement or not.
Arminian Arguments
Arminians use your argument of immediate context as the only credible rule of interpretation when dealing with John 15:16:
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Arminians insist Jesus is speaking of choosing them for apostolic office thereby negating the consideration that the biblical doctrine of election by sovereign grace is being taught.
Furthermore, if we take the immediate context as the only credible rule of interpretation, then we cannot and should not be concerned with the Old Testament which, to be consistent, should not apply to us.
Yet Paul tells us,
Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
Pre-Cross vs. Post-Cross
And then there are the arguments using pre-cross vs. post-cross.
Those who insist water baptism is necessary for salvation are not stymied when reminded of the thief on the cross who was promised to be in Paradise with Jesus that very day, though he was not baptized in water.
They simply use the ‘pre-cross’ theory.
Jesus had not yet died, therefore the thief could not have been ‘baptized into Christ’s death.’
Thus, they say there was never any need for water baptism.
Scripture speaks to all Christians in all generations
Scripture speaks to all Christians in all generations because:
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
‘All Scripture’ includes the words Jesus speaks to His disciples.
PS Ephesians 4:4 is yet another Scripture which proves Christ has only one body of believers, despite DHK's outcry to the contrary.
