I do agree on this point although I look at it perhaps differently than some do. I do not worship the Bible. For me it remains by itself a dead book.
Agreed.
[I am not against theologians. They are just well studied men, but by study alone we will never get all of God's message to man. By reading from the theologians alone we will likely find ourselves in a ditch. Reading them is like reading posts on this forum. You may well and correctly say that they know more, but what they know is not necessarily knowledge of the Good which is God alone. We need a sifter.
I remember when I was a child at home my mother was a great cook and baker. She made all of her own pie crusts and baked goods from scratch. She always had a sifter through which she sifted the flour that came out of the sack before it went into the mix. It took all of the little lumps and clumps out making it a fine evenly distributed powder. It made a big difference in the finished product.
Our sifter is, or should be, the Holy Spirit in us.[/QUOTE]
Agreed again.
I always say I sift when I listen to someone speaking.
I'm just a plain ole' traditional Christian. No weird ideas.
Acts 17:11 The Bereans.
Well, it's not day one anymore. It's been 2,000 years that Christianity has been put together and, yes, there is a definitin to what makes a Christian. Otherwise some descriptions sound Buddhist, for example. We are unique.That they were decided by them could be a problem. Men have been making mistakes from day one. We may certainly consider what they decided, but at the same time don't let our respect for them be so great that we never doubt them and never even consider the things they decided against...
Jesus claimed to be God. He resurrected. He changed history, literally. (Rome).
And, of course I don't trust all of them.
Calvinist theologians got it all wrong.
I tend to trust mainline churches.
I'll name two big items:You say if we we're only going to get what the Holy Spirit will give, but what is there that God would neglect to give to anyone who is coming to Him with the right attitude and asking of Him continuously? Did not Jesus say,
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." Matt 7:7-8
The Holy Trinity (not easy to find with reading alone)
Justification and Sanctification (it could get all mixed up)
I agree with progressive revelation, but some of it is degressive. In some areas we are going backwards instead of frontwards, so, yes, we do also need to look back at the ECF, they were they closest to Jesus. And the Apostolic Fathers more than anyone.What is easier? Is it easier to take hold of the things that those Fathers put together so long ago? Remember what was written about Jesus himself?
"And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." Luke 2:52
In other words, Jesus grew and so must we grow. If we take what someone else said as the final word on it, no matter how studious or wise or devout that person was, will we not eventually stagnate and die? Take hold of things for the moment, yes, things that for the moment fill a space in us, but never presume that that is the end of the road when we still have time left in which to grow. A carnal child grows to adulthood learning all along the way, but should he stop learning because he reached his 21st birthday, or his 30th birthday, or even his 70th birthday? I reached my 74th last month and still in the things of God I intend to grow until there is no more time for me:
"He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30
The "I" that needs to decrease is that in me which follows or wishes to follow the ways of the flesh [the old man]. The "He" is the Jesus in me that leads me to or along the Way of God [the new or inner man].
I can't remember what I said here, but what God expects from us to to obey His commandments and to worship Him and to treat His creatures (us) in the way He would want us to.Wrong question, unless being a Christian means a person is always pleasing to God. What does God expect or desire from us?
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt 6:33
To me that verse means that if we continuously put those first things first, then anything and everything else we need will be added to us. What else do we need? We can try to define them, but only God always knows what they are for each individual.
Remember that we are to be one part of the Body of Christ. Not every part has precisely the same functions.
Oh. And to also love ourselves.
That which connects the parts of the Body of Christ to the Head [Jesus] and to the other parts of the Body is the Holy Spirit dwelling in each and every part.
So how often is it really our job to decide the correctness of every other person we meet according to God? If we really need to know and we are seeking those first things first of Matt 6:33 will not what is needed be given to us? No generalizations regarding the things of God work all of the time. That is trying to put Him in a box and He does not fit.
A current connection with Jesus through the Holy Spirit is always required. Will not seeking always those first things first accomplish that?
Agreed as to the parts of the Body of Christ.
It's never my job to judge another regarding the correctness of another person. However, if they're doing something obviously wrong, it would be nice to say so in a very kind and delicate manner. We were instructed by Paul to do this.
I never put God in a box. He's too big for that.