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Is Half Of The Story Sufficient For Salvation? by eepa: 7:07am On Sep 30, 2015 |
Is Half of The Story Sufficient For Salvation?
Rule # 1... One half of truth does not a truth make.
Neither does one half of a story make the full
story. No intelligent person can hear one side of a
story and decide which side has the truth. Both
sides have to be heard, then analyzed, and then a
decision has to be made as to which side (if
either) has a valid story, and after that, the right
side(s), or truth side, can be determined.
This thinking holds true for discerning what Holy
Scripture tells us. Throughout the Bible there are
double standards, yet the fundamentalist thinking
shows only one standard, or one side of the story,
or only one half of the truth. Their thinking is in
violation of rule # 1. With only one half of truth,
you do not have truth. Anything less than the
whole truth is error.
In the following examples, side 'A' is the first side,
side 'B' is the second, and side 'C' is the right, or
truth side.
Example # 1... Sola Scriptura... Only the Bible.
Fundamentalist thinking is that the Bible is
sufficient and nothing else is needed for salvation.
First of all, in order to believe in the 'Bible Only'
philosophy, you have to show that Scripture says
it. Is that not true? The doctrine of 'Sola Scriptura'
is not to be found in Scripture.
A. Tradition is condemned in many places in
Scripture, such as Job 22:15, Mt 15:6, Mk 7:3-13,
Gal 1:14, Col 2:8, 1Tim 1:4, Tit 1:14, and 1Pet
1:18. Look at these verses and grasp their
meaning. They all address 'vain' human traditions
and are rightly condemned. This is one half of the
truth.
B. Tradition is supported in more places in
Scripture than it is condemned. Study Isa 59:21,
Lk 1:2, 2:19,51, Lk 10:16, 2Thes 2:14-15 - "Stand
firm and hold the traditions you have learned..",
2Tim 1:13,2:2, 1Pet 1:25, 1Jn 1:1,2:24, 2Jn 1:12,
Rev 12:17,19:10. These are different traditions than
mentioned in 'A'. These are the Traditions of GOD,
or 'Apostolic' Tradition. Again, this is only half of
the truth.
C. The truth is, yes, we do condemn the vain
tradition of men, as shown in 'A', and we must
keep the Tradition of GOD, as shown in 'B'. Thus
we have half the truth in 'A', and the other half in
'B', and combined we have the full truth. The false
doctrine of Sola Scriptura adds A and B together
and puts the total in A, rejecting all of tradition. A
+B=C.
Example # 2... Sola Fides... Saved by faith alone.
The fundamentalist believes he is assured of
salvation. All he has to do is to accept Jesus
Christ as his personal Lord and savior and
salvation is automatic and irrevocable no matter
what he does for the rest of his life. Oh Yeah?
What happened to the ten commandments?
A. Many verses in Scripture attest to salvation by
faith alone. Joel 2:32, "...that every one that shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Acts 2:21 says the same almost word for word,
and likewise for Rom 10:13. "...I live in the faith of
the Son of GOD...", is from Gal 2:20. Again, these
are beautiful words that should be heeded by all.
B. However, elsewhere in Scripture there is quite a
different side of the story. Start with Mt 7:21, "Not
everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter
the kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will
of my Father in Heaven shall enter the kingdom of
Heaven." It is very clear that you have to do the
will of the Father to gain salvation. I like 1Cor
10:12, "...let him who thinks he stands take heed
lest he fall." That one says you cannot be
guaranteed of salvation. Then James 2:14-26 says
over and over, "...Faith too without works is
dead...Faith without works is useless...so Faith
also without works is dead." Again, words to be
heeded by all.
C. So what is the answer to this dilemma? Is this
one of those Bible 'conflicts' you keep hearing
about? No, not at all. The answer is very simple.
There are two types of salvation, 'objective
salvation', and 'subjective salvation'. The verses in
'A' are examples of objective salvation. Jesus
Christ did atone for all of our sins, past, present
and future. He did His part and did it well, but He
left the burden upon each one of us to complete
the second side of the story by atoning for our
own sins, by doing the will of the Father. We have
to keep the commandments. We have to practice
'subjective salvation'. There is no salvation by
accepting only part of Scripture as shown in 'A',
and by rejecting, or trying to explain away the
verses in 'B'. Yet this is what some non-Catholics
are doing. Again, we have to combine 'A', and 'B',
to have the full truth. A+B=C = TRUTH.
Example # 3... Sola Gratia... or saved by the Grace
of GOD. This is the belief that all are saved solely
by the Grace of GOD. The thinking is that all will
be saved no matter what they do in this life.
Everyone of us is given sufficient grace for our
salvation. However, that grace can be rejected and
lost by the individual.
A. Some will try to justify this false doctrine with
Eph 2:8-10, "For by grace are you saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of
GOD." I agree that grace is a 'gift of GOD'.
B. The arguments against Sola Gratia are basically
the same as for Sola Fides. See Sola Fides 'B'.
C. There again, there are two kinds of grace,
'deserved' and 'undeserved'. Not all will receive
saving grace if they are undeserving of it as shown
in Mt 7:21, 1Cor 10:12, and Jam 2:14-26. Why
would GOD extend His graces to those who do not
keep His commandments? The truth is, yes you
will receive saving grace from GOD if you are
deserving of it.
Example # 4... Idol Worship... This is another
argument aimed against the Catholic Church since
it has statues of Jesus and Mary, and other saints.
A. Ex 20:4, "You shall not carve idols for
yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky
above or on the earth below or in the waters
beneath the earth." This verse is why you do not
see idols in protestant churches.
B. Num 21:8-9, 'And the Lord said to Moses,
"Make a saraph (serpent) and mount it on a
pole...Moses accordingly made a bronze
serpent..." How about Ex 25:18:22, GOD
commands Moses to make two images of angels
and to fasten them to the lid of the Ark. GOD
commands humans to make idols.
C. Is this another conflict? No not at all. In both
cases in 'B', the idols were to be used for a good
purpose. In 'A', the meaning is for idols which
have an evil purpose such as the golden calf or
worship of false gods'. Is there much of a
difference between statues of angels and statues of
saints? No, not in this case as both are heavenly
dwellers, and are servants of GOD. The answer of
truth is again A+B=C.
Example # 5... Repetitive Prayer... non-Catholics
claim repetitive prayer is forbidden by Scripture.
This statement is aimed squarely at the Catholic
prayer of the Rosary.
A. Mt 6:7, "But when you pray, use not 'vain'
repetitions, as the heathen do; for they think that
they shall be heard for their much speaking." In
1King 18:25-29 there is reference to calling on the
name of Baal from morning until noon and their
'prayer' went unanswered. Yes this is true. Vain
repetition as heathens do is forbidden. These are
examples of 'vain' repetition.
B. Again, there are many more examples of
repetitive prayer, which are accepted in Scripture,
rather than rejected. See Mt 26:44 where Jesus
prayed in the garden three times and said the
same words. How about Lk 6:12, "...He went onto
a mountain to pray, and continued all night in
prayer to GOD." Lk 21:36, "...pray always, that you
may be counted worthy to escape all these things
that shall come to pass." How can you 'pray
always' without repeating prayers? Then there is
Isa 6:3, and Rev 4:8, where the Seraphim, "...rest
not day and night, saying Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord
GOD Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come."
Is that not a prime example of repetitive prayer?
C. In this example non-Catholics accept 'A', and
ignore 'B', A+A=A. Yes, we should abide by the
caution of 'vain' repetition of prayer as heathens
do. Christians are certainly not heathens. However
in 'B', a second type of prayer repetition, or
'Useful', is shown. The correct answer again is A
+B=C.
Example # 6... Call No Man your Father... This has
long been a stumbling block for non-Catholics and
for no real reason. Catholics call priests 'father'.
This is why the stumble.
A. Mt 23:9, "And call no one on earth your father,
for one is your Father, who is in heaven."
Absolutely right again. We have only one GOD the
Father who is in Heaven.
B. Ex 20:12, "Honor your father and your
mother..." In far more verses the word 'father' is
evoked for creatures by the apostles, and by Jesus
Christ Himself. Acts 7:2 and 22:1, "Brethren and
fathers...", Rom 9:10, "Isaac our father...", Jn 6:49,
"Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness..."
C. What is going on here? What is the translation
of Lk 14:26 using the strict sense of Mt 23:9? "If
anyone comes to Me and does not hate (it meant
to love less, at the time) his 'father' and
mother...he cannot be My disciple." Using the
logic in 'A', it would have to translate to, 'you
would have to love less, the Father in heaven, than
myself, to be my disciple'. I do not think Jesus
meant it that way. The truth is that Jesus was
referring to only one GOD the Father in Heaven in
Mt 23:9 not multiples. A priest is a 'spiritual
father', just as the male who was needed to
conceive each of one us is our 'natural father'.
Again A+B=C.
Example # 7... There Can Be Only One Mediator
between GOD and man... No one should ever pray
to another person as that is against the Bible. This
is another stumbling block that non-Catholics have
with Blessed Mary, and with Catholics saying the
Rosary.
A. 1Tim 2:5, "For there is one GOD and one
Mediator between GOD and men, Himself man,
Christ Jesus..." Yes right again.
B. However, the Bible is quite clear in pointing out,
again, more verses which 'seem' to say just the
opposite. Move up to 1Tim 2:1, "I urge
therefore...supplications, prayers, intercessions be
made for all men." 1Thess 5:25, "Brethren pray for
us." Heb 13:18, "Pray for us." Jam 5:16, "Pray for
one another." Rev 5:8, "...which are the prayers of
the saints." Hmmm, why do saints have to pray?
They are already in heaven. Their prayers therefore
must be for someone else who is not in heaven.
C. In 'A', we see 'Mediator', and in 'B', we see
'Intercessor'. There is a difference. Jesus Christ
mediates between GOD and man. The saints and
our fellow man say intercessory prayers for others.
If anyone has examined the words of the Hail Mary,
the first half is Gabriel's and Elizabeth's greetings
in Luke 1:28-42. The second part is, 'Holy Mary,
pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our
death. Amen'. What is the difference between Heb
13:18, "Pray for us", and Rev 5:8, "...which are the
prayers of the saints", and of asking Mary to pray
for us in the Hail Mary? We can have only one
mediator, but we can have many intercessors. The
answer again is A+B=C.
I hope this little exercise has helped you to
understand why there are so many 'apparent'
conflicts in Holy Scripture, with some verses
seemingly contradicting others. They really are not
contradictory when you come to the realization that
there are three sides to every story. When the full
truth is known, then there is no need to try to
explain away any verses in scripture. The Bible is
harmonious from beginning to end. Nothing can be
added, and nothing can be removed. It all fits
together perfectly. |
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