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To: Arthur McGowan
It is notable how many there are in FR who hold to an Islamic view of Christianity:

This would be that Christianity is a lie. Is this for exaggeration to make a point, I presume ?

God dictated a book, which is not subject to interpretation.

Yes, the Bible is God's Word, so you could say God "dictated" it. Of course it is subject to interpretation, and of course, in each instance, our understanding or "interpretation" is either true or not true. We can't ever be perfect in anything, but we can continue to seek the truth, to keep seeking corrections of our errors. We certainly can benefit from the knowledge of others, i.e., we can "stand on the shoulders" of 2,000 years of intepretation. But ultimately, the only opinion that really matters is God's, and everyone has a Biblical responsibility to seek the truth of God's Word.

There is to be no development, no deepening, no enrichment of anything found in the basic book. The book is absolutely final. It contains all truth. There is nothing outside the book.

One must take great care in coming up with "new interpretations" - it's a great temptation and a very easy way to develop a wrong interpretation. Aspiring theologians would certainly be attracted to the idea that they came up with something that will put their name in the history books. Is the Bible final ? Yes, it's quite clear on that. It contains all truth ? The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men.

There are many "things" (writings) outside the Bible, but they are simply the writings of fallen men, authors who are prone to error. Is there truth in uninspired writings ? Certainly at times there is. But we must take care to recognize the difference between the God-breathed Scripture and all other writings in how certain we are of their respective truthfulness - and be sure to defer to Scripture in matters of faith and how we conduct ourselves from a moral standpoint.

Salvation comes through the repetition of a verbal formula.

No, the Bible clearly says that salvation comes by Grace through faith.
12 posted on 01/17/2015 8:49:01 PM PST by PieterCasparzen (We have to fix things ourselves)
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To: PieterCasparzen

Wrong. Scripture is not self-interpreting and thus relies on authority outside itself. The argument that scripture alone is sufficient is Islamic.


19 posted on 01/18/2015 4:19:38 AM PST by WriteOn (Truth)
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