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To: drstevej
Thank you for your post!

Unless perhaps the Scripture can have multiple meanings given by the Holy Spirit to different spiritually attuned people.

There is only one God, one Word, one Truth, one Jesus, one Holy Spirit. And the Scriptures reveal Him truly, but not fully. It is the Holy Spirit who leads us to all understanding (Romans 8, John, I Corinthians 2)

But the Holy Spirit leads only as we submit and therefore, indeed, people and churches of different nature and nurture will have differences in doctrine.

The twelve who were chosen by Jesus were quite different individuals and had disputes amongst themselves (Acts 15). Likewise, the churches in Revelation 2 and 3 are quite different and yet all accepted with commendations and rebukes. Nevertheless, the core belief in Jesus Christ is the same (1 John 4).

Jesus could have chosen twelve disciples like Peter, but He did not. He could have rejected all churches but Ephesus, but He did not.

From all of this I conclude that it is ok if one wants to be like Paul and another like Peter and another like John, etc. It is ok for a church to be like Ephesus, Thyatira or Philadelphia, etc. It is ok to be Calvinist or Arminian or Catholic or Eastern Orthodox or whatever - as long as the core belief remains.

As for me, I'd rather be like John and the church of Philadelphia and eschew all doctrine labels.

241 posted on 02/24/2004 12:56:46 PM PST by Alamo-Girl
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To: Alamo-Girl
***As for me, I'd rather be like John and the church of Philadelphia and eschew all doctrine labels.***

No prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation.
(2 Peter 1:20 GB)

Woody.
243 posted on 02/24/2004 1:15:02 PM PST by CCWoody (a.k.a. "the Boo!" Proudly causing doctrinal nightmares among non-Calvinists since Apr2000)
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To: Alamo-Girl
Is there truth beyond the "core" belief in Jesus? If so how does one tell whether theological statements (ex. your comments in your post) are right or wrong? Paul commended the Bereans in Acts 17:11 for searching the Scriptures to see if what he said was true. He called them nobel.

***It is ok to be Calvinist or Arminian or Catholic or Eastern Orthodox or whatever - as long as the core belief remains.***

What does "OK" mean here? Are these differences incidental and unimportant? Are Arians OK?
244 posted on 02/24/2004 1:15:56 PM PST by drstevej
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