***Finally, ... would you join me in condemning Salvation by belief alone as being totally unscriptural and a dangerous teaching?***
Are you defining "belief" here as something like intellectual assent?
Scripture doesn't interpret Scripture, human beings interpret Scripture. I'm going right back to those same three questions.
Scripture interprets itself in the sense that it cannot contradict itself.
Therefore, scriptural passages which may appear to conflict need to be reconciled to one another ... and, often, it is other scripture which provides such a reconciliation.
For example ... I believe that Paul's writing does much to reconcile the Matthew 19 passage ... with, say, ... John 6:47.
When asked what one must do to see eternal life, Jesus tells a young man that he must keep the Commandments. Would you agree to me that those who break the Commandments have no assurance of Salvation, regardless of what they believe?
One of the commandments which Jesus presented to the young man as needful to be kept was ... "Thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself."
Does your salvation depend upon you not ever breaking this commandment ?
Would you agree with me that the terms which Jesus sets for attaining perfection, in this case, keeping the Commandments, selling all of ones possessions, giving the money to the poor, and following Jesus, are in fact reasonable and possible? (Matt 19: 16-30)
I might be tempted to ... but, in the very same passage, Jesus, Himself, says that it is humanly impossible.
Finally, to clear some of the clutter from the conversation, would you join me in condemning Salvation by belief alone as being totally unscriptural and a dangerous teaching?
Now you have responded to the last question..
"Sorry ... I can do no better than to echo my Master ...John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life."This Scripture does not say we are saved by belief alone.
But, of course it does.
To maintain that there is something more required from us for our salvation ... would make this statement of Jesus to be an untruth.
Here Jesus says that ... "He that believeth on ME" ... "hath everlasting life."
It is Jesus' statement.
He was perfectly free to add any other requirements into the statement He wished ... but He didn't.
Now, as an example of scripture interpreting scripture, ... I would say that the following scripture does much to reconcile your position ... with this scripture ...John 14:12 Otherwise believe for the very works’ sake. Amen, amen, I say to you, he that believeth in me, the works that I do, he also shall do: and greater than these shall he do.Jesus says that belivers have (present tense) everlasting life.
And ... Jesus says that believers shall perform works like the works which He did.