"It appears to me that in order to teach this error, that they could not have ever been truly saved. The footnote in my Bible suggests that they were akin with Gnostics."
They certainly we not "saved". That's quite apparent. But then again, +Paul hadn't achieved theosis at that point either! :)
Mine says:
"What is the heresy of H and P? Perhaps a super-spiritual interpretation of the Resurrection (v. 18) as affecting only the soul and not the whole person (Greek philosophy thought bodily resurrection to be absurd); thus resurrection is thought to be already past, having occured at baptism. They use the language of baptism but in a non-Orthodox way. Let us not be naive; unchecked this sort of novel doctrine can spread through the community like cancer (v.17)."
Not even Paul? :) I know you said it was tough to reach theosis during one's lifetime, but if even Paul can't do it... :)
Thanks for your footnote. Is your Bible for all intents and purposes the same as the Catholic Bible, but with footnotes steered toward Orthodox theology, or are there real differences?