Yes, Scripture is plain about how one is reconciled to God but not all of Scripture is plain or equal in understanding. If one wants to grow in the knowledge of God he must go beyond simplistic readings of individual verses and try to fit all the Scriptural data together. Peter talked about how Paul wrote in complex structures and the Eunich needed help interpreting the OT with the NT. If you want to stay on milk that's your choice.
Calvin based his theory of salvation on the idea we are "dead" in our sin, so that we must be first born again to belief. In doing so, he skipped all the scriptures talking about us as slaves of sin, or servants of sin, or sick & needing healing.
Ahhhh...I don't think he skipped those Scriptures but they actually work in agreement with the "dead in sins" context. If you have some actual arguments against Calvin besides the paltry, "he wrote his systematics at 26", which doesn't take into effect that he revised his work throughout his life, then quote some of his work that you disagree with.
“If one wants to grow in the knowledge of God he must go beyond simplistic readings of individual verses and try to fit all the Scriptural data together. Peter talked about how Paul wrote in complex structures and the Eunich needed help interpreting the OT with the NT. If you want to stay on milk that’s your choice.”
What is next - a call for a Magisterium to explain scripture to us?
Sola Scriptura is worthless IF a person cannot read the scriptures and find what to do to be saved. And that means using hundreds of plain verses to explain 4 or 5 hard ones, not using 4 or 5 hard ones to explain hundreds of simple ones.
30Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” - Acts 16
Doesn’t take a degree in theology!
The Prodigal Son was ‘dead’ - did the Father come and kidnap him from the pigsties? Or was the ‘dead’ son capable of repentance?