Posted on 06/09/2015 4:56:09 PM PDT by RnMomof7
The doctrine of soteriology is a major concept and a major theme in the Bible. The terms related to salvation are prevalent in the OT and NT. In the OT, the Hebrew verb yasa and its derivatives appear about 353 times in the OT. In the Niphal it bears the meaning “to be saved” or “be delivered” and in the Hiphil it means to “deliver,” “give victory,” or “save.” The noun form of yasa is yesuah (64 times), yesa (31 times), and tesuah (19 times), which means, “help,” “deliverance,” and “salvation.” When looking at the OT, the above verb yasa and nouns yesuah , yesa, and tesuah refer to deliverance from Egypt via the Exodus (Exod. 14:13, 30; 15:2), victory over Israel’s enemies (Num. 10:9; Judg. 6:14-16), release from exile (Ps. 106:47; Isa. 46:13), God’s preservation in times of national danger (Jer. 14:8), deliverance from sin, wickedness, and evil (Jer. 17:14; Ezek. 37:23).
In the NT, the verb sozo, which means to “rescue,” “deliver,” and “save” is used more than 100 times in the NT. In the NT, the noun soteria (49 times) mean salvation and the personal noun soter, used 24 times, means “redeemer,” “deliverer,” and “savior.” In the NT, the verb and nouns used refers to deliverance from danger, disease, enemies, or bondage (Matt. 8:25; 14:30; Mark 5:34; Luke 1:71; Heb. 11:7; Jas. 5:15). The verb and nouns also bears theological meaning of deliverance from sin, death, and the Devil (Luke 1:69, 77; 18:26; Acts 4:12; Rom. 10:9-10). In light of the verbs and nouns related to salvation and how it is used in the OT and NT, it is beneficial to cover other reasons why the study of soteriology is important. Salvation is important to study because the doctrine of soteriology touches upon the time issue, the means, and the objects. The time issue answers whether salvation is an event or a process, the means answers how one is saved, and the objects issue answers who are the objects of salvation.
When it comes to the time issue, the notion of justification comes into the picture. The Roman Catholic perceives justification as a process. They do not see justification as a one-time event. In other words, there is a process a person needs to do in order to be just. Their view of salvation is also different in how they view grace. For Christians, grace is a gift that cannot be infused by man or any deeds we do. For the Roman Catholic Church, grace is infused into the human nature through the sacraments.
As noted earlier, Christians define justification as an event, whereas based on Christ sacrifice and man’s faith upon Christ’s sacrifice, declares the believing sinner righteous. For sanctification, Christians view it as a process in which the Holy Spirit causes the believer to grow in the grace of knowledge of Jesus Christ throughout his life in word and deed.
For the discussion concerning the means issue, which answers the question of how one is saved, there are different views. For the Roman Catholic, one is saved through the sacraments. For liberation theology, they see salvation through the overthrow of oppressive structures. Christian existentialism sees salvation in the existential encounter with Christ. For Christians, we see salvation by grace alone through faith.
And for the objects issue which answers, who are the objects of salvation, it can only be limited to humans. Fallen angels and the creation cannot experience salvation.
Besides the time issue that answers whether salvation is an event or a process, the means, which answers how one is saved, and the objects issue which answers who are the objects of salvation, let us now cover the traditional views of salvation in more detail. In order to do that I will cover Roman Catholicism first.
Roman Catholicism believes that salvation is linked to the visible church through the apostolic succession from Peter. They see salvation, as a process that includes the combination of faith and works. Hence, their view of salvation is synergistic (salvation is a result from God and man). What is interesting about Roman Catholicism is that since the Vatican II Council of the 1960s, the religion is inclusive. In other words, they believe that Protestants and other religions can be saved too. It is contradictory from Roman Catholicism before the council to include their new view. This becomes problematic for them because their religion changes and is not consistent. Their leaders determine what is right and what is wrong for the most part.
For Protestant liberalism, they deny the traditional concepts such as the fall of Adam, human depravity, God’s wrath, and substitutionary atonement. These traditional concepts are historical truths that are the bread and butter of orthodox Christianity. To reject them would be heretical and detrimental.
Protestant liberalism also denies supernaturalism such as miracles, and the Bible as being authoritative. They also deny the new birth (born-again), but believe that salvation is a moral transformation of individuals and society. Moreover, they do not focus on the Gospel, but education, social change, and political action. They also see Christ mostly for His ethical ideas instead of his doctrinal statement concerning hell, sin, eschatology, judgments, etc.
The next view would be the Christian existential theology. They would emphasize the experience of the individual. Experience is very dangerous apart from Scripture because mankind lives outside of the Scripture. Because they live outside the authority of Scripture they cannot account for truth and morality. As a result, they develop their own view of salvation. At the end of the day, existential theology is dangerous because if one holds onto their scheme, then once cannot prove one’s faith by reason and logic that is found only in Scripture.
Another view is Barthian neo-orthodoxy. This view believes that salvation is given to all mankind through His death on the cross. At the end of the day, everyone is saved because they are elected in Jesus Christ.
Liberation theology believes that the main problem in the world is societal injustice, oppression, etc. This theology is also known for its three major classes: black liberation theology, feminist liberation theology, and third world liberation theology. They use the account of Exodus from the Book of Exodus to as the model or paradigm for liberation theology. Because of their heightened view on social injustice, Liberation theology does not focus on the salvation for the next life; nor do they focus on the atonement of Christ for the forgiveness of sins.
Much has been said concerning the different views of salvation. What makes their view different from Christianity is their works-righteousness. They have a faulty view of man and of the Gospel. A faulty view is dangerous because it will damn people to Hell. According to the Bible, all mankind is alienated from God because of total depravity (Eph. 2:1-3). Through Christ’s substitutionary death, He paid the penalty for His elect. Salvation is only provided by God’s grace via faith in Jesus Christ. For those who are in Christ, they are justified (declared righteous because of Christ’s imputed righteousness), sanctified (is a process of being made more like Christ through the help of the Holy Spirit). And for those who are justified and sanctified, they will be glorified (future part of salvation).
It is important to embrace the correct view of salvation. To choose any other view of salvation outside of Christianity is a faulty and dangerous view that will prevent people from experiencing salvation. Having the correct view of salvation is critical for believers and the whole church. If the church does not teach it correctly, false teaching will spread like wildfire. May we as ambassadors of God protect and serve one another. With that said, I will leave you with this verse from Colossians 1:28, “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with allwisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.”
ping
Thanks.
Barry Sotereo-ology?
Good.
Not quite. It is a misnterpretation of Vatican ii. You have to use. Merneutic of continuity as Pope Benedict called it. Non Catholic Christiians are brothers and siaters in Christ. However, they are also separated brethren. There nuances here that define a spectrum of ecclesiology. There are also nuances to soteriology in the Church. It is easier for you than for i to get to Heaven in the Catholic faith.
Great thread - looking forward to reading it more in-depth later!
Have you ever heard of the council of Trent?
Trent ... “If any one saith, that by faith alone the impious is justified; in such wise as to mean, that nothing else is required to co-operate in order to the obtaining the grace of Justification, and that it is not in any way necessary, that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will;let him be anathema.”
This is just one of the "curses" that every one of your popes must affirm .... so no we are not "separated brethren"...
He said.....
John 3:14-18 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
John 6:40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Luke 18:9-14 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’
But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
In line with that, Paul teaches.....
Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
Romans 10:9-13 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Galatians 2:15-21 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
The only way getting to heaven could be hard, is if one was depending on their own works to do it.
God made salvation easy enough for a child to do, and available enough so that the poorest, the weakest, the most unrighteous could apprehend it.
This is the "crux" (intended) of the problem.
We've said it over and over again.
Here come all the evasions, misdirections, allegations, and prepared links to irrelevant web pages.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.