Paul and Gnostics would disagree with you, FK.
My case is the typical case, but of course God can do it any way He wants. He had a special plan for Paul in this regard, which is His prerogative. I'm not even jealous. :) Plus, Paul TAUGHT to search the scriptures along the way so he KNEW he was a special case in the way he learned.
FK: I'm not sure how one could possibly hold to Reformed principles without scripture.
You mean without Paul?
Well, you're the one who says we believe in the OT too much! :) Besides, Sola Scriptura means we have to believe in and follow all of the scriptures. It's all we have for written revelation.
What about those who “believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away” (Luke 8:13)? According to you they never believed...but Christ is quoted as saying otherwise.
If you read Christ that way, you have Him saying that there can be true faith with no root. (What would be true about the faith if it had no root?) If so, then that would mean that faith is no longer a requirement for salvation because anyone could simply claim it, then do all the works, etc., for whatever reason, and then be saved. Does that sound like something Christ would teach? That would be a works-ONLY salvation.
It's not all we have ! There are only scraps as Kosta pointed out before.
You base what you say upon written witnesses of Catholic/Orthodox people who tell you their interpretations of what they thought were originals and who the Catholic's /Orthodox believe was guided by the Holy Spirit
Every one of them believed Jesus was truly present -Body ,Blood,Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist.
Either your belief is satanic or the one's who gave you Bible canon are satanic.
Take your choice.
If you are referring to Acts 17:11 re: Bearean Jews, that's a joke. What Scriptures did they consult? I would imagine the Septuagint, because they were Hellenized Jews. They were checking to see if Paul was quoting from it.
Since he spoke in the synagogue, the Berean rabbis naturally checked to see if his words were correct, and even then not all of them believed him.
Why? Because Paul quotes from all over the place, takes a little from here and a little from there, and makes up his own prophesy. It's sad to say this, but it is glaringly obvious by checkered makeup of his statements.
Take for instance 1 Cor 15:4 "and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." The part "raised on the third day" is from Matthew (16:21), Acts (2:31) and John (2:20). But Matthew, Acts and especially John were not written at the time Paul wrote this Epistle to the Corinthians!!! Hello, earth, we have a problem, bleep.
Kosta: What about those who “believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away” (Luke 8:13)? According to you they never believed...but Christ is quoted as saying otherwise.
FK: If you read Christ that way, you have Him saying that there can be true faith with no root.
Hey, FK, this is not some kind of a mumbo-jumbo puzzle made up of various OT/NT quotes, but a straight sentence, and presented as something Jesus actually said. If you have a problem with what it says, then examine your conscience, but from what you say it seems that you are expressing doubt that the verse is true because it clashes with your beliefs.
The verse is clear: it says that there are those who believe for a while and you are saying that they never believed. It's not about a root, but about losing faith and falling away, because nöetic beings can choose. No one is compelled to love God.
Does that sound like something Christ would teach?
The verse says we can believe for a while and then fall away by temptation. As regards works-based salvation, yes the Gospels have Christ teaching works-based salvation all over the place. What else could He preach, being an observant Jew, and preaching to the Jews?!?