After the apostles died, was the gospel hopelessly lost until the Reformation?Posted on 01/24/2015 8:33:46 AM PST by RnMomof7
After the apostles died, was the gospel hopelessly lost until the Reformation?
That certainly seems to be a common assumption in some Protestant circles today. Thankfully, it is a false assumption.
I’m not entirely sure where that misconception started. But one thing I do know: it did not come from the Protestant Reformers.
The Reformers themselves (including Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, and others) were convinced that their position was not only biblical, but also historical. In other words, they contended that both the apostles and the church fathers would have agreed with them on the heart of the gospel.
For example, the second-generation Lutheran reformer, Martin Chemnitz (1522-1586), wrote a treatise on justification in which he defended the Protestant position by extensively using the church fathers. And John Calvin (1509-1564), in his Institutes, similarly claimed that he could easily debunk his Roman Catholic opponents using nothing but patristic sources. Here’s what he wrote:
If the contest were to be determined by patristic authority, the tide of victory — to put it very modestly —would turn to our side. Now, these fathers have written many wise and excellent things. . . . [Yet] the good things that these fathers have written they [the Roman Catholics] either do not notice, or misrepresent or pervert. . . . But we do not despise them [the church fathers]; in fact, if it were to our present purpose, I could with no trouble at all prove that the greater part of what we are saying today meets their approval.
Source: John Calvin, “Prefatory Address to King Francis I of France,” The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Section 4.
How could the Reformers be so confident that their understanding of the gospel was consistent with the teachings of the ancient church? Or perhaps more to the point: What did the early church fathers have to say about the gospel of grace?
Here is an admittedly brief collection of 30 patristic quotes, centering on the reality that justification is by grace alone through faith alone. Many more could be provided. But I think you’ll be encouraged by this survey look at the gospel according to the church fathers.
(Even if you don’t read every quote, just take a moment to consider the fact that, long before Luther, the leaders of the ancient church were clearly proclaiming the gospel of grace through faith in Christ.)
1. Clement of Rome (30-100): “And we, too, being called by His will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, nor by our own wisdom, or understanding, or godliness, or works which we have wrought in holiness of heart; but by that faith through which, from the beginning, Almighty God has justified all men; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Source: Clement, First Epistle to the Corinthians, 32.4.
2. Epistle to Diognetus (second century): “He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal. For what other thing was capable of covering our sins than His righteousness? By what other one was it possible that we, the wicked and ungodly, could be justified, than by the only Son of God? O sweet exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! That the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors!”
Source: The Epistle to Diognetus, 9.2-5.
3. Justin Martyr (100-165) speaks of “those who repented, and who no longer were purified by the blood of goats and of sheep, or by the ashes of an heifer, or by the offerings of fine flour, but by faith through the blood of Christ, and through His death.”
Source: Justin, Dialogue with Trypho, 13.
4. Origen (185-254): “For God is just, and therefore he could not justify the unjust. Therefore he required the intervention of a propitiator, so that by having faith in Him those who could not be justified by their own works might be justified.”
Source: Origen, Commentary on Romans, 2.112.
5. Origen (again): “A man is justified by faith. The works of the law can make no contribution to this. Where there is no faith which might justify the believer, even if there are works of the law these are not based on the foundation of faith. Even if they are good in themselves they cannot justify the one who does them, because faith is lacking, and faith is the mark of those who are justified by God.”
Source: Origen, Commentary on Romans, 2.136.
6. Hilary of Poitiers (300-368): “Wages cannot be considered as a gift, because they are due to work, but God has given free grace to all men by the justification of faith.”
Source: Hilary, Commentary on Matthew (on Matt. 20:7)
7. Hilary of Poitiers (again): “It disturbed the scribes that sin was forgiven by a man (for they considered that Jesus Christ was only a man) and that sin was forgiven by Him whereas the Law was not able to absolve it, since faith alone justifies.”
Source: Hilary, Commentary on Matthew (on Matt. 9:3)
8. Didymus the Blind (c. 313-398) “A person is saved by grace, not by works but by faith. There should be no doubt but that faith saves and then lives by doing its own works, so that the works which are added to salvation by faith are not those of the law but a different kind of thing altogether.”[31]
Source: Didymus the Blind. Commentary on James, 2:26b.
9. Basil of Caesarea (329-379): “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord, that Christ has been made by God for us righteousness, wisdom, justification, redemption. This is perfect and pure boasting in God, when one is not proud on account of his own righteousness but knows that he is indeed unworthy of the true righteousness and is justified solely by faith in Christ.”
Source: Basil, Homily on Humility, 20.3.
10. Jerome (347–420): “We are saved by grace rather than works, for we can give God nothing in return for what he has bestowed on us.”
Source: Jerome, Epistle to the Ephesians, 1.2.1.
11. John Chrysostom (349-407): “For Scripture says that faith has saved us. Put better: Since God willed it, faith has saved us. Now in what case, tell me, does faith save without itself doing anything at all? Faith’s workings themselves are a gift of God, lest anyone should boast. What then is Paul saying? Not that God has forbidden works but that he has forbidden us to be justified by works. No one, Paul says, is justified by works, precisely in order that the grace and benevolence of God may become apparent.”
Source: John Chrysostom, Homilies on Ephesians, 4.2.9.
12. John Chrysostom (again): “But what is the ‘law of faith?’ It is, being saved by grace. Here he shows God’s power, in that He has not only saved, but has even justified, and led them to boasting, and this too without needing works, but looking for faith only.”
Source: John Chrysostom, Homilies on Romans, 7.27.
13. John Chrysostom (again): “God allowed his Son to suffer as if a condemned sinner, so that we might be delivered from the penalty of our sins. This is God’s righteousness, that we are not justified by works (for then they would have to be perfect, which is impossible), but by grace, in which case all our sin is removed.”
Source: John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians, 11.5.
14. John Chrysostom (again): “Everywhere he puts the Gentiles upon a thorough equality. ‘And put no difference between us and them, having purified their hearts by faith.’ (v. 9.) From faith alone, he says, they obtained the same gifts. This is also meant as a lesson to those (objectors); this is able to teach even them that faith only is needed, not works nor circumcision.”
Source: John Chrysostom, Homilies on Acts, 32 (regarding Acts 15:1)
15. John Chrysostom (again): “What then was it that was thought incredible? That those who were enemies, and sinners, neither justified by the law, nor by works, should immediately through faith alone be advanced to the highest favor. Upon this head accordingly Paul has discoursed at length in his Epistle to the Romans, and here again at length. “This is a faithful saying,” he says, “and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
Source: John Chrysostom, Homilies on 1 Timothy, 4.1.
16. John Chrysostom (again): “”For it is most of all apparent among the Gentiles, as he also says elsewhere, ‘And that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy.’ (Romans 15:9.) For the great glory of this mystery is apparent among others also, but much more among these. For, on a sudden, to have brought men more senseless than stones to the dignity of Angels, simply through bare words, and faith alone, without any laboriousness, is indeed glory and riches of mystery: just as if one were to take a dog, quite consumed with hunger and the mange, foul, and loathsome to see, and not so much as able to move, but lying cast out, and make him all at once into a man, and to display him upon the royal throne.”
Source: John Chrysostom, Homilies on Colossians, 5.2.
17. John Chrysostom (again): “Now since the Jews kept turning over and over the fact, that the Patriarch, and friend of God, was the first to receive circumcision, he wishes to show, that it was by faith that he too was justified. And this was quite a vantage ground to insist upon. For a person who had no works, to be justified by faith, was nothing unlikely. But for a person richly adorned with good deeds, not to be made just from hence, but from faith, this is the thing to cause wonder, and to set the power of faith in a strong light.”
Source: John Chrysostom, Homilies on Romans, 8.1.
18. Augustine (354-430): “If Abraham was not justified by works, how was he justified? The apostle goes on to tell us how: What does scripture say? (that is, about how Abraham was justified). Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness (Rom. 4:3; Gen. 15:6). Abraham, then, was justified by faith. Paul and James do not contradict each other: good works follow justification.”
Source: Augustine, Exposition 2 of Psalm 31, 2-4.
19. Augustine (again): “When someone believes in him who justifies the impious, that faith is reckoned as justice to the believer, as David too declares that person blessed whom God has accepted and endowed with righteousness, independently of any righteous actions (Rom 4:5-6). What righteousness is this? The righteousness of faith, preceded by no good works, but with good works as its consequence.”
Source: Augustine, Exposition 2 of Psalm 31, 6-7.
20. Ambrosiaster (fourth century): “God has decreed that a person who believes in Christ can be saved without works. By faith alone he receives the forgiveness of sins.”
Source: Ambrosiaster, Commentary on 1 Corinthians 1:4.
21. Ambrosiaster (again): “They are justified freely because they have not done anything nor given anything in return, but by faith alone they have been made holy by the gift of God.”
Source: Ambrosiaster, Commentary on Romans 3:24.
22. Ambrosiaster (again): “Paul tells those who live under the law that they have no reason to boast basing themselves on the law and claiming to be of the race of Abraham, seeing that no one is justified before God except by faith.”
Source: Ambrosiaster, Commentary on Romans 3:27.
23. Ambrosiaster (again): “God gave what he promised in order to be revealed as righteous. For he had promised that he would justify those who believe in Christ, as he says in Habakkuk: ‘The righteous will live by faith in me’ (Hab. 2:4). Whoever has faith in God and Christ is righteous.”
Source: Ambrosiaster, Commentary on Paul’s Epistles; CSEL 81 ad loc.
24. Marius Victorinus (fourth century): “The fact that you Ephesians are saved is not something that comes from yourselves. It is the gift of God. It is not from your works, but it is God’s grace and God’s gift, not from anything you have deserved. … We did not receive things by our own merit but by the grace and goodness of God.”
Source: Marius Victorinus, Epistle to the Ephesians, 1.2.9.
25. Prosper of Aquitaine (390–455): “And just as there are no crimes so detestable that they can prevent the gift of grace, so too there can be no works so eminent that they are owed in condign [deserved] judgment that which is given freely. Would it not be a debasement of redemption in Christ’s blood, and would not God’s mercy be made secondary to human works, if justification, which is through grace, were owed in view of preceding merits, so that it were not the gift of a Donor, but the wages of a laborer?”
Source: Prosper of Acquitaine, Call of All Nations, 1.17
26. Theodoret of Cyrus (393–457): “The Lord Christ is both God and the mercy seat, both the priest and the lamb, and he performed the work of our salvation by his blood, demanding only faith from us.”
Source: Theodoret of Cyrus, Interpretation of the Letter to the Romans; PG 82 ad loc.
27. Theodoret of Cyrus (again): “All we bring to grace is our faith. But even in this faith, divine grace itself has become our enabler. For [Paul] adds, ‘And this is not of yourselves but it is a gift of God; not of works, lest anyone should boast’ (Eph. 2:8–9). It is not of our own accord that we have believed, but we have come to belief after having been called; and even when we had come to believe, He did not require of us purity of life, but approving mere faith, God bestowed on us forgiveness of sins”
Source: Theodoret of Cyrus, Interpretation of the Fourteen Epistles of Paul; FEF 3:248–49, sec. 2163.
28. Cyril of Alexandria (412-444): “For we are justified by faith, not by works of the law, as Scripture says. By faith in whom, then, are we justified? Is it not in Him who suffered death according to the flesh for our sake? Is it not in one Lord Jesus Christ?”
Source: Cyril of Alexandria, Against Nestorius, 3.62
29. Fulgentius (462–533): “The blessed Paul argues that we are saved by faith, which he declares to be not from us but a gift from God. Thus there cannot possibly be true salvation where there is no true faith, and, since this faith is divinely enabled, it is without doubt bestowed by his free generosity. Where there is true belief through true faith, true salvation certainly accompanies it. Anyone who departs from true faith will not possess the grace of true salvation.”
Source: Fulgentius, On the Incarnation, 1; CCL 91:313.
30. Bede (673-735): “Although the apostle Paul preached that we are justified by faith without works, those who understand by this that it does not matter whether they live evil lives or do wicked and terrible things, as long as they believe in Christ, because salvation is through faith, have made a great mistake. James here expounds how Paul’s words ought to be understood. This is why he uses the example of Abraham, whom Paul also used as an example of faith, to show that the patriarch also performed good works in the light of his faith. It is therefore wrong to interpret Paul in such a way as to suggest that it did not matter whether Abraham put his faith into practice or not. What Paul meant was that no one obtains the gift of justification on the basis of merits derived from works performed beforehand, because the gift of justification comes only from faith.”
Source: Cited from the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (ed. Gerald Bray), NT, vol. 11, p. 31.
**What was the purpose of the law?**
Paul calls it the schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. Which it does. After God brought the Israelites out of Egypt with ‘a mighty hand’, he gave them the law, that he placed in the tabernacle (made by men, but to God’s design, and is a shadow of the heavenly). There is so much about the tabernacle that points to Christ, that it would take days for me to type what I’ve read about it.
“6. Hence the words, says He, which I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. For we have said, brethren, that this is what the Lord had taught us by the eating of His flesh and drinking of His blood, that we should abide in Him and He in us. “
If what you said is true, that merely “believe and you have eaten already” is how we are to understand Augustine every time he says “eat” (or drink) the Body and Blood of Chrst, then all he’s saying here (in tractate 27, para 6) is “ For we have said, brethren, that this is what the Lord had taught us [by believing in Him], that we should abide in Him and He in us. “
Really? You think that’s all the Saint is saying there and elsewhere in similar passages? He can’t be saying that “by eating his flesh and drinking his blood” we “abide in him”? In other words, he can’t be saying what he plainly seems to say?
Really?
Amazing.
The former must be read spiritually, and the latter is impossible, because Augustine says "Why ready teeth and stomach? Believe and you have eaten already." Thus faith precedes any possible physical eating, and therefore can't refer to the eucharist at all. You say this yourself in your other post, writing "he is not speaking about the Eucharist," not realizing that such an admission confirms my position. But note how you tried to claim that Augustine is not talking about eating Christ, as if he was making some general comment about food, and not giving instructions on how to eat Christ, thus you wrap yourself up in all sorts of trouble, because, quite clearly, Augustine is talking about eating and drinking Christ's body and blood.
But this is incompatible with the view that Christ is eaten through the Eucharist, confirmed partly even out of your own mouth. If Augustine is talking about Christ's body and blood, you can't claim that eating the eucharist is necessary to eat Christ. These things must be entirely exclusive, otherwise you contradict Augustine's words: "Believe and you have eaten already."
Thus my explanation of the difference between Augustine's teachings on the eucharist and his teachings on eating Christ through faith remain unmolested and supported by the other quotations I already made. I see no reason to accept it because not only does reading more of Augustine than the quote "believe and you have eaten already" show more than a passing importance to the Eucharist,
Well, if we read MORE of Augustine, my position only gets stronger. I've only shown you a small fraction of the quotations I have. Do you want the rest?
Really what? You write this after I already gave post explaining Augustine's theology on the eucharist. Naturally, I am not guilty of over-simplification. You are.
I have the rest and have posted its entirety repeatedly, which you have never done. I rest on that. True context. All of what he said (on John). All of it.
Again, I don’t recognize your authority to define Augustine’s writings.
You’ve abandoned the Bible already. That’s not what it says and you have to take the entire scripture as a whole. You can’t pick and choose what supports a position.
What did Christ say about baptism?
What is the Great Commission and why was it given?
How do you anoint with oil for the sick?
What you said.
LOL astounding! Accuse me of exactly that which you are guilty. It's not I who "over simplify" his writings, *you* do when you insist that every time he speaks of "eating and drinking the Body and Blood of Jesus" he's really just speaking of belief.
Go ahead and insist yet again the mere phrase "believe and you have eaten already" applies to every instance the Saint speaks of eating His body, even in writings that are not from these Tractates! And then you can turn around and somehow claim you don't actually believe the Eucharist is a mere symbol, like you did upthread with some serious handwaving, saying in effect "it's a symbol when it's not real, and it's real when it's not a symbol" or some other John Kerry-ish logic. Go ahead. I've got to go to bed.
Well, whether you accept my authority or not, does not change that my argument is unassailable-- it being the obvious reading of the text. Not even the Pope can make an "already" and "teeth and stomach" disappear from the text. This is now why you flee to "authority," because, contrary to your claims, you have not solved the enigma that haunts you, which can only be resolved when we jettison modern Romish theology-- but in doing so we have to concede that Augustine's theology on the eucharist contradicts Romish theology, and is thus not a less sophisticated version of transubstantiation, but a different doctrine altogether.
But since you were earlier arguing that defeating you on transubstantiation isn't enough to show that Augustine represents us Reformed, or as you put it, he was not "proto-protestant" would you like to move on to another doctrine?
Does the Roman Catholic Church teach that God works equally in all men, or at least draws all men in some way, to move them to repentance and to salvation? And can you provide the scripture texts that the Church uses to prove this? I'd rather you do it than me.
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.
Galatians 3:1-29 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?
Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.
Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.
It was only when the self-assured religious and self-declared pious men started fiddling with the gospel that perverted and accursed versions started appearing. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. In order to be saved we must admit our utter inability to save ourselves and deserve eternal separation from God because of our sins. We come to the throne of grace and fall upon the mercy of God who saves us by His undeserved grace. Our part is receiving the gift of eternal life by faith - believing that He has done and will do what He said He would. No one may boast in His sight. It is ALL by His grace. All those to whom God has revealed the good news understood and understand this and it is STILL the truth.
Poor conclusion using these verses. You absolutely need faith, but that’s the first step toward the ordination of baptism. Baptism is required and stated as so by Christ himself.
Galatians is a letter written to Jewish converts confused over Church policy. Paul clarifies this forcefully. It isn’t the [Mosaic] Law that saves, it’s been replaced and superseded by Jesus’ Atoning Sacrifice. It’s a continuation of the conversation found in John 6:28-29.
The Greek is great: What works must we work to work the works of God.
http://biblehub.com/john/6-28.htm
Christ’s answer is telling: http://biblehub.com/john/6-29.htm
The Weymouth NT conveys the idiomatic meaning the best:
“This,” replied Jesus, “is above all the thing that God requires—that you should be believers in Him whom He has sent.”
His audience is general. The entire chapter is valuable for learning as it distinguishes Jesus Christ from God the Father. It’s reference to cannibalism, eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood, would have been an offense to their ears. Even his disciples find it hard. He’s essentially instituting the regular Sunday Sacrament.
You cannot forget the audience when reading the Scriptures. So unless you’re a Jewish convert to Christianity confused about the role of Mosaic Law, then Galatians cannot tell you anything about the works needed for salvation. It starts with faith, but Baptism is the first step there.
How do you use oil to anoint the sick?
Are you unaware that Augustine's comments are WAAAAYYY past copyright restrictions and there are numerous places where he is referenced? However, GPH actually DID post the reference of Augustine. Are you expecting that they all have to be HTML linked now? It appears that you would rather nitpick over word spelling and footnotes than deal with the actual topics.
This is simply and obviously because the only "authority" any one person has to make such a determination either comes from a grounding in the teachings of a Church with authority that is historically valid (traced back to Christ) or a community of people who decide for themselves when a Father teaches something "Scriptually true".
Your 'Church's' history if rife with forged documents and lies from one end to the other...Your religion is no authority on any thing...Least of all the scriptures...You wasted a lot of ink in this post...
No interpretation necessary...In fact, no interpretation allowed...It's just a matter of what it says and believing it...
You need the rock of revelation and the authority it brings to succeed.
All the while the the God of the bible you claim is insufficient says you are wrong...Curious that, eh???
BTW, what’s the method of anointing for the sick?
You douse the head with x-tra virgin olive oil and pray to Mary???
AHhhh...
The broad brush called SOME...
Iscool: All the while the the God of the bible you claim is insufficient says you are wrong...Curious that, eh???
The entire Bible was received by revelation. There is no Biblical precedent for God's word/knowledge not to be received by revelation. Each book of the Bible individually received by revelation; that's the history of the Bible. At no point does sacred scripture state that revelation has ceased or will ever cease for God's Church. Christ himself emphatically states the opposite to Peter and to us. Revelation, prophetic and angelic, is the Christian expectation and standard, even in our day.
1010RD: BTW, what’s the method of anointing for the sick?
Iscool: You douse the head with x-tra virgin olive oil and pray to Mary???
You shouldn't mock the mother of our Lord. She is a special and unique vessel to house our Lord, Jesus Christ the son of the Living God. God chose her and it's foolishness, unchristian and ungodly to make a mock of God's choices. At the same time it is a violation of God's commandments to give our devotion to anyone other than God. I would not pray to Mary, but to Heavenly Father in Jesus' name as Christ himself taught us.
My point, and you've proven it, is that although James 5:14 clearly states that the Christian expectation is that the elders of the Church of Jesus Christ can anoint with oil for the blessing of the sick. The blessing is for physical ailments, but also for the forgiveness of sins (missing the mark). Using the Bible alone you cannot know how to do this ordinance. The Christian expectation is that Christ's true Church will contain that information by revelation. The Bible alone and without continuing revelation is insufficient.
Faith can be lost, so this statement is untrue. Continued faith, though, is required for all progress toward God. Paul's faith converted him on the Road to Damascus. That same faith continues in our good works. As you've stated it's the natural response to Charity. The goal is godliness. We are called to perfection.
Nonetheless, baptism is a necessary condition for salvation. It all begins with faith, but you must be baptized. For that you need authority and for authority you need continuing revelation. That's my point, as well as the Bible's.
BTW, how is a proper anointing conducted per James 5:14?
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