Re: Wait -- please clarify one more...

Paul Arveson (arveson@oasys.dt.navy.mil)
Thu, 11 Dec 1997 17:09:56 -0400

At 1:43 PM -0400 12/11/97, Moorad Alexanian wrote:
>At 10:47 AM 12/11/97 -0400, Paul Arveson wrote:
>>On 9 Dec. Moorad Alexanian wrote:
>>
>>>Christ could have put down man very easily by saying that man evolved from
>>>>lower forms of animals. But He did not. Why?
>>>
>>
>>Christ could have made a clear statement about the Trinity, and thereby
>>prevented the confusion in the early Church over this doctrine.
>>
>>Christ could have clarified whether the Spirit proceeds from the Father
>>only, or from the Father and the Son, and thereby prevented the split of
>>the Church into east and west.
>>
>>Christ could have clarified the appropriateness of infant baptism, and
>>thereby prevented the splitting of the protestants into Reformed and
>>Anabaptist warring factions.
>>
>>Christ could have clarified the meaning of 'this is my body' and thereby
>>prevented the splitting of the Lutherans from the other Reformed churches.
>>
>>Paul could have clarified the value of the charismatic gifts. John could
>>have clarified the sequence of events around the Millenium. We could go on
>>and on, indefinitely. And these are all topics that are directly pertinent
>>to the Church, whose unity Christ prayed about fervently. We haven't even
>>mentioned all the other less urgent topics, such as the 'origins' questions
>>that preoccupy many here.
>>
>>But when would you have enough clarifications?
>>
>>"There are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them
>>to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books
>>that would be written." John 21:25.
>
>Dear Paul,
>
>Christ claimed to be GOD HIMSELF, THE CREATOR OF EVERYTHING. There was
>nothing else He could have added to such claims. You are mentioning
>concepts that are interesting to those who want to create denominations by
>emphasizing secondary and even tertiary issues. At times I think the
>existence of denominations is the curse which comes directly from Satan. But
>He did mention Adam and Eve and did not revise anything writing in the OT
>regarding the issue of origins.
>
>Take care,
>
>Moorad

-----------

The above-mentioned issues may be 'secondary or tertiary' to you, but that
is your value judgement. History shows that bloody wars were fought over
most of these issues -- some people at the time certainly thought they were
worth dying for.

Now you and I may say that they were mistaken, that they were deceived by
Satan. But Scripture can be brought to bear on each of these issues. And
how do we know that the current issue that bothers us is not in the same
category: a 'denominational' one?

Paul Arveson, Code 724, Research Physicist, Signatures Directorate
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division
9500 MacArthur Blvd., West Bethesda, MD 20817-5700
arveson@oasys.dt.navy.mil bridges@his.com
(301) 227-3831 (301) 227-4511 (FAX)