At 12:00 PM 10/05/02 -0600, JW Burgeson wrote:
>Jan wrote: "I probably have said this before. I accept all people who
>>believe the infallibility of the Bible as Christian brothers and sisters,
>>who depend for their salvation on Christ's death."
>
>I replied: "Do you accept me too? I could not subscribe to the above
>(narrow)definition."
>
>Jan answered, "Depends."
>
>I need not read further then. You draw the circle narrow, where only those
>acceptable to your doctrine(s) may be considered "Christians." I assume
>then that I would not be welcome in your church, for I draw the circle
>wide indeed. Enough to include you, of course.
The only thing I meant there was: "how do you accept the Bible. There are
many "fundamentalists" I would have trouble with since they (IN MY OPINION)
do not serve God but a translation of the bible. I realize that there are
many people writing here who are definitely Christians, and who will have
probably the same way of thinking as I have about the Bible, without
calling the Bible "infallible." It probably to technical a term in the
circles I belong to since my birth. "Infallible" for me means that the
original is infallible. Of course, we must realize that it was written at
a particular time to a particular people. We have to study their way of
thinking, and than draw conclusions about the meaning. God did not talk to
these people in 21st century American English. After that we got copiists,
and translators, and readers who are not infallible. So basis for our
faith is still the Bible. How can we be called a Christian, if we do not
believe that the Bible tells us that our salvation depends on the death on
the cross of Christ?
"Infallible" does not mean that all of us now believe exactly the same. Far
from it. I do not doubt that practically no one believes the same about
what the Bible says as I do. But if we do not have a basis to get together
on, how will we proceed?
I hope I clarified my use of the word, and made it clear that all of us (I
as well) must take into account that many different people read what we
write here, and try to avoid misunderstandings based on words.
Jaan
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