This Blog is dedicated to unwrapping centuries of tradition, politics, and human psychology from Christianity.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Topic for discussion: salvation, faith, repentance
Agree or disagree: "Most of what evangelicals claim about the gospel would be more or less accurate if every time someone mentions 'believe,' we replace it with 'repent.' We might further replace 'believer' with 'disciple.'"
I don't think a simple substitution works. But as new-comer to your perspective, I do agree that feeling and commitment are what give life to what is otherwise sterile propositional assent.
I've come to think that "selfishness" is a pretty good modern term for the spiritual death Paul describes in Romans 5. The death caused by Adam's rebellion.
It's the same concept in Romans 5 [and Romans 8:1] that gets translated condemnation. The word Paul uses there is only used 3 times in the New Testament, all by Paul in Romans [Romans 5:16. 5:18, 8:1]. It is not the same word that gets translated condemnation everywhere else, and that is probably not the best word for it.
I talk about this in the Paul chapter of TGYNH if you have a copy.
I don't think a simple substitution works. But as new-comer to your perspective, I do agree that feeling and commitment are what give life to what is otherwise sterile propositional assent.
ReplyDeleteHmmm. I know that just about everywhere you can replace 'sin' with 'selfishness.'
ReplyDeleteI've come to think that "selfishness" is a pretty good modern term for the spiritual death Paul describes in Romans 5. The death caused by Adam's rebellion.
ReplyDeleteIt's the same concept in Romans 5 [and Romans 8:1] that gets translated condemnation. The word Paul uses there is only used 3 times in the New Testament, all by Paul in Romans [Romans 5:16. 5:18, 8:1]. It is not the same word that gets translated condemnation everywhere else, and that is probably not the best word for it.
I talk about this in the Paul chapter of TGYNH if you have a copy.
Hi James, welcome to the blog...feel free to tell a little about yourself. I don't know that I've seen you around here before.
ReplyDelete:)
ReplyDelete