PastorKevin said:
You do when you say that the salvation of all is the Gospel. Because Paul doesn't say that anywhere.
Kevin, Paul says it everywhere. Who do you think said 1 Timothy 4:10, Ghandi? Or God all in all when all things are in subjection?
Ok stop the presses. It is BY GRACE you have been saved THROUGH FAITH!
In ephesians 2:8-9 what do you say is God's gift? Is it your assertion that faith is God's gift?
Better yet, in Ephesians 2:8 who is the YOU that Paul is addressing when he says:
"For by grace YOU have been saved?"
Yes, it is the assertion of Paul that faith is a result of grace, and is a gift of God.
"Who" the gift saves is the person it saves.
Faith has to be given by God? You have just completely distorted the meaning of Ephesians 2:8-9
I have distorted what in Ephesians 2:8-9?
Actually how about looking at the verse in context Stephen and looking at WHO Paul is addressing and why? Or is that not a part of forming theological positions for you?
What about the context requires an unending aion of chastisement, Kevin? Who Paul was addressing was the church in Ephesis, and by extension all of the church. What is your point?
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
God dealt the faith, Kevin...it doesn't come from man.
Again, what is your point?
Nowhere in this Scripture does it say that God gives faith to all people, which is what you asserted in meant when you pulled it out of context and misquoted it.
What would be His intention if He does not? It is faith that saves. If He does not give the faith required to be saved to all men He cannot save all men, and cannot be the savior of all mankind...which Paul clearly says that He is.
Are you now going to say that God deliberatly witholds what is necessary for all men to be saved while saying that He wants to save all men? Did God lie when He inspired the men who wrote those words to pass on to us...or is it true? If THAT isn't true, then what IS true?
Except for WE haven't arrived at this conclusion at all. You might have, but not based upon what those verses actually say!
And...what is the reason for that, Kevin? Is it not because you believe in an endless aion of chastisement that changes, for them at least, nothing forever?
Again, we are back to the circular reasoning imposed by the plausibility structure that has been foisted upon us by the tradition and the inaccurate translations of aion in SOME English Bibles? By making that aion, or aions..."endless", when in fact the Greek does NOT, and ONLY because of this, then everything Paul, Jesus, the Prophets, and the Apostles said about the end and the ages is derailed.
And p.s: You still have not shown a single verse which states that the salvation of all is the Gospel!
It's very clear...unless you are blinded by theologians that have foisted an endless aion or aions of chastisement upon us through Roman doctrines.
Now you are going to try to convince me that the Bible says that God gives every man faith when it doesn't say that. In Romans 12:1, Paul CLEARLY indicates that he is talking to the brethren in that passage of Scripture. And the statement is actually:
"God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." Each one of whom? The brethren.
WHO dealt it to the brethren, Kevin? And it was that DEALING that made them "brethren", wasn't it?
He further says in verse #4:
4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,
You cannot make up theological positions based upon verses yanked out of context and hope to see them stand up to close scrutiny.
Exactly!