Re: [TruthTalk] Re [Truth Talk] Saved -- Salvation -- and the pigpen

[Caroline Wong]

For 1600 years after Jesus Christ rose to heaven, people wrestled with the idea of salvation. At one time, we thought those who recanted under duress were consigned to hell. Then at another time, we believed that those who were baptised, can't sin and if they do, their conversation was not real and they have no second chances as that would be like recrucifying Jesus. People waited until they were dying before they got baptized. This is just the first 300 years or so.   Later, the church became institutional and we were taught that the church is the agent of salvation. All those who belonged could be saved but sins needed to be worked out with confession and penance. Stillborn infants were consigned to hell. Don't even mention suicides. Rituals of last rites were implemented to help dying people die with some peace of mind.   Then Martin Luther came and said it's salvation by faith alone. The history gets very complicated with Christians battling Christians. The Baptists affirmed several distinctives including biblical authority, autonomy of the local church, priesthood of all believers and individual soul freedom.   Here we are today and there is an explosion of 3rd world evangelism. The Spirit has gone into territory *ahead* of the bible. There are people from China to Colombia who have only fragments or, at the very best, just the New Testament.   False teaching has been with us from the beginning. Origen was an early church father who was later called a heretic. Luther was virulently anti-semitic. Every great teacher has false stuff in his teaching. N.T. Wright was just honest enough to admit it and also to say he didn't know which was false or otherwise he would fix it!!   Luckily for you, my battery is low and I have to sign off. :-)   Love,   Caroline ----- Original Message ----- From: Terry Clifton To: TruthTalk@mail.innglory.org Sent: Friday, April 15, 2005 7:28 AM Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] Re [Truth Talk] Saved -- Salvation -- and the pigpen Caroline Wong wrote:   Right doctrine helps us live a godly life but (in my theology) it has nothing to do with salvation. =========================================================================  Would you say it has anything to do with false teaching?  Would you say that one is saved if their teaching misleads others on a regular basis? (In your theology) Terry