Recent content by ViaCrucis

No, it means yes. It's just that I hold both of these propositions as true: 1) Baptism is necessary for salvation. 2) Just because a person isn't baptized doesn't mean they aren't saved. The problem is that you see this as a contradiction, but I don't. There's no contradiction here. Because...

I think I'm going to need you to offer how you understand these passages as it relates to the statement which you quoted from me. -CryptoLutheran

It also says, "Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this." - Revelation 1:19 After what? The Greek here is meta tauta, the preposition meta can mean a lot of things, but does probably mean "after" in this context. This comes...

Futurism is an interpretative lens through which some people read certain biblical texts, especially St. John's Apocalypse aka The Revelation. The meaning of the Revelation has never changed. The text of the Revelation has not changed. But how people read and interpret it certainly changes...

You're operating under a reductionist mindset, trying to reduce salvation to a simple formula or procedure. That's not how Scripture talks about salvation. -CryptoLutheran

No, I meant that. Is the conclusion you arrived at, which is the problem. -CryptoLutheran

Very clearly I'm not suggesting that. I said the exact opposite: The thief showed he had remorse over his sin and sought refuge in Jesus. What I said was that the thief did not receive the "baptism of repentance" because that refers to what John was doing. The phrase "baptism of repentance"...

That's because they're all Deep State operatives and Globalist Elites. (For those who may not know me, this is supposed to be obvious sarcasm). -CryptoLutheran

I've often found a "No thank you" has generally worked, unless they are especially pushy. Repeating "No thank you" in a cordial way usually, eventually, lets them get the point that you aren't interested. It's also how I deal with door-to-door sales representatives who want to replace my...

And, I'd add, we ought to understand this as tragedy; well meaning people who are under a harsh spiritual delusion. I don't know if this is appropriate here, but I wanted to share my personal experience with Mormon missionaries. It was a long time ago, over 20 years ago in fact. I was in a...

The only moral creatures that Scripture recognizes are human beings and angels, rational creatures with moral agency. Now, this is not to say that there can't be any other moral creatures, perhaps even some high-intelligence animals have a form of moral conscience that we aren't privvy to, and...

This reduces faith to mere intellectual assent to doctrine, and makes faith a property of human intellect. That results in denying faith, denying faith for small children, or for people who have severe learning disabilities. It rejects that faith is God's gift, God's work, and God's power; and...

Do you mind if I quote Dr. Martin Luther? "Faith, however, is a divine work in us which changes us and makes us to be born anew of God, John 1[:12-13]. It kills the old Adam and makes us altogether different men, in heart and spirit and mind and powers; and it brings with it the Holy Spirit. O...

The term "baptism of repentance" refers to John's baptism. It's not a generic term for repentance, but refers to something specific to John the Baptist's ministry. The thief had clear remorse for the life he lived. In fact we should probably take a moment to clarify that we say "thief" but he...

Anything is idolatrous when it replaces the Lord. I believe that good theology includes good theology about creation. And good theology about creation means recognizing the innate goodness of the creation. The earth is good, there is an innate goodness because God is the Author of creation and...