“Faith alone”!
How many verses are required to prove a false doctrine?
If you ever wonder why the "lost books" of the Bible were not considered scripture is because those lost books ran against the accepted scripture.
When you have different bible versions and they are not all saying the same thing, one can suspect something is lost in translation from the Greek into English.
And yet the oldest manuscript being the supposed most reliable manuscript is being promoted for those documents originating from Alexandria but Alexandria was noted for poetic licensing and Gnosticism whereas the Textus Receptus's origin were of the documents of Antioch where the disciples studied the scripture for a whole year.
Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass,
that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and
taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
The problem with the oldest manuscripts being the best manuscripts is why weren't they worn out as found in these Codexis in these monasteries? Gnosticism is something I suspect are the ones that have gone astray using tongues for private use and so believing they were being self edified is why they abandoned the practice of reading from the written scripture. Are not monks known for praying and fasting? And yet Gnosticism was thriving among them.
One witness testified at the Toronto's Blessings supernatural phenomenon that they were saying that they do not need the Word of God any more. All they needed was the Spirit. ~~~ So I can understand how Gnosticism adopted that supernatural phenomenon in place of the written scripture. Indeed, they can change just enough verses within the accepted scripture so as to feel free to abandon them for that tongue for private use. It is no mystery to me what Gnosticism is known as secret or hidden knowledge as tongues without interpretation are.
So here we are with many Bible versions not all saying the same thing. Discernment from the Lord is needed as the Father warned us.
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
Same goes for His disciples' sayings.
John 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
This is why I rely on the KJV, but again, there has been problems with translating everything from the Greek into English as the message is not fully conveyed. There is even a suspicion that the view of tongues for private use may have altered the message in translating into English in regards to 1 Corinthians 14:2 & 28 even in the KJV.
So can we find the truth in His words? with His help we can by remembering that scripture cannot go against scripture in order to find the truth in His words.
So while we are leaning on Jesus for wisdom & discernment, we also need His help
to rightly divide the word of truth as the accepted scripture is to be applied since the truth in one part of scripture cannot go against the truths in other parts of scriptures.
A good example is below:
Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Since those that believe are baptized with the Holy Ghost and thus born again of the Spirit, readers should not be applying this verse towards water baptism at all since it specified that those who do not believe shall be damned.
Then you have Paul testifying how water baptism plays no part in anyone's salvation when it is the believing the preaching of the cross is how we are saved because God is pleased to save those that believe.
1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
Water baptism is an ordinance for saved believers at conversion to follow as an initial step in being His disciples. However, they can still trust Jesus Christ to be their Good Shepherd & Friend to help them to follow Him as His disciples barring the opportunity to be water baptized at conversion. Water baptism does not bar Jesus Christ from saving anyone and water baptism in being His disciple does not bar Jesus Christ from helping anyone to follow Him.
It serves as a public witness at conversion, but neither one is necessary for salvation nor for becoming His disciple, but believing Jesus Christ is.
Jn 3:5 water & the spirit
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
I grant you that this has been misapplied the most for water baptism but Jesus did answer on how one is born again of the Spirit & when.
Two things you can take away from this verse above;
One; the old way was by natural birth in the Israelis bloodlines when Jesus referred to in verse 5 if you note, He did not say born again, but in giving reference to the old way of being born into the Kingdom of God as a Jew. That was why He was deferring away from that in verse 5 for the beginning art of verse 6 that which is born of the flesh is flesh... He is deferring from being born of the Jewish bloodlines.
So I believe Jesus was referring to how one usually is born into the kingdom of Israel for how it will be different for how one is born again into the kingdom of God.
Two: If water baptism was the means for being born again of the Spirit then everybody would know when one was born again of the Spirit, but verse 8 testifies a big fat
no.
This is why Nicodemus had asked this question below.
John 3:9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him,
How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
So this event of being born again of the Spirit was to occur after His ascension which is after His crucifixion, for whenever anyone believes in Jesus Christ. No water baptism is mentioned for this born again of the spirit was to come about by but only believing in Jesus Christ is.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world
through him might be saved.
Through Jesus Christ is how we are saved; not through water baptism and Jesus Christ as if Jesus Christ is unable to save all those that call upon Him if they should be dying in a desert. His hand is not shortened to save anyone just because water is not around.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Compare that with your earlier reference now:
Mark 16:16
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
So when you don't apply water baptism but the baptism of the Holy Spirit to Mark 16:16; hence born again of the Spirit when you believe in Jesus Christ, then you can see how the scriptures align with each other in truth that believing in Him is how we are saved.