OTHER RELIGIONS. Many try to convince us to buy into "universal concepts" that are supposedly the same in other religions. Reasons for this are basic tenets of wisdom which may be merely human wisdom or writings that borrow some truth from the Old Testament and sometimes the New Testament. This is why we have to beware of false Christs and those sayings in the Apocrypha and other extrabiblical writings that have things the 66 books of the Bible state (such as necromancy) that are outright sin; or things that are proven to be historically in error.
EXTREMES. There are some things which are clearly foundations for doctrinal truth such as the death; burial and resurrection of Christ; how we must have saving faith and believe in the physical return of Christ. Rather than a detailed analysis of what some call secondary and tertiary levels of importance; I would say that with such items of "lesser" importance when one error occurs likely there is a more fundamental problem. A primary example of this situation of extremes occurs with the subject of Predestination vs Free Will. There is no reason to expect God created man without the ability to make choices; and I have argued that even with predestination because of the prompting of the Spirit man can and actually must make a decision to follow God and repent. Much misunderstanding occurs when people attempt to make such issues mutually exclusive; or accepting that God can work simultaneously involving two different concepts; for instance with natural Israel and the eventual repentance of those that survive the Tribulation and the spiritual Israel who currently incorporates both Jew and Gentile. There are multiple fulfillments that helps to explain the Millennium and eternal future; and events predicted which were fulfilled in 70 AD and again have a final fulfillment in the future.
In short a doctrine must fit into all scripture not vice versa.
OTHER RELIGIONS. Many try to convince us to buy into "universal concepts" that are supposedly the same in other religions. Reasons for this are basic tenets of wisdom which may be merely human wisdom or writings that borrow some truth from the Old Testament and sometimes the New Testament. This is why we have to beware of false Christs and those sayings in the Apocrypha and other extrabiblical writings that have things the 66 books of the Bible state (such as necromancy) that are outright sin; or things that are proven to be historically in error.
EXTREMES. There are some things which are clearly foundations for doctrinal truth such as the death; burial and resurrection of Christ; how we must have saving faith and believe in the physical return of Christ. Rather than a detailed analysis of what some call secondary and tertiary levels of importance; I would say that with such items of "lesser" importance when one error occurs likely there is a more fundamental problem. A primary example of this situation of extremes occurs with the subject of Predestination vs Free Will. There is no reason to expect God created man without the ability to make choices; and I have argued that even with predestination because of the prompting of the Spirit man can and actually must make a decision to follow God and repent. Much misunderstanding occurs when people attempt to make such issues mutually exclusive; or accepting that God can work simultaneously involving two different concepts; for instance with natural Israel and the eventual repentance of those that survive the Tribulation and the spiritual Israel who currently incorporates both Jew and Gentile. There are multiple fulfillments that helps to explain the Millennium and eternal future; and events predicted which were fulfilled in 70 AD and again have a final fulfillment in the future.
In short a doctrine must fit into all scripture not vice versa.
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