Quote:
Originally Posted by awareness
Christianity started early-on to be very diversified. But there were three main veins, or ways of salvation, being claimed :
One was: Salvation by keeping the Law.
Two was: Salvation by gnosis (hidden teachings).
And three was: Salvation by grace, or faith.
|
You describe these as competing truths. But if gnosis were knowledge instead of hidden truth, then all three would appear to be needed.
1. You have to hear to come to realize your real need and the solution (an aspect of knowledge).
2. Your only "act" required in receiving it is to ask for it. God does the saving.
3. Besides that initial step, salvation continues throughout life as a dance of our actions and God's grace and mercy. We strive to "walk by the Spirit" and the result is that love for God and neighbor is expressed. Progressively, not all at once. And sitting and waiting for it to just happen is not an option.
So we can do nothing to make that first step, but we have to be involved to move forward. And we move forward through our understanding of the requirement upon us and the grace that God gives us to do it.
But there are no hidden codes. It is really fairly well spelled-out. It is mainly those who don't like what is so well spelled-out that seek to reinterpret scripture into a rubric of codes, "spells," harbingers, etc.
That would definitely be Lee. And would appear to be Cahn.