Why So Many Viewpoints on Scripture?

Someone asked why there are so many dissenting viewpoints about biblical doctrine. I see several reasons for this.

1. We espouse many viewpoints on various passages because we are at various stages of growth, of sanctification. For instance, Christians new to the faith, who do not yet know how to live by just trusting God, would tend to want plain rules for right living. But the mature in faith know that they are to be led by the Spirit and not mere laws and rules. (Read the book of Acts and you’ll see surrendered men moved by God and not rules and laws.)

The Resurrection is More than a New Body

“If the dead do not rise, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’ Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.’ Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.” (1 Cor. 15:13, 32-33).

Should the resurrection of Jesus Christ affect how we live our lives? Yes: The resurrection should prompt us to live righteously. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, we may follow the philosophy of living for the present: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” If we believe in the resurrection, but live for the present, what lessons have we missed regarding the resurrection?

Can a Concordance Give Me the Complete Picture?

A concordance helps me find a Scripture when I already know a word in the verse. I also use the concordance to see how a word is used in Scripture, and whether its definition is limited in scope or varies widely.

However, if I want to know all about my salvation, looking up saved and salvation will be insufficient. We may wonder, “Can I lose my salvation?” We may try to answer it by using the concordance. Looking up saved and salvation does not seem to help, especially when passages like “being saved” or “will make you wise for salvation” (both referring to Christians) seem to muddy the waters.

We Can’t Separate Predestination and Sanctification

Articles on predestination frequently address God’s omnipotence and foreknowledge, and man’s free will or lack of it. Many of these lines of thought can be traced back to classical thinkers like Augustine. My studies on predestination purely from the Word of God have unearthed an emphasis absent in debates on predestination. The Bible links predestination to a sanctifying process where one by faith becomes more like Christ. Let’s look at a few passages where predestination and this process are tied together.