Myself am grateful for scripture, we see apostle paul speaking of faith, and some in those days just as now did not understand and went with some things he said and we se the apostle james straighten things out, or clarify things, so i see some reformed teachings is misapplied and misunderstood and God sends a ravenhill and straighten out and clarify that those missed. And the other way around.


I just think before anyone says "he has a fulty" or heretical doctrine, better se to it they are closer to God then that man he is accusing is, many will se in the day calling maybe finney, mother theresa heretics will find they knew God better then they did, maybe they knew the bible better but that is second to knowing God. Many will find the "heretics" prayed more, worked more, loved God and men more then they with a correct doctrine, and they will be shamed before all creation and Christ.

God open our eyes

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CHRISTIAN

I am not saying to quit loving but I am saying that scripture must be held up. If we allow scripture to be blurred in any and all directions then we risk losing truth all together. Personaly I like R C Chapman and the way he handled things when it came to baptism. You can read about it, but basicaly he held to the truth of scripture w/o compromising it or the command to love others. We can certainly hold to the truth of scripture and love at the same time, the issue is when we quit loving.

For me it has nothing to do with Calvanism, or Arminianism it has only to do with scripture. If a man says you must believe the gospel but he believes that gospel includes as Finney, moral govt. then that mans gospel is tainted. We can and should still love the man but we must point out how he errors away from the truth of scripture.

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Alan Taylor

the most important thing is to know one can have errors in doctrine and still know jesus, some must be right, who god is , who jesus is etc.scripture says if we know him, not know the doctrine concerning how christ saved us, i agree it is important to a degree, but some will set their faith carved in stone, some say i am cal, some say arm etc, both have serius errors, many forget many reformers baptized infants, to me a very faulty doctrine , and others did also, bit i still believe some of them knew god better then i. can we say that? can a cal say maybe finney knew god betyer then i? can the arminian say pherhaps luther knew god better then me despite all wrong he believed and did?

to say ravenhill was a heretic one need to be holier, be more earnest in his devotinal life, have a greater burden, walked longer, under greater trials, prayed more, then speak of s mans errors. or you would be a very sad man in that day.

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CHRISTIAN

1Ti 5:20
Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.

2Ti 4:2
Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

Tit 1:13
This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,

Tit 2:15
Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you


Certainly we need to read these scriptures in context, but the overarching theme is that rebuking is in and of itself defending the truth of scripture for the sake of God and the person being corrected, as well as others looking on. The question is do we do it with love and longsuffering?

Edit: As Paul says truth without love is just a loud noise. :cry:

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Alan Taylor

May I ask a question? I am in no way as knowledgeable as those who have posted to this thread so please bare with me. My question is this, Why do we allow for baggage and the understanding that as humans we all fall short the glory of God and are sinners here and now. Even on the SI forum I have read many posts allowing for forgiveness and understanding when it came to someone seeing that they may have errored in understanding at one time or another. Why is it that we take the men and women of God who are no longer with us and hold them up as to be infallible? Isn't it possible that Finney knew and had God given understanding in many areas of the Christian walk but God had not opened his eyes in other areas? Is it not possible that the same could not be said of Reidhard, Ravenhill, and Keith Green. To all those who have posted to this thread, can you boast, can you say right now you have clear, complete understanding of all areas of the Christian walk today? Can you say that over your lifetime of being a Christian you have always held the same view that you do today in all areas of the Christian walk and with out a doubt have always been one hundred percent correct? Why is that we call men who are no longer here to speak for themselves heretics when they are just as we are, fellow servants seeking to follow and know Jesus as Lord and Savior?

As I said, I do not have the knowledge that many here have, but it seems to me that its easy enough to read someones word, seek the Lord in prayer, read the Bible and glean from it what the Lord would have for you. Perhaps some of Finney understandings were building blocks that God gave him for others to come along after and build upon for the body as a whole. Is this not possible, that he might see and understand what the Lord had for him at that point in his walk and life. Is it not possible that God did not have for Finney to know and understand all because another member of the body was to come later and share what the Lord was doing in that persons life and have for them to share that with others? Finally I wonder if in ten, or twenty years, if we are all still here, how many believers will read over our own written words and call one of us a heretic because of what we shared here on this forum?? Something perhaps to consider?

Ok thanks for letting me throw that out there.
with care in Him
rdg

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CHRISTIAN