Does knowledge of the truth give eternal life?

[MoreCoffee]

Does knowledge of the truth give eternal life?

Let me break that question down. Some say that it is Truth that leads to eternal life other say something different. Is what one knows an essential part of receiving eternal life? Can one who is unaware of essential doctrines be part of the body of Christ and thus receive eternal life?

 

[Josiah]

As a Protestant, I believe that Jesus is the Savior. Thus, all that has to do with salvation (in the sense of narrow justification) is the work and accomplishment of Jesus (otherwise, I'd be the Savior).

Given that foundational belief, "eternal life" in the sense of narrow justification, is a gift from God earned/accomplished/achieved by the work of Jesus (not mine) since Jesus is the Savior (not me). So, I would view "knowledge" here not as a cognative achievement of my brain, I would interpret "knowledge" in the biblical sense of relationship, being "in Christ" (the meaning of Christian), relying/trusting in Christ.

Cognative awareness and information is a very good thing - but it has to do with sanctification (narrow) not justification (narrow). One may have a Ph.D. in the Bible, one may have memorized every word of the Bible, one may cognatively understand a whole lot more than I do - and not be justified because they don't have the gift of faith and thus don't "know" Christ in that intimate, relationsonal sense.

Yes, one may be cognatively unaware of all 2,865 points of the latest edition of the every-changing official Catechism of the individual, singular RC Denomination and yet have eternal life. Same true for the 10 pages of Luther's Small Catechism. Indeed, I believe I had eternal life at the moment of by Baptism - when I was less than one minute old and "understood" NOTHING (I wasn't even conscience) - but of course many would not share that belief. I believe the Thief on the Cross had eternal life even though I doubt he could articulate the doctrine of the Trinity or believed in Transubstnatiation or OSAS or the Immaculate Conception or the Infallibility of the Bishop of the individual RC Denomination in the Diocese of Rome or in Credobaptism. As a Protestant, I believe Jesus is the Savior, not anything I create. But I know you, as a Catholic, regard that as heresy and apostacy (your individual denomination excommunicated Luther for holding to that).


Pax Christi



- Josiah


.

 

[Rens]

Does knowledge of the truth give eternal life?

Let me break that question down. Some say that it is Truth that leads to eternal life other say something different. Is what one knows an essential part of receiving eternal life? Can one who is unaware of essential doctrines be part of the body of Christ and thus receive eternal life?

You shall know the Truth and the Truth will set you free.
How hear without a preacher? If someone doesn't know that you have to ask forgiveness and accept Jesus, how can you get saved? Or if you don't even know that something is sin and you live in it. So yes, essential things you need to know, except for babies who die or something, but on the other hand you can know everything and still reject Him.

 

[Lamb]

God is our Savior. He is the one who provides everything we need for our salvation and eternal life. That's what a Savior does.

So we could get into how much knowledge or what type of knowledge and all that, but the key factor here is GOD WORKING TO SAVE. His grace is sufficient to get the job done

 

[Stravinsk]

Does knowledge of the truth give eternal life?

Let me break that question down. Some say that it is Truth that leads to eternal life other say something different. Is what one knows an essential part of receiving eternal life? Can one who is unaware of essential doctrines be part of the body of Christ and thus receive eternal life?

Genesis 4:1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain...

I'm not being silly. Adam didn't simply mentally acknowledge Eve, he *knew* her in an intimate way that goes beyond mere mental acknowledgement.

I don't want to comment on what or how one "attains" eternal life. This is, imo, God's decision, not man's determination - and making the determination is taking the place of the Judge - in a sense, playing God. But an idea that is not put into a practice is not really knowledge. Action is required for it to be knowledge.

 

[Lamb]

I can know a secret but not do anything about it except keep it quiet. Is that action of not doing?

 

[MoreCoffee]

Jehovah's witnesses used to publish a book called The Truth that Leads to Eternal Life in it they teach that accurate knowledge is what gets people through Armageddon.

 

[Josiah]

Jehovah's witnesses used to publish a book called The Truth that Leads to Eternal Life in it they teach that accurate knowledge is what gets people through Armageddon.

Perhaps you should take that up with the Jehovah's Witnesses. I don't think we have any here at CH.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Perhaps you should take that up with the Jehovah's Witnesses. I don't think we have any here at CH.

Excellent. The correct doctrine is of no great moment is it? One can be justified and saved apart from doctrine including the five solas. Most excellent admission on your part.

 

[Josiah]

Excellent. The correct doctrine is of no great moment is it? One can be justified and saved apart from doctrine including the five solas. Most excellent admission on your part.

You commented on the position of the JW's. Since we (to my knowledge) don't have an JW's here.... and since none (to my knowledge) have stated what you claim the JW's did..... my response was you might have a more profitable discussion of that JW comment if you engaged JW's in the discussion.

 

[MoreCoffee]

You commented on the position of the JW's. Since we (to my knowledge) don't have an JW's here.... and since none (to my knowledge) have stated what you claim the JW's did..... my response was you might have a more profitable discussion of that JW comment if you engaged JW's in the discussion.

Oh, so are you retracting your comment implying that accurate knowledge of the truth is not necessary to eternal life? How disappointing if that is so. Do you think one must know certain things in order to be saved?

 

[Josiah]

Excellent. The correct doctrine is of no great moment is it? One can be justified and saved apart from doctrine including the five solas. Most excellent admission on your part.

It is my position that what I cognitively accomplish in my brain is not what results in my justification (narrow) because I hold that Jesus is the Savior not my brain.... that it is His works that justify, not the work of my brain. I know we disagree on the issue of whether Jesus is the Savior or not, and I doubt we are going to resolved that here in this thread.

That is NOT the same as saying that cognative knowledge is unimportant.... or that one can deny Christ as Savior and yet trust/rely on Christ as Savior. But I don't agree that my brain is the Savior and that the work of my brain is what justifies (but then I'm Protestant now).

 

[MoreCoffee]

Josiah, you manufacture disagreement for the sake of some forlorn point of debate you hope to score but fail to.

Catholic teaching is that knowledge (accurate or not) does not save or justify, though godly knowledge lived in a godly life does tend to make one just.

 

[psalms 91]

I agree that knowledge does not save you any more than living a Goodly life will, it is only by acceptance of Jesus and living a close personal relationship with Him that will