Pedrito thanks atpollard for his thoughts in Post #36 on Page 4.
First Pedrito will answer the quite reasonable question posed in that post:
“Before I waste any more of my limited time, I need to ask:
Are you indeed confused, or is this simply a clever rhetoric to steer us towards Eastern Orthodox Theology?
I have no objection to discussing real questions, but do not wish to waste time arguing entrenched positions.
You are free to reject any and all creeds you wish, but please do not feign ignorance as a debate tactic.”
Pedrito is constantly confused at the way people are totally comfortable with simultaneously holding conflicting beliefs within their belief set. Naturally, they are constrained to, if they wish to remain loyal to their churches (those churches that promulgate those conflicting beliefs). The logically conflicting statements within that particular creed are a case in point.
Pedrito does not really consider himself to be “thick”. In fact, Pedrito would be tempted to apply that appellation to people of the type just described. He used that term and the emoticon to draw attention to the unacknowledged creedal inconsistency.
There was no attempt to steer anyone towards anything except the unfettered study of God’s Holy Revelation to us. (People who do study God’s Word in that way end up with highly similar understandings. Does that not seem remarkable, considering the notable, confusing disagreements currently observable within Christendom?) Nor did Pedrito feign ignorance.
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Pedrito also thanks atpollard for the clarifying Scripture quotes he offered:
John 3:16 [NASB] “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
John 3:18 [NASB] “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
1 John 4:9 [NASB] “By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.”
But Pedrito cannot help wondering if atpollard (and others) realise just what those verses actually establish.
They indeed establish that Jesus is "the only begotten Son of God" and that ‘God SENT His Son "into the world"’ and that “the Son of God existed prior to his incarnation at the virgin birth”.
But if you look at the verses carefully, as Pedrito keeps encouraging people to do with all Scripture, what do we find?
We find that: God sent His Son….. Don’t we?
Who was the One Sent, the Son of? (was it God?) Who sent His Son? (was it God?) Who was sent by God? (was it His Son?) Doesn’t the bulk of Scripture indicate the same thing? Doesn’t Scripture tell us that Jesus was the Son of God? Does God’s Holy Revelation anywhere state that God sent part of Himself?
Pedrito has asked elsewhere for help finding Scripture references. He so asks again.
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With respect to the filioque clause, all we have to do is harmonise John 14:16, John 14:26, John 15:26, John 16:7, and say, Acts 2:33. Is that so hard? Or do we have to look further?