Are you saved because you believe? Or do you believe because you are saved?

[Dave L]

This is kinda like the notion that a scientist can be purely logical without bias. I don't much doubt we all will have to eat our words one day, how we accused others of bias.

While I disagree with Dave L's use of "eternal", in that eternal can mean without end, as infinitely one direction, or eternal hereafter (at least in my understanding of the word)there is, nevertheless a reason most translators use "eternal" instead of a more literal use of the Greek. The same goes for the use of "eternal" in Hebrew, which comes from several different Hebrew words. It's not because the translators were careless, nor even necessarily because they too are biased.

Eternal = God has no beginning or end if you define it by scripture.

 

[Marc Perry]

This is kinda like the notion that a scientist can be purely logical without bias. I don't much doubt we all will have to eat our words one day, how we accused others of bias.

While I disagree with Dave L's use of "eternal", in that eternal can mean without end, as infinitely one direction, or eternal hereafter (at least in my understanding of the word)there is, nevertheless a reason most translators use "eternal" instead of a more literal use of the Greek. The same goes for the use of "eternal" in Hebrew, which comes from several different Hebrew words. It's not because the translators were careless, nor even necessarily because they too are biased.

I actually had a whole thread on 'inappropriate contenteia'. My point was ... it isn't useless and it hurts people.

 

[Mark Quayle]

Eternal = God has no beginning or end if you define it by scripture.

Eternity does not equal God. God indeed has no beginning or end, but it is only a mental construction to say that if we live eternally, then (and we find ourselves needing to add) it must be in God's mind, since we obviously do have a beginning.

 

[Mark Quayle]

I actually had a whole thread on 'inappropriate contenteia'. My point was ... it isn't useless and it hurts people.

Huh? What has this to do with that?

 

[Dave L]

Eternity does not equal God. God indeed has no beginning or end, but it is only a mental construction to say that if we live eternally, then (and we find ourselves needing to add) it must be in God's mind, since we obviously do have a beginning.

God cannot change. So the saved are eternally in God's mind as saved.

 

[Mark Quayle]

God cannot change. So the saved are eternally in God's mind as saved.

Amen that!