Salvogesis

Doctrine 5:  We believe that our first parents were created in a state of innocency, but by their disobedience, they lost their purity and happiness, and that in consequence of their fall , all men have become sinners , totally depraved, and as such are justly exposed to the wrath of God. …and/but… Doctrine 6:  We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has by His suffering and death made an atonement for the whole world so that whosoever will, may be saved.   Doctrine 5 has been referred to as the doctrine of Original Sin (or more precisely ‘originating sin’) and that concept goes back at least to Irenaeus and Augustine. Doctrines 5 & 6 are how TSA explains corporate (as opposed to individual) Salvation; Corporate Salvation is like getting back to the Garden of Eden – what life was like before the Fall.   This is the garden. Reading from Genesis 2:15-18: 15  The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and ...

Before we needed to be away for a little bit, we were looking at Paul’s letter to the Romans quite a bit. Today I want to review a little bit of what we have spoken about and look at some of the broad themes, ideas and context of the first seven or eight chapters: especially about the Law. First some questions: ·        Who wrote Romans? (Paul) ·        When was it written? (Mid to late 50s CE) ·        Who was it written to? (Holy People / Saints in Rome – ‘Holy People’ / ‘Saints’ means Christians) ·        Where is Rome? (Modern day Italy) ·        Who is Paul? (an Apostle, a Roman, a Pharisee from Tarsus in modern day Turkey) ·        Where and how does Paul die? (executed in Rome – probably beheaded) This is important. Paul writes these words probably realizing that he is nearing the end of...