Travis Fentiman
Puritan Board Sophomore
What precisely must one believe to be saved? Given the variety of people’s background, understanding and what is told them of Christianity, even as exampled in Scripture, that is not an easy question to answer.
If people profess serious errors that seem to overturn the fundamentals of Christianity, though they yet profess to believe in those fundamental teachings of the True Faith, will they be saved? Are they professing Christians? May we have fellowship with such a Church?
The topic of the fundamental and secondary teachings of Christianity is at once a profoundly basic issue, and yet it is incredibly complex with many real world implications. Should a baptist be allowed to be a member of a presbyterian Church? Should an Arminian?
Little is it known that there was a large, reformed agreement amongst the presbyterians on these issues in the puritan era, even in the minute details, and that not simply from human agreement, but as it was proved by the Word of God and the light of nature.
I have compiled a lot of historic reformed resources on this topic, if it is of interest to you. You will likely learn a lot from perusing the resources. See especially Witsius. Turretin is excellent (but not online). And, as usual, git wrekt by Rutherford:
If people profess serious errors that seem to overturn the fundamentals of Christianity, though they yet profess to believe in those fundamental teachings of the True Faith, will they be saved? Are they professing Christians? May we have fellowship with such a Church?
The topic of the fundamental and secondary teachings of Christianity is at once a profoundly basic issue, and yet it is incredibly complex with many real world implications. Should a baptist be allowed to be a member of a presbyterian Church? Should an Arminian?
Little is it known that there was a large, reformed agreement amongst the presbyterians on these issues in the puritan era, even in the minute details, and that not simply from human agreement, but as it was proved by the Word of God and the light of nature.
I have compiled a lot of historic reformed resources on this topic, if it is of interest to you. You will likely learn a lot from perusing the resources. See especially Witsius. Turretin is excellent (but not online). And, as usual, git wrekt by Rutherford:
By the way, one of the few modern Reformed writers to write on these issues has been Gordon Clark in his book Saving Faith. While it was a noble attempt, for having to reinvent the wheel, yet, not only was he Sandemanian in his view (not recommended), and gets numerous things wrong, and his solution is deficient and inadequate, he also shows himself very unfamiliar with the older standard reformed writings on the subject (which are much, much better, and are on the link above).