Skip to main content

one faith

Ephesians 4:4-6
"4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, ONE FAITH, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

The Greek word for FAITH is "pistis." The Greeks used "pistis" to refer to trust and reliability. The Greeks had no religious connotation for "pistis." Christian's trust and reliance on Jesus is what became know was FAITH. It is not explicitly declared in the Holy Scriptures that "pistis" is exclusive to Christians. So, people have MISSED it. We should not use FAITH to describe other religions or non religious things. Yet, we do it all the time.

The word Faith is used loosely today. Like; People of Faith, shape of faith, fleeing faith, faith leaders, voodoo faith, and many more. Its also used in plural making if synonymous with religion; Asian Faiths, African faiths, many faiths, organized faiths, and many more. A little like "Xerox" is synonymous for copy. And, "Kleenex" can mean any brand of tissue. Only FAITH is much, much more important!

We CLASH with Paul's writing in Ephesians, chapter four, verse five, when we use FAITH for other religions. The Greeks never pluralised "pistis." The New Testament uses FAITH only for Christians. It is not until Saint Augustin, Martin Luther, and other German Theologians that talk about the Christian FAITH. Implying that there are other FAITHS. This is accepted by our culture today. But, it is CONTRARY to the New Testament. We might even say pluralizing faith is heresy.

To learn more about this subject, the book and it's author listen to PART TWO of this podcast. There is much more information here, and it's VERY interesting... 
https://issuesetc.org/2022/02/08/0391-faith-and-christianitys-uniqueness-part-2-dr-alvin-schmidt-2-8-22/

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Elisha’s example

1 Kings 19:19-21 "19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. 20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee? 21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him." In Luke 9:54, after James and John sought to call down fire on a Samaritan village that rejected Jesus, they referenced Elijah, saying, “even as Elias did?” Jesus then taught three lessons about rejection: 1- Discipleship demands sacrifice, embracing hardship and forgoing earthly security. 2- Following Jesus requires immediate, un...

I will make you

Matthew 4:19&20 "19 And He saith unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him." In our "Follow Me" series, we study Jesus calling His disciples in the Gospel of Matthew. By the Sea of Galilee, a thriving fishing hub, Jesus saw Simon and Andrew casting nets as humble fishermen. His disciples were ordinary workers, not wealthy or educated elites. Jesus approached them and said, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Remarkably, they immediately left their jobs to follow Him. This brief exchange conveys a profound truth: Jesus says, "I will make you." Only God can transform us to accomplish His purpose. We should often pray, "Help me, God," seeking Jesus' guidance to follow His plan for our lives.

God’s patience

2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." God did not immediately punish King Solomon when he allowed his foreign wives to build altars for false gods. Despite multiple compromises, God remained patient. Over time, Solomon’s endorsement of idolatry defied God’s covenant, leading to divine judgment, including the loss of the kingdom for his son. Some mistake God’s patience for indifference or inaction, but He follows His plan in His timing. If our nation, culture, church, or we ourselves stray like Solomon, we can repent and return to God’s path. And, should do so sooner than later! Amen!