Quote:
Originally Posted by Barb
Pela, you are too smart for me!!
However, let me just say though many have said Bro. A's history outline is "full of holes," I do believe he was right that the Church has existed in some form since it's birth.
I sit here with tears in my eyes, Pela, trying to put this into words that make sense. I simply cannot embrace the notion that Oneness Pentecostalism is a new fangled voice...I just cannot.
There has always been a remnant, perhaps not referred to as OPs or Apostolics, but those who held to belief, repentance, baptism in the Name, and Spirit infilling never ceased to exist.
I will believe this until I kick...
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Hi Barb, I missed this post earlier. I'm sorry. It seems that if I log out and then log back in I "find" a whole lot of "new" posts sometimes - and in sections that I'm certain I've read.
Like you, I also do not believe the Oneness
Acts 2:38 message to be "new fangled." It was the practice of the Apostles in the first century. It's just that over the last 100 years we've been accused of inventing it. To answer those accusations we've tried to find historical support for the doctrine and we have presented some unfortunate ideas and examples and people have actually lost faith because of it.
The Bible plan of salvation is quite clear. We are not saved by works of righteousness that we have done, but "by grace through faith" (
Ephesians 2:8-9;
Titus 3:5). I believe that there is also a grace that is conferred through our obedience to the command to be baptized in Jesus name, though I'm not entirely satisfied with the ways in which I have tried to articulate that in the past.
Today there is a continuing movement within our ranks to move our attitudes toward other Christians
away from the attitude that was held by our Pentecostal forebears. This movement will often frame their arguments in terms of "
our heritage." They wish to get us to abandon our heritage by appealing to a heritage that they just made up. This conundrum has honestly brought me to tears.
I spent years being frustrated by it and even intimidated by it. Holding my tongue has almost cost me my life - literally. Our pioneers did not condemn other Christians. Our pioneers did not make statements like a few posters have made in this thread. Our pioneers did not say things like, "I believe Trinitarians are lost..."
I'm trying to be true to what I sincerely believe to be a remarkable and important heritage.
Oh, and don't sell yourself short. I've read your posts long enough to recognize a smart lady when I see one.
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