Read the series.

Let me repeat the conclusion I arrived at previously:

Jesus is the Redeemer who saves by the Spirit through the New covenant!

Peter’s Speech at Jerusalem

As Peter is rehearsing his experience at the house of Cornelius in Acts 11 he supplies as his main argument for God bringing salvation to the Gentiles the fact that they were given the Holy Spirit. And he made a point of saying the Spirit received by the Gentiles was “the same gift as He gave us when we…

By Jonathan Moreno. From DBSJ 22 (2017): 75-90. Republished with permission. Read the series.

An Answer

The purpose of this section is to present a viable theodicy.³⁶ However, before embarking upon this endeavor, it will be helpful to temper expectations by briefly considering the parameters and limitations of any conclusions that are drawn.

The Parameters of the Answer

May I confess that theological triage, as commonly presented, does not work for me?

Some twenty years ago, Albert Mohler (2004) offered sage advice that Christians should discern between (1) those doctrines which are the “most central and essential to the Christian faith,” whose denial marks one as not being a Christian; (2) those doctrines which are recognized as preventing fellowship within a church or association; and (3) those variations in doctrinal belief which can be accommodated within a church or association. There is merit to this form of ranking, as it is centered on…