Jerry Shugart
Well-known member
Here we read that Peter, who lived under the law, said that his salvation was according to "grace," just like the Gentiles were saved:
Grace has commonly been described as unmerited favor. And here Paul states in no uncertian terms that if it takes works to be saved then that salvation cannot be described as being of "grace":
Despite these facts Clete proves that he doesn't even understand salvation on the principle of grace because he argues that the Jews who lived under the law were saved by grace through faith plus works:
Here are some remarks on the subject of the Greek word translated "grace" from an article titled "Grace Upon Grace" written by John W. Ritenbaugh:
"God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are" (Acts 15:8-11).
Grace has commonly been described as unmerited favor. And here Paul states in no uncertian terms that if it takes works to be saved then that salvation cannot be described as being of "grace":
"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Ro.4:4-5).
Despite these facts Clete proves that he doesn't even understand salvation on the principle of grace because he argues that the Jews who lived under the law were saved by grace through faith plus works:
Here are some remarks on the subject of the Greek word translated "grace" from an article titled "Grace Upon Grace" written by John W. Ritenbaugh:
"The apostles took an ordinary Greek word, 'charis'—and that word has been translated into English as grace—but they turned it into a word of very profound theological and spiritual significance.
The word all by itself, as it would be used in secular Greek, is 'gratifying in manner,' or we might say, 'that which causes delight.' It is the causing of it that gives the word its distinctive usage. The emphasis of the word is on the causes. It has the delight that we receive.
The apostles used this word to indicate unearned or unmerited favor. It always has the idea of something completely undeserved, something that we could never have achieved by ourselves. For example, John 1:14 teaches us that God came to earth to live and to die, and that is not something which humanity could manipulate or deserve because we earned it.
It was something that He freely did. He gave of Himself. Men did not have this in mind, that God would come here and demand that this occur because we are so good and we need to be saved. God, on His own, decided that He would use this means to introduce Himself into the flow of life on earth and provide man with a Savior.
In addition to this, the word also has the idea of beauty contained within it. Its opposite, its antonym, in the Greek is 'erga,' which is translated into the English 'work.' Now 'work' or 'erga' carries the connotation of something deserved because it has been earned by conduct or activity.
So you have these two opposites, these two contrasts. Grace on the one side, something that is given and provides delight, favor that is unearned. On the other side, we have 'erga'—work—something that is earned. It is merited because of things that we have done."
The word all by itself, as it would be used in secular Greek, is 'gratifying in manner,' or we might say, 'that which causes delight.' It is the causing of it that gives the word its distinctive usage. The emphasis of the word is on the causes. It has the delight that we receive.
The apostles used this word to indicate unearned or unmerited favor. It always has the idea of something completely undeserved, something that we could never have achieved by ourselves. For example, John 1:14 teaches us that God came to earth to live and to die, and that is not something which humanity could manipulate or deserve because we earned it.
It was something that He freely did. He gave of Himself. Men did not have this in mind, that God would come here and demand that this occur because we are so good and we need to be saved. God, on His own, decided that He would use this means to introduce Himself into the flow of life on earth and provide man with a Savior.
In addition to this, the word also has the idea of beauty contained within it. Its opposite, its antonym, in the Greek is 'erga,' which is translated into the English 'work.' Now 'work' or 'erga' carries the connotation of something deserved because it has been earned by conduct or activity.
So you have these two opposites, these two contrasts. Grace on the one side, something that is given and provides delight, favor that is unearned. On the other side, we have 'erga'—work—something that is earned. It is merited because of things that we have done."
