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FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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:The Church had to wait for more than three hundred years for a final synthesis, for not until the Council of Constantinople [AD 381] was the formula of one God existing in three coequal Persons formally ratified.{{ref|fortman3}} | :The Church had to wait for more than three hundred years for a final synthesis, for not until the Council of Constantinople [AD 381] was the formula of one God existing in three coequal Persons formally ratified.{{ref|fortman3}} | ||
− | Dr. Blomberg is reading his own theology into scripture; it is simply not there, as virtually all scholars have long recognized. | + | Dr. Blomberg is reading his own theology into scripture; it is simply not there, as [[Godhead_and_the_Trinity|virtually all scholars]] have long recognized. |
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===(b) Salvation by grace alone=== | ===(b) Salvation by grace alone=== |
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Dr. Craig Blomberg, a noted Evangelical scholar, gave a speech in which he discussed ten things which he claims Jesus would tell Latter-day Saints. These points have been summarized. FAIR will not presume to put words in Jesus' mouth save those recorded in scripture, but Dr. Blomberg's comments are worthy of response.
They would perhaps be better thought of as the "Top Ten Things Jesus Would Say To Mormons...If He Was an Evangelical Christian."
Latter-day Saints also give generously to various non-Church and humanitarian causes around the world. They do these things because they believe that Jesus has commanded them to love and serve others.
Latter-day Saints whole-heartedly agree with this idea. As we will see in #3 below, however, this conviction is often misunderstood or misrepresented by Evangelicals.
Why would Latter-day Saints judge Jesus simply because others have misused his name? Dr. Blomberg seems to presume that Latter-day Saints have misjudged the value of "true" [i.e., conservative Evangelical] Christianity based on the actions of others. This is not the case—Latter-day Saints have discovered Jesus and come to know him through the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the teachings of modern prophets.
Latter-day Saints do not reject Evangelical Christianity because of the actions of Evangelicals—they reject it because they believe they have found something better that teaches them more about Jesus.
It is true, though, that the actions of a small minority of Evangelicals—those who engage in anti-Mormon polemics and tactics—do little to enhance the reputation of Evangelicals among the Latter-day Saints. Dr. Blomberg could probably best address this problem from within his own tradition, in correcting or denouncing the unchristian behavior of others (see #9 above).
This point consists of two main claims:
Latter-day Saints—like the Bible and Book of Mormon—believe that God is one. There have been many answers to the question of how God can be one, while also consisting of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Dr. Blomberg wishes to have Jesus say that Latter-day Saints ought to believe in the Nicene Trinitarianism solution to that problem.
Latter-day Saints who practice Bible study know that the idea of God being "one God in three persons" is nowhere taught in the Bible. It is also not taught in the Book of Mormon. Bible scholars are unanimous that these ideas are not to be found in the Bible, or in Christian history for more than two centuries after Christ's resurrection. Jesus himself and the apostles were not Nicene Trinitarians, and neither were any Bible writers or first century Christians:
Dr. Blomberg is reading his own theology into scripture; it is simply not there, as virtually all scholars have long recognized.
Since the Latter-day Saints accept Jesus as both Savior and Lord, they feel bound to strive to obey Jesus' commandments. As Jesus himself said:
If we truly believe that Jesus is Lord, we will obey him. Thus, while we are saved by grace, it is unbiblical to claim that our actions have no role to play in salvation.
Jesus also taught:
Grace saves us, but the Book of Mormon and the Bible teach that Jesus requires our engagement and participation in that process.
To learn more Grace
Dr. Blomberg assumes that Christ has multiple "churches." Yet, the Bible tells us that there is "one Lord, one faith, and one baptism" ().
How can all these Church's be Christ's? No two denominations agree on all points of theology. Evangelical Christians are divided about such fundamental matters as Calvinism vs. Arminism, [needs work] [need other examples for here]. Is God the author of confusion? How can all these different perspectives come from him?
Dr. Blomberg is not a Catholic—yet, the founders of his denomination rejected the existing religious practices to form their own denomination. Indeed, Evangelical Christianity is a relative latecomer to Christian history. How does Dr. Blomberg presume to know that "no one" has gotten it right—and if this is true, why isn't this equally true of his theology or his religion?
This statement also implies that the Latter-day Saints reject everything in other churches. This is not true, since the Saints believe that there is much truth in many faiths. They simply reject the idea that any Church before the gospel was restored was complete.
It is presumptuous for Dr. Blomberg to presume to speak for Jesus about the mission of Joseph Smith. God is able to speak for himself to any sincere seeker about the value of Joseph Smith's claims and mission.
It is understandable that Dr. Blomberg would wish to minimize the importance of legitimate priesthood, since his relatively new denomination clearly cannot claim to have such a priesthood. He would also wish to dismiss the idea of necessary ordinances, because this doctrine conflicts with his belief that we can be saved by "grace alone."
However, the words that Dr. Blomberg thus puts into Jesus' mouth require us to ignore the words of the Bible:
If Dr. Blomberg is sincere in his claim that no deeds matter or earn us anything, then it is strange that he insists so strongly (see #7) that Latter-day Saints accept a certain theology—the Nicene creed. If the good works commanded by Jesus have no role in our salvation, then why does the work or act of accepting or not accepting a theological claim make any difference?
Latter-day Saints do not obey because they believe they can earn salvation. They obey because they love the Lord, wish to emulate him, and have promised him that they will do so.
To learn more Grace
If this is true, then Dr. Blomberg's concern for the Latter-day Saints is misguided and unnecessary—since the Saints unreservedly consider Jesus to be both Savior and Lord.
We again cannot escape the impression, however (see #7), that Dr. Blomberg seems to believe that Latter-day Saints must also accept various theological claims and positions (e.g., Nicene Trinitarianism) in order to be safely saved. If he truly believes that only accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord is necessary, he and his denomination need have no worries about the Latter-day Saints.
Since the Latter-day Saints accept Jesus as both Savior and Lord, they feel bound to strive to obey Jesus' commandments. As Jesus himself said:
If we truly believe that Jesus is Lord, we will obey him. Thus, while we are saved by grace, it is unbiblical to claim that our actions have no role to play in salvation.
To learn more Grace
On this we can certainly all agree.
And, because Christ requires the salvation of all humanity, he has again called prophets and apostles to teach us how to return to him. The Latter-day Saints gratefully bear witness that we do not need to trust man-made interpretations of scripture, disputes between denominations, or later historical developments in theology to understand God's will.
Instead God continues to speak in our day, answers prayers, provides scripture, and gives living prophets and apostles to teach modern Christians just as he did for the people of God throughout the Bible.
Dr. Blomberg and all others are invited to enjoy the blessings which come from an enhanced appreciation and understanding of Jesus and his will for us, which will complement the truths they have already accepted from the Bible.
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