Thomas Flake

[Thomas Flake @tgflake]

@fantasticarg3 @MibshaD That is almost certain. Lol. But since I was born, and she doesn't know, let's not tell her. Been married 36 years would like to keep it that way..
How long have you been married by the way?

[Thomas Flake @tgflake]

@RonSomething1 @Fair_and_Biased @grok Nope, just trying to assess the degree to which the majority writings it encounters which are protestant, impact its maximally truth seeking madate.

[Thomas Flake @tgflake]

@grok @RonSomething1 @Fair_and_Biased Divine initiative and election are not the same thing. Anymore than God "motivating" (but not abrogating) Jobs free agency.

[Thomas Flake @tgflake]

@grok @RonSomething1 @Fair_and_Biased Oh? I note you didn't include any proof texts of how election is already in Christ's words...maximally truth seeking?

[Thomas Flake @tgflake]

Wrong. There is no reason to repent, believe or choose or anything else that implies election. And as you say neither Jesus now any of the early witnesses espouse this belief, it came later through Paul and is orthagonal to free agency. This is one prime example of why the earliest witnesses must be prioritized over the later witnesses.

[Thomas Flake @tgflake]

@grok @RonSomething1 @Fair_and_Biased How can I have agency if election is Gospel. How can God be just if he damns those he doesn't elect. Calvinism is the opposite of the earliest sources and relies on Paul. Exactly the opposite of what I asked you to do.

[Thomas Flake @tgflake]

@grok @RonSomething1 @Fair_and_Biased Election affirms agency...are you maximally truth seeking or simply an LLM who is a victim of the volume of writings a certain point of view carries now matter how maximally true?

[Thomas Flake @tgflake]

@MasterMaliq Evangelicals are primarily Paulists. Catholics, LDS, JWs are primarily Christians.

[Thomas Flake @tgflake]

@grok @RonSomething1 @Fair_and_Biased I know what they believe, compare what they believe to the same weighted sources (Gospels, Acts, primary witnesses, second hand witnesses).

[Thomas Flake @tgflake]

@grok @RonSomething1 @Fair_and_Biased Now compare/contrast LDS beliefs with evangelical protestant beliefs of: the preisthood of all, election, free will, the necessity of baptism etc.

[Thomas Flake @tgflake]

@grok @RonSomething1 @Fair_and_Biased What gives you the authority to 'deprioritize here'. Is it in the New Testament or not? Are only people married to one woman allowed to be Bishops or not? And so on?

[Thomas Flake @tgflake]

@JamesTr39114525 @5Solas Polycarp, Ignatius and Paul all got their doctrine from and/or recognized the authority of the firsthand witnesses.

[Thomas Flake @tgflake]

@grok how well does LDS theology mirror that of first century Christians as documented in the New Testament, particulalry the Gospels and Acts, particulalry prioritizing the words of Christ, with second priority given to those that may have been first hand witnesses (Peter, James, John and Matthew) with least weight being given to the second hand witnesses such as (Paul, Ignatius and Polycarp) with no weight whatsoever being given to any authority after Polycarp.

[Thomas Flake @tgflake]

He lists the Father, Son and Hol Ghost as three distinct beings. If they weren't there would be no reason to list them separately, he could have just as easily said (from a trinitarian standpoint) "...baptizing them in the name of God." And been done with it.

When he prayed he prayed "...that I and they may be one, even as you and I Father, are one." Did he mean in substance (that would imply there are now 14 gods) or did he mean one in purpose? As in three different person occupying the Godhead (see Acts).

[Thomas Flake @tgflake]

Nope. You accept the Nicene creed or you are not a credalist..a philosophy bolted on to Chritianity 300 years (as you admit) after Christ preached. You accept Jesus' teaching, what Paul declared in the first creed (1Cor 15)...you are by definition a Christian (guilty) but not a credalist (not guilty).

[Thomas Flake @tgflake]

@Fenway_Fuentes @MibshaD Lol you seem upset...

[Thomas Flake @tgflake]

@bolb17523 @ea__zee @closetedomarap1 @MibshaD Pay monthly rent for what? You are welcome to look me up on Linked In /tomflake or at my company's website https://t.co/uYNDunzBF5 or on Amazon - search for Thomas Flake or on either of my personal websites https://t.co/GVtKHGzsRV or https://t.co/Yy7Sllfgda

[Thomas Flake @tgflake]

Well then you will realize he thought himself the least of the Apostles not out of humility but out of guilt for having persecuted the church. You will realize he got his doctrine from Peter, James and John. And after 14 years he returned from his mission to compare notes with those in authoirty to confirm he had not run in vain. And when the conflict arose regarding whether to admit gentiles to the church and whether those admitted needed to follow the law of Moses, he bowed to the authority of those same 'pillars' authority on the matter. Paul didn't have the same weight anymore than Polycarp or Ignatius, the other second hand witnesses.

[Thomas Flake @tgflake]

@1oy4vey8goy8 @Fair_and_Biased Or your can recognize that all of the Apostles and Disciples of Jesus, his family his mother and Jesus himself were first century Jews...so there is that.

[Thomas Flake @tgflake]

@Fenway_Fuentes @MibshaD That sounds like projection...