Introductions: Take Two

Salvete!

Once again I came on and decided to create a blog. Mainly for my own use, as a place to jot down thoughts and questions that may come to me throughout the day. My posting will likely be sporadic, as the things to be done are many and time in which to do them in little.

On that note, my first post will be a bit unique as introductory posts go. You see, I have a very dear friend of the family who is a man of integrity, faith, and discipline. And he has a take on Christians and their behavior that is not claimed by many. He believes that the true Christian is one who is holy, sinless. Not that they were perfect; no, that Christians are still saved by grace and belief in Christ, yet when they accept Christ, they become Holy, as he is Holy.

Which makes sense, in a way.

I am currently involved in a semi-debating regarding- what do you know!- this particular topic. As I am defending his stance, I find myself considering his view more and more. He has the Scriptural backing for it, and actually looking at it from this perspective takes care of many of the "contradictory" verses in the New Testament.

Addendum: I believe that this world was created by a supreme deity who is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. I believe that the only type of evolution that actually takes place is the adaption of an organism to its environment. I believe that two thousands years ago a Man who was also God named Jesus bar Joseph, of Nazareth, walked this earth and was crucified for the sins of Mankind, only to rise again on the third day. I believe that he is alive today, having ascended into Heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father, God. I believe in the Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. I believe that the Holy Ghost is active in this world today.

I believe that the Bible as was written is inerrant, that it was penned over thousands of years by those dedicated to faith, inspired by the words of God and his Spirit. I believe that the Bible has all authority over the believer's life, and that the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are the only true, divinely inspired Gospels of Christ.

I believe in the Second Coming of Christ.

If I've deterred any one in declaring these, then this blog is not one that you will find appealing. Even so, I exhort you to hear me out.

To return to my story, the Sinless Christian doctrine has been growing on me. The verses I read that my friend has given for it work. "What about Paul?" some of you who are familiar with the Pauline Epistles may ask. "The 'Greatest Sinner of all?'"

There are such things as translation errors. Hence why I have a desire to learn Greek and Hebrew (and have already spent a year on the former.)

But, you see, Paul seems to contradict himself in his letters, if you look at it as most readers do. In 1 Timothy we find the "Greatest sinner of all" verse, but in 1 Corinthians he exhorts the Corinthians to imitate him as he imitates Christ (the word used that has been translated as imitate also means "follow").

Is he saying Christ was a sinner, thus refuting other verses? Something doesn't add up.

This is where one must return to the Greek and pay attention to the tenses of the verbs. According to my friend, these are often mistranslated, giving us what we have today in most versions of the Bible.

Now, my friend is not the only one who believe this, or to make these observations. A Bible commentary my father received a year ago for Christmas makes the same points.

So in viewing all these and reading multiple documents in which my friend has defended his position, I am left with this question. Does a Christian sin, or does he not?

And if he does, where does that leave me?

From what I've seen of both sides of the debate, the Sinless Christian stance makes the most sense, and has the most backing. But one of the main things that keeps me from embracing this is that I have sinned, even while professing to follow Christ. Am I now made a hypocrite by that which tugs at my heart and even my mind? And what of friends and acquaintances, who have the faith...yet stumble at times?

I am still searching, studying; pouring over Scripture concerning this.

An so I leave you now, Reader, with these points having been made. If I'm rambling, forgive me; I am wont to do so as I puzzle out a theory.

Deus paxque vobiscum.

EDIT: Even as I've posted this, I'm still struggling with it. It seems like something more of the human will, yet my friend insists it's not.

"Curiouser and curiouser," as Alice would say. Not really. More like I don't yet understand what it truly means.