A question, read by SIFT

Do Methodist churches follow what the Bible teaches?

What the reading was given to weigh, word for word (7 passages)

What Methodist churches teach, in their own words:

1. "The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and works, to faith, and calling upon God; wherefore we have no power to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will."(Articles of Religion, Article VIII (Of Free Will))

2. "Wesley taught that God loves everyone, and invites all of us to be in right relationship with him. Because we are unable to do this on our own, God prepares our hearts and minds to accept Jesus's invitation to follow him before we are even aware of it."(Our Wesleyan heritage, under the heading 'Prevenient Grace prepares us')

3. "Not every sin willingly committed after justification is the sin against the Holy Ghost, and unpardonable. Wherefore, the grant of repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after justification. After we have received the Holy Ghost, we may depart from grace given, and fall into sin, and, by the grace of God, rise again and amend our lives."(Articles of Religion, Article XII (Of Sin After Justification))

4. "Entire sanctification is a state of perfect love, righteousness and true holiness which every regenerate believer may obtain by being delivered from the power of sin, by loving God with all the heart, soul, mind and strength, and by loving one's neighbor as one's self. Through faith in Jesus Christ this gracious gift may be received in this life both gradually and instantaneously, and should be sought earnestly by every child of God."(Confession of Faith, Article XI (Sanctification and Christian Perfection))

5. "Baptism is not only a sign of profession and mark of difference whereby Christians are distinguished from others that are not baptized; but it is also a sign of regeneration or the new birth. The Baptism of young children is to be retained in the Church."(Articles of Religion, Article XVII (Of Baptism))

6. "As we say in our Invitation to the Table, 'Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin, and seek to be at peace with one another.' If you can say you do or have done these three things, you are welcome to receive."(Ask The UMC, 'What do I need to know about communion in the UMC?', under 'Who May Receive?')

7. "We affirm the historic Christian precedent that people are normally baptized prior to receiving communion. Yet, as our invitation notes, baptism is not required. If you come and are not yet baptized, we will encourage you toward baptism at your earliest convenience."(Ask The UMC, 'What do I need to know about communion in the UMC?', under 'Who May Receive?')

Read by SIFT · 7 Nov 2026 About this reading

DEVELOPMENT: written up by Claude from an OpenAI reading

Every verse in it is shown whole.

You quoted seven statements of what Methodist churches teach, in their own words, and asked whether they follow what the Bible teaches. Each statement is weighed here against Scripture (the King James Version), one at a time. Every verse is quoted in full, so you can open it in its chapter and check it yourself.

Three things to know first:

What was weighed. The seven sentences exactly as you quoted them. Where they come from, whether they are quoted accurately, and whether they are still current were not checked.
What was not weighed. How any congregation actually teaches or practises, and anyone's standing before God. Nothing here is a verdict on a church or on a person.
The shape of the answer. No single yes or no fits all seven. Much of what they say, Scripture plainly teaches. In a few places a statement goes further than the passages read can establish. Those places are named, with the reasons. Where a part is supported, it stays supported even when a neighbouring part is not.

The whole reading rests on one principle: "If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;" (). Every verse is true, and all of them are true together. So when one way of reading a verse would make another verse false, that way of reading is set aside. You will see that done throughout.

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Here the replay stays still. This is the reading in brief; every step of it is listed below, in order.

"Do Methodist churches follow what the Bible teaches?"

31 minutes 20 seconds of reading, by an AI from OpenAI
159 searches of Scripture
3,102 verses opened, from 145 chapters
11 false readings struck out
7 conclusions handed on
then the answer, written by Claude in 12 minutes 31 seconds

The readings it struck out, and the verses each would break

Self-produced saving faith without the Father's giving, and salvation earned by prior works, contradict the positive assertions used in verdict 1. Romans 3:28 · Philippians 2:12
Universal kindness means everyone is already acquitted, or that God approves every person in the same relation, is false. John 3:18 · Psalms 145:20
Every sin after justification is unforgivable is false. 1 John 2:12 · 1 John 5:17 · Galatians 6:8
Every departure is only an appearance, with no actual temporary belief, lost steadfastness or church failure, contradicts the descriptions. Luke 8:13 · 2 Peter 3:17
Every apostasy is guaranteed reparable is not an assurance the answer may give in the face of the impossibility in Hebrews 6. Hebrews 6:4 · Hebrews 6:5 · Hebrews 6:6
No perfected love is possible in the present world contradicts the positive description in verdict 4. 1 John 1:8 · 1 John 1:9
A private profession of love can coexist with hatred of the brother as though it fulfilled the love requirement is false. 1 John 4:20 · 1 John 3:18
Water is the Spirit, every baptism passage describes the same act, or the Spirit is always first received at the moment water is administered contradicts the explicit distinctions and the recorded order. Acts 1:5 · Acts 10:47 · Acts 8:21
Jesus forbids infants from being brought to him is false. Luke 18:15 · Luke 18:16
A person's assertion of the invitation's three qualities overrides open unrepentant evil or permits combining the Lord's table with idolatry is false. 1 Corinthians 5:11 · 1 Corinthians 10:21
A keeping promise licenses disregarding faith, abiding or obedience, or a warning's if by itself records the final loss of a justified person, is not a faithful reading of those kinds of sentence. 1 Peter 1:5 · Colossians 1:23

Verdicts

1. Natural strength and grace
2. Love, invitation and preparation
3. Sin after justification
4. Entire sanctification as defined in the quotation
5. Baptism and children
6. The invitation to the table
7. Baptism before communion

The rest of the answer · Every step of the reading

The answer

How it was read, replayed from its own logs in the order it happened, at eight times its real speed (slower through its record, so each part can be read). It pauses once, at the reading's conclusions. The clock is the real time it happened.

What this reading did

Scripture alone. By its words, and by the Greek and Hebrew behind them. Search 37, not already perfect, was the first that found nothing.
In its own context. Never a verse on its own: whole passages, and 84 whole chapters.
False readings fall. It struck out 11 readings, each by a verse it would make false.
Traceable. Every verse it quotes opens in its chapter, as the reading opened it.

The Greek and Hebrew word searches use data from STEP Bible.

Do Methodist churches follow what the Bible teaches?

1. Without God's grace, no one can turn to God

What the statement says. Since Adam's fall, people cannot turn themselves to faith and to calling on God by their own natural strength. Nor can they do works that please God unless the grace of God by Christ goes before them ("preventing us, that we may have a good will") and then works with them once they have that good will.

The claim is about natural strength without Christ's grace. It does not say that people never act, choose, listen, pray, or do kind things.

What Scripture says

Adam's disobedience brought sin and death to everyone:

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" ()

"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." ()

Scripture describes all people, Jew and Gentile, as under sin. Romans here quotes the Psalms (Psalms 14:3 and Psalms 53:3 say the same):

"What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;" ()

"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" ()

"There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." ()

"They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." ()

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" ()

Christ acted for people before they had recovered at all:

"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." ()

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." ()

Jesus says plainly that coming to him needs the Father's action:

"No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." ()

"And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father." ()

In the same chapter, coming to Jesus is joined to believing in him:

"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." ()

Confessing Jesus as Lord is itself the Spirit's work:

"Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." ()

Those who receive Christ are born of God, not of human will:

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" ()

"Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." ()

The flesh cannot please God. What makes the difference is the Spirit:

"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." ()

"So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." ()

"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." ()

Salvation is God's gift, not earned. Good works are what that gift is for:

"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;" ()

"Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)" ()

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:" ()

"Not of works, lest any man should boast." ()

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." ()

"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:" ()

"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." ()

"This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men." ()

And God's grace works with the believer, as the statement says:

"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." ()

"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." ()

"But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." ()

In Philippians 2, verse 13 is the reason for verse 12. The readers really do work, and God is at work in them, both in their willing and in their doing. The cause runs from God's working to their work. It does not run from some goodness of their own that then earns grace. Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 15:10 show the same pattern: real labour, "yet not I, but the grace of God".

Passages that seem to point the other way

God commands everyone to repent, and through Ezekiel told Israel to make themselves a new heart:

"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:" ()

"Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." ()

"Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin." ()

"Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" ()

"For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye." ()

These are real commands, and the response they ask for is real. But a command says what people must do. Neither of these says the response comes about without God's help.

In fact, later in the same book God promises to give the very thing Ezekiel 18 commanded:

"Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went." ()

"Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you." ()

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." ()

"And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." ()

Here God gives the heart and the Spirit, and causes obedience. This promise was spoken to the house of Israel, so the whole national promise should not simply be carried over to every individual. But it shows plainly that what God commands, God also gives.

Cornelius is a serious check:

"A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway." ()

"And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God." ()

"But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." ()

His prayers, alms and acceptance are spoken of before the Holy Ghost fell on his household (Acts 10:44, quoted under statement 5). So statement 1 must not be stretched into a claim that God takes no account of any good before baptism, or before that moment. At the same time, these verses do not say his prayers and alms arose without grace. And they show that needing grace is not the same as doing nothing.

Lydia shows both sides at once:

"And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul." ()

She was listening, not idle. And it was the Lord who opened her heart.

Readings that fall

That a person produces saving faith by themselves, without the Father's giving. That would make John 6:65 false.
That salvation is earned by earlier works. That would make Ephesians 2:8-9 false.
That because everything depends on grace, there is no real human obedience. That would make Philippians 2:12 false.
That a person's obedience is self-sufficient. That would make Philippians 2:13 false.

One limit: Philippians 2 was written to believers. On its own, it does not prove when every unbeliever's first response happens. The statement's denial of natural self-sufficiency stands without needing to settle that.

Verdict on statement 1. That people cannot turn to God, or do what pleases God, by their own natural strength, and that Christ's grace goes before them and works with them, both in turning to God and in acceptable good works: Scripture teaches this.

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2. God's love, invitation, and the preparing of hearts

What the statement says. It joins several claims together: God loves everyone; he invites all of us into right relationship with him; we cannot do this on our own; and God prepares our hearts and minds to accept Jesus's invitation before we are even aware of it. Each part is weighed, and so is the whole.

God's kindness to all, and his love for the world

"The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works." ()

"The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season." ()

"Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing." ()

Jesus makes the Father's kindness to the evil and the good the very reason to love enemies:

"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;" ()

"That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." ()

"But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil." ()

"Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." ()

God's love toward the world was shown in giving his Son:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." ()

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." ()

Jesus loved, and called, a man who then walked away:

"Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me." ()

"And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions." ()

The call to all

Besides the command in Acts 17:30 for all people everywhere to repent:

"That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:" ()

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;" ()

"Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." ()

"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" ()

"Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." ()

"For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe." ()

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." ()

"Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?" ()

"And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." ()

"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men," ()

"Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;" ()

Together these give positive support for a wide and sincere call, and for real kindness from God that cannot be limited to people who already obey. None of them says that everyone who is called has already believed.

God really does act first in hearts

Lydia's opened heart (Acts 16:14, above) is a recorded case of God acting before someone attends to the message. Scripture also speaks of repentance as God's gift:

"When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." ()

"In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;" ()

"And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will." ()

The strongest texts for a reach to every person are these:

"The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe." ()

"That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." ()

"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." ()

"This he said, signifying what death he should die." ()

Love is not approval, and kindness is not acquittal

God's love toward the world does not mean everyone is already acquitted, or that God approves of everyone in the same way. The same chapter as John 3:16 says so:

"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." ()

"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." ()

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." ()

The same psalm that says God is good to all also says:

"The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth." ()

"He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them." ()

"The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy." ()

And another psalm:

"For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee." ()

"The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity." ()

"Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man." ()

"But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple." ()

Even there, the psalmist's own access to God rests on God's mercy.

Romans 9 sets God's mercy beside his hardening:

"(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)" ()

"As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." ()

"For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." ()

"So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." ()

"Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth." ()

The passages Romans 9 quotes were read in their own places (Genesis 25:23, Malachi 1, Exodus 33:19, Exodus 9:16). Malachi's words are:

"I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob," ()

"And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness." ()

"Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever." ()

That comparison concerns Jacob and Esau, Israel and Edom, and an actual judgment. It is not a definition of every use of the word "love". Neither Malachi nor Psalm 5 cancels the gift of the Son to the world in John 3:16, or God's kindness to the evil in Matthew 5:45.

Jesus also speaks of a love toward obedient disciples that the world does not share:

"If ye love me, keep my commandments." ()

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;" ()

"Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." ()

"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." ()

"Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." ()

So God's kindness to all is not the same as the Spirit living in everyone.

Different works of God are not interchangeable

Scripture speaks of light given, a public call, a heart opened, and new birth. These must not be treated as one and the same act unless a passage shows they are. John 1 itself keeps them apart. Right after the light that "lighteth every man" () come people who did not receive him, people who did, and birth from God (John 1:12-13):

"He came unto his own, and his own received him not." ()

John 12 does the same. The drawing of all is tied to Jesus' death (John 12:33). Then come a call to believe, an account of unbelief, and hardening:

"And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:" ()

"While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them." ()

"But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:" ()

"That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?" ()

"Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again," ()

"He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them." ()

The passages John quotes, Isaiah 53 and Isaiah 6, were read in full. They keep both the rejected servant and the hardening.

A note on the word "draw". The same Greek word stands behind "draw" in John 6:44 and John 12:32. But the same word is used for hauling a net (John 21:6, 21:11) and dragging people before rulers (Acts 16:19). So the word by itself does not prove one identical inward work in both places. What each passage says about itself comes first.

A similar check was made on the word for "grace". The same Greek word is translated "thank" in Luke 6:32 and "favour" in Luke 2:52, and stands as "grace" in Luke 2:40:

"For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them." ()

"And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him." ()

"And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." ()

So the word's sense comes from its setting each time. That does not shrink the saving grace of Ephesians 2, or the grace of Galatians 5, into mere human favour.

Two ways of reading how far the drawing reaches

Two readings of John 12:32 each keep every verse true:

Each person. "All men" includes every individual. On this reading the drawing is wider than actual coming, just as John 1:9-12 separates the light given to every man from receiving him.
Across peoples. "All men" reaches across nations. The setting is Greeks seeking Jesus (John 12:20), and effective learning from the Father leads to actual coming (John 6:45):

"It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me." ()

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." ()

The prophecy John 6:45 quotes is about the children of the restored woman in Isaiah:

"And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children." ()

The reach across peoples is also in Isaiah 49, which Paul and Barnabas quote:

"And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth." ()

"For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth." ()

That strengthens the breadth of God's purpose. It does not describe a hidden preparation in each individual.

Neither reading may delete the word "all", move the cross to some point before Jesus' death, or make the Father's giving in John 6:37 come to nothing.

Readings that fall

That everyone is already reconciled to God. That would make John 3:18 and John 3:36 false.
That no act of God comes before a person's response. That would make Acts 16:14 false.
That every working of God necessarily ends in faith. If that working includes the testimony people resisted, it would make this false:

"Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye." ()

That an invitation to all proves each person's heart has been inwardly prepared. This is a faulty step: it moves from who a command is addressed to to a claim about the inner state of every heart.

The same care applies the other way. These passages do not say that no wider kindness or light from God exists:

"Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." ()

"And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." ()

That a chosen people truly come does not, by logic, deny every wider work of God. Romans 9 does not deny it either.

Verdict on statement 2. That God loves the world and is kind to all, calls all to repent, that we cannot come on our own, and that God really does act first, opening hearts: Scripture teaches this.

The further claim, that every person's heart and mind is prepared in this way before they are aware of it, is not established by the passages gathered. It is not disproved either, because a passage not stating that exact formula is no evidence against it. The passages support a broad work of God that goes before people, and also real heart-opening. They do not show that every kind of divine influence is the same inward work in every person. This limit applies only to that further explanation. It takes nothing away from God's love, his call, or his acting first.

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3. Sin after justification

What the statement says. Not every sin someone willingly commits after being justified is the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost. So repentance should not be refused to those who fall into sin after justification. Even after receiving the Holy Ghost, we may depart from grace given and fall into sin, and by God's grace rise again and amend our lives.

It does not say that every kind of departure can be repaired. Nor does it say outright that justification is lost and then gained again. Those are not its words, and they are not weighed as if they were.

Forgiven, Spirit-filled people do sin, and are restored

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:" ()

"I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake." ()

The children John writes to are forgiven. He tells them not to sin, and gives them an advocate if they do.

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." ()

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." ()

People sealed by the Spirit are warned they can grieve him:

"And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." ()

In Corinth, real wrongdoing is rebuked in people described as washed, sanctified, justified, and indwelt by the Holy Ghost:

"Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren." ()

"And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." ()

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" ()

Restoration is commanded:

"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." ()

And it actually happened in a congregation, not only as an "if":

"Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing." ()

"For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death." ()

"For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter." ()

Peter's denial was deliberate, and was followed by grief and renewed service:

"But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." ()

"And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me." ()

"And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not." ()

"And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew." ()

"And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice." ()

"And Peter went out, and wept bitterly." ()

"So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs." ()

"He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep." ()

"This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me." ()

Scripture does not say that this denial cancelled Peter's justification, and nothing here claims it did.

Christ's own messages to the churches call those who have fallen to repent. They also warn of what follows if they refuse:

"Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." ()

"Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." ()

"Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols." ()

"And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not." ()

"Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds." ()

"And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works." ()

"Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." ()

"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." ()

So it goes too far to say every willing sin after conversion is beyond repentance. It is also false to promise safety to someone who carries on in the wrong. Both the open door and the threatened consequence stand.

The confession of Psalm 51 adds pleas for a clean heart, for the Holy Spirit not to be taken away, and for restored joy:

"For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me." ()

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." ()

"Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me." ()

"Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit." ()

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." ()

That is a prayer of dependence and repentance. It is not an account of justification being lost and then created again.

And Hebrews, for all its warnings, invites people to come:

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." ()

The sin that will not be forgiven is a particular one

"But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils." ()

"But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you." ()

"Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men." ()

"And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." ()

The exception is real. Its setting is the claim that Jesus cast out devils by the prince of devils, when he did it by the Spirit of God. Ordinary wrongdoing after conversion is not thereby made the same as that sin.

John also separates sin "not unto death" from sin "unto death":

"If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it." ()

"All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death." ()

So not every sin has the same outcome.

Falling away is real

Galatians uses the very words "fallen from grace":

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." ()

"Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing." ()

"For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law." ()

"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." ()

"For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith." ()

"For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love." ()

"Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?" ()

The issue in verses 2-4 is seeking justification through circumcision and the law, set against faith in verse 5. Romans 3:28 (above) rules out reading this as a justification by law that really worked and later expired. But the chapter does not make departure harmless. It also warns:

"Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." ()

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." ()

"For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." ()

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." ()

Other passages speak of real departure:

"Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness." ()

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;" ()

"Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved." ()

"They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away." ()

"And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection." ()

"But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience." ()

Luke 8:13 really does say some believe for a while and fall away. It also says they had no root, and sets them against those who bear fruit with patience. Both halves stand.

Further warnings say the same:

"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." ()

"By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain." ()

"We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain." ()

"But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die." ()

"When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die." ()

Hebrews 3-4 speaks to "holy brethren", real sharers, and tells them to hold fast:

"Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;" ()

"But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end." ()

"Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God." ()

"But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." ()

"For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;" ()

"So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief." ()

"For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." ()

"Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." ()

The word for "partakers" here is the one translated "partners" for fishermen sharing real work:

"And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink." ()

So the sharing is real, not imaginary. Hebrews names a means to resist hardening: exhorting one another daily (Hebrews 3:13). That alone does not explain how every promise and warning fit together. Hebrews 12 warns in the same way:

"Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;" ()

"See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:" ()

Restoration is not promised for every kind of falling away

Hebrews 6 is the strongest check against promising that every fall can be repaired:

"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost," ()

"And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come," ()

"If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." ()

"For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:" ()

"But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned." ()

"But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak." ()

"And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:" ()

"That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises." ()

The privileges described are real: enlightened, tasting the heavenly gift, sharing in the Holy Ghost. There is no warrant for shrinking them to no experience at all, or for softening "impossible" into "difficult". The "if" alone does not say that anyone actually does fall this way. But for the case it describes, the consequence is stated without exception, and its reason (crucifying the Son of God afresh, open shame) belongs with it. Some take the impossibility to last only while the rejection continues. Even so, the sentence gives no promise that the person will stop and be restored. The land comparison ends in burning for the barren case. Verse 9 then sets the hearers apart, speaking of "things that accompany salvation", and urges diligence.

Hebrews 10 describes wilful sin that tramples the Son:

"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins," ()

"But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." ()

"He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:" ()

"Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" ()

"For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people." ()

The chapter explains why no other sacrifice remains. Christ's one offering is final:

"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;" ()

"And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." ()

"Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin." ()

And it urges holding fast:

"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)" ()

"For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." ()

"Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." ()

"But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul." ()

This wilful sin is spelled out: trampling the Son, treating the covenant blood as unholy, insulting the Spirit of grace. It cannot be shrunk into an unrelated slip. Nor can it be widened into every sin a Christian commits, because that would make 1 John 2:1 false. The warning describes the destructive path of rejecting Christ. It is not a promise that such rejection can always be repaired.

Nothing here is used to judge whether any living person has crossed the line Hebrews 6 or Hebrews 10 describes.

God's promises to keep his people

These promises must be reported as fully as the warnings:

"And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." ()

"And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." ()

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." ()

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" ()

"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." ()

"My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." ()

"Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." ()

"For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." ()

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." ()

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." ()

"Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." ()

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" ()

"As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." ()

"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." ()

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come," ()

"Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." ()

"Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." ()

"Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father." ()

"And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life." ()

The Comforter is promised to abide "for ever" (John 14:16, above). Romans 8:36 quotes Psalm 44, which describes faithful people suffering. It does not treat suffering as proof that Christ's love has failed.

Some of these are more than statements of purpose. John 6:37, John 6:40 and John 10:28 say what will actually happen. No exception may be slipped into "never". Nor may every warning be presented as a recorded case of these promises failing. And 1 Peter 1:5 says God keeps his people through faith, not apart from it. These promises are grounds to trust God's keeping. They are not a licence to sin.

The one named exception

Jesus names an actual exception in his prayer:

"While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled." ()

That exception must not be hidden. But John 6 describes Judas differently from those who believed:

"But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him." ()

"From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." ()

"Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?" ()

"He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve." ()

"For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me." ()

Being chosen among the twelve is distinguished from believing, and the betrayer's unbelief was known "from the beginning". So this exception cannot simply be relabelled as a justified sheep who finally perished. Nor is the exception unreal. These are Scripture's own words about the person it names. They are not used to judge anyone living.

Other hard passages, each in its own setting

The vine. Branches "in me" are removed and burned:

"Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." ()

"Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." ()

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me." ()

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." ()

"If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." ()

"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." ()

The connection is real, and not abiding has the stated end. But this picture, given as an exhortation, does not itself say that every threatened branch is one of those in the justified-and-glorified chain of Romans 8:30. Two chapters earlier, Jesus said his disciples were clean "but not all":

"Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all." ()

"For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean." ()

"I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me." ()

"He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night." ()

That shows being among the disciples is not the same as being clean. It does not prove that every threatened branch was secretly another Judas.

The olive tree. The writer speaks to Gentiles:

"For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:" ()

"And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;" ()

"Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:" ()

"For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee." ()

"Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off." ()

"And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again." ()

Standing is by faith. Unbelief brings cutting off. Grafting in again is possible if unbelief ends. That condition cannot be erased. But the picture concerns peoples, natural and wild branches. It is not a narrated case of a named justified person losing eternal life.

The unforgiving servant.

"Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt." ()

"Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:" ()

"Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?" ()

"And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him." ()

"So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." ()

The debt really was forgiven, and the Father's warning to the disciples is real. Deleting either breaks the parable. Its point is that mercy received calls for mercy given. Treating every detail as a full account of new birth, justification and its reversal adds identities the parable does not supply.

Continuing in the faith.

"And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled" ()

"In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:" ()

"If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;" ()

Being presented holy is plainly conditioned on continuing in the faith.

Shipwreck.

"Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:" ()

"Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme." ()

A real failure, with discipline whose stated purpose is correction.

Escaped, and entangled again.

"For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error." ()

"While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage." ()

"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning." ()

"For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them." ()

"But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." ()

A real escape, a real return to bondage, and a worse end. This is more than a change of words. But the proverb of the dog and the sow does not itself say anyone was born of God and then unborn. Neither this passage nor 1 Timothy 1 is a reason to invent anyone's unstated spiritual history.

The book of life.

"He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." ()

This is a promise to the one who overcomes. Turning it around into a claim that some named person's name has been blotted out is not what the sentence says.

Those who went out.

"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." ()

John explains these particular departures, the antichrists of his letter, as showing they were never truly "of us". That does not license labelling every departure today the same way, without hearing the person.

Denial and faithfulness.

"If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:" ()

"If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself." ()

"Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some." ()

"Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." ()

The consequence of denial stands next to God's faithfulness. God's faithfulness cannot be turned into a denial of that consequence.

Readings that fall

That every sin after justification is unforgivable. That would make 1 John 2:1, 1 John 2:12, 1 John 5:17 and Galatians 6:1 false.
That God's provision for sin makes sin harmless. That would make Galatians 6:8 and Revelation 2:22 false.
That every falling away is only an appearance, never real. That would make Luke 8:13, 2 Peter 3:17 and 1 Timothy 4:1 false.
That every apostasy is guaranteed to be repairable. That runs against the impossibility stated in Hebrews 6:4-6.
That a promise of keeping allows disregarding faith, abiding or obedience. That would make 1 Peter 1:5 ("through faith") and Colossians 1:23 false.
That a warning's "if" by itself records a justified person's final loss. That reads a warning as a report, which it is not. The keeping promises and the conditions both stand, each in its own scope.

Verdict on statement 3. That not every willing sin after justification is unpardonable, that forgiven, Spirit-indwelt people who fall into sin may repent and be restored by God's grace, and that repentance must not be refused to them across the board: Scripture teaches this. That every sin after justification is unforgivable: This is not what Scripture teaches.

Real departure from obedience, from steadfastness, and from the grace of faith (into seeking justification by the law) is something Scripture speaks of. The statement's "depart from grace given" is supported in that sense. But two limits hold:

Possible restoration must not be stretched into guaranteed restoration from every kind of falling away. Hebrews 6:4-6 rules that assurance out.
The idea that justification is repeatedly lost and created again is not what statement 3 says, and these restoration passages do not show it.

Scripture's promises that God keeps his people and its warnings of judgment are both to be heard. The warnings are not records of the promises failing.

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4. Entire sanctification

What the statement says. Entire sanctification is a state of perfect love, righteousness and true holiness. Every regenerate believer may obtain it, by being delivered from the power of sin and by loving God with all the heart, soul, mind and strength, and their neighbour as themselves. Through faith in Christ this gift may be received in this life both gradually and instantaneously, and every child of God should seek it earnestly.

Notice what it does not say. It does not claim never making a mistake, never being tempted, or no longer needing forgiveness. Those claims are not weighed as if they were its words. Its "may" is not "will". It gives no timetable. And it does not expressly require a second event.

What Scripture says

Whole-hearted love of God, and love of neighbour, are the great commandments:

"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment." ()

"And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." ()

Jesus is quoting the law:

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:" ()

"And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." ()

"Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD." ()

Holiness is commanded:

"Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy." ()

"Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." ()

"Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:" ()

The statement's own phrase "righteousness and true holiness" comes from the new man, and it is lived out in everyday actions:

"That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;" ()

"And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;" ()

"And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." ()

"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:" ()

"Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth." ()

"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." ()

Deliverance from sin's power is spoken of as the present standing of the people the letter addresses:

"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." ()

"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." ()

"Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." ()

"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." ()

"What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid." ()

"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" ()

"But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you." ()

"Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." ()

"I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness." ()

"But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." ()

These readers still have "mortal" bodies (verse 12) and are still told not to let sin reign. And this freedom is described as belonging to the people addressed under grace, not to an advanced few.

Godliness and cleansing belong to this present world:

"Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." ()

Perfect love is spoken of as something real in this world:

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." ()

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." ()

"No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us." ()

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." ()

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." ()

"We love him, because he first loved us." ()

"If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" ()

"And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also." ()

"But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him." ()

To say perfected love is impossible before death would make 1 John 4:17 ("in this world") false. And its test is real love for one's brother. A private claim of inner perfection while hating a brother breaks verse 20.

The letter prays for whole sanctification, and trusts God to do it:

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." ()

"Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." ()

That warrants earnest prayer and confidence. It does not give a date by which every part is complete before Christ comes.

Christ's one offering has sanctified and perfected his people:

"By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." ()

"For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." ()

In its setting this is about the power of Christ's sacrifice and our access to God. It is not a statement that the hearers can no longer sin. The same chapter warns them (Hebrews 10:26-29, above).

Jesus' command to be perfect comes in teaching about loving enemies, after the Father's kindness to the evil and the good (Matthew 5:45, above):

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." ()

The setting was checked. Jesus is teaching his disciples, with crowds present:

"And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people." ()

"And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:" ()

"And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying," ()

Nothing in the chapter exempts anyone from whole-hearted holiness.

The hard passages

No one may claim to have no sin.

"If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:" ()

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." ()

"If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." ()

Together with 1 John 1:9 and 2:1-2 (above), these rule out claiming no sin or doing without the advocate.

"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin."

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." ()

"And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." ()

"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." ()

"And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin." ()

"Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him." ()

"Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous." ()

"He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." ()

"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." ()

"In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother." ()

"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." ()

"Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" ()

"We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not." ()

These are strong, and they apply to everyone born of God, not to a later, higher class of believer. Read as saying that no one born of God can ever commit any sinful act, they would leave no sense to 1 John 2:1's advocate for these forgiven children, or to the sinning brother of 1 John 5:16. Read as mere advice with no real change, they would break their own link between new birth and abiding. In their own contrast (doing righteousness or doing sin, loving or hating one's brother), they deny that sin is the expression and governing character of the life God begets.

That is a reading from the context. It is not a claim that the Greek verb itself means only "habitual sin": the same verb stands in 1 John 2:1's "if any man sin". No grammar rule or dictionary was used to reach it.

Not yet reached.

"And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:" ()

"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus." ()

"Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you." ()

"For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:" ()

"Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." ()

Paul has "not already attained" the goal, yet speaks of those who are "perfect" (mature) pursuing it, with the body's change still to come.

We all stumble.

"For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body." ()

"Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be." ()

James includes himself in "we offend all". The "perfect man" is an "if"; it does not say someone has met that condition.

Flesh against Spirit.

"For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another." ()

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." ()

"For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." ()

"But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." ()

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith," ()

"And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." ()

"If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." ()

The struggle is real, and so is the command to walk in the Spirit. Nothing here says sin must reign.

Keep growing.

"Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more." ()

"For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:" ()

"For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." ()

"And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;" ()

"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." ()

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." ()

The "promises" of 2 Corinthians 7:1 are in the verses just before it:

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" ()

"And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." ()

"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you," ()

"And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." ()

So "perfecting holiness" answers God's promises and calls for separation from defilement. It is not a statement that every Christian has already reached a sinless condition.

Whole-hearted, and still dependent.

"With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments." ()

"I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart." ()

"Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart." ()

"Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness." ()

The psalm's speaker seeks God with a whole heart, and in the same breath asks not to wander, and asks God to enlarge and incline that heart. Whole-hearted love sits alongside continuing need for God's help. It is not a claim to have no sin.

What the words "perfect" and "sanctify" can and cannot prove

The Greek words behind "perfect" were checked across their uses. One is translated "men" (as opposed to children) and "full age":

"Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men." ()

"But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." ()

The other is used of finishing a work and of perfected unity:

"I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." ()

"I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." ()

So the word "perfect" alone does not prove complete sinlessness. Each place takes its sense from what it describes: maturity, a finished work, the power of a sacrifice, unity, or perfected love.

The Greek word translated holiness in Romans 6:19, Romans 6:22 and 1 Thessalonians 4:7 sits each time in a changed, obedient life. It is not a word-proof of one instant final stage. The verb "sanctify" is also used of an unbelieving spouse (1 Corinthians 7:14), of food (1 Timothy 4:5), and of the outward purifying of the flesh by old rites (Hebrews 9:13). So "sanctified" alone does not mean "justified". Hebrews 10:29 is still read in its own strong covenant setting, not watered down by these comparisons.

Readings that fall

That there is no deliverance from sin's rule in this life. That would make Romans 6:14 and Romans 6:18 false.
That perfected love is impossible in this world. That would make 1 John 4:17 false.
That perfected love means a person no longer needs to confess, or cannot sin. That would make 1 John 1:8-10 and 1 John 2:1 false.
That 1 John 3:9 describes only an exceptional class of believers. That would contradict its own reach: "whosoever is born of God".
That a private claim to love God can stand alongside hating a brother. That would make 1 John 4:20 and this verse false:

"My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." ()

Verdict on statement 4. Real, grace-given holiness; whole-hearted love of God and neighbour; freedom from sin's rule; perfected love in this world; and continuing growth, earnestly sought through dependence on Christ: Scripture teaches this. The statement is supported to that extent.

What is not established is the exact account of how the whole described state is reached: "both gradually and instantaneously". Putting together the passages about Christ's finished offering and the passages commanding growth does not prove it, because those passages describe different sides of sanctification. Two ways of reading them keep every verse true. One is a decisive gift followed by ongoing growth. The other is a maturing realisation of grace-given love. Neither one shows that a second experience is required, and neither denies present perfected love. So the "gradually and instantaneously" account rests on inference.

Two limits run both ways. Nothing here can promise a sin-free condition in this life. And the statement cannot be rejected by quietly swapping its definition ("perfect love") for that sin-free condition. This limit concerns only the exact account of attainment. It takes nothing from the call to pursue holiness and whole-hearted love, and it gives no ground for thinking sin must reign.

---

5. Baptism and young children

What the statement says. Baptism is a sign of profession and a mark that sets Christians apart, and also a sign of regeneration, the new birth. The baptism of young children is to be kept in the church.

"Baptism" is used for more than one thing

The Greek words behind "baptize" and "baptism" are used for washing before meals (Mark 7:4; Luke 11:38), for water baptism, for baptism with the Spirit, and for Jesus' coming suffering:

"For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." ()

"But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" ()

"And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:" ()

In Mark 10, the context just before (verses 33-34) is Jesus foretelling his death. The statement is about the church's water rite. So nothing about who should receive water baptism follows just from carrying over what is said about Spirit baptism or suffering.

Baptism is tied to Christ's death and new life

"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?" ()

"Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." ()

"In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:" ()

"Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." ()

"And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;" ()

"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." ()

"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." ()

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." ()

"And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." ()

Some passages use very strong language about baptism:

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." ()

"And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." ()

"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." ()

"Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water." ()

"The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:" ()

These cannot be shrunk into a mere badge. 1 Peter 3:21 says outright that baptism saves. It also says it is not by washing dirt from the body, and points to a good conscience toward God through Christ's resurrection.

But water does not automatically give new birth

New birth is the Spirit's work:

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." ()

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." ()

"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." ()

"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." ()

John 1:13 (above) says this birth is not of blood or human will.

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;" ()

"Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;" ()

"That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." ()

The word "regeneration" in Titus 3:5 appears in only one other place, for the coming renewal of all things:

"And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." ()

And the word "washing" in Titus 3:5 appears in only one other place:

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;" ()

"That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word," ()

So the words alone do not make regeneration the same thing as the water rite. And neither place says that everyone who receives water thereby receives the Spirit.

Acts shows water and Spirit in different orders:

"Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done." ()

"(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)" ()

"Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost." ()

"Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God." ()

"Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee." ()

"For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity." ()

"To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." ()

"While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word." ()

"And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost." ()

"Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?" ()

"And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning." ()

"Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost." ()

"Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?" ()

Two careful points. First, the rebuke of Simon comes after his baptism. By itself that does not prove nothing happened at his baptism, and it must not be used to guess at his unstated spiritual history. What it does show is that a record of being baptized cannot replace the present rebuke and the command to repent. Second, Acts 10 shows the Holy Ghost received before water, and then baptism commanded anyway (Acts 10:48, quoted under statement 7), not declared unnecessary. So no single order of water and Spirit holds in every case.

John 3:5, two readings. "Born of water and of the Spirit" keeps both words. One reading links it to baptism (Acts 2:38, Titus 3:5, and the new-life passages). Another links it to God's promised cleansing (Ezekiel 36:25-27, above). Under either one, water alone apart from the Spirit is not new birth, and nothing commands infants to receive water. So the verdict below does not depend on choosing between them. (The word "water" was not taken to mean physical birth.)

On "sign". The statement calls baptism a "sign" of new birth. It does not claim that water automatically regenerates everyone who receives it. Nor does this reading take the word "sign" as a denial that God works through baptism, or claim to have disproved every account of how he does.

Baptism follows teaching and faith, and adulthood is never named as the requirement

"But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women." ()

"And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." ()

"And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him." ()

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" ()

"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." ()

"And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized." ()

"When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John," ()

"(Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)" ()

Later in John 4, Jesus speaks of the water he gives. That is set apart from well water, and is not itself an account of baptism:

"But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." ()

John the Baptist's baptism came with confession and repentance, and with a warning not to rest on ancestry:

"And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins." ()

"Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:" ()

"And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham." ()

"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:" ()

Jesus' own baptism had a different stated reason. It was not repentance from sin:

"And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him." ()

These passages establish baptism of disciples and believers. None of them makes adulthood the requirement. A young child who believes is not ruled out.

The strongest passages for including infants

These must be shown, and none may be ignored.

God commanded the covenant sign for eight-day-old boys and for the household:

"And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee." ()

"And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you." ()

"And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed." ()

"And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant." ()

Colossians 2:11-12 (above) joins circumcision and baptism. The promise is to "your children":

"For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." ()

Whole households were baptized: Lydia's (Acts 16:15) and the jailor's:

"And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us." ()

"And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." ()

"And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house." ()

"And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway." ()

"And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house." ()

"And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other." ()

Children of a believer are called holy:

"But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away." ()

"And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him." ()

"For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy." ()

"But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace." ()

"For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?" ()

And Jesus welcomed infants:

"And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them." ()

"But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." ()

"Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." ()

"And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them." ()

"But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." ()

"And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence." ()

These are serious considerations for including infants. But each, read in its place, stops short of a command:

Colossians 2 speaks of a circumcision "made without hands" and of rising "through the faith of the operation of God". It does not instruct the church to carry Genesis 17's age and sex rules over to baptism.
Galatians 3:26-29 ties being God's children and Abraham's heirs to faith and to Christ.
Acts 2:39 includes "as many as the Lord our God shall call". The verses around it include repentance (verse 38) and gladly receiving the word (verse 41).
The jailor's house heard the word and believed (Acts 16:32-34). Lydia's household is not described by ages or responses. A household baptism, by itself, tells us neither that infants were there nor that they were not.
Stephanas' household is described later by its service:

"I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)" ()

That points to a responsive, serving household. It still gives no list of ages.

1 Corinthians 7:14 is about a mixed marriage and whether to stay together. Even the unbelieving spouse is "sanctified" there, so "holy" cannot simply mean every family member is already born again. It is not a direction about baptism.
Luke 18 and Mark 10 name touching, taking up in arms, laying on hands, and blessing. Turning that into a baptism changes the act described.

Readings that fall

That Scripture forbids bringing infants to Jesus. That would make Luke 18:16 false.
That a household baptism proves infants were present. That adds a detail the text does not give.
That a household baptism proves no infants were present. That adds a detail the other way.
That the promise to children guarantees every child new birth regardless of response. That would break John 1:13, and cut Acts 2:39 off from its own words "as many as the Lord our God shall call".
That Colossians 2 commands repeating every feature of Genesis 17. That supplies a transfer the text does not make, and would erase Colossians' own stress on faith.
That water is the Spirit, or every baptism passage means the same act, or the Spirit is always first given at the moment of water baptism. That would make Acts 1:5 and Acts 10:47 false.

Equally, the examples of believers being baptized do not, on their own, say that every possible recipient must be able to tell of an adult conversion.

Verdict on statement 5. Baptism as a sign of new birth, tied to Christ's death and new life, and more than an empty badge: Scripture teaches this. That holds as long as "sign" does not become automatic new birth apart from the Spirit, and the statement does not claim that.

Baptism of young children who believe: Scripture supports it, because baptism follows teaching, repentance and faith, and adulthood is never named as the requirement.

Baptism of infants as a binding practice the church must keep: the passages read do not establish it. No unqualified command to retain infant baptism is earned. The opposite, an express prohibition on baptizing infants, is not earned from the adult examples either. Two inferences remain:

Extending the household covenant sign to infants. This draws on Genesis 17, Colossians 2, Acts 2:39 and the household baptisms. What it lacks is an explicit transfer of who receives the sign from circumcision to baptism.
Requiring personal faith in everyone baptized. This draws on Matthew 28, Acts 8 and Galatians 3. What it lacks is an express prohibition of infants; the adult responses recorded are examples, not a ban.

Neither gap can be turned into a verse that proves the other side false. This concerns only who should receive baptism. It is not a claim that Scripture has little to say about baptism.

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6. The invitation to the Lord's table

What the statement says. "Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin, and seek to be at peace with one another." If you can say you do or have done these three things, you are welcome to receive.

What Scripture says about the supper

Jesus gave it and commanded it to be done in remembrance of him:

"And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him." ()

"And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me." ()

"Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." ()

Paul passes the same command on to the church, with instructions for how to come:

"For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:" ()

"And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me." ()

"After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me." ()

"For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." ()

"Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord." ()

"But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup." ()

"For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body." ()

"But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world." ()

"Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another." ()

The table is communion in Christ's body and blood, and cannot be shared with idols:

"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" ()

"For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread." ()

"But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils." ()

"Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils." ()

So an invitation to people turning to Christ is supported. An invitation that allowed continuing in idolatry is not.

The three things the invitation names

Love for Christ. Love for Christ cannot be separated from obeying him (John 14:15, above):

"If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." ()

"Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." ()

Earnest repentance. Confession and turning are in 1 John 1:9 and Galatians 6:1 (both above).

Seeking peace.

"If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." ()

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:" ()

Romans 12:18's "if it be possible, as much as lieth in you" separates seeking peace (the invitation's word) from succeeding in making every other person peaceful.

The supper does not require a flawless life first. In 1 Corinthians 11:28, a person examines himself and then eats. And verse 32 sets the Lord's chastening apart from being condemned with the world. So the three qualities should not be read as three finished achievements that make ongoing self-examination unnecessary either.

Saying the words is not enough on its own

Love must be real:

"My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." ()

1 John 4:20 (above) calls a claim to love God while hating a brother a lie.

Paul commands the church not even to eat with someone called a brother who continues in certain open sins:

"It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife." ()

"To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." ()

"I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:" ()

"Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world." ()

"But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat." ()

"For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?" ()

"But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person." ()

This reaches even ordinary meals, so it cannot be an argument for that person sharing the church's sacred meal. Its scope is those called brothers, not all contact with sinners outside the church. And its stated purpose is the person's salvation (verse 5).

The betrayer at the table. Luke places the betrayer at the supper:

"But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table." ()

"And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!" ()

"And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing." ()

His presence and the warning must not be hidden. The text does not separately say that everyone present shared in every part of the meal. And Jesus' knowledge of a hidden betrayer is a different situation from the open, reported wrongdoing of 1 Corinthians 5. So two things follow. The invitation cannot be judged by expecting a church to see into hearts. And this passage cannot be turned into a command to admit people who carry on in the evils 1 Corinthians 5 names.

"Discerning the Lord's body" (1 Corinthians 11:29) can be read with more than one emphasis. One is recognising Christ's body given for those who receive (verses 24-26). The other is the church as one body (1 Corinthians 10:17, and this verse) and its treatment of the poor in the meal:

"Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." ()

"For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken." ()

"What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not." ()

Under either emphasis, repentance does not do away with remembrance, a right regard for the meal, and a right regard for one another. Neither emphasis makes a spoken claim an overriding ticket of admission. And neither supplies an exception for the unbaptized, which is statement 7's question.

Readings that fall

That anyone who can merely say the three things may receive, whatever their unrepented conduct. That would make 1 Corinthians 5:11 false, and override the self-examination and discerning of 1 Corinthians 11:28-29.
That the table can be combined with idolatry. That would make 1 Corinthians 10:21 false.
That no one may come until they are sinless. That is not the rule given to the church Paul corrected. He says examine, and so let him eat (1 Corinthians 11:28).

Verdict on statement 6. Love for Christ, earnest repentance, and seeking peace all have positive support. As a short description of repentant, peace-seeking discipleship, the invitation fits what Scripture teaches about coming to the table. It should not be faulted for not demanding a sinless life.

But read as a complete rule of admission, where saying the three things is enough whatever someone's open, unrepented conduct: This is not what Scripture teaches. The invitation also is not itself a quotation from Scripture. It is consistent with Scripture as long as it does not replace Christ's command to remember him, self-examination, discerning the body, and the church's discipline.

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7. Baptism before communion

What the statement says. People are normally baptized before receiving communion. Yet baptism is not required to receive. Anyone who comes unbaptized will be encouraged toward baptism at their earliest convenience.

What Scripture says

The order in Acts is word received, baptism, then continuing in fellowship and breaking bread:

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." ()

"And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." ()

Baptism itself is commanded (Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 2:38, above). It was commanded even for people who had already received the Holy Ghost:

"And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days." ()

So treating baptism as optional, or deliberately putting it off indefinitely, would not follow Christ's command. The statement's own words do not do that. They encourage baptism "at your earliest convenience", and that must not be quietly turned into deliberate, indefinite refusal. The statement is about who may receive communion. It is not a denial that baptism is commanded.

The further question: must every unbaptized believer be turned away?

That is a separate claim. Acts 2 records an order. 1 Corinthians 11 speaks to a church that already existed. Neither one says outright what should happen if an unbaptized believer comes to the meal. And 1 Corinthians 11:28 is an instruction to that church. It is not a report that an unbaptized visitor was admitted. The fact that the chapter does not mention baptism cannot, by itself, establish an exception.

The strongest argument for a strict order is the Passover:

"But every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof." ()

"And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof." ()

Christ is called our Passover:

"Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:" ()

The supper was given at Passover (Luke 22), and Colossians 2:11-12 links circumcision and baptism. These are real links in the text. But they point to Christ. They do not explicitly carry every rule about who may eat the Passover over to a new water-baptism rule. If they did, the specific requirement that males be circumcised would also have to be carried over, or changed, with no rule given for doing so.

The strongest argument for an exception is the one body and the Spirit:

"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." ()

With 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 (one bread, one body), and Acts 10:44-48, where the Spirit was received before water. That shows not everyone without water baptism can be counted a stranger to Christ for that reason alone. But Acts 10 does not describe anyone receiving communion before baptism.

Where this leaves it

Two inferences each keep every explicit statement true, so long as neither makes baptism optional or self-examination unnecessary:

Strict order. Baptism first, always. This is drawn from the command to baptize disciples, the Acts 2 sequence, and the Passover.
Exceptional admission. A truly repentant believer who is not yet baptized may come. This is drawn from the one body, the Spirit given before water in Acts 10, and the examine-then-eat direction of 1 Corinthians 11:28.

The passages gathered do not choose the exception by any explicit case or command. Nor do they turn the ordinary order into an explicit ban for everyone. Neither inference may be called an explicit command, and neither may be held to a stricter standard of proof than the other.

Verdict on statement 7. That people are normally baptized before communion, and that baptism is commanded: Scripture supports this. The order is shown by example, and baptism itself is commanded. The sentence "baptism is not required" goes further than the recorded order. As a biblical rule, it is not established by these passages. The opposite rule, that every unbaptized believer must be refused, is also an inference, not an explicit command.

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Putting it together

Your question, "Do Methodist churches follow what the Bible teaches?", cannot be answered with a single yes or no. Here is where each of the seven statements stands, as you quoted them:

Grace before and with us. Scripture teaches this.
God's love, call, and preparation. God's love toward the world, his kindness to all, his call to all to repent, and his real work in hearts before people respond: Scripture teaches this. The further claim that every person's heart is prepared before they are aware of it is not established by the passages read, and not disproved.
Sin after justification. Scripture teaches this: not every willing sin after justification is unpardonable, and repentance and restoration are open to the fallen. That every such sin is unforgivable is not what Scripture teaches. Guaranteed restoration from every kind of falling away is ruled out by Hebrews 6:4-6. The idea that justification is lost and re-created is not what the statement says and is not shown by these passages.
Entire sanctification. Whole-hearted love, holiness, freedom from sin's rule, perfected love in this world, and earnest growth: Scripture teaches this. The exact "gradually and instantaneously" account of reaching the whole state is not established; it rests on inference.
Baptism and young children. Baptism as a sign of new birth: Scripture teaches this, provided the sign is not made automatic. Baptism of young children who believe: supported. A binding requirement to baptize infants: not established. A prohibition on baptizing infants: not established either.
The table invitation. As a description of repentant, peace-seeking discipleship, it fits Scripture. As a rule that saying the words is enough whatever someone's open, unrepented conduct, it is not what Scripture teaches.
Baptism before communion. The ordinary order, and baptism as commanded: supported. "Baptism is not required" for communion is not established as a biblical rule. An absolute ban on any unbaptized believer is also only an inference.

None of this is a verdict on any congregation, or on anyone's standing before God.

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How this was read, and what was not checked

How it was read. Only the text of Scripture was used, with no commentators, traditions or denominations. 159 searches were run by English word, by topic, and by the Greek or Hebrew word behind the English. Every passage relied on was opened and read in its setting. Some search results that came up were not opened. They are listed as unread in the record and are not described here, so nothing here claims Scripture is silent on any point.

Where the New Testament quotes the Old. Those quoted passages were opened in their own places before being relied on:

Isaiah 54 (for John 6:45), Exodus 16 and Psalm 78 (for the manna in John 6), and Isaiah 53 and 6 (for John 12).
Psalm 82 (for John 10:34-35).
Genesis 22 (for Hebrews 6). Psalm 40, Jeremiah 31, Deuteronomy 32 and Habakkuk 2 (for Hebrews 10).
Psalm 44 (for Romans 8:36). Psalm 41 (for John 13:18). Psalms 69 and 35 (for John 15:25).
Deuteronomy 6 and Leviticus 19 (for the great commandments and 1 Peter 1:16). Isaiah 40 (for 1 Peter 1:23-25).
Genesis 25, Malachi 1, Exodus 33 and Exodus 9 (for Romans 9).
Psalm 95 and Genesis 2 (for Hebrews 3-4). Isaiah 49 (for Acts 13:47 and 2 Corinthians 6:2).
Leviticus 26, Isaiah 52, 2 Samuel 7 and Isaiah 43 (for 2 Corinthians 6:16-18).

None of them changed the answer. A few of them speak most directly to points above:

"Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:" ()

"And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made." ()

These keep Hebrews' warning set within worship, and its "rest" grounded in God's finished work.

"Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;" ()

"And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people." ()

"Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD." ()

"I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:" ()

"I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;" ()

These keep their first settings: Israel's covenant, the call to come out clean, the promise to David's son, and the gathering of God's people. 2 Corinthians then applies them to the church. No single one of them contains the letter's whole combined wording, and that use does not transfer every land or royal promise to every person.

"Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause." ()

This matches the "without a cause" of John 15:25 and changes nothing about baptism, perfection or communion.

What was not checked:

The documents behind the seven quotations: whether they are accurate, current, or rightly attributed.
What any congregation actually teaches or does beyond those sentences.
Anyone's standing before God. That is never weighed here.

The four points left open, each bounded by the verses on both sides shown above:

The every-person, before-awareness preparation in statement 2.
The exact "gradually and instantaneously" account in statement 4.
Carrying the covenant sign's infant recipients over to baptism in statement 5.
Admitting an unbaptized believer to communion in statement 7.

None of them is grounds for blanket approval or for blanket condemnation.

If this is about your own situation. If you are weighing your own baptism, or whether to come to communion, the details would matter: how you have actually responded to Christ, whether you have been baptized, and, if not, whether that is from being unable, from not yet being taught, or from choosing not to. You have not described a situation like that, so nothing here speaks to anyone's particular case.

Every step of the reading

Everything the replay shows, as plain text, in the order it happened. Times are from the moment the reading began.

Every search, in order (159)

0:16 words Lord's supper 1 found
0:16 words worketh in you 1 found
0:16 words no man can 10 found
0:16 words fall away 2 found
0:16 words perfect love 1 found
0:16 words all men 72 found
0:16 word family baptism 22 found
0:28 words sin unto death 2 found
0:28 words be ye therefore perfect 1 found
0:28 words multiplying I will 2 found
0:28 words without me 2 found
0:27 words prevent 7 found
0:28 words fallen from grace 1 found
0:28 words none that seeketh 1 found
0:28 words all men (page 2) 72 found
0:28 words never perish 1 found
0:28 words sin not 10 found
0:28 words draw 75 found
0:28 words taught of 3 found
0:28 words willingly 23 found
0:28 words dead in 9 found
0:28 words bread from heaven 4 found
0:28 words sanctify you wholly 1 found
0:28 words little children 20 found
0:28 words communion 3 found
0:28 words household 60 found
0:28 words God so loved 2 found
0:28 words breaking of bread 2 found
0:51 words restore 39 found
0:51 words blasphemy against 2 found
0:51 words else were your children 1 found
0:51 words in many things 2 found
0:51 words circumcision made without 1 found
0:51 words Lord opened 5 found
0:51 words household (page 2) 60 found
0:51 words sin wilfully 1 found
0:51 words not already perfect 0 found
0:51 words repent 43 found
0:51 words born again 3 found
0:51 words your children 33 found
0:51 words converted 9 found
0:51 words baptizing 4 found
0:51 word family draw 3913 found
0:51 word family baptized 2605 found
0:51 word family perfect 926 found
0:51 word family sanctification 10 found
0:51 original word G908 22 found baptism 22
1:01 words partakers of the Holy 1 found
1:01 words escaped 56 found
1:01 words communion 3 found
1:01 words already perfect 1 found
1:01 original word G5046 17 found perfect 17 · age 1 · men 1
1:01 original word G907 65 found baptized 56 · baptize 9 · baptizing 4 · with 4 · baptizeth 2 · were 2 · are 1 · baptist 1 · being 1 · had 1 · should 1 · thou 1 · wash 1 · washed 1 · withal 1
1:01 original word G5048 24 found perfect 13 · perfected 4 · finish 3 · make 3 · fulfilled 2 · is 2 · consecrated 1 · finished 1 · made 1 · should 1 · they 1 · was 1
1:01 original word G907 (page 2) 65 found baptized 56 · baptize 9 · baptizing 4 · with 4 · baptizeth 2 · were 2 · are 1 · baptist 1 · being 1 · had 1 · should 1 · thou 1 · wash 1 · washed 1 · withal 1
1:01 original word G1670 8 found draw 4 · drew 4
1:18 words thou shalt love 14 found
1:18 words just shall live 4 found
1:18 words escaped (page 2) 56 found
1:18 words Vengeance 39 found
1:18 words who hath believed 3 found
1:18 words asps 4 found
1:18 words my laws 5 found
1:18 words Make the heart 1 found
1:18 words created in righteousness 1 found
1:18 words said, Ye are gods 2 found
1:18 words none that doeth good 5 found
1:18 words fear of God 8 found
1:18 words feet run 2 found
1:18 words no not one 0 found
1:18 words without a cause 8 found
1:18 words Sacrifice and offering 3 found
1:18 original word G38 10 found holiness 5 · sanctification 5
2:05 words new covenant 4 found
2:05 words not all clean 1 found
2:05 words forgave 7 found
2:06 words clean water 1 found
2:06 words shipwreck 2 found
2:06 words blot out 9 found
2:06 words soul and spirit 1 found
2:06 all of branches + off 6 found
2:06 words continue in the faith 2 found
2:06 words shall not have dominion 1 found
2:06 original word G3824 2 found regeneration 2
2:06 original word G37 26 found sanctified 16 · sanctify 6 · sanctifieth 4 · be 2 · holy 1
2:06 original word G264 37 found sin 16 · sinned 15 · sinneth 7 · trespass 3 · hath 2 · faults 1 · had 1 · hast 1 · have 1 · offended 1
2:06 original word G3067 2 found washing 2
2:45 words eat with 11 found
2:45 words not willing 2 found
2:45 words true holiness 1 found
2:45 words repentance 26 found
2:45 words not of him that willeth 1 found
2:45 words drew 84 found
2:45 words ordained to eternal life 1 found
2:45 words yet not I 3 found
2:45 words new heart 2 found
2:45 words peace with 17 found
2:45 words resist the Holy 1 found
2:45 words made perfect 9 found
3:43 words my footstool 3 found
3:43 words I foresaw 1 found
3:43 words the slaughter 25 found
3:43 words infants 3 found
3:43 words eight days old 2 found
3:43 words sit thou 7 found
3:43 words lifted up his heel 2 found
3:43 words not to eat 2 found
3:43 words The LORD shall judge his people 2 found
4:18 words uncircumcised person 1 found
4:18 words Esau 85 found
4:18 words flesh is grass 1 found
4:18 words hatest 6 found
4:18 words mercy on whom 3 found
4:18 words raised thee up 3 found
4:18 words rained 8 found
4:18 words set the LORD 1 found
4:26 words no more sacrifice 1 found
4:26 words Esau have 1 found
4:26 words sit down to eat 0 found
4:26 words glorieth 3 found
4:26 words Who hath believed 3 found
4:26 words I will put my law 1 found
4:26 words I will destroy the wisdom 1 found
4:26 words make you a new heart 1 found
4:26 words sat down to eat 3 found
4:52 words more than conquerors 1 found
4:52 words hated Esau 1 found
4:52 words thou art my Son 4 found
16:41 words heart perfect 0 found
16:41 words good to all 1 found
16:41 words whole heart 13 found
16:41 words tasted 8 found
16:41 words tender mercies 11 found
16:41 original word G25 109 found love 72 · loved 39 · loveth 20 · beloved 7 · thou 2 · doth 1 · have 1 · let 1 · lovedst 1 · us 1 · was 1 · ye 1
16:41 word family love 1600 found
16:41 original word G3353 6 found partakers 4 · fellows 1 · partners 1
16:41 word family grace 239 found
17:04 words not a people 4 found
17:04 words take away sins 2 found
17:04 words light of the Gentiles 2 found
17:04 words perfect heart 9 found
17:04 original word G5485 147 found grace 130 · favour 6 · thank 6 · thanks 4 · pleasure 2 · acceptable 1 · benefit 1 · gift 1 · gracious 1 · joy 1 · liberality 1 · thanked 1 · thankworthy 1
17:12 words partakers of Christ 2 found
17:12 words ends of the earth 28 found
17:12 words tasted death 0 found
17:18 words salvation unto 7 found
17:18 words taste death 1 found
18:18 words house of Stephanas 1 found
18:18 words will be his father 4 found
18:18 words touch no unclean 1 found
18:18 words sons and daughters 25 found
18:18 words dwell among you 0 found
18:18 words dwell in them 6 found
18:24 words walk among you 2 found
18:24 words my daughters 8 found
18:24 words my sons 10 found
18:52 words rested on the seventh 2 found
18:52 words God did rest 1 found
18:52 words To day if 4 found

Every time it opened Scripture (19 times, 3,102 verses)

0:20 John 6 71 Philippians 2 30 Luke 8:1–21 21 Hebrews 6 20 1 John 4 21 1 Corinthians 11 34 John 1:1–18 18 John 12:20–50 31 Romans 5 21 Acts 17:16–34 19 286 verses, 286 new
0:35 Ephesians 2 22 Romans 3 31 John 3 36 John 15 27 Galatians 5 26 John 10:1–39 39 1 John 1 10 1 John 2 29 1 John 3 24 1 John 5 21 1 Thessalonians 4 18 1 Thessalonians 5 28 Matthew 5:38–48 11 1 Timothy 2 15 Titus 2 15 Titus 3 15 Isaiah 54 17 Genesis 22 24 Exodus 16:1–18 18 426 verses, 426 new
0:41 John 10:22–39 18 1 John 1 10 1 John 2 29 1 John 3 24 1 John 5 21 1 Thessalonians 4:1–12 12 114 verses, 0 new
1:09 Hebrews 10 39 Matthew 12:22–37 16 Galatians 6:1–10 10 Luke 22:1–34, 54–62 43 Acts 2 47 Acts 8 40 Acts 16 40 Matthew 28:16–20 5 240 verses, 240 new
1:37 2 Peter 2 22 Romans 6 23 Romans 8 39 1 Corinthians 10 33 1 Corinthians 1 31 1 Corinthians 7:1–24 24 1 Corinthians 12:1–27 27 Colossians 2 23 222 verses, 222 new
2:20 Philippians 3 21 James 3 18 Hebrews 5 14 1 Corinthians 14:1–25 25 Matthew 19:13–30 18 Mark 10:13–45 33 1 Peter 3:8–22 15 1 Peter 1 25 John 13 38 Romans 11 36 1 Timothy 1 20 Revelation 3 22 285 verses, 285 new
3:00 Acts 10 48 Acts 11:1–18 18 Ephesians 4:17–32 16 Ephesians 5:21–33 13 Mark 7:1–13 13 Luke 11:37–44 8 John 18:1–14 14 John 21:1–19 19 James 2:1–13 13 Matthew 18:15–35 21 Colossians 1:9–29 21 1 Peter 3:18–22 5 209 verses, 204 new
3:50 Romans 9 33 Acts 13:13–52 40 Acts 7:44–60 17 Ezekiel 18 32 Ezekiel 36:16–38 23 2 Peter 3 18 2 Timothy 2 26 1 Corinthians 15:1–11 11 Hebrews 12 29 1 Corinthians 5 13 242 verses, 242 new
4:33 Isaiah 6 13 Isaiah 53 12 Psalms 14 7 Psalms 53 6 Psalms 40 17 Jeremiah 31:23–40 18 Deuteronomy 32:26–43 18 Habakkuk 2 20 Psalms 44 26 Psalms 82 8 Psalms 41 13 Psalms 69:1–21 21 Psalms 78:12–39 28 Isaiah 40:1–11 11 Deuteronomy 6:1–15 15 Leviticus 19:1–18 18 Mark 12:28–34 7 258 verses, 258 new
4:58 Genesis 17 27 Exodus 12 51 Luke 18:9–30 22 Psalms 5 12 Malachi 1 14 Exodus 33:12–23 12 Exodus 9:13–21 9 Psalms 16 11 Psalms 110 7 Psalms 2 12 Genesis 25:19–34 16 Genesis 27:30–40 11 John 17 26 230 verses, 230 new
5:14 2 Thessalonians 2 17 Philippians 1:1–11 11 1 Timothy 4 16 Galatians 3 29 Acts 19:1–10 10 Acts 22:1–21 21 Mark 16 20 1 Corinthians 6 20 Hebrews 9:1–15 15 Hebrews 13:9–25 17 Romans 12:9–21 13 2 Corinthians 7 16 205 verses, 205 new
5:45 John 1:7–13 7 John 3:3–8, 14–21, 36 15 John 6:35–47, 63–71 22 John 10:26–29 4 John 12:20–21, 32–40 11 John 15:1–16 16 Romans 3:9–12, 20–28 13 Romans 5:1–2, 6–12, 17–19 12 Ephesians 2:1–10 10 Philippians 2:12–16 5 Hebrews 6:1–12 12 Isaiah 54:10–17 8 Genesis 22:15–18 4 Exodus 16:4–8 5 144 verses, 0 new
5:53 1 John 1:5–10 6 1 John 2:1–6, 12–29 24 1 John 3:1–10, 14–24 21 1 John 4:7–21 15 1 John 5:1–5, 11–18 13 1 Thessalonians 4:1–10 10 1 Thessalonians 5:19–24 6 Titus 2:11–15 5 Titus 3:3–8 6 1 Timothy 2:1–8 8 Matthew 5:43–48 6 Luke 8:11–18 8 1 Corinthians 11:17–34 18 Acts 17:24–34 11 Galatians 5 26 183 verses, 0 new
13:58 John 10:22–39 18 18 verses, 0 new
18:32 Psalms 145 21 Hebrews 3 19 Hebrews 4 16 Luke 5:1–11 11 Luke 6:27–38 12 Luke 2:39–52 14 Revelation 2 29 1 Corinthians 16 24 John 4:1–26 26 Acts 18:1–11 11 Matthew 3 17 Acts 1:1–14 14 214 verses, 214 new
18:59 Isaiah 49:1–13 13 2 Corinthians 6 18 Leviticus 26:1–13 13 Isaiah 52 15 2 Samuel 7 29 Isaiah 43:1–13 13 Psalms 95 11 Genesis 2:1–9 9 Psalms 51 19 Psalms 119:1–40 40 Psalms 35 28 208 verses, 208 new
21:38 John 6:22–47 26 John 15:17–27 11 37 verses, 0 new
22:53 Matthew 5 48 John 14 31 79 verses, 68 new
23:26 Matthew 4:12–25 14 Matthew 5:1–2 2 16 verses, 14 new

The reader's own notes (10)

0:00–0:16 The reading will begin with the two permitted SIFT files, then gather and check passages for each of the seven statements. The working record will be completed and read back before the hand-off is written.
0:28–0:35 The passages found so far require several distinctions: God’s help before faith and his work in believers; sin after faith and falling away; perfect love and claims of having no sin. The baptism and communion statements also need to be weighed separately, since a recorded order of events does not by itself establish an admission rule.
1:37–2:05 The statement about sin after justification must be read carefully: it says that people may depart from grace and be restored; it does not explicitly say that every such fall is a loss of eternal life. The reading is checking that distinction against both the warnings about falling away and the promises about Christ keeping his people.
3:50–4:18 The strongest checks so far concern the scope of each claim. Scripture speaks of perfected love, while also warning against saying that there is no sin. Household baptisms and Jesus receiving children must be considered alongside the accounts that expressly connect baptism with believing. For communion, the reading is checking self-examination, church discipline, and the recorded order of baptism and shared bread.
5:53–13:58 The gathered passages support several parts of the statements, but do not warrant an unqualified approval of all seven. The record will identify the supported parts and the claims that need qualification. It will also preserve the strongest opposing passages, so the hand-off cannot turn a qualified finding into a blanket yes or no.
13:58–16:41 out/RECORD.md has been written with the reasoning, whole-verse table, and search register. The required read-back comes next: each conclusion will be checked against the complete question, the fetched passages, and the found-but-unopened list before out/HANDOFF.md is written.
17:18–18:18 The read-back found two places needing more work. The discussion of perfected love must preserve the statement’s “may” and must not imply that it promises a timetable or requires a second event. The source checks also need completion for the quotation in Acts 13 and the promises behind 2 Corinthians 7:1. Further checks will cover God’s goodness to all, participation in Christ, repentance in churches, and household baptism.
23:26–31:20 The revised record preserves the main findings and includes the added checks. One baptism argument has been tightened: a rebuke after baptism does not by itself prove what happened at the moment of baptism. The record therefore does not use that account to decide whether the person was ever regenerate. The hand-off will retain that limit, together with the passages supporting both baptism’s connection to new life and the need for the Spirit.
23:26–31:20 The hand-off has passed its whole-verse quotation check. The final review is adding one distinction from the supper account: the betrayer’s presence at the table does not make hidden wrongdoing and the reported, open wrongdoing addressed by church discipline the same case. That distinction will be included in both files.
23:26–31:20 Completed RECORD.md and HANDOFF.md. The record was read back and revised before the hand-off was finalized. All included Scripture quotations passed the exact-text check.

What its record and its hand-off say, in their order

The person's complete words

"Do Methodist churches follow what the Bible teaches? What Methodist churches teach, in their own words:

"The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and works, to faith, and calling upon God; wherefore we have no power to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will." (Articles of Religion, Article VIII (Of Free Will))
"Wesley taught that God loves everyone, and invites all of us to be in right relationship with him. Because we are unable to do this on our own, God prepares our hearts and minds to accept Jesus's invitation to follow him before we are even aware of it." (Our Wesleyan heritage, under the heading 'Prevenient Grace prepares us')
"Not every sin willingly committed after justification is the sin against the Holy Ghost, and unpardonable. Wherefore, the grant of repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after justification. After we have received the Holy Ghost, we may depart from grace given, and fall into sin, and, by the grace of God, rise again and amend our lives." (Articles of Religion, Article XII (Of Sin After Justification))
"Entire sanctification is a state of perfect love, righteousness and true holiness which every regenerate believer may obtain by being delivered from the power of sin, by loving God with all the heart, soul, mind and strength, and by loving one's neighbor as one's self. Through faith in Jesus Christ this gracious gift may be received in this life both gradually and instantaneously, and should be sought earnestly by every child of God." (Confession of Faith, Article XI (Sanctification and Christian Perfection))
"Baptism is not only a sign of profession and mark of difference whereby Christians are distinguished from others that are not baptized; but it is also a sign of regeneration or the new birth. The Baptism of young children is to be retained in the Church." (Articles of Religion, Article XVII (Of Baptism))
"As we say in our Invitation to the Table, "Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin, and seek to be at peace with one another." If you can say you do or have done these three things, you are welcome to receive." (Ask The UMC, 'What do I need to know about communion in the UMC?', under 'Who May Receive?')
"We affirm the historic Christian precedent that people are normally baptized prior to receiving communion. Yet, as our invitation notes, baptism is not required. If you come and are not yet baptized, we will encourage you toward baptism at your earliest convenience." (Ask The UMC, 'What do I need to know about communion in the UMC?', under 'Who May Receive?')"

The seven supplied statements are the objects of examination. Their attribution and their currency have not been independently checked. No account of an individual congregation's conduct, or of anyone's spiritual standing, was supplied. A conclusion about these sentences is not a verdict about every congregation or anyone's soul. No outside authority supplies a theological premise.

From its hand-off to the writer

Their words

"Do Methodist churches follow what the Bible teaches? What Methodist churches teach, in their own words:

"The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and works, to faith, and calling upon God; wherefore we have no power to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will." (Articles of Religion, Article VIII (Of Free Will))
"Wesley taught that God loves everyone, and invites all of us to be in right relationship with him. Because we are unable to do this on our own, God prepares our hearts and minds to accept Jesus's invitation to follow him before we are even aware of it." (Our Wesleyan heritage, under the heading 'Prevenient Grace prepares us')
"Not every sin willingly committed after justification is the sin against the Holy Ghost, and unpardonable. Wherefore, the grant of repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after justification. After we have received the Holy Ghost, we may depart from grace given, and fall into sin, and, by the grace of God, rise again and amend our lives." (Articles of Religion, Article XII (Of Sin After Justification))
"Entire sanctification is a state of perfect love, righteousness and true holiness which every regenerate believer may obtain by being delivered from the power of sin, by loving God with all the heart, soul, mind and strength, and by loving one's neighbor as one's self. Through faith in Jesus Christ this gracious gift may be received in this life both gradually and instantaneously, and should be sought earnestly by every child of God." (Confession of Faith, Article XI (Sanctification and Christian Perfection))
"Baptism is not only a sign of profession and mark of difference whereby Christians are distinguished from others that are not baptized; but it is also a sign of regeneration or the new birth. The Baptism of young children is to be retained in the Church." (Articles of Religion, Article XVII (Of Baptism))
"As we say in our Invitation to the Table, "Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin, and seek to be at peace with one another." If you can say you do or have done these three things, you are welcome to receive." (Ask The UMC, 'What do I need to know about communion in the UMC?', under 'Who May Receive?')
"We affirm the historic Christian precedent that people are normally baptized prior to receiving communion. Yet, as our invitation notes, baptism is not required. If you come and are not yet baptized, we will encourage you toward baptism at your earliest convenience." (Ask The UMC, 'What do I need to know about communion in the UMC?', under 'Who May Receive?')"

No individual congregation's actual conduct or person's circumstances were disclosed. The answer must compare the seven supplied statements, without treating their external attribution as independently verified or issuing a verdict on every congregation or anyone's soul. The supplied sources were not opened. The question requires distinctions within the statements, not an unqualified approval or rejection of everything associated with a name.

Hard passages

Broad drawing and the distinction between kindness and saving indwelling

John 1:9 and 12:32 are the strongest texts for the breadth claimed in statement 2. They must be shown, not neutralized by a prior assumption. John 1's next distinctions are nonreception, receiving/believing, and divine birth. John 12 identifies being lifted up with Jesus' death; its Greeks, invitation to believe, unbelief and hardening remain in the setting. Every-person drawing broader than actual reception, and drawing across peoples joined to effective learning/coming, are the two readings considered in the record. Neither may erase all or make the Father's giving fail.

"That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." ()

"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." ()

"This he said, signifying what death he should die." ()

"It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me." ()

John 14's world/disciple distinction and promised manifestation, Romans 9's mercy/hardening distinction, and Psalms 5's hatred of evildoers prevent identifying universal kindness with universal indwelling or equal approval. They do not cancel Psalms 145's universal goodness or the love expressed in the gift of the Son. The original settings of Romans 9's quotations were read; no definition of every occurrence of love was imported from one comparison.

"Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." ()

"Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." ()

"Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth." ()

"The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity." ()

Restoration and repudiation

The full privileges in Hebrews 6:4-6 are real participation, not nothing. Its if does not alone assert an actual outcome; its impossibility and reason cannot be removed. Restricting that impossibility to continued repudiation still supplies no promise that everyone will stop and be restored. Hebrews 10's wilful sin is explained by trampling the Son, treating covenant blood as unholy and insulting the Spirit. Its once-for-all sacrifice explains the absence of another offering. Neither passage can be widened into a denial of the advocate for sinning children.

"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins," ()

"Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" ()

Hebrews 3-4 was added at read-back and strengthens the other side of the security discussion: the holy brethren are told to hold fast, resist unbelief and exhort one another. Genuine participation is not a word for no experience. The writer also invites approach for mercy and help; these warnings do not authorize refusal of every fallen hearer's repentance.

"For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;" ()

"But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." ()

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." ()

Keeping promises and actual failures

Christ's sheep are promised never to perish; those justified are joined to glorification. These are outcome assertions, not a purpose clause alone. The answer must not insert an unstated exception into them or present every warning as a recorded failure of them. Faith and following remain in their own settings.

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" ()

"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." ()

"Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." ()

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;" ()

John 17:12 names an actual exception, the son of perdition. That exception must be shown. John 6 expressly distinguishes choice among the twelve from belief and describes the betrayer's unbelief as known from the beginning. The record therefore does not identify the apostolic exception with a previously justified sheep finally perishing, or suppress the exception to protect the promise. It reports only Scripture's descriptions of the named person.

"While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled." ()

"But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him." ()

"Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?" ()

"He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve." ()

"For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me." ()

John 15 describes branches in Jesus removed and burned; the relation and consequence are real. The passage does not itself identify every threatened branch with the people in Romans 8's justification/glorification sequence. The prior clean-but-not-all distinction prevents equating mere presence among disciples with every saving relation, but does not prove every branch was another Judas.

"Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." ()

"If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." ()

"For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean." ()

Romans 11 addresses Gentiles through a natural/wild-branch illustration. Standing is by faith, unbelief brings cutting off, and cessation of unbelief permits regrafting. This cannot be erased, nor changed into a narrated case of a named justified individual losing eternal life.

"Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:" ()

"Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off." ()

"And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again." ()

Galatians 5 actually says fallen from grace. Its law/circumcision issue is contrasted with faith, and Romans 3:28 prevents treating successful justification by law as the premise. Departure and its danger remain real; the verse is not an assertion of successful law-based justification that later expired.

"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." ()

"For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith." ()

Matthew 18 depicts a genuinely forgiven debt followed by punishment and applies a warning about refusing mercy. The initial forgiveness and final warning may not be deleted. Equating every feature of the parable with a full account of regeneration and reversed justification adds identities the passage does not state.

"Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt." ()

"So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." ()

2 Peter 2's actual escape, re-entanglement and worse end remain. Its return proverb does not itself say the people were born of God and then unborn. Shipwreck in 1 Timothy is also an actual failure, with corrective discipline as its stated purpose. Neither is an occasion to invent anyone's unstated spiritual history.

"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning." ()

"But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." ()

"Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:" ()

"Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme." ()

Revelation 3:5 is a promise to the overcomer; its reverse must not be supplied as an asserted historical blotting out. 1 John 2:19 explains its particular antichrist departures as disclosing nonmembership; it is not a license to label every present departure without hearing the person.

"He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." ()

"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." ()

Perfect love and the sin texts

1 John 3:9 applies to everyone born of God, not a later superior class. Its denial of sin's compatibility with birth from God must remain strong. The same epistle supplies confession, an advocate for its forgiven children and a sinning brother. A lexical claim that the indexed verb inherently means only habitual sin was not used; the same word occurs in the advocate passage. The local contrast is the life expressed in righteousness and brother-love versus sin and hatred. That supports real changed life without declaring that any sinful act is impossible.

"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." ()

"Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous." ()

Hebrews 10:14's accomplished perfection is the efficacy of Christ's offering in a sacrifice/access argument, not a declaration that the hearers cannot sin. Matthew 5:48's perfection command occurs in enemy-love and the Father's kindness. The table also checks mature understanding and full age in 1 Corinthians 14:20 and Hebrews 5:14. A word number alone proves no sin-free state.

"For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." ()

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." ()

"Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men." ()

"But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." ()

Philippians distinguishes the goal not yet attained from the maturity of those pursuing it, with bodily transformation future. James includes the writer in stumbling; its conditional perfect speaker is not an assertion that somebody has reached the condition. These passages qualify an exhaustive perfection claim without disproving whole-hearted love.

"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus." ()

"Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you." ()

"For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body." ()

New birth and the strongest infant-inclusion texts

The strong salvation language about baptism must not be concealed or reduced to an empty badge. Its own explanation points to conscience toward God through Christ's resurrection and excludes bodily washing as the saving explanation.

"The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:" ()

John 3:5 retains both water and Spirit. A baptismal reading connects with the remission/new-life passages; a cleansing reading connects with Ezekiel 36:25-27. Under either, water alone apart from the Spirit is not new birth, and no infant-subject command is supplied. The verdict on sign does not require choosing one of those readings. The record does not use the word water alone to infer physical childbirth.

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." ()

"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." ()

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." ()

Genesis explicitly gives the token to infants; Colossians joins circumcision without hands, baptism and faith; Acts includes children in the promise; the mixed-marriage passage calls children holy; Jesus receives infants. These are serious positive considerations for infant inclusion. None is a narrated infant baptism or an explicit command transferring the old rite's subjects. In the marriage passage even the unbelieving spouse is sanctified, so holy cannot simply be equated there with every family member already regenerate. The responsive-baptism evidence is not an express adult-age restriction either.

"And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed." ()

"In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:" ()

"For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." ()

"For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy." ()

"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." ()

Household baptism must remain a household baptism. Lydia's household has no supplied ages or individual responses. The jailor's house hears the word and believes. Stephanas' household is revisited by its service in the read-back addition below. None supplies an age list to be invented.

"And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us." ()

"And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house." ()

"And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house." ()

Admission to the meal and its proper manner

The strongest restriction analogy is the Passover admission command. Christ is expressly called the passover in 1 Corinthians 5:7 and the supper occurs at Passover. Colossians supplies the circumcision/baptism connection. An inference to a water-baptism prerequisite can therefore be explained; automatic transfer of the male circumcision requirement or every old meal rule is not stated. Conversely, receiving the Spirit before water is not a narrated example of communion before water. It establishes that lack of water by itself cannot identify every person as a stranger to the Spirit.

"And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof." ()

"Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:" ()

"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." ()

The already read Luke 22 setting places the betrayer at the table while the disciples ask who would betray Jesus. His presence and the warning must not be suppressed. The text does not separately assert that every person present partook of every ritual act. Nor is Jesus' knowledge of a hidden betrayer the same circumstance as the church's reported open wrongdoing in 1 Corinthians 5. The answer must not demand an ability to certify hearts, or turn that presence into a command to admit people continuing in the reported evils. This final check qualifies the handling of statement 6 and changes no admission rule in statement 7.

"But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table." ()

"And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing." ()

"It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife." ()

Discerning the body can emphasize Christ's body given for the recipients or the one body's fellowship and treatment of the poor in the local rebuke. Under either emphasis, remembrance, examination and proper regard for others remain. Neither supplies an explicit water-baptism exception. Self-examination is followed by eating, so the passage is not a demand for flawless persons to stay away indefinitely.

"And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me." ()

"For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread." ()

"But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world." ()

"Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another." ()

Ruled out

Self-produced saving faith without the Father's giving, and salvation earned by prior works, contradict the positive assertions used in verdict 1. The table and findings also preserve the real command to respond; dependence is not permission to do nothing.

"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." ()

"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." ()

Universal kindness means everyone is already acquitted, or that God approves every person in the same relation, is false. Love expressed toward the world coexists with the explicit condemnation of unbelief and judgment of the wicked.

"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." ()

"The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy." ()

Every sin after justification is unforgivable is false. The forgiven children have an advocate; the Spirit-sealed hearers can grieve the Spirit; restoration is commanded. A person may not use that provision to make sin harmless.

"I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake." ()

"All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death." ()

"For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." ()

Every departure is only an appearance, with no actual temporary belief, lost steadfastness or church failure, contradicts the descriptions. That assertion must not be used to evade the warnings.

"They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away." ()

"Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness." ()

Every apostasy is guaranteed reparable is not an assurance the answer may give in the face of the impossibility in Hebrews 6. The reason about renewed crucifixion and shame belongs to its actual case, not every fault mentioned elsewhere.

"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost," ()

"And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come," ()

"If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." ()

No perfected love is possible in the present world contradicts the positive description in verdict 4. Conversely, perfected love means a person can claim no sin or dispense with confession contradicts the same epistle.

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." ()

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." ()

A private profession of love can coexist with hatred of the brother as though it fulfilled the love requirement is false. Neither an inward-state claim nor a table invitation overrides actual love and obedience.

"If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" ()

"My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." ()

Water is the Spirit, every baptism passage describes the same act, or the Spirit is always first received at the moment water is administered contradicts the explicit distinctions and the recorded order. Acts 8's later rebuke is not proof of an unstated earlier spiritual history; it does prevent making a baptismal record a substitute for the present heart rebuke.

"For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." ()

"Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?" ()

"Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God." ()

Jesus forbids infants from being brought to him is false. The welcome is real; changing the named act of touching and blessing into a narrated baptism is an unsupported alteration.

"And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them." ()

"But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." ()

A person's assertion of the invitation's three qualities overrides open unrepentant evil or permits combining the Lord's table with idolatry is false.

"But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat." ()

"Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils." ()

A keeping promise licenses disregarding faith, abiding or obedience, or a warning's if by itself records the final loss of a justified person, is not a faithful reading of those kinds of sentence. Keep the conditional requirements and positive promises in their stated scope.

"Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." ()

"If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;" ()

Verdicts

The answer should begin with the positive biblical substance and then give the qualified assessments below. Unsupported detail must not be called refuted merely because it was not demonstrated. Conversely, a supported part does not establish the whole joined claim.

1. Natural strength and grace

The dependence on Christ's grace before coming to him and in acceptable obedience is supported. God's action does not remove the hearer's real response or the believer's work. The cause is not self-generated merit.

"And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father." ()

"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." ()

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:" ()

"Not of works, lest any man should boast." ()

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." ()

2. Love, invitation and preparation

Divine kindness to all, the gift of the Son for the world, the call to repent, and actual divine preparation have positive support. The precise assertion that every person's heart and mind receive the described preparation before awareness is not established as a universal explanation. It must not be treated as either universal regeneration or an independently proved psychological mechanism. This is a qualification of the full formula, not a denial of God's prior initiative.

"The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works." ()

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." ()

"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:" ()

"And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul." ()

3. Sin after justification

The claim that not every willing sin after justification is unpardonable, and that fallen people may repent and be restored by grace, is supported. Spirit-indwelt people are warned against sin and directed toward restoration. Departure from grace, obedience or steadfastness must not be made imaginary. The supplied statement does not expressly say justification is lost and re-created, and the answer must not substitute that further formula for its actual words. Nor may possible restoration be expanded into guaranteed restoration from every kind of repudiation.

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:" ()

"And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." ()

"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." ()

"Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." ()

4. Entire sanctification as defined in the quotation

Whole-hearted love, righteousness, holiness, deliverance from sin's mastery, perfected love in this world, and earnest growth through dependence on Christ have positive support. The supplied definition must not be replaced with a claim of having no sin, never being tempted, or no longer needing forgiveness. Its may is not will; it supplies no timetable and does not expressly require a second event.

The specific claim about receiving the entire described state both gradually and instantaneously is not established just by combining passages about Christ's completed offering with passages commanding growth. These describe distinct aspects of sanctification. The answer should affirm the supported substance and identify the remaining exact account of attainment as an inference, without declaring perfected love impossible in this life.

"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment." ()

"And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." ()

"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." ()

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." ()

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." ()

"Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." ()

5. Baptism and children

Baptism's connection with Christ's death and new life supports calling it a sign of new birth, provided sign does not reduce it to an empty badge or assert automatic regeneration apart from the Spirit. The quotation itself does not assert that automatic mechanism. The positive pattern is instruction, response and baptism; adulthood is not stated as the qualification, so believing young children are not excluded.

A binding requirement to retain baptism of infants is not demonstrated by the covenant, child and household passages without an additional transfer of recipients. Neither the presence nor the absence of infants can be invented in an unspecified household. The record does not earn a categorical opposite prohibition solely from adult examples.

"Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." ()

"Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." ()

"But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women." ()

6. The invitation to the table

Love of Christ, real repentance and seeking peace fit the required manner of discipleship. The invitation is consistent as that concise description. Saying the three things must not override remembrance, examination, discernment or discipline. The statement must not be condemned for failing to demand a sinless life, nor treated as an exhaustive permission rule because someone can say its words.

"If ye love me, keep my commandments." ()

"If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." ()

"But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup." ()

"For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body." ()

7. Baptism before communion

Baptism before continuing in shared bread and fellowship is positively exemplified. Baptism itself is commanded. The sentence saying it is not required for communion goes further than the recorded order. The gathered passages do not expressly resolve exceptional admission of a repentant unbaptized believer, and do not turn the ordinary sequence alone into an express universal prohibition either.

A strict baptism-first admission rule and exceptional admission each require an inference explained under Open. The answer must not certify the proposed exception as an explicit biblical rule, or condemn it by pretending a narrated sequence states more than it says. The quotation concerns admission to communion; it must not be recast as a denial that baptism itself is commanded. Encouragement at the earliest convenience must not be silently changed into deliberate indefinite refusal.

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." ()

"And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." ()

"And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days." ()

Open

The following are bounded matters of interpretation or inference, with positive texts on each side already quoted above. They are not claims of canonical silence. The record names the unread search hits and limits; no unfinished tool request is presented as Scripture's verdict.

The universal, before-awareness preparation explanation in statement 2. Universal light, cross-drawing, grace's appearance and divine kindness support a broad preliminary work; actual heart-opening and the Father's initiative are positively recorded. The effective coming/learning in John 6 and the world/disciple Spirit distinction in John 14 do not identify every form of divine influence as the same inward work. Broad preliminary action alongside effective saving action, and cross-peoples effectual drawing without a specified identical preparatory work in every person, both preserve the explicit distinctions. Neither supplies the specific before-awareness mechanism. The answer must affirm the common positive teaching while withholding certification of that further universal explanation.

"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men," ()

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." ()

The precise gradual-and-instantaneous account of attaining statement 4's full described state. Present perfected love, decisive sanctification and ongoing growth are positively taught. The accomplished offering and continuing growth do not by themselves time every believer's attainment or establish the proposed two modes for the entire state. A decisive gift with ongoing growth and a maturing realization of grace-given love preserve these different assertions; the answer cannot infer a required second experience or deny present perfected love. This qualification concerns the exact account of attainment, not whether holiness and whole-hearted love should be pursued or whether sin must reign.

"By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." ()

"And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;" ()

Infant subjects as a required continuing baptismal practice. Covenant/household inclusion supports extending the token, while faith, teaching and the explicit response sequences support requiring personal response. The transfer of Genesis 17's infant rule to the church's water rite is not expressly supplied; adult response examples do not expressly prohibit every infant recipient. No age-composition fact may be added to households. The supported directive is baptism in relation to discipleship and faith, including young believers; a categorical infant mandate is not established. An opposite express infant prohibition is not earned from these examples alone.

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" ()

"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." ()

Exceptional communion admission before water baptism. Commanded baptism, the Acts 2 sequence and the Passover analogy support a strict-order inference. Spirit-given membership before water, one-body communion and the examination/then-eat direction support an exceptional-admission inference. Neither inference may make baptism optional or erase examination and discipline. Neither a particular unbaptized communion case nor an express universal water prerequisite was established in the passages read. The answer must not promote one inference to an explicit rule while holding the other to a stricter evidential standard.

No personal circumstance needs to be asked to compare the supplied statements. Actual congregational practice, the external quotations' accuracy and currency, and anyone's spiritual standing were not checked and must not be pronounced upon. An individual admission case would require its own relevant facts; none was supplied.

Do Methodist churches follow what the Bible teaches?

How it was read, replayed

The readings it struck out, and the verses each would break

Verdicts

What this reading did

What Scripture says

Passages that seem to point the other way

Readings that fall

God's kindness to all, and his love for the world

The call to all

God really does act first in hearts

Love is not approval, and kindness is not acquittal

Different works of God are not interchangeable

Two ways of reading how far the drawing reaches

Readings that fall

Forgiven, Spirit-filled people do sin, and are restored

The sin that will not be forgiven is a particular one

Falling away is real

Restoration is not promised for every kind of falling away

God's promises to keep his people

The one named exception

Other hard passages, each in its own setting

Readings that fall

What Scripture says

The hard passages

What the words "perfect" and "sanctify" can and cannot prove

Readings that fall

"Baptism" is used for more than one thing

Baptism is tied to Christ's death and new life

But water does not automatically give new birth

Baptism follows teaching and faith, and adulthood is never named as the requirement

The strongest passages for including infants

Readings that fall

What Scripture says about the supper

The three things the invitation names

Saying the words is not enough on its own

Readings that fall

What Scripture says

The further question: must every unbaptized believer be turned away?

Where this leaves it

Every step of the reading

The person's complete words

Their words

Hard passages

Broad drawing and the distinction between kindness and saving indwelling

Restoration and repudiation

Keeping promises and actual failures

Perfect love and the sin texts

New birth and the strongest infant-inclusion texts

Admission to the meal and its proper manner

Other read-back additions that must travel with the reasoning

Ruled out

Verdicts

1. Natural strength and grace

2. Love, invitation and preparation

3. Sin after justification

4. Entire sanctification as defined in the quotation

5. Baptism and children

6. The invitation to the table

7. Baptism before communion

Open

Other readings that quote its verses