David,
Many thanks for your quick response to our first newsgroup message!
We
posted there because we are interested in the hc movement, currently
opening
our home on Sat. evenings for a Bible Study meeting. The letter to Pastor
FitzHenry was sent to him over 3 years ago. We also appreciate that we are
opening up a 2000 year old debate, which will not be resolved this side of
eternity, according to God's will. You may be interested in our modest
results so far.
In writing; Jim Sutton of this ng, and an RC friend and a Prof Headley
(both
now deceased), have declared that Jesus could sin.
In conversation, we have only encountered two gentlemen who believe Jesus
could not sin. One is a local minister of the Unity Church, the other a
member of the Plymouth (Close) Brethren here in Barbados.
In reading, notably, Dr. Walter Martin (now deceased) in his book The
Kingdom of the Cults believes firmly that Jesus could not sin.
Our relatives and friends are generally backing away from the debate,
choosing to stay firmly with their belief that Jesus could sin. One
nephew,
a pastor of a pentacostal church in USA (website www.tonyproductions.com)
feels that for his personal relationship with Jesus, he prefers that He
could have sinned (but didn't!). (Rather than our view as expressed in the
letter to FH saying we would not disclose any defect in His character if
it
existed).
We fully endorse your directive to study the Bible, but we do not find any
reference there to whether or not Jesus could have sinned. It seems this
debate developed later in the history of Christianity.Certainly, He did
not
sin. Concerning His ability (your word) to sin, we prefer the analysis of
A.
Melville in the SDA 27 Fundamental Doctrines... who distinguishes between
innocent infirmities and evil propensities. We mortals have both, but
Jesus
in His divine human form (different to ours) only had the former.
It may be that as mature Christians, we will have to beg to differ, and
continue to have fellowship in the way God has ordained.
Very best wishes, Barry and Malvina Alleyne-Cope (not sure why the
Alleyne bit was dropped in our posting!)
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