Dr. Dennis on confusion over, “if” and “salvation” in the Bible.

Dennis Dickinson Two points about “IF” and “SALVATION:” 1. Actually there are 4 different ways of saying “IF” in the New Testament and they do not all mean the same thing. Its simply grammar! IF with optatives means “if and its is not,” IF with the Subjunctive means “If and it is so,” IF with the indicative means “If and it may or may not be,” the expression IF as in when something happens, and again the grammar comes to play. To confuse these can lead to poor theology! Hebrews 3:14 is IF with the subjunctive. 2. JUSTIFICATION and SALVATION are in reality two different doctrines. This is important and clears up some problem texts. “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling,” in Phil. 2. However this is very different from saying “work out your justification . . .” The term used for salvation is regularly translated “whole,” “healed,” “fixed,” etc. Translations actually cover this because they are yielding to the context of each. In the main, the word does not mean “going to heaven because of calvary,” though it certainly does when used of meeting Christ in repentance (where justification takes place). So also, “A woman shall be saved in child bearing, if they (the ladies) continue on in faith, holiness, etc.” but this is not the same as “a woman shall be justified in child bearing . . .” This is all actually very basic Bible. Thank God that Jesus said, “I shall send you MY scribes,” or Scholars” in Mt 23. Then He noted that some they would persecute or kill. We need such men and the scholarly gifts God has given them. These are the men who give us our translations. We need not fear godly scholars, because of the abuses of ungodly scholars. Blessings!