Promotes, supports and strengthen US-Arab business and economic cooperation.

Promotes, supports and strengthen US-Arab business and economic cooperation.

kent@ccountry.net wrote:
>>Sure there is. The string of rhetorical questions (vs. 14
>>15) show this absolutely. One might argue that they are
>>not rhetorical questions, but since they are not answered
>>in Paul's argument, we know that they are, in fact, rhetorical.
>>The answer is assumed and ovious: They _can't_ believe
>>in Whom they have not heard. There's no other way to
>>read this passage.
>>
>
> At first glance what you say appears to be true.

There's a good reason for that.


> By doing so he
> can make no claim (nor does he) for the exclusivity of hearing,
> for within the context of the immediate passages he quotes is
> another answer:

Asking rhetorical questions IS making the claim.



> "For they shall see what has not been told them,
> Shall behold what they never have heard." Isaiah 52, JPS
>
> So much for "only", "alone", "absolutely", "no other way". This
> does not diminish the importance of Paul's message, but it does
> remove the limitations you've attempted to impose.

If it were true, then it would diminish Pal's message. But it's
not. Isaiah is talking about Heaven, not faith. You need to
answer the question: If man doesn't get faith by hearing (in
a broad sense of the word which wouldn't exclude the deaf or
retarded or infants) then _how_ will he get faith?

"God gives it to him" is not an answer. I'm saying that God
gives it to him _only_ through the word. So the question is
"If God doesn't give it through the Word, then how does He
give it?"


>>I can ask the same rhetorical question as Paul: If it is not
>>the Word which creates faith, then how can it be created?
>>
>
> Ah, _other things_. It seems to me you're equivocating just
> a bit and that's probably a good thing. Is your definition of
> hearing, in reality, perception?

I don't equivocate. (This word is getting way too popular on
this newgroup.) The issue here is whether the Holy Spirit works
mediately or immediately. "Hearing" means that the Holy Spirt
works through "means", and all "means" are expressions of the
Word: Preaching and the Sacraments chiefly. Stained glass and
architecture somewhat. The point is that the message comes
from outside and acts on the person. He doesn't just get zapped
and suddenly have faith come on him.

Bart

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Matthew Johnson wrote:
> In article <090.46.18.05.248541000@srcbs.org>, Bob Felts says...
> >> Any h