What did Paul really mean in Tit 3:5

[Bookcat]

Bookcat

Our religion is a both/and religion.

I see the point that we should not try to understand/parse our religion too much and just have a simple faith. But I also see that we should try to understand the depths and riches of our Catholic faith.

Yes of course…lots of both/and.

I am not saying one should not seek to understand further …I would never say such (unless a particular person needed this for some time)…

It is not that we should not seek to understand! It is Faith seeking understanding!

But we need to not “parse” too much things that are the same event …as if they were different or separate.

You wrote:

"I note this echoes the most important theme of Paul that we are made righteous not by our works. But Paul wrote that the mercy of God, our Savior, saves us, through baptism and the Holy Spirit, not through Jesus Christ.

But the Spirit is poured out through Jesus Christ, so in fact we are saved through Jesus.I wonder what did Paul really mean by the Holy Spirit (or holy spirit). Paul goes on to say we are justified by the grace of Jesus Christ, not the mercy of God, this reinforces the traditional view of the role of the grace of Jesus. But what exactly did Paul mean by this?"

We are saved…by God. By his mercy. By Jesus Christ. By his blood…by his resurrection…by baptism …by the Holy Spirit (there is not baptism without him!)…by grace etc. These are different aspects of the same event…our being saved initially.

 

[NoelFitz]

ProVobis,

many thanks for your post.

I am trying to understand Paul, so I appreciate the replies I am getting to my queries.

Often simple questions have complex answers.