I get the feeling that many Christians believe unless they have ALL doctrine correct they cannot be saved.
Well, certainly there are certain doctrines we must believe to be saved. The Bible makes this clear. Some Christians, like EO or RCC, may believe one has to have it all right, but outside of those two, the terms essential and non-essential are generally used.
Since when did that depend on man (and his ability to believe) rather than God's grace? I agree with you that trinitarian doctrine is not clear, and if it was that important, God would make it so.
First, how do you know God's mind? Second, what makes you think it isn't clear?
Rom 10:9 because,
if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Rom 10:11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
Rom 10:12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.
Rom 10:13 For “
everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (ESV)
1Co 15:12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
1Co 15:13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
1Co 15:14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
1Co 15:15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.
1Co 15:16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.
1Co 15:17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
1Co 15:18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
1Co 15:19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
1Co 15:20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (ESV)
This is significant because the JWs believe that Jesus resurrected only with a spiritual body, as a spirit creature. Yet Paul says if Jesus hasn't been
physically raised, we are "to be piited" and our "faith is in vain." And this also ties in with Rom 10:9-10--that one "must believe in [their] heart that God raised [Jesus] from the dead," as part of being saved.
"Lord" in verse 13 is a quote from the OT where it appears as "LORD," or rather, YHWH.
Joh 8:24 "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am [
He], you will die in your sins." (NASB, brackets mine)
Joh 8:28 So Jesus said, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am [
He], and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me." (NASB, brackets mine)
Joh 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” (ESV)
Joh 13:19 "From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am [
He]." (NASB, brackets mine)
Joh 18:4 So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and *said to them, "Whom do you seek?"
Joh 18:5 They answered Him, "Jesus the Nazarene." He *said to them, "I am [
He]." And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them.
Joh 18:6 So when He said to them, "I am [
He]," they drew back and fell to the ground. (NASB, brackets mine)
I added the brackets to emphasize the point that "He" is added into the text. And that changes the meaning. It's interesting and notable how many times that Jesus claims to be the I Am. It is also very significant that in John 8:24 Jesus says, "unless you believe I am, you will die in your sins." That agrees quite well with what Paul wrote in Romans 10:9-13.
You may have agreed with all that I posted above but the point wasn't to debate you on what you believe, but rather to point out what Jesus and Paul say about being saved, about what one
must believe. And hence why JWs cannot by Christians.
And, yes, this stuff is pretty clear.
However, like my buddy and favorite theologian Sir Isaac Newton, I don't believe the bible teaches the trinity. I'm more Binitarian and God family and eventually when a Billion people are born into the Kingdom God will become a Billiontarian family LOL.
Once a binitarian, the Trinity logically follows.
I don't believe in "dying and going to heaven" as Jesus said no man has ascended, but rather one day we will be all resurrected.
And yet, Jesus said that
prior to his resurrection. A very important point to consider.