Annie wrote:
Most of what you wrote is good. You read Scripture and thought it through well, but a couple of times, you let your inner man speak and not the Spirit of God speak through you.
1. Man was made in the beginning to be a habitation of God. He was to work the works of God. Angels might have done this. But God chose a man to do it. And that is the reason that man was created without any of the instincts that are found in the animals. God wants to direct our lives Himself, personally.
This statement is not true, and I don't believe you will find Scripture to back it up. Man has many instincts like those of lower creatures.
2. Men, indwelt by the Creator, have done great exploits. Such have written the Scriptures. God put the words in their mouths. So the Scriptures have been God-breathed. The apostles went out and did greater things than their Lord did. He told them that they would. It was like the double portion of Spirit upon Elisha after Elijah was taken away.
Jesus said we could do greater things, but has anyone done so? Has anyone's faith been that pure, including any of His disciples?
Annie
Dear Annie,
God Bless you, and thank you for writing. We thank you for your comments on the teaching "A Habitation Of God." We wrote this speaking from our "Old Man," not the New or Inner Man, which is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Eph 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
As for "The apostles went out and did greater things than their Lord did. He told them that they would." This is correct and stands; here is some Scriptural evidence.
John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Our Lord Christ Jesus did not say they may or might He said they SHALL.
The word shall
G4160
poieo
poy-eh'-o
Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct): abide, agree, appoint, avenge, band together, be, bear, bewray, bring (forth), cast out, cause, commit, content, continue, deal, without any delay, (would) do (-ing), execute, exercise, fulfil, gain, give, have, hold, journeying, keep, lay wait, lighten the ship, make, mean, none of these things move me, observe, ordain, perform, provide, have purged, purpose, put, raising up, secure, shew, shoot out, spend, take, tarry, transgress the law, work, yield. Compare G4238.
This word is only used when the absolute outcome is assured.
Looking at the first day of being spirit filled, the results were:
Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Act 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Act 2:6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
Act 2:7 And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
Act 2:8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
Act 2:9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
Act 2:10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews, and proselytes,
Act 2:11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
Our Lord did not do this, and though one may argue that it is not a greater work, the results were:
Act 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Act 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Act 2:43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
Act 2:44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
Act 2:45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
Act 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
Act 2:47 Praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Our Lord never had such results during His earthly ministry and this was just the first day. God tells us they shall it is our job to believe and to rest in the Truth that all the great works were done by Jesus Christ, as Peter so clearly tells us in:
Act 3:11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.
Act 3:12 And when Peter saw it , he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
Act 3:13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
Act 3:14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
Act 3:15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
Act 3:16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
Act 3:17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it , as did also your rulers.
Act 3:18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
Act 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Act 3:20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
It's nice to see that you are studying and willing to comment and help.
All God's Blessings,
The Believers
Matthew 26:17
. . . Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?
David wrote:
Why are Religious holidays are not to be observed?
Why is it wrongly called the Lord's supper?
What is wrong with Angel decorations?
you need to explain more...
Thanks
David
Dear David,
God Bless you, and thank you for writing. Let's look at a few Scriptures for the answers.
Is The Last Supper Really The Passover Christ Shared With His Disciples?
Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Col 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Col 2:18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
Col 2:19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
Col 2:20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
Col 2:21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
Col 2:22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men.
Col 2:23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.
Colossians is one of the seven Epistles written by Paul while in Prison for the Gentiles and they contain The Mystery Truth of The One Body which Christ Jesus is The Head.
Shadow
The Greek word so translated is, skia and occurs seven times in the New Testament.
Matt. 4:16 The region and shadow of death.
Mark 4:32 Lodge under the shadow of it.
Luke 1:79 In the shadow of death.
Acts 5:15 The shadow of Peter passing by.
Col. 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come.
Heb. 8:5 Example and shadow of heavenly things.
Heb. 10:1 The law having a shadow of good things to come.
Now let's look at Colossians 2:17:
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the Body is of Christ (Col. 2:16-17).
While the Epistle to the Hebrews does not teach The Truth of The Mystery, it does lead the believer on from the rudiments of the faith to the reality found only in Christ and speaks of the observances imposed under the law, as shadows of heavenly things and of good things to come. If this is God's will for Hebrews, who had been under the law, how much more must it be so for Gentile members of The Body of Christ, who were never under the law? While Colossians 2:17 contrasts the shadow with The Body, there is no explicit reference to the title of The One Body here, as meaning The Church of that name. Shadow and body here are placed over against one another. For example, patterns and images are placed over against shadow in Hebrews. The reason for the altered term may be discovered in the nature of the things compared. In Hebrews, there is a fulfillment of what had been adumbrated in the law, but in Colossians, we have already been told that The Mystery had been hidden from ages and generations (Col. 1:26), and had formed no part of the typical teaching of Moses. It is a happy coincidence that The Body can be used both of the opposite of shadow and of the new constitution of The Church. Dean Alford, a member of the Church of England, wrote:
We may observe that if the ordinance of the Sabbath had been, in any form, of lasting obligation to the Christian Church, it would have been quite impossible for the Apostle to have spoken thus. The fact of an obligatory rest of one day, whether the seventh or the first (our italics), would have been directly in the teeth of his assertion here.
Much has been written by zealous teachers, that would put the believer into bondage, and exalt mere self-denial into a positive grace. Colossians 2 warns against the mere neglecting of the body (Col. 2:23). While much emphasis is laid upon the observance of The Lord's Day as a Sabbath, one seldom comes across a positive exposition of the words, The living God, Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. We are complete in Him; let us not in any sense step down from our high calling. Of the Galatians, Paul wrote I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain -- and that because they had turned again to weak and beggarly elements, and observed days, and months, and times, and years (Gal. 4:9-11). The only religion ever given by God was done away at the cross. We have something infinitely greater than religion, and we have the substance as opposed to the shadow, For The Body is of Christ. To now add more "holy days" is to add more religion and confusion, to miss the mark (sin), to ignore what God has said, and refuse to acknowledge The Truth, which is for today that those things which were shadows are past and we are called to the reality of The Church which is finished in Christ Jesus Who alone is Head.
Let us turn to the Scriptures, where we first read of this institution of the "Lord's Supper. When was this ordinance instituted? Matthew 26:26-30 supplies the information:
"And as they were eating (i.e., the Passover, see Matt. 26:17 and Matt. 26:19), Jesus took bread (i.e., a Passover loaf of unleavened bread), and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the Disciples, and said, Take, eat, this is My body. And He took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's Kingdom. And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives."
So the "Lord's Supper" is actually the Passover, and we note that we find mention of the "Lord's Supper" in those Scriptures written before the beginning of this dispensation, but not even a hint of it afterward because it also is part of God calling His people Israel but not the new dispensation of The Church which is His Body whose citizenship is in heaven.
We hope this helps,
The Believers
Colossians 2:9
For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Patricia wrote:
Before Jesus took the form of man, He was in heaven beside His Father. Then God sent his only son, Jesus, to earth in the form of man. To redeem the sins of man. And the spirit is simply that. The spirit of the love and community of those who believe in God and his son.
I see the word "Lord" being used for both God and Jesus. They can both be "Lords". But If God wasn't the Father and Jesus isn't the Son of God. Why are they referred to that way time and again?
Why is the notion of the "Trinity" so important? What is wrong with believing that God in heaven had a son? An assistant? A second?
Why does almost every scripture of the bible have to be analyzed and over-analyzed? Until it's interpretation says what the reader wants it to say?
I am no theological scholar (obviously!), but why do I have to be? Why can't I believe what's written and accept it as the truth? And it is written in scripture after scripture, "Jesus, the Son of God."
So here's the big question. Am I still a Christian if I believe God is God and Jesus is Jesus, The son of God? And the holy spirit is the phenomenon of love, faith, hope, and charity (to name a few) brought on by living your life dedicated to the lessons of the bible.
Thank you again for hearing me.
Patricia
Dear Patricia,
We must believe what God says in His Word to be given life everlasting. Let's look at a couple of key verses.
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
This is the requirement to be a Christian, and it says we must confess the Lord Jesus or Jesus as Lord, but most readers never look at what the word Lord is. It is the Greek word Kurios, and according to Strong's Concordance:
G2962
kurios
koo'-ree-os
From kuros (supremacy); supreme in authority, that is, (as noun) controller; by implication: - God, Lord, Master.
The word Kurios is the Greek word used to translate the Hebrew word Jehovah, so for one to be saved, one must confess Jesus as Jehovah God.
What did the Old Testament say:
Isa. 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Gen. 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
What is the Image of God?
Col. 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
What did He do:
Col. 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Col. 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Col. 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col. 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col. 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Col. 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Col. 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
What did Jesus Christ say about this:
John 8:23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
John 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am, ye shall die in your sins.
The words I AM are the same words spoken from the burning bush to Moses.
God is One God, but He has three distinct personalities: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit is God also, and He makes known Christ Jesus through the written Word of God, and Christ makes known The Father. They tried to kill Jesus Christ when He told them He was the Son of God for:
Phil. 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Phil. 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Phil. 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Phil. 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Phil. 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Phi 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Jehovah), to the glory of God the Father.
Salvation is to say what Thomas said:
John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Which is Truth because:
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
All God's Blessings in Christ Jesus, the One True God,
The Believers
Titus 2:13
Looking for that blessed hope,
and the glorious appearing of the great God
and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Donna wrote:
Just found your site and am enjoying and researching some of your studies. But before I proceed, it is important for me to know if you believe that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. The viewpoint of the studies could greatly vary over who you believe Jesus to be.
Thanks,
Donna
Dear Donna,
God Bless you for writing; we hope this shows we truly believe Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh and is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
1. The Declaration
We believe that 'confessedly great is the mystery of godliness.' While God absolutely is Spirit and invisible, Whom no man has seen or can see, yet for the purpose of creation, He assumed the limitations suggested by the titles, 'The Image of the invisible God,' 'The Form of God,' and 'The Word,' and for the purpose of redemption He yet further limited Himself by being made flesh and tabernacled among us as The Only Begotten of The Father. In spite of all such limitations, and in spite of the problems arising out of His incarnation, we believe we may, with Thomas, fully and unreservedly bow at the feet of Christ and say: 'My Lord and my God.'
2. Scriptural Grounds
'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... All things were made by Him ... the world was made by Him' (John 1:1, John 1:3, John 1:10).
'Before Abraham was, I Am' (John 8:58).
'Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power ... Unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever ... Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: they shall perish; but Thou remainest' (Heb. 1:3, Heb. 1:8, Heb. 1:10-11).
'Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: for by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created BY Him, and FOR Him: and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist' (Col. 1:15-17).
'Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation' (Phil. 2:6-7).
' ... The church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood' (Acts 20:28).
' ... shall call His Name Immanuel - God with us' (Isa. 7:14; cf. Matt. 1:23).
'Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given ... and His Name shall be called ... The mighty God' (Isa. 9:6).
'These things said Esaias (Isaiah), when he saw His (Christ's) glory, and spake of Him' (John 12:41).
' ... Mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts' (Isa. 6:5).
'1 am the LORD: that is My Name: and My glory will I not give to another' (Isa. 42:8).
3. An Expansion And Exposition Of Some Aspects Of This Mighty Theme.
It has been pointed out that in the frescoes painted by Fra Angelico, the figure of the Saviour is much below the average, the reason being that when this artist attempted to portray his Lord, the solemnity and majesty of his subject overwhelmed him.
We have no ability to select a pictorial representation of the Lord at all, but today, people demand graphics, so we make a feeble attempt to display something. Even when we try to relate in words, Fra Angelico's difficulty expresses something of our own. How can we adequately express what the Lord Jesus is to us? If we are brief, it may seem that we have no reverence for our theme. If we are lengthy, all the pages at our disposal cannot touch the fringe of the subject. If we make no reference to false translations such as that of John 1:1, where some render the passage, 'The Word was a God,' the omission may be misconstrued. If we load our pages with refutations and arguments, we may put out our hands to stay the ark of God. Reasoning and logic are true only when employed within the sphere of our experience. It is true for us to say that nothing can be in two places at one and the same time, but such logic becomes untrue when taken into God's Sphere. We, therefore, content ourselves with the following brief exhibition of the Scriptural grounds for our faith concerning the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We most surely believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is both God and man - 'God manifest in the flesh.' We adhere to the AV. of 1 Timothy 3:16.
We believe that Christ, as a perfect sinless man, was miraculously born of a virgin. Himself untainted by the fall of Adam.
According to Scripture, there are three outstanding attributes of God which He declares belong to no one else. These three attributes are unreservedly given by Scripture to the Lord Jesus Christ.
1. Creator
'In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth' (Gen. 1:1).
' . . . in six days the LORD made heaven and earth' (Exod. 20:11).
'For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it ... I am the LORD; and there is none else' (Isa. 45:18).
2. Redeemer
'Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and His Redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside Me there is no God' (Isa. 44:6).
3. Jehovah - Lord
'I am the LORD: that is My name: and My glory will I not give to another' (Isa. 42:8).
In each of these statements, the claim is exclusive. And we may now seek to shew that these exclusively divine attributes belong to Christ.
1. Jesus Christ is the Creator
'All things were made by Him ... He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not' (John 1:3, John 1:10).
He made the world. Yet He was in the world. This chapter recognizes the problem and solves it.
' ... The Word was God' (John 1:1).
' ... the Word was made (became) flesh' (John 1:14).
' ... by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist' (Col. 1:16-17).
The range here is tremendous. Not only is creation attributed to Christ, but it is for Him and held together by Him. Here, instead of the title 'The Word,' we have 'The Image of the Invisible God' and 'The Firstborn of every creature'. If the title 'Firstborn' be construed as meaning that the Lord had no existence before, how shall we explain its recurrence in Col. 1:18, 'The Firstborn from the dead'? If we accept the inspired explanation which is given in the passage considered - 'The Beginning' - we shall understand its bearing upon creation itself. Christ is called 'The beginning of the creation of God' (Rev. 3:14), not because He was the first One created, but because He created all things.
The first verse of Hebrews states that in times past, God spoke by the prophets, but the second verse reveals a deeper truth - He has since spoken Himself, for the words are, 'Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son (in Son).' The Son is addressed as 'God' and 'Lord' (Heb. 1:8, Heb. 1:10), and the creation, including heaven and earth, is attributed to Him. As we read Isaiah 45:18 and the passages from John, Colossians, and Hebrews already quoted, we have no alternative but to bow in the presence of the Saviour and say, 'My Lord and my God.'
2. Jesus Christ is the Redeemer
There is no need to quote chapter and verse. All we need do is to remind the reader of Isaiah 44:6 and to affirm that Whoever is, in a Scriptural sense, The Redeemer is God.
3. Jesus Christ is the Lord
' ... Every tongue should (shall) confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father' (Phil. 2:11).
This is a quotation from Isaiah 45:23, and by reading the four previous verses in this Chapter, we learn that the One referred to as 'Lord' is God:
'There is no God else beside Me ... I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by Myself, the word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear'.
Isaiah 42:8 declares that the Lord will not give His glory to another. When we read that Jesus Christ is Lord, it means that He is the Jehovah of the Old Testament, the 'I AM' who was before Abraham.
John 12:41 declares that when Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up in the temple, he saw the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, while Hezekiah most emphatically affirms that the Lord of Hosts seen by Isaiah was 'God ... alone' (Isa. 37:16).
We can understand that the Creator is God, but that this is true of The Redeemer, Who is necessarily man (for He must die), is at first sight a difficulty to many. Yet the question of the deity of Christ could be decided by this matter alone, for He Who is a Redeemer in the Scriptural sense must be God and must also be man. No one else can fill the position, for the Hebrew word for The Redeemer is Goel, meaning a kinsman (as in the story of Ruth). If Jesus Christ is not God, and if He is not truly man, we have no Redeemer.
Now the Redeemer has the following titles in Isaiah:- 'Lord,' 'The Lord of Hosts,' 'The mighty One of Jacob,' 'The Holy One of Israel,' 'The Creator of Israel,' 'Beside Me there is no God' (Isa. 41:14; Isa. 47:4; Isa. 49:26; Isa. 54:5; Isa. 43:15; and Isa. 44:6). Here, then, is the problem. How can God, the Creator, the Lord of Hosts, be 'next of kin' to man? Isaiah, whose emphasis upon the Godhead of the Redeemer creates the problem, supplies the solution:
' ... Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel' (Isa. 7:14).
'Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace' (Isa. 9:6).
' ... Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us' (Matt. 1:20-23).
' ... Feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood' (Acts 20:28).
We hope this helps, and God Bless you in Christ Jesus, The Lord
The Believers
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
This is where in Scripture, Paul addresses the Hope of the Church,
which he and the believers looked forward to prior to the time of Acts 28:28.
John wrote:
Where is rapture mentioned in the Bible?
John
Dear John,
God Bless your beautiful heart, and thank you for writing. The word "rapture" is not found anywhere in the Biblical texts and is a term used by some to describe what they call an early departure of the church. This is not sound Biblical doctrine, and we are enclosing a teaching to help you discover what the Bible teaches regarding The Coming of The Lord.
THE HOPE OF PAUL'S ACTS EPISTLES
Paul said in verse 1 Thes. 4:15 "This we say unto you, By The Word Of The Lord .... Paul was quoting and using The Word of the Lord to show them their Hope. That Hope, as found in 1 Thess. 4:16-18 is detailed with its shout, voices of the archangel, and trumpet and was written down in The Word of the Lord.
In 1 Corinthians 15, when writing about the same Hope of resurrection (which some call the "rapture"), he says in 1 Cor. 15:54-55 “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” If Paul means what he says and says what he means, the Hope of 1 Corinthians 15 was prophesied in The Word of the Lord.
Paul is quoting from two different Books in The Word of the Lord, Hosea 13:14 and Isa. 25:8, to show the Corinthians their hope. This agrees with what Paul said in Acts 26:22, where summing up his Acts ministry, he said,” Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come.” Paul’s Acts ministry and what he wrote in his Acts epistles can be found in the Old Testament Scriptures, and that includes the Hope he wrote about in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15.
In this article, we will show that the Hope that Paul wrote about in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15 is not only found in the Old Testament Scriptures but was taught by Jesus Christ in His earthly ministry in Matthew 24 and other places. That this runs contrary to what is taught in most Bible churches today is certain, but there are as many "doctrines and traditions of men in "Bible churches,” as there are in denominational churches in this country.
For years it has been the “party line” in most “Bible churches” that 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15 are the promised hope of The Church today and that no one knew or wrote about this hope prior to Paul. This doctrine has been preached for so long and so loud that Christendom accepts this with no questions asked. But yet, we just read that what Paul said to the Thessalonians about their hope, he said to them by the Word of The Lord. And we read in 1 Corinthians 15 that when that resurrection takes place, Old Testament Scriptures would be brought to pass.
The question that Bible believers need to answer these days is, who are we going to believe? Are we going to believe what the preachers say because they have been saying it for so long and loud, or are we going to believe what the Scriptures say, where they say it, as they say, it? We should always endeavor to study to show ourselves approved before God, and let the traditions of men fall where they may, no matter what the cost.
Let it be said at the offset of this article that we do not believe that the Hope of the Church today is found in 1 Corinthians 15 or 1 Thessalonians 4. We believe that God revealed a new and better Hope to Paul after the Acts period and that it is found in his Prison Epistles.
If you are serious about your bible study, and you want to get to the bottom of this issue and find out for yourself if what we are saying is true, we recommend you get three Bibles and lay them out before you. Open one to Matthew 24, another to 1 Corinthians 15, and the other to 1 Thessalonians 4. The subject is the same in all three books, and it is resurrection. We are going to compare what Jesus says about the resurrection in Matthew 24, which He taught during His earthly ministry, with the resurrection Paul wrote about in 1 Cor. 15 and 1 Thess. 4. If Jesus and Paul say the same thing, then they must be talking about the same resurrection. On the other hand, if they say contradictory things about the resurrection, then they are not speaking of the same resurrection. In Matthew 24, Jesus taught the 12 apostles about resurrection, and He said in Matt. 24:29-31 ...
- "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (Mark 13:27 "from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven")
Let’s compare what Jesus says here with what Paul says.
(1.) THE HOPE OF MATT. 24 IS THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
Matt. 24:30, "They shall see the Son of man COMING"
Matt. 24:29, "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the COMING of the Son of man be"
The Hope Of I Cor. 15 And I Thess. 4 Is Also The Second Coming Of Christ.
1 Cor. 15:22-23, “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s AT HIS COMING”.
1 Cor. 1:7, “So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.”
1 Thess. 4:15, "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto THE COMING OF THE LORD shall not prevent them which are asleep"
The hope of the Acts Believers was the coming of the Lord. Paul mentions it ten times in his Acts epistles. Check them out and see for yourself, 1 Cor. 1:7, 1 Cor. 4:5, 1 Cor. 11:26, 1 Cor. 15:23, 1 Thess. 2:19, 1 Thess. 3:13, 1 Thess. 4:15, 1 Thess. 5:23, 2 Thess.1:10, 2 Thess. 2:1.
Now, if the Lord has already come once to die for sinners, then the coming we have been reading about must be His Second Coming, right? Why is it so hard for Bible believers to admit that? A Bible believer once said that his hope was not the second coming of Christ, but it was the “rapture,” and he quoted 1 Thess. 4:15. Doesn’t Paul say they would be caught up at the COMING of the Lord? And doesn’t he mention His coming ten times in his Acts epistles? And if Christ has already come one time, wouldn’t this be his second coming?
(2.) IN MATT. 24 WHEN JESUS COMES, HE COMES IN THE CLOUDS.
Matt. 24:30 says, “They shall see the Son of man coming in the Clouds Of Heaven”
In 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15, when Jesus Comes, He comes in Clouds.
1 Thess. 4:17 says, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them IN THE CLOUDS, to meet the Lord in the air.”
If you want to know where the clouds are, look up into the air, and you will see them. It’s the clouds in the lower atmosphere.
(3.) IN MATT. 24 WHEN JESUS COMES IN THE CLOUDS, HE WILL COME WITH ANGELS.
Matt. 24:31, "And He shall send forth his ANGELS"
In 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15, when Jesus comes in the clouds, He will come with Angels.
1 Thess. 4:16, “HE will descend from heaven with... the voice of the ARCHANGEL.
Michael is the archangel and the prince of Israel (DAN 12:1-2), and where Michael goes, so do His Angels, read Rev. 12:7.
(4.) IN MATT. 24 WHEN JESUS COMES IN THE CLOUDS WITH ANGELS, A TRUMPET IS BLOWN.
Matt. 24:31, “And he shall send his angels with a great SOUND OF A TRUMPET”
In 1 Thess. 4 and I Cor. 15, when Jesus comes in the clouds with Angels, a Trumpet is blown.
I Cor. 15:52, “For The Trumpet Shall Sound and the dead shall be raised “1 Thess. 4:16 says, “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven ..with The Trump Of God”.
(5.) THE TRUMPET THAT IS BLOWN IN MATT. 24 IS THE LAST TRUMPET, FOR IT IS BLOWN AFTER THE GREAT TRIBULATION.
Matt. 24:29, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days ... Matt. 24:31 "he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet.”
The Trumpet in 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor.15 is specifically called The Last Trumpet.
1 Cor. 15:52, "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, At The Last Trump: for the Trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised.”
If Paul said they would be raised at the last trumpet, that means there are other trumpets blown before it. There is no denying the fact that before the second coming of Christ, trumpets are going to be blown. In Rev. Chapters 8-9-10-11, there will be at least seven trumpets blown before The Lord Jesus comes. In 1 Cor. 15, Paul said the dead would be raised at the Last Trumpet. If there are 7 Trumpets blown before He comes, which Trumpet is Paul referring to? That’s easy, it’s number 7 in Rev. 11:15, and it so happens that when the seventh trumpet is blown in Rev. 11, a resurrection of the Saints takes place, they are judged, and rewards are given out to them, read Rev. 11:15-18. Also read 2 Cor. 5:8-11.
Every trumpet that is going to be blown before Jesus comes is found in the Book of Revelation, so don’t waste your time running all over the Bible, trying to find another trumpet to get around the last trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15. If a trumpet is going to be blown, if a seal is going to be opened, if a vial is going to be poured out in the tribulation, You will find it in the Book of Revelation or Daniel. If it’s not in those Books, don’t waste your time searching through the Scriptures to come up with another trumpet, vial, or seal. (It’s amazing what people and preachers will do to get around these clear records! Just believe the Book and relax; for 1 Cor. 15 and 1 Thess. 4 is not your Hope. God gave us a new and better Hope, and it's found in the Prison Epistles of Paul, and it takes place before the first trumpet even blows. We will lay out the details of this Hope later, but we are studying the Acts period, and a pre-tribulation Hope was unheard of; in fact, that false doctrine only surfaced about 150 years ago.
When the resurrection of Matt. 24 takes place, not only will The Lord descend from Heaven in the clouds with His Angels and a Trumpet, but a Voice will be heard also.
The voice is not mentioned in Matt. 24, but it is in John 5:25-28. It says, "The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live"
In 1 THESS. 4 and 1 COR. 15 When the Lord descends from Heaven into the clouds with Angels and the sound of a Trumpet, a voice will be heard.
1 Thess. 4:16 “The Lord shall descend from heaven with a Shout ...
The shout is for the dead; the trumpet is for those alive.
(7.) IN MATT. 24 WHEN JESUS COMES WITH HIS ANGELS AND A SHOUT AND THE SOUND OF A TRUMPET, HIS ELECT WILL BE GATHERED TOGETHER.
Matt. 24:31, “They shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Also read Mark 13:27)
In 1 Cor. 15 and 1 Thess. 4, When Jesus comes with a shout, a trumpet, and angels, His elect will be gathered together.
2 Thess. 2:1 “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto HIm.
And those that he gathers together here are his elect also, according to 1 Thess. 1:4, and 2 Thess. 2:13.
(8.) IN MATT. 24 WHEN JESUS COMES IN THE CLOUDS, IT WILL BE SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED.
Matt. 24:42, “Watch, therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
In these verses, Jesus compares his coming with a thief breaking into a house. A thief comes suddenly and unexpectedly. He comes in and then gets out as fast as he can with the valuables and jewels he came after.
In these verses, Jesus Christ is as a thief breaking into a house. The house is this world that the devil is the god of (Matt.12:29). As a thief breaks into a house to take something of value out, His coming is to take his elect out of this world so that he can destroy it along with the devil (2 Pet. 3:10).
The Resurrection in 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15 will be sudden and unexpected also.
1 Cor. 15:52 “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: For the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised...”
When Paul says: “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,” he is showing you HOW FAST that resurrection will take place. But when he says "AT the last trump”, he is showing you WHEN it will take place. It will be sudden and unexpected, just like the Hope of Matt. 24.
(9.) WHEN THE RESURRECTION OF MATT. 24 TAKES PLACE; BELIEVERS WHO ARE ALIVE WILL BE CAUGHT UP WITHOUT DYING.
This fact is brought out by the Lord in John 11. In John 11, Lazarus, who was Martha’s brother, died, and she wants Christ to raise him from the dead. And Jesus said unto her in John 11:23, “Thy brother shall rise again.” Martha saith unto him, "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said unto her: “I am the resurrection; and the life: he that believeth in me; though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die ... believest thou this?”
When Jesus said, "he that believeth in me though he were dead, yet shall he live.” He is referring to those who are dead when the resurrection of the last day takes place. And when He said, "whosoever liveth and believeth in me," He is referring to those who are alive when the resurrection of the last day takes place, and he says: “They shall never die.” When the resurrection of Matt. 24 takes place, those believers who are dead will be raised, and those believers who are alive will be gathered together without dying.
When the Resurrection of 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15 takes place, believers who are alive will be caught up without dying.
1 Cor. 15:51 "I shew you a Mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed."
The Mystery of 1 Cor. 15:51 is not the resurrection, but it’s the fact that there will be some caught up without dying. But this is a mystery hidden in the Scriptures, for in 1 Cor. 15:55, Paul quotes Isa. 25:8, which says, "O Death where is thy sting?" In other words, in the Old Testament Scriptures, it was written down that somebody was going to get out of this life without experiencing the sting of death.
This is what Jesus is referring to in John 11:26 when he said, “He that liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” That was the only time that Christ mentioned that fact to anyone, and prior to Paul, it was the general consensus that by the time that resurrection took place, all believers would be dead. But God opened up the Scriptures to Paul, and he was the first man to fully understand that fact and write about it. But nevertheless, it was in the Old Testament Scriptures, even though concealed.
Isn’t it wonderful how the Bible opens up when you just believe what the words say and ignore what the preachers say?
(10.) THE RESURRECTION AND HOPE IN MATT. 24 WAS, OF COURSE, PROPHESIED BY THE PROPHETS.
The Hope of 1 Cor. 15:54 and 1 Thess. 4 were, of course, implied.
1 Cor. 15:54 “Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory, O Death where is thy sting? “O Grave, where is thy victory?”
When the resurrection of 1 Cor. 15 takes place, Old Testament prophecies concerning resurrection will be brought to pass, namely Hosea 13:14 and Isa. 25:8.
(11.) THE HOPE OF MATT. 24 WAS ISRAEL’S HOPE.
The resurrection Jesus describes in Matt.24 is the hope of the New Covenant that God made with Israel.
Hope of Paul’s Acts Epistles was The Hope of Israel.
Acts 28:20 "For this cause, therefore, have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the Hope of Israel, I am bound with this chain.
Paul refers to the Hope of Israel 4 times in Acts.
1. In Acts 23:6, he mentions the Hope as being resurrection.
2. In Acts 24:15, he mentions the hope as being resurrection.
3. In Acts 26:6-8 He mentions the hope as being resurrection.
4. In Acts 28:20-23 he mentions the Hope in connection with the Kingdom of God.
The Hope of Israel was to be resurrected into the kingdom of God; as a matter of fact, the only way they could get into the Kingdom of God was by resurrection.
That’s exactly what Paul is showing the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 15. In that Chapter; he is showing them how to get into the Kingdom of God, and guess what he told them had to happen for them to get in? They had to be resurrected and changed. WHY? Because in 1 Cor. 15:50, he said:
“Now this I say; brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
And in 1 Cor. 15:51, he told them they would all be changed, and the change would take place in resurrection. 1 Cor. 15 and 1 Thess. 4 is the hope of Israel. The hope of Israel was resurrection into the Kingdom of God, which is exactly what Paul is writing about in this chapter.
You say: “How did Gentiles in that Church end up with Israel’s Hope?” Because in the Acts period, they were grafted into Israel the good olive tree, according to Rom. 11:17. And being grafted into the tree, they partook of the fatness of the olive tree. The fatness of the olive tree was the blessings and promises made to the fathers, who were the root of the tree - Rom. 15:27. And one of those blessings and promises was their Hope of Resurrection.
(12.) BEFORE THE HOPE OF MATT. 24 TAKES PLACE; THERE WILL BE A FALLING AWAY, THAT IS, APOSTASY AND THE REVELATION OF THE ANTI-CHRIST.
In Matt. 24:11 Jesus said, "Many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” (A reference to apostasy)
Matt. 24:15, "When ye, therefore, shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the Holy place ..." (A reference to the anti-Christ Dan. 11:31)
Matt. 24:24, "There would be false Christs; and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." (A reference to the Devil working false miracles.)
Paul said the exact same thing would take place before the Resurrection of 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15 would take place.
2 Thess. 2:1-2 "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him; "that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor as by letter as from us that the day of Christ is at hand."
The day of Christ in 2 Thess. 2:2, was his coming and their gathering together unto him in 2 Thess. 2:1. The Thessalonians were “all shaken up” because somebody wrote them a false letter and told them it was at hand; that is, it was immediately to take place. If it were true, they were to soon face the wrath of 2 Thess. 1:8-9. So Paul, to assure them that His return was not imminent, tells them in 2 Thess. 2:3 “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
For years Bible believers have wrestled with these Scriptures because they have been taught that the “so-called” Rapture in 1 Thess. 4 was a pre-tribulation rapture. We speak from personal experience. For once, we believed that until we compared the records from The Scriptures.
When we finally made up our minds to just believe what the Scriptures say, the verses shined onto us like the noonday sun! What is Paul saying here? He is saying that the day of Christ in 2 Thess. 2:2 was His Coming and their gathering together unto Him in 2 Thess. 2:1 is the same Hope found in 1 Thess. 4.
Somebody wrote a letter to them, forged Paul’s name to it, and told them it was at hand that is soon taking place. They were shaken up, for if that were true, then what Paul had taught them was wrong. Paul writes this letter to assure them that they had not been taught anything but The Truth about The Day of Christ that is, His Coming, which was still their Hope and gave instructions again on what would happen before His Coming. Paul said the Day of Christ would not take place until after a period of apostasy and the revelation of the Anti-Christ, which they knew had not taken place. (He also mentions the Devil working miracles in 2 Thess. 2:9)
The point that we are making is the Hope of 1 Thess. 4 which was the Day of Christ, would not take place until AFTER a period of apostasy and the revelation of the Anti-Christ, just like the resurrection in Matt. 24. Don’t get uptight thinking you’re going to be here when the Anti-Christ is revealed, for 1 Thess. 4 is not your Hope. We have a new and better Hope found in the Prison Epistles, which is described in the article That Blessed Hope. And that Hope takes place before the Tribulation ever begins, maybe years before.
We believe these 12 similarities between Matt. 24 and I Cor. 15 and 1 Thess. 4 are enough to convince any fair-minded believer that we have been looking at the same resurrection. If they are not the same, then there will be two resurrections that will take place in the future at the same time that are identical! Well, the reason they are identical is because they are the same.
The Body of Christ has ONE HOPE, but it is not found in 1 Thess. 4 or 1 Cor. 15; it is found in his Prison Epistles.
ADDITIONAL NAMES CONCERNING THE HOPE OF THE ACTS EPISTLES
When speaking of “Bible Things,” we should use “Bible Names.”
The word that most Christians use today for the resurrection is the word “Rapture.” The word “Rapture” is not Scripture at all. It does not appear in the Bible even one time. Upon looking at its definition, it is a terrible word to use for resurrection. The word “Rapture” means “Violence of a pleasing passion.” “A state or experience of being carried away by overwhelming emotion, ecstasy, or passion in a carnal, sensual, sexual manner.” As a matter of fact, the word “Rapture” comes from the Latin cognate raptus, meaning “seized and taken, kidnapped by force, snatched hold of and then taken hostage, carried off or away.” In Medieval times, raptus was sometimes used to describe the euphoria soldiers experienced after defeating a foe in battle, then seizing the opponent, and taking him away as a captive. Greek raptus virginum Sabinarum is a reference to the Sabine virgins, who were raped and abducted. Why would anyone want to use a worldly word for violent, forceful rape as a word for the resurrection of saints?
Whenever Paul writes about resurrection, he always uses the word “HOPE" (See Titus 2:13, Acts 28:20, Eph. 1:18). The word “HOPE" is the Bible name for resurrection, not the carnal, sensual word “Rapture."
People use 1 Thess. 1:10 to try to prove that the resurrection in 1 Thess. 4:15-18 takes place before the tribulation period begins. They point out that it says they would be delivered from the “wrath to come” and that they were not appointed to wrath in 1 Thess. 5:9. But, that cannot be true, for Paul also told them they would be resurrected at the last trumpet in 1 Cor. 15:52, and the last trumpet is the seventh of seven, that will be blown DURING the tribulation before Lord Jesus comes at the end. Paul also told them that the Day of Christ, which was His Coming and their gathering together unto Him, was not at hand, for it would be preceded by a falling away and the revelation of the Anti-Christ, which all takes place During The Tribulation, Not Before. (2 Thess. 2:1-6 ) You cannot ignore these facts when reading 1 Thess. 1:10.
The question then that we must answer is, “What is the Wrath to Come”? That expression appears three times in the Bible, Matt. 3:7, Luke 3:7, and 1 Thess. 1:10. In Matt. 3 and Luke 3, it is identified as the day that Jesus comes in a fire to burn up the chaff after He gathers the wheat into His garner. That day is at the Very End of the tribulation.
That’s the wrath of 1 Thess. 5:9 that they were not appointed to. That’s the "wrath to come” they were delivered from in 1 Thess. 1:10. As a matter of fact, even the tribulation saints are delivered from the wrath to come, and no believer, including the tribulation saints, is appointed to wrath. Before the wrath to come is unleashed upon this earth, at the very end of the tribulation, many believers from different ages will, by that time, have been resurrected. (Though not all at the same time.)
Also, the “wrath to come” that Paul wrote of in 1 Thess. 1:10 will not come until after the last trumpet is blown (Rev. 11:18), and it was at the last trumpet that they were to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. That’s why Paul told them that they could “Rest" when the wrath fell in 2 Thess. l:7.
If 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15 are the Hope of The Church today (notice we said “IF”) and “if" God did not reveal a new and better Hope to Paul after the Acts period, then you can be assured that The Church will go through the tribulation just like Paul said.
And it would be false doctrine to preach a pre-tribulation resurrection. Furthermore, if you believe that 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15 are the Hope of The Church today, then you ought to be honest enough to preach that it will take place at the end of the tribulation and not before. And we have more respect for a man that believes that 1 Thess. 4 is his hope and preaches that it will take place at the end of the tribulation than we do for a man that claims it as his hope but denies that it takes place at the end of the tribulation like Paul says it will.
We do realize that what we have written is not going to be “well-liked or received” by most Bible believers, but somebody has needed to stick their necks out and say this for a very long time. We know this is not going to “win many friends and influence many people," but somebody has got to be willing to become even the filth and off-scouring of the world and be looked upon as an evil doer by God’s own people. If that is what it takes for people to get their eyes open to what their Hope is, it is well worth it. The devil is doing everything he can to keep you from seeing the Truth about this Hope, and the one spoken of in the Prison Epistles
When men go up against the doctrines and traditions of men that have been believed and taught for many years, they will find themselves alone on the outside looking in. Their own friends will turn against them and turn away from them and accuse them of being troublemakers. That’s what happened to Paul, but he was willing to suffer abuse if that is what it took to show and reveal the Truth to people that God revealed to him.
It would be much easier to just go along with the religious system and preach their “rapture” as being the hope of the church today. It would be much easier to just ignore and even deny what Paul said about the Hope in 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15, like everybody else is doing. But when God changes His program and replaces it with something new and better, it is wrong to go on preaching what He changed.
In other words, if God revealed a Hope to Paul in his Prison Epistles that is different and better than the one he wrote about in The Acts Epistles, wouldn’t it be wrong to go on teaching the Hope in the Acts epistles as the Hope of the Church today?
All God's Blessings,
The Believers
