FloydLee
Posts: 577
Joined: Sep. 2009
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| Quote | | Well, gee, in that verse you quoted Paul said Jesus will come back in his lifetime, and since Paul's dead and Jesus didn't come back, I don't see where the "out" is. |
Good! At least you've offered a sincere answer to the question. So let's look at the text again (and a little bit of context too) in 1 Thess. chapter 4 (New International Version):
[quote]13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.
14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
18 Therefore encourage each other with these words. [quote]
Notice first, regarding the text, that Paul never says anything about Jesus returning within Paul's own lifetime (or anyone else's) in this specific text.
Notice secondly, regarding the context, what Paul said in the very next chapter (chap. 5):
| Quote | | "Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." |
"A thief in the night", Paul says. Unexpected and sudden. So both the text and context are clear: Paul does NOT know when Jesus will appear.
Paul is NOT claiming that Jesus will return within his lifetime or within the lifetimes of his readers. He ALSO doesn't say that it won't happen that way either. It's not up to him to say either way, and he doesn't.
Furthermore, The context clearly shows that Paul gave this brief information about the Rapture, with the explicit purpose of helping the Thessalonian Christians to hang on to their hope in God when faced with death, either their own, or of friends or family in Christ. Paul's purpose was NOT to claim that Jesus was coming back in Paul's lifetime or anyone else's.
Indeed, as a follower of Jesus, Paul was in no position to state any dates anyway, for even Jesus clearly specified that no human knew the time when He would appear.
| Quote | | But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels in heaven, but my Father only. (Matt. 24:36-44) |
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So when you look at this information, it becomes clear that Paul is NOT saying that Jesus would return in the Rapture during Paul's lifetime. For Paul (and his readers), it was maybe si, maybe no. But what was certain was that Jesus WOULD return and the Rapture would take place unexpectedly and sudden.
Therefore there isn't any rational reason to refer to the text regarding the Rapture as a "lie". It COULD happen. Tonight. 2010. 2100. You and I simply don't know.
So here's the kicker: either you're prepared right this minute for Jesus' Return and all its implications--like today, like right now--or you are not.
If your honest answer is "I'm not ready"---then what do you intend to DO about it?
| Quote | | "Remember what it says: 'Today when you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.'" (Heb. 3:15, NLT) |
FloydLee
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