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NASB | 2 Peter 3:4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 2 Peter 3:4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming [what has become of it]? For ever since the fathers fell asleep [in death], all things have continued [exactly] as they did from the beginning of creation." |
Subject: Where do I go from here? |
Bible Note: Hello Tim: Well, thanks Tim, for the kind vote of confidence. Maybe it has been discerned that, "...you can take the Christian out of the church, but not the church out of the Christian.." Or, something like that. :) An "ember" can either die, or explode into flame. -------------------------------------------- Now to business: you said that you would recommend "staying away from paraphasing Bibles.." and you may be right. But in support of them, here's a thought or two. What is "paraphrasing?" My dictionary suggests this: "..explaining or translating more clearly and amply..." In other words, the publishers, editors of these paraphrased tomes have sought to present another form, but, of course, to retain the real meaning. I don't think the intent would ever be to actually change meaning, although that may or may not occur "unwittingly". This latter may be what you warn about, but I don't know. -------------------------------------------- 2nd point: you suggest that 1 Peter 1:12 is not reflective of "soon" (the 2nd Coming), although others (the Bibles--The Book, The Living Bible, etc) have seen fit to say just the opposite. Okay. But then look a tad further down in verse 20: "...but only recently was he brought into public view, in these last days, as a blessing to you." (KJV says: "last times") Then look a little further down in 4: 7 "The end of the world is coming soon." (KJV: "..the end of all things is at hand." "At hand" equals "soon" to the paraphasing editors. In context, then, how can these utterances be interpreted in any other way? Unless nothing is "literal"? But that can't be true; some things are literal. By simply "listing", by simply comparing/contrasting, is it not clear that Peter said, "in these last times", or "last days"? Did he literally mean what he literally said? ------------------------------------------ And remember too, Peter's statements are not in isolation. All kinds of relevant corroboration. Everything is jumpstarted, right from the very beginning of the Gospels with: "The Kingdom of Heaven is near!" This is the controlling sentence, if you will, the governing idea. The Good News is near, soon, right around the corner. The time is NOW to repent. And that theme is followed up, writer by writer. There is a definite "urgency" sense expounded throughout the New Testament. Reinforced by Jesus, Peter, John, Paul and used as the ultimate tool in Revelations, "soon" dominates. How does Revelations begin? "This book unveils some of the future activities SOON to occur..." "For the time is NEAR when all come true." And how does Revelations end? Jesus says, "I am coming SOON!" ----------------------------------------------- I'm about "sooned" out. :) Treadway |