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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: Greetings Treadway! Thanks for the response! Let me touch upon your points briefly! 1) Paraphrases: I don't know how many of my posts you may have read, but I have been trained in Greek translation. Let me show you why I don't like paraphrases by giving you a literal translation of 1 Pet. 1:12 and comparing it with what the Living Bible paraphrase says. Literal: "to whom has been revealed that they were not serving themselves but you in these things, which now have been proclaimed to you by those who announced the glad tidings to you through the Holy Spirit, sent from Heaven - into which angels desire to look." Now, here is the Living Bible paraphrase of this same verse: "They were finally told that these things would not occur during their lifetime, but long years later, during yours. And now at last the Good News has been plainly announced to all of us. It was preached to us in the power of the same heaven-sent Holy spirit who spoke to them; and it is all so strange and wonderful that even the angels in heaven would give a great deal to know more about it." The biggest difference here, in terms of our discussion, is that there isn't any reference to things which would not occur in their lifetime, but in the Apostles lifetime. The Greek simply says that what they wrote was being fulfilled. What was being fulfilled? According to v. 10, salvation is being fulfilled now, which is what the prophets prophesied about. No mention is made in v. 12 of the second coming of Christ being fulfilled in their lifetimes. Paraphrases are great for casual reading, but for serious study, one needs to stick with a literal translation - like the NASB. 2) 1 Pet. 1:20 and 1 Peter 4:7: 1 Pet. 1:20 does not refer at all to the second coming of Christ, but to His first coming. Look at v.19, He is the foreordained Lamb, who has now appeared. 1 Pet. 4:7 simply says, "The end of all things is approaching...." Again, no mention of a date or even a hint that it must be in their lifetimes. I saw that Joe already addressed this issue, but the simple fact is that Scripture consistently teaches that no one knows when Christ will return. It is nearer today than it was yesterday, but saying that doesn't mean that it must occur during my lifetime. He could return today, next week, or in 10,000 years. No one knows. But, Christians are commanded to live like He could be returning at any moment - because He could! To simply take the term 'soon', or 'near' and interpret that as a belief that Christ would return in the first century is the kind of faulty exgesis that critics engage in because they can't disprove the Bible. Therefore, they have to manufacture an issue, so that they can say, "See, the Bible was wrong". However, the Bible never sets a date for Christ's returen. The Bible never says, "Christ will return in our lifetime". To interpret these statements in this way, is not to take them literally, but to read assumptions into them. A literal statement would be: "I will come back in your lifetime". But, Scripture never says that does it? Joe also mentioned 2 Peter 3 which deals with the issue of why Christ hasn't returned yet. The simple fact is that God doesn't view time the same way that we do. Soon for Him may be 10,000 years. Basically, the only way I could agree with your position my friend is if you could produce a definite statement that Christ was to return in the 1st century. However, there aren't any. This whole position is based on an assumption concerning what 'soon' means. :-) You may be 'sooned' out, but I hope that all of this posting doesn't make you 'swoon' out! ;-) Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |