Subject: What was the Lord's expectation? |
Bible Note: You speak of TRUTH; however, you hide your eyes as not to see! If our interpretation of these scriptures are wrong, please correct us. I've given you 5 to 10 verses in the BIBLE (i.e. TRUTH), so if the interpretation I use is incorrect then you must know the correct one! Your view of Inspiration is difficult to understand. So, when Jesus said, "And what I say to you I say to all; Watch!" (Mk. 13:37) He must have, according to your interpretation, made a mistake; because, he told the apostles to WATCH for His return and it didn't take place! What is your procedure for eliminating verses from the Bible? Do you mark them out in red or white them out? What do you do? I apologize, but I truly don't understand your way of interpreting scripture! If it is true that Christ could come back at anytime would it still be an error to expect or, at least, hope for His return? And, if Paul knew, when he was alive, that it was indeed possible for Christ to come back during his life would it be wrong to expect or hope that Christ would come back in his(Paul's) lifetime? (Notice, in no verse in the BIBLE does Paul say, "I WILL be alive when he comes." But only when giving a demonstration of what will happen at the Lord's return, and since, I believe, he thought it could happen at anytime, he of course included himself in with the living; because, he was, at that time, alive! The fact that he demonstrates a TRUTH through an example that happened at that time shows he thought it could happen at that time, but giving an example of something in the year 60 AD, when the event could take place at anytime is not an error! It is simply giving the example under current conditions. If I were to say to you, if I were standing here when a nuclear bomb hit, I would be burned up! If a nuclear bomb hit when I wasn't there, would that make my statement untrue? No, what I said was still accurate, I just wouldn't be burned up; because, I was not in that spot.) I don't see this as an error, only proof of expectation! That expectation is the TRUTH! Paul, James, John, and the writer of Hebrews, in my opinion, suggest by their writings that they expected Christ to return during their lifetimes! Please notice John 21:20-23, would John be incorrect in thinking he MIGHT live to see the return of our Lord? If that EXPECTATION would have made him wrong then our Lord MISLED him. And, I think we both would agree that our Lord could not do that; because, as you said, GOD is Truth! I must say that this debate is interesting and your points are note worthy, but I think it profits us little. I love you in Christ, whatever you believe, but if it be the will of GOD for us to disagree on this subject, so be His will! Please let me know if I've misrepresented anything in this message, and I would love to hear your continued opinions on this subject, but I do surrender for the sake of dissapation. GOD bless! |