Subject: Who is the one holding back? |
Bible Note: Dear Val, Thank you for your exposition of the passage in 2 Thessalonians. It is well done and very interesting. When you wrote, "This is my view, not dogmatic, just a view." That properly qualifies the assertion which you subsequently explained. When you wrote "It is the Holy Spirit in the believers. When the believers all leave the earth there will not be as much godly influence" (in post #196786) it had no qualification and no explanation. Consequently, the latter gave the impression of unequivocal truth. I'm not sure what you mean by "what you and I differ on." I haven't stated my eschatological position in this thread, and I haven't even said I disagreed with your view. You see, I don't really have a position! Mainly that's because I haven't yet found a perfectly clear answer in Scripture, nor have I been fully persuaded by those who insist that they have found one! So I tend to adopt Spurgeon's approach, per the quote below. As to breaking of fellowship: I should certainly hope that a deliberation over one of the hard sayings of Scripture wouldn't do that! My goodness! This is only discussion... not a matter of church discipline! Or was it my use of the word "dogmatic" that troubled you? Please see posts #180437 and #190313. That word is not a bad word, nor is the practice of being dogmatic a bad thing. When the Scripture asserts a thing in no uncertain terms, then we can and must only do the same. As a sister in the Lord, I expect you to be dogmatic on such matters of doctrine. You should expect the same of me. We should never be ashamed of those matters of dogmatics when they are enjoined to us by our Lord. In Him, Doc "You will bear me witness, my friends, that it is exceedingly seldom I ever intrude into the mysteries of the future with regard to the second advent, the millennial reign, or the first and second resurrection. As often as we come across it in our expositions we do not turn aside from the point, but if guilty at all on this point, it is rather in being too silent than saying too much." --Charles Spurgeon |