06/08/2010
Author: John Powell
He went to Moody Bible Institute, learning along with others. But later, in graduate school he began to doubt. He finally turned away from God and spends his time now trying to debunk the Bible and Christianity. He wants to help others shed their faith like he did.
One of the doubts that ate away at his faith was the well worn claim that Paul didn’t write 2 Thessalonians. Along with others he claims the writing style and message don’t match that of 1 Thessalonians.
The mismatched message? Bart Ehrman says 1 Thes. teaches Jesus will return soon, but 2 Thes. teaches that there will be signs before His return. First, there is no contradiction between a return at any moment and signs of that return. This is one of the many places in the Bible that God helps us learn to hold two truths in tension. Actually 2 Thes. was written to relieve those who had been told Christ had returned already. He told them what to expect near the return and that they had not been left behind. This is hardly the kind of thing that should cause one to abandon the faith. Yet Bart did.
Another, more familiar scholar, RC Sproul, saw people like Ehrman losing their faith over verses like Matt. 24:34 where Jesus said “this generation will not pass away until all these things (the events surrounding the return of Christ) take place.” People said that all the disciples died and Jesus didn’t return yet so Jesus was mistaken or an imposter. So in an attempt to help Jesus out of this embarrassing position, people like Sproul (called Preterists or Postmillenialists) say that in fact all (or at least most) of the events took place by 70 AD when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem.
This, of course is problematic, because Christ is still in heaven and as bad as things were in the destruction of Jerusalem (and the siege of Masada) the sun did not darken and Christ was not seen returning like lightening across the sky. So they say He came in judgment then. Some (like Sproul) still look for His bodily return. But the whole attempt to avoid the scorn of the skeptical by saying he already came back in that generation repeats the error of the Thessalonian troublers!
First, He is likely referring to the generation living when the signs begin, not the apostles lifetime. He just said, “watch for it and be ready!” Next, in Matt. 24:23, He says, “if anyone says, ‘Look here is the Christ’, don’t believe it!” “See I have told you beforehand” he said in v.25!
Peter also told us to remember that the Lord isn’t slack about his promise but patient. That is how we should answer those who mock, saying, “Where is the promise of his coming?” (2Pet. 3:3ff)
Finally, if all these things happened and Christ “returned” around 70 AD, the Gospels (written a few years later) and Revelation (written around 90-95 AD according to Irenaeus and other early church fathers) would have mentioned it! But all of them expected a future fulfillment. So the Preterists fly in the face of objective evidence and say Revelation was written just before 70 AD so the return was still future! All these mental gymnastics to try to keep unbelievers from scoffing & relieve Jesus’ embarrassment!
Irrelevant to you, you say? A former member of FEFC has been trying to persuade me that Ehrman is right and therefore he too is right in turning from the faith. He has lost expectation and hope to ideas Jesus already warned us about! So…
1. Don’t ignore your questions. There are answers.
2. Don’t be pushed by unbelievers into unreasonable positions.
3. Hang on to your expectation of Jesus return to reign. Yes, “Jesus is gonna win” is the basic point.
4. This hope will change your daily outlook!
