Tag Archives: New Testament

The Rapture in 2 Thessalonians 2:1–10

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The Context In verses one and two, Paul states: “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.” (All Bible quotations are from the King James Version.) Several things may be said about these verses. (1) Paul is writing to the Thessalonian believers about the rapture.

The Inhabitants of the Millennium and the Timing of the Rapture, Part 1

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Introduction Pretribulational theologians contend that the rapture of the church is the next event on the eschatological calendar and that it will occur before the tribulation (also known as Daniel’s seventieth week). Pretribulational theologians also assert that the rapture is imminent, since no prophetic event need take place before the rapture can occur. Additionally, they affirm that Christ’s return for the church at the rapture will be separated from His second coming to the earth by the tribulation period. The doctrinal statement of Faith Baptist Theological Seminary is pretribulational.1 Posttribulational theologians contend that the rapture will take place at the end of the tribulation in conjunction with Christ’s return to the earth.

My Swan Song

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What does one say when one is about to depart from the institution that he has loved and served for 41 years? Is there a Scriptural text that deals with that subject? Yes, there are several. In the O.T., Jacob, Moses, Joshua, and David each gave a farewell address. In the N.T., Peter and Paul both wrote of their impending death in their final epistles. One’s final message is sometimes called a “swan song,” a term based on an ancient belief that the swan knew the hour of its death and announced it with a great cry or sweet song.

Paul and the Pagans

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In Roman history, the term pagan refers to an individual who was neither Jewish nor Christian. In other words, pagans were non-Christian Gentiles. The Apostle Paul definitely knew some pagan literature. For instance, he quotes the poet Aratus of Cilicia in Acts 17:28: “For we are also His offspring.” And he quotes Epimenides, a Cretan poet, in Titus 1:12: “The Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies [lazy gluttons].” These are examples of Paul’s direct referencing of pagan poets. But a cursory survey of pagan literature can indirectly assist in the interpretation of other Pauline texts, as it places his letters in their cultural milieu.

Effective Instruments for the Master

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Tragic current events, degradation of moral standards, and today’s warped philosophy may lead some to believe that we live in a hopeless situation. However, God is very much at work changing people’s hearts as He carries out His program for the ages. He has placed many of us in leadership positions in the local church, the primary vehicle for accomplishing His program in this present dispensation. To be effective instruments for the Master and His work in the church, we must be Godly leaders.

The Preservation of Scripture

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The Message of 2 Timothy 3:16–17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16). Another way of saying this would be, “all Scripture is God-breathed,” or “all Scripture comes from the mouth of God.” This means God is directly responsible for causing the Bible writers to put down everything that He wanted written without error and without omission. But what of the Bible I hold in my hand? Is it God’s Word? Can it be trusted? The answer is yes!

Dispensational Theology

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Introduction Faith Baptist Theological Seminary is dispensational in its theology. Many people do not know what dispensationalism really is or how it affects the beliefs we hold. The purpose of this article is to explain dispensationalism by looking at some of our major beliefs. The Bible We believe that the Bible is God’s Word. All of its 66 books are inspired, and everything the Bible teaches is completely true. At the same time we recognize that the message found in the Bible is more greatly developed in the New Testament.

New Testament Principles of Music

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Music tends to express the culture it comes in. Heroic music tends to coincide with heroic areas. Revivals have tended to express themselves in hymns of spiritual depth; and it is no accident that contemporary religious music expresses our own spiritual values. While the Old Testament contains a whole literature of worship through music, the New Testament says surprisingly little about it. We read songs in Luke and revelation, but the New Testament verses that discuss music could be written on a 3×5 card.