God And His Word - A Question And Answer Approach To Understanding The Bible

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This Background Stuff Is Important ------- -

An Appeal for Charity

The one great hope of the Church is the glorious Second Com ing of Jesus Christ. Paul calls it "the blessed hope and glorious ap pearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13). The devotion of all the above servants of God to His Word is very apparent, and they agree on one essential: Jesus is coming again! As our thoughts about the Rapture, Tribulation and Mil lennium open for discussion, let's display liberty and charity in our attitudes. An extreme position limits fellowship, demands an unbiblical test of orthodoxy and requires undivided allegiance to questionable elements in Christian doctrine. I am delighted to see a more open attitude these days among Christians and ministers as they discuss these important events. Some may feel that my presentation has oversimplified the four schools of interpretation, and this is probably so. Certainly each approach has other features. My review here is not meant to de fend or discredit, but rather to provide a quick overview that cov ers the essentials. I have been challenged to think harder and re flect more deeply because of the dedicated scholarship to which I have referred. May the Lord guide us all into greater perception of His will, purpose and intention. And now consider: 5 5 percent of all the verses in the New Tes tament on the Second Coming are found in the gospels. Our next chapter, therefore, will introduce the abundant teaching of Jesus on this subject.

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