My question is about the “Rapture”.  Although this word doesn’t appear in the Bible, I have been reading about this event and would like to know more about it.  I was raised in a Bible Presbyterian church and now attend a United Methodist church.  My wife and I both believe the Premillennialist point of view.  1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 points this out very clearly.  We also believe this because Scripture is clear in 1 Thessalonian 5:9 that we as the church and christians are not appointed to wrath, so we will not be here during the tribulation.  One scripture that isn’t clear is Daniel 12:10-12. The ‘abomination of desolation’ is clearly the anti-Christ, but I don’t understand the daily sacrifice and the period of time referenced in the Bible as 1,290 days.  Please help us understand or clarify this passage of Scripture.

Sincerely,
Preferring Premillenialism

Dear Premillenialism,

There are quite a few problems with the premillenialist viewpoint.  ‘Premillenialism’ comes from ‘pre’ and ‘millenial’ because it teaches that Christ will come back before (pre) He sets up a 1,000-year reign (millennial) on Earth.  Premillenialism gained popularity in the 1800’s and has gained even further popularity because of the fiction series ‘Left Behind’.  Popular is not the same as correct.  1 Thess 4:15-17 simply addresses what will happen to christians when Christ returns – it never says anything about a tribulation event or a millennial kingdom reign.

The problem with premillenialism is that its teachings are based upon the idea that Christ failed to set up His kingdom on this earth.  Premillenialism teaches that when the Jews crucified Christ, they “rebuffed” His efforts to set up a millennial kingdom and that Jesus started the church as a temporary measure until He could return and set up His kingdom for real.

If this is true (and it isn’t), Jesus was lying when He said that His kingdom would be set up within the lifetime of those He was preaching to (Mk 9:1).  In fact, it would make Jesus a false prophet (Deu 18:20-22).  The truth is that Jesus has already set up His kingdom – the church is that kingdom (Col 1:13).  Jesus never planned on setting up a physical kingdom on this earth (Jhn 18:36).  Jesus’ kingdom is a spiritual kingdom that reigns forever within the hearts and lives of christians (Lk 17:20-21).  In fact, it was Jesus who rejected the Jews when they tried to make Him king of a physical kingdom (Jhn 6:15).  Premillenialism isn’t a doctrine from God; it contradicts Scripture.

(This question is a follow-up to a series of questions – “Not Nice Nicene” and “Creedy-Cruds”)

It seems the Apostles’ Creed you refer to is The Apostles’ Creed, Ecumenical Version.  The Apostles’ Creed our church recites each Sunday is The Apostles’ Creed, Traditional Version which states:

I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit; born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; the third day He rose from the dead; He descended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.  I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.  Amen.

We do not state that Jesus “descended into Hell”.  This version of The Apostles’ Creed seems to me to be completely in line with what the Bible teaches us.  That is why I have no problem with it.  Would you say the same?  I have never recited or paid any attention to any creed but The Apostles’ Creed before now.   I am at the present time studying to become a Certified Lay Speaker in the United Methodist Church, and the subject of creeds is one item of discussion I am preparing for.  I appreciate your help on this subject.  Please let me know if you find anything wrong with The Apostles’ Creed stated above.  I do realize it does not state exactly what the Bible says, but it does state all that is necessary, and I see no where that it is deceiving.  I continue to appreciate your thoughts.

Sincerely,
Almost Certified Lay Speaker

Dear Almost Certified Lay Speaker,

The problem with creeds is in their very nature.  A creed is an extra-Biblical document that is treated as an essential element of faith.  It doesn’t matter whether it agrees with the Scriptures or not – the wording is man-made and, therefore, not exactly as God intended.  A creed draws the lines of fellowship around a human writing.  A creed is a statement of faith that superimposes itself over the Scriptures.  Now, instead of using the Scriptures as the guide for what makes a congregation and a christian faithful – we use a creed to decide what verses and concepts are (and are not) important.  We have no right to do that!  If God wanted mankind to use creeds as measures of faith and fellowship – He would have given us one.

A great example of what happens when we use extra-Biblical documents to guide us is seen in many religions today.  We do not desire to offend, but the title “United Methodist Church” shows that your particular church’s foundation is its ‘methods’.  It is unified by its methods and practices… instead of by the Bible’s teachings.  If we all simply took the Bible and nothing else, there wouldn’t be Methodists, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Catholics, Presbyterians, etc.; there would only be christians (not “Certified Lay Speakers”, which is a title completely foreign to the Bible) and Christ’s church.  It is the various methods, practices, and creeds that people add to the Scriptures that create division and religious confusion.  Jesus intended there to be one church and one faith (Eph 4:4-5).  We are called to unity… a unity that can only be found in the Bible the Holy Spirit gave us (Eph 4:3).  If we throw off all creeds, names, and practices and use only the Bible, then we will find unity, and we can confidently say we are God’s people.

This post is a follow-up question to “Not Nice Nicene” – AYP)

Thank you so much for answering my question in a timely manner.  Every Sunday during our worship service at church, we recite the Apostles’ Creed, and I cannot see anything in it that goes against the Bible.  Am I missing something important?   When we recite, “I believe in the holy catholic church…”, I am under the impression it means I believe in the universal church.  I am of the Methodist faith, and I really want to do what is right in keeping with the Bible.  Am I correct re: the Apostles’ Creed?  Thank you so much for helping me.

Sincerely,
Creed Control

Dear Creed Control,

There are several things unscriptural about reciting the Apostles’ Creed.  First of all – it really isn’t the apostles’ creed at all.  Paul said that the only thing he preached was the message of Jesus Christ (1 Cor 2:1-2).  He also said that if anyone preached anything other than that message, they were wrong (Gal 1:6-8).  So a creed named the Apostles’ Creed is already hypocritical – the only creed the apostles had was the Word of God.

Furthermore, there are several phrases within the Apostles’ Creed that are vague at best – and at least one sentence that directly contradicts the Scripture.  We have highlighted it below in bold:

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
 the Maker of heaven and earth,
 and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
 born of the virgin Mary,
 suffered under Pontius Pilate,
 was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
 and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
 from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.  I believe in the Holy Ghost;
 the holy catholic church;
 the communion of saints;
 the forgiveness of sins;
 the resurrection of the body;
 and the life everlasting.  Amen.

When Jesus was dying on the cross, He told the thief next to Him, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Lk 23:43).  Jesus clearly said that He was going to be in Paradise after dying on the cross… not in hell.  The Apostles’ Creed is a direct contradiction of Scripture.
This just goes to highlight the problem with human creeds – at very best, they say the exact same thing as Scripture (in which case… they are redundant and unnecessary), and more likely, they say things that are wrong.  The best thing mankind can do is throw off all creeds and accept nothing but the Bible.

(This question is a follow up to “Paradise Lost” – AYP)

I was saved when I was about thirteen and was baptized in the Methodist church when I was fifteen.  I hope this doesn’t offend you.  As I grew up, you know every boy and girl has hormones. I became an addict to pornography and sexual sin.  I was born with a nerve disease and have been disabled since I was a teenager.  I never had a girlfriend when I was growing up and have never been on a date with a woman.  I have been battling with my porn addiction for a long time.  I think I am finally cured from sexual sin.  I have been praying about it and reading my Bible a lot.  I am now 48-years-old and now in a wheelchair.  I am just terrified that I have lost my salvation and that I’m going to hell.  All the preachers I ask all say different things.  I have prayed about it and told God my fears, but I’m still terrified about this.  I would appreciate any help you could give me.

Sincerely,
Where To Now?

Dear Where To Now,

You definitely can be forgiven of your sins.  Jesus preached to prostitutes and others who had committed countless sins (Matt 21:31).  God does require repentance of sin (you can’t just continue in an ungodly lifestyle), but you can be forgiven (Acts 3:19).  You have had a rather unsteady past when it comes to religion.  We would like you to consider that as you attempt to wipe the slate clean of previous habits, that you also wipe the slate clean of previous religious assumptions.

We here at AYP want you to learn what the Bible says and nothing more.  When considering salvation, how to live, what church to attend, and various other religious questions – who cares what man thinks?!  The Bible contains everything you need to know concerning life and godliness (2 Pet 1:3).  The Gospel is God’s tool to teach you about salvation (Rom 1:16).  Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic, Mormon, etc. doctrine has no bearing on your salvation.  Only God’s Word can guide you to heaven.  We recommend you read “What Must I Do To Be Saved” and “Finding The Church” very carefully and continue to ask questions.  Don’t pay attention to what we say; pay attention to the verses we cite in our answers.  The Scriptures are not a matter of personal interpretation (2 Pet 1:21).  The Scriptures are here, so all can see God’s Will any time they read the Word (2 Pet 1:15).  If you have further questions (and we hope you do!), continue to ask them and accept only answers fully supported by the Scriptures.

Why do Baptists believe in eternal security and the Methodist don’t?

Sincerely,
Pondering The Protestants

Dear Pondering The Protestants,

The idea of ‘eternal security’ is a doctrine accepted by many of today’s Protestant churches.  Eternal security is the teaching that once you are saved, you can never be lost.  It is based off of the teachings of John Calvin (read “Calvin And Sobs” for a more in-depth look at the doctrine of Calvinism).  Methodists don’t subscribe to that teaching, but the Baptists do.  Although, neither the Baptists nor the Methodists are God’s church, in this case, the Methodists are right.

God very clearly teaches that someone can lose their salvation.  Heb. 3:12 tells us to be watchfull, or we will fall away from the living God.  Heb 6:4-6 talks about those who crucify Christ again.  Even after someone has been enlightened and tasted the blessings of salvation, they can fall away.  You have the freedom to choose or reject God (Mk 7:9).  1^st Corinthians chapter five is an entire chapter dedicated to someone who had turned his back on God and had once again immersed himself in a life of sin.  Even the apostle Paul said that he himself had to live faithfully or face rejection (1 Cor 9:26-27).  We will only be eternally secure when we get to heaven; until then, continue to fight the good fight.  Live so that on your deathbed, you can say what Paul did – “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness” (2 Tim 4:7-8)

Why are there so many churches on the earth today?  Shouldn’t we all be unified and agree on what Christ said we should do?

Sincerely,
Unity Matters

Dear Unity Matters,

There was only one church in the first century, and today there are well over 33,000 different denominations all professing to belong to Christ.  This is not only tragic, it’s wrong.  Christ died for one church, and He gave us one doctrine (Eph 4:4-6).  Christianity can only be preserved in the “unity of the Spirit” (Eph. 4:3).  This means that the only way we can have unity is to use the standard the Holy Spirit has given us – the Bible.

All the denominations have their own creed books, statements of faith, organizational structures, and opinions.  Christ’s church has none of those.  It has one book, the Bible, as its rule and standard for all behavior.  It is our guide for all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Pet 1:3).  It is the book that was handed down once and for all to the saints (Jude 3).  We cannot have faith without hearing this Word (Rom 10:17), and we cannot please God without obeying its commandments (Jhn 15:14).

The Catholics trust their Vatican leadership, the Protestants reform a broken system, and the community churches pledge loyalty to their communities and social programs.  The only solution to the religious confusion is a radical step… restoration of Bible-only principles.  Let us go back to the Bible for everything that we do, and if we cannot find Bible authority for something… we must refuse to practice it.  A church that finds its roadmap and structure in the Bible alone is the real solution to the division that exists in the religious world.  When the Bible speaks, let us speak – and when it is silent, let us be silent.