“When disaster strikes, life becomes like molten metal…Old customs crumble, instability rules.” – Dr. Samuel Prince (“Catastrophe and Social Change”)

All signs point to Jesus’ return in 2030. And though this event will be a day of great joy and excitement for His faithful followers, getting to that day without going apostate will prove difficult – even impossible for many. Why? Because they will be ill-prepared and equipped to endure the epic levels of craziness, scariness and confusion that will become our world in the years or days prior to His return. In short, those people will not possess what is known in the fields of psychology and sociology as “disaster behavior.” To avoid becoming one of those people will therefore mean learning and applying those principles necessary to possess it. The following points represent those principles -or how to prepare for the end of the world:

1. Prepare according to the predictions.

1.1. The death rate from natural disasters has significantly dropped over the last hundred years due to our ability to predict (forecast) when these events will happen. For example, in 1927 when nothing existed to predict natural disasters, the global death toll exceeded 3.5 million. Since the 1970s and the creation of devices for predicting such things, that number has consistently stayed below 500 thousand.

1.2. The lesson (then) to be learned? If we want to increase our chances of survival, we need to prepare according to the predictions, we need to follow the forecast and be on the alert.

1.3. Jesus agrees (Mat 24:37-51) – Besides the obvious, there are two things worth noting here: 1) If you are gauging your urgency to get ready or take seriously Christ’s return based on the world around you, then you are going to miss the boat (just like they did in Noah’s day). You won’t be ready when Jesus comes because you refused to act according to the forecast – the predictions of His coming. 2) Being alert (or following the forecast) means being responsible with your life in the time you have remaining. IOW: this isn’t the time to be less committed in your walk with Christ or with the potential He has given you for advancing His gospel and Kingdom. To use a football analogy, we have hit the two-minute warning. Whatever you’ve got left, you need to leave it on the field – otherwise you may lose the game. My advice: plan exactly what you are going to accomplish for Christ over the next five years and start working that plan. Like Jesus says about the faithful slave, He needs to find you productive when He shows up – otherwise you will be “cut to pieces and assigned a place with the hypocrites…that place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (i.e., hell).”

1.4. BTW: the reason Jesus mentions hell as the place of hypocrites is because that is ultimately why people end up in hell. They go to hell bc their choices in life created a double standard (one favoring them). As a result, they are hypocrites (approving for themselves what they condemn in others). The only way to avoid such hypocrisy is by following God’s Law. It is the only law that always creates equity (impartiality/fairness) - the opposite of hypocrisy (Mat 7:12 “treat others in the same way as you would want them to treat you”).

2. Get through the denial phase as quickly as possible.

2.1. Those who study disaster will tell you that the first phase in the survival arc is denial. When disaster strikes we tend to suppress the truth of the event – or what’s happening to us. We respond in denial. Denial is just another word for disbelief/unbelief. Which means we have a hard time believing things when difficulty or disaster strikes. In our case, what the Bible says about Jesus’ return and the urgency that will be necessary to stay faithful. As a result, we will delay to act – or fail to act at all, sealing our fate.

2.2. The National Research Council found that when disaster strikes – as in the example of a fire, “people are often cool…delaying their response.”

2.3. The average response of the World Trade Center survivors was six minutes after realizing what had happened. Some waited as long as forty-five minutes before acting. About one thousand individuals spent time shutting down their computers before leaving the collapsing towers. A person on a floor in the upper sixties stated that “the building started to sway and everything started shaking” and that they “knew something was wrong.” Yet instead of immediately leaving, they ran to their desk and made several calls to relatives trying to figure out what was going on.

2.4. Scientists believe the reason we tend to fall into the denial phase is four-fold:

1) we have a “normalcy bias.” IOW: we think that disaster only happens to other people, but never us (our lives are too normal; e.g., Survey of one thousand Americans after 9/11: most believed they only had a 21 percent chance of being in a terrorist attack whereas it was 48 percent with everyone else – i.e., anyone other than them). 2) our brains are great at picking up patterns but not so good at picking up exceptions (the exception being the disaster that is now making our lives different than the normal pattern). 3) we give in to peer-pressure. We don’t want to risk embarrassment by overreacting. 4) we succumb to the “illusion of centrality.” When in trauma our feelings attempt to convince us that the problem is not that big – or is a local problem. What is happening is only true for a small group of people, everyone outside that group is fine.

2.5. That trauma or traumatizing events create denial is something that Jesus also recognized (Mat 16:1-3) = Though the Jews possessed the ability to discern the “sign of the times” (the time of Messiah), they refused to do so. They were living in deep denial. They were traumatized by the thought that Messiah was among them. They weren’t ready for that big of a change to their life. So they asked Jesus to provide something (a “sign”) that would make them feel better about acting on what was for them an inconvenient truth. Here however is where Jesus departs from the world in His view of denial – most specifically with respect to denial linked to Him –or moral things. Jesus had no pity or toleration for such denial. He viewed it as evil and “adulterous” (v4). Why? Because when it comes to moral things or following Christ, denial means we have now put self (or our safety) above Him and His will – the very thing we vowed we wouldn’t do the day we got married to Him (our gospel vows: die to self, live and die for Him). To live in denial when it comes to Jesus (or His final return) is to therefore commit adultery because we are going back to our former lover (self).

2.6. In agreement (then) with the other forms of denial, this too will cause us to delay and likewise seal our fate.

2.7. Great way to test whether we are living in denial is to ask yourself this question: How much urgency toward faithfulness and being bold in evangelism has the news of Jesus’ return in 2030 – or all the crazy stuff regarding UFOs (and its link to the demons) created in you? 

3. Determine to trust someone outside yourself.

3.1. One of the biggest mistakes we make as humans is believing – or behaving as though we (or self) is the person we should trust the most.

3.2. Once more, scientific studies say otherwise – especially when facing trauma, difficult situations and disaster. Due to a multiplicity of personal biases, poor thinking skills as well as our tendency to listen to our feelings far more than the facts, most humans do a poor job of assessing reality when in relation to self. In contrast, we do a far better job of assessing those things for others since our ability to be more...

One of the biggest challenges to determining the proper chronology of those events relevant to Jesus’ return is deciding which portions of prophecy were fulfilled in the past (original audience relevant), have yet to be fulfilled (future audience relevant), and which portions will experience dual fulfillment (original and future audience relevant) (e.g., Isa 7:10-16 w/8:1-4 w/Isa 9:6-7; Isa 7:14)[1]. 

In this respect, the chronological order presented in this study assumes the following in relation to those NT prophecies most relevant to our subject (the return of Christ): 1) the book of Revelation = None of Revelation will experience dual fulfillment and the majority has already been fulfilled (1:1-20:8a). Only a small portion remains yet to be fulfilled (Rev 20:8a-22:21). 2) Jesus’ Olivet Discourse = The majority of the Discourse will experience dual fulfillment (Mat 24:4-14, 23-51). Only a small portion was fulfilled in the past (Mat 24:15-22). 3) Paul’s prophetic words to the Thessalonians = Some has yet to be fulfilled (1Th 4:13-18, 5:1-3; 2Th 1:7-10) and some will experience dual fulfillment (2Th 2:1-12).

Chronology of Fulfillment: 

1. Jesus made His first return in 70 AD to bring judgment against OC Israel through the destruction of her holy city and temple. 

1.1. This largely is the focus of John’s vision from the post-death/resurrected/ascended Jesus in the book of Revelation. Its scary – or otherworldly imagery realized through the breaking of seals, sounding of trumpets and pouring out of bowls is meant to depict the historical events surrounding and leading up to the 70 AD destruction of Jerusalem and her Temple by the Roman general Titus and his armies.[2]

1.2. As its content makes clear, this destruction represents the finalization of His divorce to OC Israel – His unfaithful wife, leading to the confirmation of His marriage to his newly betrothed (and faithful) bride, NC Israel (i.e., the church). (Rev 5:1-10): 

1) What is the “book” (or scroll) in the “right hand” of God the Father (“Him who sat on the throne”) “sealed up with seven seals?” A get mekushar, the special seven-sealed marriage license used by priests under the OC. In this specific case, the marriage license used by Jesus the divine Priest, in His marriage to OC Israel at Mt. Sinai (Exo 19-24 w/Jud 1:5; Exo 24:7 “the book of the covenant” = the marriage covenant document)[3]. 

2) How are we to understand the “strong angel[’s]” request for one “who is worthy to “open the book [or] break its seals?” As a summons for divorce. Somebody has filed a petition with the heavenly courts requesting divorce from OC Israel. For proceedings to begin, that person must not only make themselves known, but bring the proper evidence necessary for their request to be granted (i.e., they must possess grounds to make them “worthy” to receive a divorce; Mal 2:14-16 = God hates/does not approve of His priests divorcing for illegitimate reasons).  

3) Why is John crying over no one being found “worthy?” Because the confirmation of Jesus’ marriage to NC Israel (the church) and the kingdom power promised to her (v10; Mat 21:43) cannot happen until the divorce to OC Israel is finalized (until all seven seals are broken).

4) What makes Jesus (“the Lion from the tribe of Judah” and “Root of David”= The Christ) the “worthy” candidate (i.e., the One able to make a valid case for divorce)? = Not simply His role as Husband, but His position as the offended spouse. Hence why He is pictured also as the “Lamb…as if slain.” His death - though necessary for purchasing the new people of God (v9), was the result of OC Israel’s marital unfaithfulness. She murdered Him to keep playing the “harlot” with the world (Rev 19:1-7) “harlot” [Grk., porne’- Mat 5:32] = OC Israel; “bride” and “saints” = NC Israel/the church. That the church has already shown herself to be faithful is attested to in (v8). The basis for the church being viewed as already faithful to Christ are the many martyrs who remained sexually pure and obedient even though it cost them their lives (Rev 6:9-; 12:17, 13:7, 14:1-4, 20:4).

1.3. Why does Jesus’ divorce from OC Israel also include her destruction? Why does the breaking of the seven seals deliver a seven-fold judgment? IOW: Why does Israel experience both divorce and death as punishment for her adultery? B/C when Jesus wrote the marriage contract, He included the prenuptial promise of a seven-fold vengeance if Israel was found to be unfaithful ([Lev 26:18, 21, 24, 28] w/Luk 21:22).

1.4. That John’s 70 AD vision should be viewed as Jesus’ first return is supported by Jesus’ words at the beginning and the end of the book’s prophecy (Rev 1:1-7 and 22:10-12). 

1.5. With respect to the destruction of Jerusalem, this too becomes abundantly obvious once we consider the identity of the prophecy’s primary target in judgment: 

1) (Rev 1:7, 11:15-18) “earth” = Land, as in the land of Israel.[4]

2) (Rev 11:1-2) “holy city” “forty two months” w/8 “great city (16:17-19, 18:20-24)…where also our Lord was crucified” = Jerusalem.

1.6. During His earthly ministry (i.e., before His death), Jesus likewise prophesied that such destruction would be the result of Israel’s rejection of Him (Mat 23:37-39) = Though Jesus indicates there will be a change of fortune in the future (v39, think Rom 11:26-27), the coming state of things will not be good (v38, “Behold your house is being left to you desolate”). By house Jesus means both the Temple and the city in which she dwells (Jerusalem) as confirmed by what follows in chapter 24 and its parallel account in Luke: 

1) (24:1-3) = Jesus is asked two (not three) questions, one in relation to His return to destroy Jerusalem and the Temple and the other in relation to His final return at the end of the age (Literally, “tell us when these things will happen [i.e., the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple], and what will be the sign of Your coming at the end of the age?”). Jesus answers the first question -or the question related to Jerusalem’s destruction in (24:15-22) = In fulfillment of Daniel 9:26-27 (“the people of the prince to come will destroy the city and sanctuary… And on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction.”), Josephus (Wars) records that after setting the Temple on fire, Titus (the “prince to come” and son of the current Caesar, Vespasian), led his men into its inner sanctuary, defiling it by their presence and the dead bodies they stacked upon its outer altars  (i.e., they committed “the abomination of “desolation” [same word as Mat 23:38]). 

2) (Luk 21:20-24) = Notice that Luke’s versions not only repeat many of the specifics found in Matthew’s version but applies the act of “desolation” to the city itself (21:20, “when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near”). Notice also, Jesus’ promise that Jerusalem would remain “trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (21:24) - another important indicator that what the future holds for Jerusalem and the Jews is a major change of fortune (Rom 11:25 [“until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in”] w/26-27). 

1.7. Though Jesus’ return in 70 AD was not in the manner we commonly think of - i.e., He returned spiritually not physically (as He will at the end of history), He did nonetheless return in the manner most common throughout history. Jesus’ spiritual visitation to earth for the purpose of judgment – most specifically judgment against sinful cities or nations (including His own) has occurred multiple time...

Determining the window of possible dates:

1. Jesus was condemned to death by the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate.

1.1. (Mat 27:26; Mar 15:15; Luk 23:23-24; Joh 19:14-16)

1.2. “Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus.” – Tacitus (Annals)

1.3. Josephus (Antiquities, Wars) indicates that Pilate reigned in Judea from 26 to 36 AD.

1.4. Jesus’ death could not, therefore, have taken place before 26 AD nor after 36 AD. [A 10-year window]

2. Jesus was crucified before Paul became a Christian.

2.1. While in Corinth, the Jews brought Paul before the proconsul of Achaia, Gallio (Act 18:8-13). Roman records (e.g., the Delphi or Gallio Inscription) indicate that Gallio served as proconsul from 51-52 AD.

2.2. Paul’s arrival in Corinth was just after Emperor Claudius had expelled the Jews from Rome (Act 18:2). Per the ancient historian Orossius, this took place in the ninth year of Claudius’ reign – or 49 AD. 

2.3. Prior to this Paul was delivering aid to Jerusalem in response to Agabus’ prophecy of a coming famine (Act 11:27-30). Per Josephus, the famine was affecting Jerusalem during the time of Queen Helena’s pilgrimage (46-47 AD). 

2.4. According to Paul, this trip was 14 years after his conversion (Gal 2:1 “after an interval of fourteen years [after conversion – 1:11-17] I went up again [having visited once already 11 years prior – or three years after conversion – 1:18]). 

2.5. Paul’s conversion was, therefore, between 33 and 32 AD. As such, the latest possible date for Jesus’ death is 33 AD. 

[A 7-year window]

3. Jesus died on Friday, the day of preparation for a Sabbath-Passover.

3.1. Per the Law, the Passover (i.e., sacrifice and eating of the paschal lamb) had to be celebrated in the month of Nisan – the first month of the Jewish calendar (Est 3:7), at moonrise  on the 14th day - which signaled the beginning of the 15th day (Exo 12:2-8; Lev 23:5-6; Num 28:16-17; Deu 16:6). In God’s eyes, days extend from moonrise to moonrise versus sunrise to sunrise (Gen 1:5 “there was evening and there was morning, one day” [Note the order]). If Passover fell on a Sabbath (a Sabbath-Passover or “high day” – Joh 19:31[1]), then both the sacrifice and preparation of the meal (cooking the lambs and unleavened bread, etc.) had to take place the day before (Friday day – the 14th of Nisan) – or in the hours before moonrise and the beginning of the Sabbath (Friday evening, the 15th of Nisan), since no work could be done on the Sabbath. This day was called the “day or preparation.”   

3.2. All four gospels make clear that Jesus died on the “day of preparation” (Friday day, the 14th of Nisan), during one of these unique Sabbath-Passover celebrations (Mat 27:50 w/62; Mar 15:37 w/42-43; Luk 24:44-46 w/50-54; Joh 19:31-33)[2].

3.3. Jesus died, therefore, at the same time as the Passover lambs were slain (on the day of preparation). Hence the reason: 1) for Paul’s words in (1Co 5:7 “Christ our Passover [lamb]…has been sacrificed”), 2) the Passover meal celebrated by Jesus and disciples (the Last Supper/Lord’s Table) did not include a lamb. Jesus was replacing them as the eschatological Passover “lamb of God” (Joh 1:36). Hence why also, their Passover meal needed to be celebrated on Thursday evening before the actual Sabbath-Passover meal (i.e., on Friday evening[3]). By then, Jesus would be dead. The benefits of consuming Him through the bread and wine the night before made moot any need for further OC Passover observance or meals. Jesus’ supper/table had become the new – or NC, Passover. 3) Paul can also speak of Jesus’ resurrection as our “first fruits” (1Co 15:20) – no doubt an allusion to the offering of first fruits which happened on the 16th of Nisan, a Sunday during a Sabbath-Passover.  

3.4. Astronomical calculations indicate only two Sabbath-Passover dates within the 7-year window: 30 and 33 AD[4] 

***The million dollar question: Which year is the correct one?***

Considering where the additional evidence points:

4. The 46th year of Herod’s Temple project points to one date. 

4.1. During Jesus’ first Passover, He is confronted regarding the time it took Herod to expand the temple (Joh 2:13-20 “forty six years”). 

4.2. According to Josephus (Antiquities), Herod began his rule of Judea in 37 BC and his work on the Temple in his eighteenth year - or 19 BC. Accounting for the transition between BC and AD (there is no “0” BC/AD, it goes from 1BC to 1AD), as well as inclusive reckoning (counting, 1-2 = 1 yr, 2-3 = 2 yrs) the 46th year of Herod’s Temple project and Jesus’ first Passover, occurred in 28 AD.

4.3. Given that Jesus’ public ministry lasted for three Passovers (Joh 2:13, 23; Joh 6:4; Joh 11:55, 12:1[5]) the dates of all three would be as follows: the first in the spring of 28 AD, the second in the spring of 29 AD and the third, the Passover of His death, the spring of 30 AD. [6] 

5. The 15th year of Tiberius’ reign cannot contradict the date established for Herod’s Temple project.

5.1. Jesus’ public ministry began shortly after that of John the Baptist given: 1) this was among the main reasons for John’s ministry of baptism: to identify – or make official Jesus’ public ministry as Messiah (Joh 1:19-34). 2) what Mark identifies as the beginning of Jesus’ ministry (Mar 1:1-9) “the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ” = Mark’s unique focus is the public ministry of Jesus only. Hence no mention of His birth or genealogy. He instead begins where the “gospel” (or public) ministry of Jesus began, at His baptism by John. Scholars agree that this event took place shortly after the ministry of John began. Hence the reason for Mark’s reference “in those days” - i.e., in the days when John was baptizing “in the Jordan river.” 

5.2. According to Luke, John’s ministry started “in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pilate was governor of Judea” (Luk 3:1). 

5.3. Those holding to the later date of AD 33 for Jesus’ death claim that Tiberius’ reign as Caesar began in 14 AD. Their evidence is Roman coins which communicate this as the starting date of His reign. 

5.4. If however 14 AD is correct, Jesus’ baptism didn’t take place until 29 AD, a date too late based on the previous calculations regarding Herod’s Temple project and Jesus’ first Passover (28 AD) which comes after – not before, His baptism (Joh 1: Baptism, Joh 2: 1st Passover).

5.5. Considering however, the information provided by ancient historians Tacitus (Annals) and Suetonius (Augustus; Tiberius), the inscription found on an ancient Roman calendar (Fasti Praenestini), and the writings of a soldier who served under Tiberius (Velleius Paterculus), we learn that Tiberius’ reign actually began in 12 AD when he was made co-regent (co-Caesar) with his step-father, Augustus.[7]

5.6.  Calculating according to this date and inclusive reckoning (counting “1-2 = 1, 2-3 = 2”), yields 27 AD as the beginning of John and Jesus’ public ministry (or baptism) which not only fits within the time that “Pilate was governor of Judea” (26-36 AD), but also the chronology of Jesus’ first Passover (again, 28 AD).

5.7. Important note regarding Luke’s reference: It can be safely assumed that Luke would’ve had little regard for (or even thought of) determining Tiberius’ reign based on the technicality of when he functioned as the sole Caesar (which is what was being communicated on Roman coins) since his original audience would’ve been far more practical in their assessment, counting the years in ...

1. Why should we be planning for Jesus’ return in 2033 or 2034?

1.1. According to Jewish tradition and the belief of the early church, the shelf-life of God’s first Creation – before the final return of Christ and the beginning of His second and eternal Creation, would be 6,000 years, a corollary to the six literal creation days of Genesis one. 

“Six thousand years the world will exist and for one thousand, [the seventh], it shall be desolate [no longer exist], as it is written, ‘And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day” (Sanhedrin 97a)

“Six eons for going in and coming out, for war and peace. The seventh eon is entirely Shabbat and rest for life everlasting.” - Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus (2nd century A.D.)

“For the day of the Lord is as a thousand years (2Pe 3:8); and in six days created things were completed; it is evident, therefore, that they will come to an end at the sixth thousandth year.” - Irenaeus[1] (130-202 A.D.) 

“Give heed, children, what this means; ‘He ended in six days’ (Gen 1:2): He means this, that in six thousand years the Lord shall bring all things to an end; for the day with Him signifies a thousand years; and this He himself bears me witness, saying; “Behold, the day of the Lord shall be as a thousand years” (2Pe 3:8). Therefore, children, in six days, that is in six thousand years, everything shall come to an end.” - The epistle of Barnabas[2] (75 A.D.)

“And 6,000 years must needs be accomplished, in order that the Sabbath may come, the rest, the holy day on which God rested from all His works. For the Sabbath is the type and emblem of the future kingdom of the saints, when they shall reign with Christ, when He comes from heaven, for ‘a day with the Lord is as a thousand years’ (2Pe 3:8). Since, then, in six days God made all things, it follows that 6,000 years must be fulfilled.”  - Hippolytus[3] (170-235 AD)

1.2. Peter confirms this as God’s view (2Pe 3:1-13) = God’s first Creation was never meant to last forever. From the beginning there has been a date “reserved” when all of it will be destroyed by fire. This will be followed by a judgment of humanity to determine who is worthy to enter His new (and eternal) Creation. This day will also fulfill the “promise” of Jesus’ return and can be calculated by viewing each day of His Creation as representing 1,000 years (v8). Just as there were 6 days for man to work, there will be six thousand years allotted to humanity to do the work of God and determine who among them is worthy to enter the “new heavens and earth where righteousness dwells” (v13). Or as the writer of Hebrews refers to it, God’s eternal Sabbath (or seventh day) rest (Heb 4:9).

1.3. Peter’s preaching on Pentecost revealed only 2,000 years left after the ascension of Christ. 

(Act 2:17-20) = Peter’s divinely inspired interpretation of Joel 2:28 as “And it shall be in the last days” indicates that the IPO of the indwelling Spirit marks the beginning of the final two millennia before the Sabbath millennium/time of Christ’s return. Why? 1) Peter indicates there will be plural days [or millennia] before the end – or Christ’s return (17, “last days”). 2) At the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry, we were already somewhere in the range of 4,000 years – which means Peter’s reference cannot be three or more. 

This puts Jesus’ return somewhere around 2033/34 (or two thousand years after Christian Pentecost which took place in 33/34 A.D.). 

2. Why should we be confident that it is exactly two thousand years (versus two thousand and fifty years, etc.,)? 

2.1. We serve a God Who – in human terms, is OCD and likes to do history in neat, complete and repeated packages. Which means nothing is arbitrary or imprecise. Everything has meaning and is connected. God’s past acts and intentions always establish patterns and principles that will be followed in the future. God therefore making the number of millennia for Creation’s shelf-life match exactly the number of days He took to create it should come as no surprise. It is what we should expect. Examples of other things where we see such meaningful redundancy: 1) The first verse of the Bible which introduces us to God’s week of Creation (Gen 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”) is seven words (in Hebrew), followed by seven paragraphs which unpack the six days whose end goal is the Sabbath – or the seventh day. 2) There exists no overlap or spill-over with respect to the things assigned to the days of Creation (e.g., all creatures of the water and air on the fifth day only, all creatures of the earth on the sixth day only). 3) God saw to it that Jesus’ genealogy was communicated as three complete sets of 14, the numerical value of the Hebrew letters “dwd” (David) to emphasize (hence the reason for three), His identity as the Messianic son of David (Mat 1:17).

2.2. Paul communicates that Jesus’ death closed out the prior redemptive epic (Gal 4:4-5 = Jesus’ death marked the end of the OC and ushered in the NC – the time when Gentiles [those not “born under the Law” or OC] could receive “adoption as sons”). 

2.3. Jewish tradition also supports this understanding: 

“The world will exist for six thousand years: two millennia of waste as the Torah had not been given; Two millennia of Torah (i.e., years under the Old Covenant); and then two millennia of the age of Messiah (i.e., years under the New Covenant which was ratified – or began, at Jesus’ death – Mat 26:28 w/Heb 9:15-16).”  - Tractate Avodah Zarah [9a] (3rd century A.D.).

2.4. POINT NOT TO MISS: to bet on 2033/34 as Jesus’ return date is to bet on God based whose past behavior – which has not only been perfectly consistent but committed to repeating previously established principles or patterns. IOW: Our God is a God of redundancy.

3. Why will so many people be caught off guard by Jesus’ return?

3.1. They mistakenly believe they can’t know the year of His return and so don’t attempt to figure it out (Mat 24:32-36 w/42) = “Day and hour” cannot be known, but there will be signs that His return is “near” (i.e., signs related to specific years). 

3.2. They will be reading the wrong signs. (Mat 24:37-41) = The actions and events of humanity listed in these verses indicate that humanity at the time of Christ’s return will be under the impression that they had many more years to live on this earth (e.g., marrying and giving in marriage” w/1Co 7:29-31).[4]

4. What should be our gospel witness during the time we have remaining?

We should be bold about telling people that Jesus is returning in 2033 and 34, explaining why we know that to be true and calling them to get right with God before it is too late (along with boldly telling those who think they are right with God yet believe in a false gospel that they are not) followed by sharing how the Bible says we get right and stay right w/God (i.e., we gain it by faith and must maintain it by faithfulness). This form of witnessing is one of the reasons John the Baptist was so successful in his evangelism of the lost (Luk 3:7) = John’s question (“who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”) only makes sense if this was part of his message. IOW: John was preaching (and baptizing) w/respect to a soon approaching Messianic judgment day (i.e., Jesus’ 1st return in 70 A.D. and His divorce from OC Israel; See vv15-18).

5. What should we be doing in the time we have remaining?

4.1. Abstaining from all forms of sexual sin (Rev 14:4).

4.2. Stop practicing those things that weaken our willpower and lea...

1. Like the ancient societies around them, divorce was already an axiomatic (or unquestioned) part of Jewish society when God adopted them as His people. Hence the reason there is no place in Scripture which establishes divorce but only case laws which regulate it.

1.1. (Deu 24:1-4 “When a man takes a wife…and he writes her a certificate of divorce” [1]) = Not establishing divorce but regulating what already existed as part of Israelite society. Other examples of axiomatic and inalienable practices that were a part of Israel (just as they were every other ancient society): 1) marriage = Not establishing marriage but regulating what already existed in Israelite society. (Exo 21:7-10) 2) slavery (Exo 21:1-2 “If you buy a Hebrew slave…”) = Not establishing slavery but regulating what already existed in Israelite society. 3) war (Num 10:9 “When you go to war…”) = Not establishing war but regulating what already existed in Israelite society.

1.2. The POINT NOT TO MISS: Divorce was the long-established axiomatic default for dealing with unfaithfulness in marriage - not something established later as an additional option. 

“Although there are not multiple instances of divorce recorded in the Pentateuch, we must assume that divorce was as prevalent in Israel then as in other ancient Near Eastern societies. Several passages speak about divorce, but none of them condemns or even discourages it… It is assumed in these passages that divorce happens, and no comment is made whether divorce itself is desirable or not.”– David Instone-Brewer (Divorce and Remarriage in the Bible: The Social and Literary Context)

2. Under the Old Testament, God allowed divorce for almost any reason, whereas under the New Covenant, sexual immorality became the only allowable reason.

2.1. Allowance for almost any reason: 1) Under the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen 21:9-14 “sent her away” = divorced her). 2) Under the Old Covenant (Exo 21:11 = Notice divorce is allowable for more than sexual abandonment/sexual immorality; Deu 24:1 w/Mat 19:1-3 = The Pharisees understood divorce (or the phrase, “some indecency”) to allow for (v3) “any reason at all.” Notice that in (v8) Jesus does not correct their understanding but rather confirms it by explaining why Moses “permitted”(allowed) such large parameters (Mat 19:7-8). Priests were the only exception (Mal 2:14-16 “hates”[2]). 

2.2. Under the New Covenant, Jesus confirms not only the Law’s continuing necessity but fills it up to its fullest measure and meaning – or the meaning and measure God originally intended (As it re: continuing necessity - Mat 5:18-20; As it re: filling up to its fullest measure and meaning - Mat 5:17 “fulfill” = Confirm [LXX- 1Ki 1:14]; Fill up in measure and meaning). Hence the reason (then) for sexual immorality becoming the only valid reason for divorce. Jesus is filling up the measure/meaning of marriage to what it was intended to be “from the beginning” (v8). (Mat 19:4-6 [Gen 2:24]) = Per God’s design, when a husband and wife enter into a marriage covenant, they create a new family (v5 = Family by covenant or the covenant ratifying act of sexual activity in marriage). This new family/covenant relationship is meant to be permanent (v6, “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate”). Why (then) is divorce allowed for sexual immorality (v9,)? Because in the case of sexual immorality, the marriage has already been broken. All sexual acts are covenant ratifying acts, making all sexual activity outside an existing marriage an attempt to replace that marriage w/another (1Co 6:16). The divorce is therefore simply the legal notice that such has taken place (i.e., the current marriage has been broken by the attempt to replace it through marriage covenant ratifying acts w/another) and per the request of the innocent party, that marriage will not be re-consummated. This however is the only time a divorce functions this way since no other act by a spouse breaks the marriage covenant. Hence why Jesus can say that divorce for any other reason makes each party guilty of adultery. Because without the prior covenant-breaking act of sexual immorality, both parties are still bound in marriage (i.e., their divorce is not recognized by God). As a result, any sexual act (including those in a new marriage) becomes adultery in relation to their still existing first marriage. 

2.3. That Jesus’ actions (re: divorce) were never meant to be an override of God’s Law (Deu 4:2) but rather a restoration (a filling up) to its originally intended meaning (to its fullest meaning and measure) is supported by the following:  

1) (Mat 5:31-32) “It was said…but I say to you” = According to David Daube (The New Testament & Rabbinic Judaism) this was an ancient rabbinic way to indicate a correction was about to applied to a prior (and inaccurate) understanding of Scripture. 

2) (Deu 24:4) = Defilement of the land due to remarriage to the former spouse only makes sense in the context of sexual immorality, meaning this was the reason for the first husband’s divorce. IOW: the phrase, “since she has been defiled” refers not to the fact that she was married to someone else after their divorce, but rather that the second marriage was the result of her adultery w/the new husband while still married to the former. The toleration of sexual immorality (which is what the former husband would be doing through remarrying or re-consummating marriage to his former adulteress wife), is a major reason God removed the land’s former occupants (Lev 18:1-23 w/24-28 = Toleration of adultery is viewed as a crime not only against God but the land itself). Deuteronomy 24:4’s allusion to passages like Leviticus 18 helps us to confirm adultery as the intended focus of God’s instruction regarding divorce.[3] 

3) This is also how Deuteronomy 24:1-4 is used by God in (Jer 3:1) = Notice, God paraphrases Deuteronomy 24:1-4 as a threat to unfaithful Judah (See 2:1). However, those identified as Judah’s new husbands prohibiting her return to God (should He enact the divorce) are seen as one and the same as those she is currently guilty of “harlot[ry]” (sexual immorality) with (her “lovers.”). In support then of the previous point and the argument as a whole, God also understands the phrase, “some indecency” in Deuteronomy 24:1 as a reference to sexual immorality. This is its fullest -or most accurate meaning and (once more) the reason God prohibits remarriage in the text.[4] And as mentioned in previous studies, this interpretation was hidden from previous generations (Mat 19:8 - “hardness of heart” = Inability to understand produced by stubbornness or immaturity) as God’s means of leading them and preserving His purposes (e.g., Gen 21:9-14; Exo 21:7 w/10-11; also possibly, Neh 13:1-3).      

3. God’s authorization of His people to kill those guilty of sexual immorality in marriage does not therefore replace the axiomatic practice (or default) of divorce but rather becomes the new and additional option offered to the offended party. 

3.1. One of the purposes of case law in any society – ancient or modern, is not only to regulate what already exists (i.e., divorce – e.g., Deu 24:1-4), but authorize the offer of new and additional options. Authorization is especially necessary when those other options involve capital punishment, as is the case with adultery. God’s law authorizes His people to treat sexual immorality in marriage the same way as sexual immorality outside of marriage as an additional option offered to the offended party (Lev 20:10) = The emphasis in carrying out the death sentence (“you shall surely put them to death”[5]) is to reassure those involved that they possess God’s full authorization and backing (similar to Mat 18:18-20). He...

If we are to accurately discern Paul’s point (in Tit 3:10-11), we must first determine what’s going on in the letter as a whole. Why? Because context always determines meaning (e.g., reading comprehension [larger picture det’s individual parts]).

1. What’s going on? (What is the context or backstory of the letter?) 

1.1. This is a pastoral epistle. It was written to Paul’s church-planting partner and pastor, Titus in regard to those churches he and Titus had started in the various cities on the island of Crete. Titus was tasked with establishing two things in each of the churches: 1) order (sound doctrine and behavior), 2) authority (ordained pastors/elders) (Tit 1:4-5) “set in order what remains” [Grk., epidiorthaoh] = To straighten out what is still out of line (i.e., what persists in going its own direction) – which implies that there were people in these churches who were not believing or acting the way they should; “and appoint [elders]” = Anoint/ordain (same word translated “anoint” in Heb 8:3). Titus needed to deputize qualified men with (Jesus’) divine authority as a means to establishing order/dealing with those out of line (Joh 20:21-23). 

1.2. Beyond the obvious, these two tasks were necessary due to the fact that the Cretans were known for causing dissension in relation to established things – most especially things related to order and authority (Tit 1:12) = Part of a poem written by the Greek poet (or “prophet”) Epimenides. The reason for his accusation? The doubt Cretans were causing among those devout to the Greek religion and its chief god, Zeus by their divisive claim that his tomb resided on one of their mountains (i.e., that Zeus was not immortal)[1].

1.3. Their proclivity for contention and dissension in relation to religious authorities and doctrine was also being felt in the churches. Hence the reason Paul makes apologetics a required skill for those serving as “God’s steward” (Tit 1:7 [Grk., theos oikonomos] = Compound word: God + house + law – Literally, the law man in God’s house; the church’s sheriff [bishop]). As it re: to apologetics - (Tit 1:9-11) “rebellious men” [Grk., anupotaktos] = People not submitted to authority in temper or teaching (hence Paul’s charge to Titus in 2:15 [“let no one disregard you” -i.e., ignore/discount your authority] and emphasis on submission to authorities in 3:1-2); “empty talkers” [Grk., mataiologos] = People whose teaching was against -or calling into question that of God’s sheriffs/bishops (elders/overseers) (v11 “teaching things they should not teach”) though what they said lacked the necessary knowledge, coherency or evidence to be considered “sound doctrine” (Tit 2:1). According to Paul, “many” of the Cretan Christians fit this profile and needed to be “silenced (literally, their mouths shut) because they were “upsetting whole families” = Their questioning of the church’s authority and their doctrine was encouraging doubt, dissension and division in the congregation. IOW: it was threatening the unity of the church and trust in her leadership.

1.4. Two likely reasons so many in Crete were this way: 

1) arrogance or thinking more highly of their intellect and ability than they should. Hence the reason for Paul’s universal call to be “sensible” (Tit 2:2, 3 w/5, 6 [Grk., sophron] = To place a moderate estimate on oneself in re: to intellect/understanding, ability/expertise) and his urging of “bondslaves” to “not [be] argumentative” (9 [Grk., antilego] = To dispute, be contrary, not listen). 

2) self-interest. Claiming the tomb of Zeus resided on their island, was for the Cretans, a way to make a lot of easy money off the curious. IOW: it wasn’t because they actually believed it – or could support it with evidence, but it served their financial (self) interest. Hence the reason for Epimenides’ accusation that the Cretans were not only “liars” but also “lazy gluttons.” This too is why Paul says those upsetting households (upsetting the unity of the church and trust in her leadership) were doing it for “the sake of sordid gain” (literally, gain that is for selfish or shameful reasons). 

1.5. Why such attitudes and actions needed to be stifled in the Cretan churches was not only because of its threat to the unity of the church and the trust of her leadership, but also its hindrance to one of the church’s most important missions, the producing of good deeds (mentioned 4x in the letter: 2:14, 3:1, 3:8, 3:14). 

1.6. How divisive people hinder the church’s ability to produce good deeds: the division and distrust they create in the church means less people willing to work together or follow the leaders’ direction. As a result, less good deeds are accomplished for the kingdom. In addition, where such division and distrust exists, what also exists is more internal conflict and fighting – or unnecessary distractions that consume resources which could have been used to advance the kingdom (produce good deeds). Hence the reason for Paul’s instruction in verse 9 (after his mention of good deeds) (Tit 3:8-9).

1.7. THE TAKEAWAY (with respect to what’s going on): Because of the arrogance and selfishness that characterized the Cretan population many of the male members in the cities’ various churches were by their attitude and actions guilty of being divisive or sowing seeds of dissension and doubt in relation to the church’s teaching and leadership.

2. What’s the point? (What is Paul ordering the churches to do when he says, “reject a factious man after a first and second warning”?) 

2.1. Based on what’s going on (the context of the letter), the person identified as “factious” must be related to those who are guilty of being divisive – or sowing seeds of dissension and doubt in the congregation.

2.2. This understanding not only fits within the semantic range of the word’s meaning (Grk., hairesis/hairetikos [heresy/heretic]) but how it is most commonly used in the NT. Though we tend to associate this word with false teaching or teachers, rarely (if ever) does it carry this limited connotation. Its emphasis is instead on the disposition of those people or things with which it is identified. IOW: they (or it) is said to be hairesis/hairetikos -not because they are necessarily wrong (i.e., they or their teaching is false), but because their attitude or actions are viewed as divisive or sowing seeds of dissension and doubt in relation to the teaching and leadership of those accusing them. In short, because they are not “getting with the program” of the religious community currently in power or to whom they belong.[2]

2.3. Some biblical examples to drive this home (i.e., in the bible hairesis/hairetikos are terms referring to those who are divisive to the teaching and leadership of the church [and not as its modern use suggests, terms devoted strictly to identifying false teaching and teachers]): 

1) hairesis is used to identify Christians (Act 24:5, 14, 28:22 “sect” = Paul and Christians were obviously not false teachers but did teach what was divisive to the beliefs and leadership of the Jewish religion [e.g., that Jesus was Messiah and God]).

2) hairetikos is used to identify those who were contentious to the teaching and leadership in Corinth (1Co 11:16-19 “factions” = Those in Corinth condoning long hair on men though it stood against the teaching of the churches and her bishops/sheriffs [“we…nor the churches of God”]).

3) hairesis is never used when identifying Scripture’s biggest forms of false teaching (circumcision needed for salvation – Gal 5:2; resurrection already happened – 2Ti 2:18; okay for Christians to partake of the table of idols/demons – 1Co 10:21; we are saved by faith alone – Jam 2:24; Jesus is not the son of...

Memory is a funny thing. What we forget eventually gets replaced with something that may not be true. We call that revisionist history. Our brains are notorious for it – especially when we allow things to phase out of constant cognitive circulation. In other words, when we stop the regular reminders. This can happen with our religion. We can forget not only what should be pursuing in our quest for God, but also what the journey should look like. The result? Fear, faction and false religion. Brief reminders (or refreshers) are therefore occasionally needed to keep the church in check. As part of today’s discussion, please take note of those truths time and neglect has caused you to forget.

1. God gave to His people a religion where their seeking after Him, good standing with Him and blessings from Him would be dependent on their happy pursuit to learn and enforce every single portion of His Law.

1.1. (Deu 6:24-25; 2Ki 22:8-13 hence why 2Ki 23:1-3 = To receive God’s blessing requires seeking to learn and do all that is written in the book of the Law 1Ch 28:9; 2Ch 15:2; Neh 9:34-38 w/10:28-29; Psa 1:1-6 = Delighting and meditating on [or seeking to learn] the Law is the path of the righteous and those God blesses; Psa 27:8 w/11; Isa 55:6-7 = Seeking the LORD for pardon/salvation requires seeking to learn His Law since w/o knowledge of that it is impossible for the wicked to identify and forsake their unrighteous way; Dan 9:13; Hos 4:6; Jam 1:25; 2Pe 3:17-18; Phi 1:9-11; Rev 12:17 = The children of NC Israel [those who hold to the “testimony of Jesus”] are those who “keep the commandments of God” – a clear reference to the OT – most especially its Law. Since you can’t keep what you don’t know, this infers that like OC Israel, NC Israel [i.e., Christians] are expected to seek God through understanding all of His Law).

1.2. Hence the reason:

1.2.1. Hence the reason Israel’s kings were required to become life-long students of the Law, intimately acquainted w/every portion (Deu 17:18-19) “write for himself a copy of this Law…and he shall read it all his days” = Intimately acquainted w/every portion; “all the days of his life that he may learn to fear the LORD his God” = Life-long student. Consider king David’s constant plea for God to teach him the Law and give him understanding. David knew that his relationship w/God was dependent on his continued pursuit to know and obey every letter and stroke of God’s Law (Psa 119:1-2 = Seeking God means learning and obeying His Law; Psa 119:17-24, 33-35 w/[77, 92-95, 113-117, 143-144, 145-148, 155, 159, 169] = Delighting and seeking to understand God’s Law is how we preserve God’s protection and salvation).    

1.2.2. Hence the reason Jesus says what He does not only in (Mat 5:17 “fulfill” = restore to its fullest measure [see LXX 1Ki 1:14], 18-19) but also (Mat 5:20) = The scribes and Pharisees were not committed to every single portion of God’s Law but rather selective, choosing to ignore or explain away those portions that did not suit their agenda or were contrary to what they wanted to believe (e.g., Mat 15:4-9 = Notice the connection to following God. A person who explains away portions of God’s Word because it doesn’t fit their agenda is considered vain worshippers – i.e., false Christians; Mat 22:42-46 = Their belief in Messiah rejected Him as also God which was contrary to other portions of Scripture).

1.2.3. Hence the reason the word God chose to identify His followers was “disciple” which means “learner” (Isa 8:16 “disciples” [Heb., limmud = learner]; Joh 8:31 “disciples” [Grk., mathaytace = learner]).

1.2.4. Hence the reason pastors are commanded to teach their people the entirety of God’s Law – including those portions they are unfamiliar -or uncomfortable with (2Ti 4:1-3 = No doubt the “word” to be preached are the OT Scriptures [most esp. the Law] given Paul’s testimony as to their usefulness – 2Ti 3:16).

1.3. The result of such pursuit will inevitably be a covenant community whose beliefs and practice experience regular change since it is impossible to grow in understanding and obedience without there also being change -including at times, big changes. Hence the reason:

1.3.1. King Josiah re-institutes the Passover which had been neglected for 400 years and required a massive commitment on the part of the people and resources (2Ki 23:21-23 w/2Ch 35:1-18).

1.3.2. Ezra re-institutes the Feast of Booths (Neh 8:13-17).

1.3.3. Nehemiah and Ezra call for those guilty in Israel to divorce and send away the foreign wives and children (Neh 13:1-3 w/23-26 [Ezr 9:1-2, 10:3]).

1.3.4. The Jews had to change their understanding of Messiah (from just a man to a man who was also fully God – Mat 22:44-46) and His agenda (Mat 16:21-23 versus Act 1:6)

1.3.5. The Jewish Christians had to change from excluding unclean people and foods to now including them as part of the new covenant community (Act 11:1-18).

1.3.6. The disciples had to change their views on the necessity of OC signs (Act 15:1-22).

1.4. Refusal therefore to grow or change will lead to false religion filled with sacred cows, canons within canons and the hypocrisy of special pleading (e.g., the Gadarenian pig farmers, the Judaizers and Evangelicals).

1.5. If it weren’t for our happy pursuit to learn and enforce God’s Law in this church, the discoveries we have made in relation to the gospel would never have happened.

1.6. Why did God make His religion this way? Why is our standing w/Him determined by our happy pursuit of learning and obeying His Law? B/C His Word (most especially His Law) is the means by which we love Him and each other (Mat 22:37-40). Why ultimately (then) God made His religion this way is because He wanted us to exist with Him and each other in a relationship of love. Its all about love (love for Him and each other) and the way we learn to love is through learning His Law – which is why (also) we should never be anxious or afraid to change or learn new things since what we are learning is how to better love Him and each other.

2. God at times hides the meaning of His Word as part of how He leads His people.

For example:

2.1. God hid the meaning of (Deu 24:1) from Moses (per Jesus in Mat 19:9) for the sake of (Neh 13:1-3).

2.2. Jesus hid teaching from His disciples until the time when they would be able to receive it (Joh 16:12-15 [Luk 18:31-34 part of what was hidden was why He had to die]).

2.3. Paul and Peter speak of God’s plan being hidden from the prophets who spoke it implying it would have hindered God’s leading of His people had they known before the time of its fulfillment (Eph 3:1-10 w/1Pe 1:10-12) = The ability for the OC church (“rulers and authorities in the heavenly places”) to fully accept God’s plan (especially one including the Gentiles) would require it first being fulfilled and “the riches of Christ” revealed.

2.3. As part of God leading us as His church, we should expect that there will be parts of His Word – or our understanding of His Law that will remain hidden, until the proper time (e.g., when we possess the maturity to receive it – Phi 3:15; Consider also Lev 24:10-16; Num 15:32-36).

3. Also a part of how God leads His people, He makes the decisions of His anointed shepherds and divine council immediately binding even when erroneous and may change in the future.

3.1. (Deu 17:10-13; Jesus deputizes His anointed shepherds w/this same authority - Mat 16:17-19 “whatever you bind on earth shall [be]have been bound in heaven”) = The infallibility of God’s shepherds and divine council is not necessary to their authority or the binding nature of their judgment. God’s will for His people will never be outside the decisions of His anointed pastors and divine council who are seeking to follow His Word – including those times when the Scriptures have been incorrectly interpreted. Wrong does not mean sinful. Appeals and help to correct their wrong thinking can change things. However, until they see it, the former judgments carry the authority of Jesus Himself (Mat 18:18-20). Hence (1Ti 5:19)[1].   

3.2. That this is part of how God also leads His people is confirmed by: 1) His role as the Great Shepherd Who always sees to it that all decisions made by fallible (even sinful) human beings work for the good of His people (e.g., Gen 50:20), 2) our history as His church (e.g., our old and unbiblical view of “you eye shall pity” – or punishment depends on the criminal [their repentance] versus the biblical view of “your eye shall not pity” - or the crime determines the punishment [not the disposition of the criminal] resulted in Trisha being prohibited from divorcing Richard, an option she is now thankful was unavailable at the time). 

4. If (therefore) we want God to continue to prosper and protect our church, then we need to believe that every challenge is solvable and every change beneficial, as long we put in the effort to understand His Word and trust His leading of our anointed shepherds and divine council. 

4.1. (Mat 7:7-11) = Jesus promises that our pursuit of understanding in relation to God’s Word will be successful as long as we are asking for God’s help, seeking to obey and putting in the effort to unlock the answers (knocking on the closed doors). That understanding God’s Word is included in what Jesus is promising in these verses is supported by the fact that there may be nothing more “good” the Father could give to us than a correct understanding of His Word.

4.2. (Rom 8:28) = Every challenge and change prompted by our pursuit of understanding and obeying all of God’s Word is a guaranteed value-add to the covenant community and her people.  

4.3. God’s purpose for taking the Israelites out of their comfort zone in Egypt and into the challenging wilderness was not to kill them or do them harm. It was instead for their prosperity and protection. Like them we can give into fear, become suspicious of God’s anointed leaders and forfeit God’s good purposes. IOW: its all about attitude and effort.

4.4. According to Malcom Gladwell, these two things are the reason Asian kids do so much better than American kids in solving math problems. The Asian kids’ attitude is that if they apply enough effort, the problem is solvable, whereas American kids’ attitude is the problem is only solvable if they possess the innate ability to do so. As a result, the American kids waste time second-guessing their ability, comparing themselves to others and eventually quit – or fail to put in the effort that would have otherwise caused them to solve the problem. American kids are easy quitters and consummate failures not because they lack ability, but the right attitude (no one is special and every problem is solvable to those who put in the effort and don’t give up). Unfortunately, this shortfall in attitude affects adults also – including some in our church (say it isn’t so!). The result? Cowardliness and factious people fearful that if we don’t stop poking at things we will eventually screw things up or do irreparable harm (though that has never happened).

4.5. God wants us to trust His leading through our anointed shepherds and beware of becoming factious (e.g., Act 15:23-29; 1Co 11:16-19) “we have no other practice, nor do the churches of God” = Paul and the other anointed shepherds of the churches; “Factions” = People who cause division in the Body by their contentious and public stand against the anointed shepherds and their understanding of Scripture (e.g., the length of hair permissible on men – 14-15); “so that those who are approved may become evident” = Those who are factious are never among those approved by God.

4.6. Last but not least, God promises to give the answers and understanding His anointed shepherds need in their proper time (2Ti 2:7 = Timothy was the anointed shepherd at Ephesus).

CLOSING CONTEMPLATION: Christ Covenant Church or Christ Cowardly Church? Do we need to change our name or our attitude? Are we operating according to God’s design or succumbing to fear, factions and false religion? What truths have you forgotten about the only religion taught in the pages of Scripture? 

[1] "See that you all follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery as you would the apostles... Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop."- Ignatius (died in AD 105); "My child, him that speaks to you the word of God remember night and day; and you shall honour him as the Lord."- Didache (written AD 100)

1. If you are going to follow Christ and make it to heaven, then you must be a person characterized by sexual purity not sexual sin. (Gal 5:19 w/21; Eph 5:5; 1Th 4:1-6; 2Pe 3:14 “spotless” [Grk., aspilos = Without stain versus 2Pe 2:13-14 “eyes full of adultery” consider w/Job 31:1) = IOW: their eyes/minds are not fixed on covenant faithfulness to their wives (or God) but instead their next illicit sexual fix (Jer 2:22-24; Rev 22:15).

2. Those who struggle with sexual sin – or possess strong desires to commit sexual sin, are people guilty of idolatry. 

2.1. IOW: struggles with-or strong desires to commit sexual sin, are a sure sign that the person you are dealing with is an idolator. 

2.2. Idolatry is the worship of something other than the Creator, or God. You worship the creature or what is created - which in practical terms means that you trust your flesh (your senses or sense of perception) and/or the propaganda of the world (the creature v. the Creator) when determining the value of things in this life (e.g., Pro 5:1-5, 6:20-26). 

2.3. The consequence of such idolatry is God’s wrath surrendering you to the power of your flesh and its sexual deviance (Rom 1:18-27) = God is incredibly angry w/those who refuse to value the things of this world according to His truth (they “suppress the truth”) – though they know He exists (He is their “Creator” and therefore the One Who knows best). They choose instead to “worship” (Grk., sebazomai = To give devotion to) the creature, to give their loyalty and trust in valuing things to what is created (i.e., their physical senses or perception and what is touted and taught as valuable by the creatures of their culture or propaganda of this world – which has always included things related to sexual pleasure). As punishment, God “[gives] them over (Grk., paradidomai = Surrenders them to the power of what they trust as the determiners of value -i.e., “the lusts of their hearts.”) which means they are now enslaved and emboldened “to impurity…[and] degrading passions.” (i.e., sexually deviant desires). 

2.4. What would be a “2” on the scale of sexual temptation for the Christian (the person worshipping God) becomes a “10” for the person worshipping the creature (trusting the value system placed on things by their flesh and the world). They are now slaves to sexual sin and unable to sustain faithfulness to God (Jon 2:8; the danger of such enslavement for those already saved – 2Pe 2:18-22).

2.5. This connection between idolatry and sexual sin is testified throughout the Bible (Exo 32; Isa 57:7-8; Hos 4:12-14; 1Co 6:9-11; Gal 5:19-21; Eph 5:5; Col 3:5; Rev 2:14, 20, 21:25). 

2.6. God’s act of surrendering the idolator is congruent with the moral physics established at Creation: loyalty, attraction and affection are all the function of value. IOW: those things are the result of where we chose to see value (and who or what we chose to trust as the determiner of value – the creature or the Creator) (Mat 6:21).  

2.7. Why idolatry makes God so angry is because of what it says about Him and us. By choosing self (or the world) to be the ones who will decide what is valuable in this life, we are equally choosing those things to be the determiners of right and wrong. We have replaced God with ourselves as the source of such things. In essence, we have declared ourselves to be false gods and true God - expendable. 

2.8. This was the sin of our original parents (Gen 3:5-7) = In choosing to violate God’s prohibition, Adam and Eve were committing the sin of idolatry. Trust in God was no longer needed, they would now be the ones determining right and wrong. Their flesh and intellect were sufficient for determining the true value of the new world they barely knew. The reign of earth’s first false gods had begun. And (once more) we are following in their footsteps when we choose to trust our flesh and the world to determine the value of things (what is right and wrong, wise or foolish, safe or dangerous, necessary or unnecessary, essential or expendable).

3. Overcoming sexual sin (and being sexually pure) therefore requires ending our idolatry - our reign as false gods, by changing who we worship from creature to Creator.

3.1. In practical terms this means we make the decision to 100% distrust what is being communicated by our flesh and the world (as to the value of things – no matter how shiny or sexy or cool) and instead give 100% of our trust to God and His Word for determining what is truly valuable. IOW: we make the decision to surrender our entire value system to God. No matter how we feel or how persuasive the world is in selling us on something, we make the decision to always view it with suspicion until we can square it with God’s Word. We refuse to consider anything as valuable, important, necessary, essential, righteous or wise unless God’s Word agrees that it is. We only place the value on things that God’s Word places on those things (Luk 16:15).

3.2. This is what it means to die to self and live for Christ which is the bare minimum requirement to following Him and getting to heaven (Mat 16:21-23 w/24). 

3.3. This is also what it means to love God with our entire creature (Mar 12:29 and Exo 20; Rom 12:1 w/Jer 31:1; Consider how this is the opposite of idolatry which is loving the creature as god). 

3.4. The result of worshipping the Creator will be loyalty, attraction and affection for God and the things He says are valuable (i.e., those things that are righteous, wise and safe) and disgust for the things that He says are not (i.e. those things that are wicked, foolish and dangerous) (again, Mat 6:21). IOW: faithfulness becomes completely doable (even in respect to sexual things). 

4. Changing how you view sex is also a big part of how you overcome sexual sin and be sexually pure.

4.1.(Rom 12:2) = The transformation that happens when you renew your thinking is not something that happens passively. Like the previous principle, renewing your mind takes action – most especially w/respect to the subject of sex. It means making the decision to no longer think about sex the way the world thinks about it. You will only think about sex the way God thinks about sex, the way He created it. 

4.2. The way the world attempts to frame sex gives you the impression that it is better – or possesses more value than God’s design – which means trusting God (or His value system) is important (here) also. IOW: I need to trust that by viewing sex His way (and rejecting the world’s view) I will not be missing out (or less blessed) in this life.

4.3. Though the way the world views and experiences sex looks superior to God’s design, it is a dark hole leading to the destruction of those things you care most about – including your soul. 

4.4. Why do I say that? Because the way the world views and experiences sex creates an insatiable appetite often leading to deviant activity, sexual addiction and severed relationships – most especially marriages and families. For example, studies show that people who watch porn feel less satisfied and less connected to their spouses. Porn also creates feelings of sexual inadequacy and frustration leading to the search for help in the form of sexual products or deviant sexual activity. From a biological perspective, the hit on dopamine receptors can be similar to drugs like cocaine - creating not only addiction but the need for more –or more deviant behavior to feel the same way. At least 50% of all failed marriages and family issues are related to porn.  

4.5. What (then) is difference between how the world and God view sex?

4.5.1. According to the world...

Coherent (def.): clear, consistent, logical and reasonable (equitable/just). Coherent things are intelligible, they make sense. 

Christ Covenant Church seeks to a place that possesses coherent Christianity. The reason for this endeavor is the following:

1. Coherency is essential to the confirmation of something as truth especially as it relates to what you believe. 

1.1. In Philosophy this is known as the Coherence Theory of Truth: an individual proposition (or belief) is only true if it is coherent with existing propositions or a system of propositions (or beliefs) already determined to be true (e.g.,) I [Scott Jarrett] am 54 going on 55. For that belief to be true, then it must cohere with other beliefs or truths such as: 1. My birth date is 11/1/69, 2. I am still alive. My statement/proposition (54 going on 55) sb considered true b/c it is logically coherent.  

1.2. That coherency is essential to truth (or what we believe to be true) can be seen by considering Satan’s first attack against humanity. It was an attack on the coherency of God’s words (Gen 3:1-5) = Satan’s contribution to humanity’s first act of rebellion was his ability to get our original parents to believe that what He had said was incoherent. This then is the power of incoherency (and once more, why coherency is so essential): incoherency leads to distrust and ultimately open rebellion against God.

1.3. As humans, we have been hard-wired to trust only those things that are coherent: that make sense because they are clear, consistent, logical and reasonable (Pro 29:18 “vision” [Heb., hazon = Prophetic vision that makes clear or coherent what God’s people are to do]) = Without such coherency, God’s people will be “unrestrained” in their moral behavior. IOW: they will become distrustful and disobedient to God’s Law. This is confirmed also by the author’s response to the first couplet (“But happy is he who keeps the law [Heb., torah = God’s special revelation or message – most especially His Law). When God’s Word -or what we believe about it is coherent (clear, consistent, logical and reasonable), it is much easier to trust it and obey His laws.

2. If the Bible is truth, then what it teaches (and Christianity believes) must be coherent[1]. 

2.1. Jesus testifies to the Bible (or God’s Word) as truth (Joh 17:17).

2.2. Jesus also testifies to the Bible’s coherency (Deu 30:11-14; Joh 1:1 “Word” [Grk., logos = Logic, the coherent word; in re: to the mind it refers to the function of reason/logic and calculation]) = Jesus’ identity as the divine Logos (“Word”) communicates to us not only the nature of God (as logical or coherent) but also the nature of Scripture (God’s divine written words – OT, NT): they are likewise logical (or coherent) giving us (humans made in the image of our logical/coherent God) the ability to know Him w/certainty (v18 “explained” [Grk., exegeomai = Exegesis; coherent explanation). [2]  

2.3. Jesus uses logic – or the Law of Noncontradiction [A ≠ non-A][3] to prove the existence of life after death/resurrection and His deity – Mat 22:31-32 [Jesus also confirms plenary inspiration]; Mat 22:41-46)[4].

2.4. Paul likewise uses a logical syllogism to prove the necessity of the resurrection to salvation/Christianity (1Co 15:12-20). 

2.5. Other passages related to the Bible’s teaching as coherent (Psa 19:7b-9, 119:105; 2Ti 3:15-16 = None of these texts are truthful unless what the Bible teaches is indeed coherent; 1Pe 3:15 “defense” [Grk., apologia = Out of logic]).

2.6. To say that the Bible’s teaching is coherent is not the same as saying that it is not (at times) difficult to understand (e.g., 2Pe 3:15-17) = According to Peter, the reason Paul could be difficult was not due to incoherency (i.e., what he wrote was unclear, inconsistent, illogical or unreasonable) but rather the moral instability (“unstable”) and intellectual deficiency (“untaught”) of others (“unprincipled men”).

2.7. Oftentimes the incoherent (and therefore false) doctrines believed by many Christians today are labeled as incomprehensible. Incomprehensibility however is not the same as incoherency. The difference between the two from the standpoint of cognitive understanding is experience versus intellect. Though what is incomprehensible can be intelligible (it can be understood intellectually), it is beyond that person’s ability to understand experientially (e.g., hell). By contrast, what is incoherent fails to be something that can be understood both by experience and intellect (e.g., 2 + 2 = 3).[5] 

2.8. Finally, coherency is necessary not only to our knowledge of God, but to distinguishing between the divine and the demonic.

“If a transcendent God really does have a logic all His own, no criteria can exist in the realm of the transcendent to distinguish between Yahweh and Satan.” – Nash (ibid)

“If the law of non-contradiction is irrelevant in the sphere of transcendent ontology, the God and not-God, the divine and the demonic, cannot be differentiated.” – Clark (ibid)

2.9. Point (then) Not To Miss: never should we accept as biblical truth any belief or doctrine that fails the test of coherency.

3. A great place to start when determining whether the version of Christianity you are following is true or false is the test of coherency (it fails to be clear, consistent, logical or reasonable). 

3.1. As it re: to consistency consider: Is our doctrine of God or salvation consistent w/what was what was established in the OT? IOW: is their coherency between the NT and OT based on what you believe? Or do you possess a “canon within a canon”? (Luk 5:36-39) = NT (“new wine”) orthodoxy/orthopraxy is determined by its coherency or consistency w/what has already been established (“is good enough”) from the OT (“the old wine”) .

3.2. As it re: to clarity and logic consider: Jesus appeals to the Pharisees’ clarity and ability to use logic (or logical inferences) to indict them for their rejection of Him as Messiah (Mat 16:1-4 = Their problem was moral not intellectual. IOW: it was not an issue of coherency).

3.4. As it re: to reasonableness (it is equitable and just) consider: Jesus appeals to reasonableness (bib. jurisprudence) in His claims to deity when condemned by the Jewish leaders (Joh 5:31 w/31-47; also Joh 7:24).

4. Our God-given mission is to fight to re-establish the coherency to Christianity. 

4.1. (Jud 1:3; 1Ti 6:20-21 “opposing arguments” [Grk., antithesis = Incoherent beliefs]).

4.2. Why would we need to re-establish the coherency of Christianity? Because what was taught at the church’s inception by Jesus, the apostles and early church fathers (Ante-Nicene) regarding the Bible’s three main pillars: God, the gospel and man have been lost to incoherency (Jud 1:3 w/4).

“The Christian experience requires not simply a surrender of the will but a rational [coherent] assent to the truth.” – Nash 

5. Modern Christianity – or Christianity after the Ante-Nicene period (325 A.D. to the present) has been incoherent in its view of the Bible’s three main pillars of truth: God, the gospel and man.

5.1. None of this should come as a surprise given: 1) this is Satan’s first – and frequent play (hence 2Co 10:5; 1Ti 6:20-21), 2) the consequences of incoherency (distrust and disobedience to God).

5.2. Incoherency in re: to the doctrine of Man (e.g., Calvinism) = Not only incoherent because it violates the law of noncontradiction (man has a free will yet God has already decreed what man will do before he was created), but bc it is also unr...

Coherent (def.): to be clear and consistent, logical and reasonable.

The accusations of our critics:

[See PREVIOUS SERMON (Coherence Part 1) for accusations 1-3]

4. Your requirement of faithful obedience to be a Christian is too difficult. We are totally broken and unable to live faithfully obedient lives to God. It is for this reason the message of salvation is faith in Christ not faithfulness to Christ. It is also the reason Jesus came to earth – to obey so we wouldn’t have to! The standard of obedience preached at your church is just making people into self-righteous Pharisees. God doesn’t expect nor require this level of commitment to get heaven. 

Our biblically obedient and coherent response: 

4.1. Though we are born depraved – or with a strong desire for sin (or to serve self over God and His commands), we still possess the ability to choose and do good – or obey His commands. If this were not true, then God would be unjust for condemning people to hell based on their deeds (ability establishes culpability) (Job 34:11; Psa 62:12; Jer 17:10, 21:14; 2Co 5:10; Rev 20:11-15).

4.2. God’s requirement of faithful obedience (not perfection) has never been too difficult – including for those under the OC (those w/o the indwelling Spirit, regeneration or propitiation) (Deu 28:1 w/30:11-14). 

4.3. The message of salvation has always been both faith and faithfulness (to Christ). Faith itself is a pledge or personal promise to faithfulness to God over self or anything else (i.e., to live for or love God above anyone and anything else) (Gen 15:6 [w/Joh 8:56] w/Gen 17:1-8 [God confirming His promise and pledge to Abraham and the condition of that promise - Abraham’s former faith pledge to Him]; Exo 24:7-8 w/1Pe 1:1-2, 3:21). That our faith pledge mb followed by faithfulness for salvation to be secure is confirmed by James (Jam 2:14-26).

4.4. If Jesus did indeed come to earth to obey on our behalf (with the assumption that we could not do it ourselves), then this too incriminates/indicts God given His expectations of obedience and severe judgments against disobedience in the OT (e.g., most of the first generation died and went to hell because of their unfaithfulness – Heb 3:12-19 [v19, apistis = unfaithfulness, See Num 14:33 w/4:6-11]).

4.5. The Pharisees were self-righteous - or viewed themselves as righteous, but not for valid reasons. They claimed to keep (or be faithful) to God’s laws but were - in reality, hypocrites - not willing to exert the smallest amount of effort to obey God’s commands (Mat 23:1-4 w/ 28). Like Evangelicals, the Pharisees believed they were saved simply because of their faith and being a part of Abraham’s family. What they failed to accept is that God will remove from Abraham’s family all those who are unfaithful (Mat 3:1-10 w/Luk 7:30 [they did not believe they could be removed for unrepentance/unfaithfulness]; Joh 8:31-39; Rom 11:21-23). 

4.6. If God doesn’t require this level of commitment to get to heaven, then why do those who fail to possess faithfulness end up apostate and in hell – i.e., under God’s eternal and unforgiving wrath (Mat 7:21-27; Gal 5:19-21; Eph 5:5-6; Heb 10:26-30)?

5. Your church places loyalty to Christ and His church above loyalty to biological family including one’s spouse, children, and parents. As a result, you divide families and even approve of divorce. God made the marriage and the family to be the most important institutions on the planet. God also commands that children respect their parents. 

Our biblically obedient and coherent response: 

5.1. Our choice to place loyalty to Christ and His church above loyalty to biological family – including one’s spouse, children, and parents has always been a condition of God’s (or Jesus’) covenant/salvation/eternal promises (Gen 12:1 w/2-3; Gen 22:1-2,3-18 w/Jam 2:21-22; Deu 6:4-5; Mar 12:29-30; Luk 14:25-35). 

5.2. That loyalty to the church is how we express loyalty to Christ is confirmed by the facts: 1) the church is identified as the Body and Bride of Christ. Can a person sin against a man’s body or wife and not sin against the man himself? (Pro 6:27-35). 2) the church is the fullness of Christ on earth (Eph 1:22-23). In these two ways, Christ essentially made loyalty to Him synonymous with loving our covenant brothers and sisters. Hence why (Joh 13:34-35). 

5.3. Hence the reason this was a major focus of John the Baptist and Jesus’ earthly ministry: to turn God’s people back to Him and His family over their human families as the first loyalty (Mal 4:6 w/Luk 1:17).

5.4. Hence the reason also Jesus predicted that many families would be divided over His message (Mat 10:34-39).

5.5. The only divorce we approve of are those sanctioned by Jesus: divorce for sexual immorality (Mat 5:31-32). To not allow what God allows is no different than allowing what God does not allow - which also brings God’s wrath against the covenant community (Isa 5:20, 23-25).

5.6. The most important institution on earth is marriage and the family, Christ’s marriage to the church and the covenant family that it creates (i.e., the church). Every other form of marriage and family is subservient to this given: 1) The marriage of Christ to His church is the archetype/model for human marriage and family (Eph 5:22-32). 2) the creation of the holy family (not the biological family) was the goal of all Creation (Eph 1:1-11 w/3:1-11 = God the Father’s plan for Creation was to gather a people for His glory – and future inheritance - a holy family [made holy] thru the redemption [and marriage covenant] realized and accomplished thru His Son, Jesus Christ ).

 5.7. Respecting one’s parents looks different when a person is a child under the home and headship of their parents versus once that child becomes an adult and is no longer dependent – or living at home. The former requires full submission to their parent’s commands and wishes (sans anything directly opposed to God or His Word) (Eph 6:1-3), whereas the latter no longer requires such submission but only that the (now) adult independent child see to it that the needs of their elderly non-apostate parents are being met (Mat 15:1-6). 

5.8. Based on what was just discussed, children being loyal to their parents above God or His church has never been acceptable or expected by God.

6. If your church is doing everything right then why have there been so many disciplinary cases – including excommunications and apostasies --as well as betrayal and moral failures among those serving as officers? The church is to be a place of peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Again, these things signal a problem. 

Our biblically obedient and coherent response: 

6.1. The NT churches were filled with disciplinary cases -including excommunications and apostasies. As a matter of fact, many – if not most of the NT epistles or letters to the churches were written to deal with disciplinary matters (Rom 2:1-29; 1Co 3:1-18, 4:1-5, 18-21, 5:1-5, 6:1-11, 7:1-2, 8:1-13, 10:1-33, 11:1-22, 15:1-24; 2Co 1:21-2:11, 6:1-7:2, 10:1-11:33, 12:19-13:11; Gal 2:11-5:26; Col 2:8-23; 2Th 3:6-15; 1Ti 1:3-4, 18-20, 4:1-10, 6:20; Tit 1:10-16; Heb 3:12-14; 2Pe 3:14-18; Jud 1:3-4; Rev 2:1-3:22). If this was true for churches planted and pastored by the apostles, how much more those living in the worst or last days? We should therefore expect the church in the last days to feel as though they are over-run with such difficulties (Mat 24:10-12; 2Ti 3:1-17 = NOTICE where our confidence is to be in these difficult and confusing times). 

6.2. Consider also the covenant communities under: 1) Moses (most went apostate – i.e., almost ...