Knowing Christianity

Interpretive  Approach I will approach this study from a futurist approach, from a premillennial, dispensational perspective. More will be said in a later chapter about the differing methods of interpretation. Dispensational premillennialism can be identified by two basic features:  First, a literal hermeneutic. In other words, the words and statements in Scripture should be interpreted in their normal way, in the same way we would customarily interpret any other literature unless, of course, the text demands that it be interpreted in some other way. For example, concerning Christ’s first coming, those prophesies that were made about it were fulfilled literally. Why then would we not interpret prophesies concerning His second coming in the same way? Why would we interpret the Bible literally except when it comes to prophecy, particularly when already fulfilled prophecy was fulfilled literally? Second, dispensational premillennialism maintains a clear distinction between Isra...

The Certainty of His Second Coming Let me begin by highlighting some interesting facts: Christ’s second coming is mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments eight times more often than His first coming. Only the doctrine of salvation is mentioned more often than the doctrine of His second coming, making the doctrine of the second coming of vital importance. Christ’s return is mentioned over three hundred times in the New Testament alone. Every single New Testament writer mentions it. Twenty three of the twenty-seven New Testament books either clearly mention the second coming or allude to it. This is just a sampling of the many passages in the New Testament which clearly serve as evidence for the certainty of His return. In fact, the second coming is the cornerstone of prophecy and is one of the most important doctrines in Scripture. These facts are important because they serve as overwhelming evidence in establishing the certainty of ...

Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also. You know the way to where I am going.” “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:1-6). Ever since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 on the United States, the current events in the Middle East, and the COVID-19 global pandemic, there has been a renewed interest by millions of people all over the world about what it is that the Bible has to say about the future. Why? Because only in the Bible we do find God revealing to us in detail the future of this planet and ...

The purpose of the Church is threefold, upward: inward, and outward: (1) Upward. The Church exists to bring honor, praise, and glory to God, to worship Him both individually and corporately here on earth. Saucy writes, “The church’s final goal in all of its responsibilities…is the ascription of glory to the One who has created it through redemption in Christ. The predestination of believers in the church to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ and the obtaining of an inheritance in Him all redounds ‘to the praise of the glory of His grace’ (Eph. 1:5-6, 11-14). So amazing is the display of God’s attributes in creating the church and bestowing upon it all blessings in Christ Jesus that the  apostle exults in a doxology of praise: ‘to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen’ (Eph. 3:21 ). [1] (2) Inward. The Church exists so that the Body of Christ might be edified and equipped for service. Through this edification the Spirit...

Evangelical Protestants prefer to use the word ordinance rather than sacrament because the word sacrament carries the connotation of it conveying grace. Charles Ryrie defines ordinance as “an outward rite prescribed by Christ to be performed by His church.” [1] The New Testament only speaks of two ordinances prescribed by Christ to be performed by His church. The Lord’s Supper In three of the Gospels we find that Christ instituted this ordinance on the eve of His crucifixion. When instituting the Lord’s Supper, Jesus commanded His followers to continue observing the ordinance until His return (Matt. 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-23). Paul, in his epistle to The Corinthian church also wrote in some detail about this ordinance (1 Cor. 11:23 -32). Throughout church history, there has been much debate over the meaning of this ordinance. Following, I will make mention of the four views held as to its meaning. I will expand slightly on the view this author holds. (1) T...