JOEL 2 GENERATION

What this blog post explores is the timing of the Rapture, primarily  the difference between a position called Pre-Wrath Rapture and the historic Post-Tribulation Rapture position. In recent years, the Pre-Wrath position has gained popularity, and I have listed below some of the scholars who advocate for it. One of the sources I used and quote extensively below came from a lengthy online review of the book, Three Views on the Rapture: Pretribulation, Prewrath, or Posttribulation, in which 3 scholars, Craig Blaising, Alan Hutburg, and Douglas Moo, present the positions and then critique the other positions. As usual, I am primarily concerned with what the earliest Christians believed about any particular doctrine. The book summarizes the Early Church's this way: “The earliest Christian writings we possess after the New Testament indicate no real question in the first three centuries of the church regarding the timing of the Rapture. The basic futurist (and premillennial) eschatology...

 

I did a disclaimer for the "Joel 2 Generation" podcast, as I was alerted to the fact that I had mentioned many names/ministries that I had at one time endorsed, and was influenced by, that I would today not only not recommend, but actually would warn people against them. I have noticed that this blog needs a similar disclaimer. I am in the process of going back to remove names and/or to put notes at the end of particular blog posts with words of clarification. When we decided to move intentionally into the world of Charismatic Christianity (around the year 2000), we came from a conservative Evangelical background, as well as a growing understanding and commitment to Early Church history (namely the Ante-Nicene Fathers - AD70-AD325). Because of these influences, all along the way, I felt like we had a pretty good "filter" as we waded into Charismatic waters. To this day, we are thoroughgoing Continuationists, and we pursue the exercise of all of the charismatic gifts...

This question has divided millions of Christians. The Bible doesn't give us a clear answer. The arguments for/against are either anecdotal or theological. What does Church History reveal?  One of the earliest theologians in Church History, Tertullian (AD155-AD220), in fact, the man who gave us the word "Trinity," gave us his answer when he wrote: "The Lord Himself is witness that we have the case of the woman who went to the theater and came back possessed. Accordingly, in the exorcism, when the unclean creature was rebuked for having dared to attack a believer, he firmly replied, “And in truth I did it most lawfully, for I found her in my domain.”  Tertullian (c. AD197, W), 3.90. I find it interesting that the word he used is translated into English as "possessed." Today, it is common to use the word "demonized" instead of the word possessed. Tertullian was not writing in Greek, but rather Latin, and I am really not sure if there is a similar dis...

In several previous blog posts (links below), I have demonstrated that the Apostles' teaching contradicts the claims of modern so-called "Grace Teachers." I refer to them as "Hyper-Grace" teachers because they essentially have taken their doctrine and understanding of grace to such an extreme that it constitutes a false teaching.  Previous posts regarding "Hyper-Grace" :  "Hyper-Grace" vs. the ENTIRE New Testament" -  LINK "Hyper-Grace" vs. the ENTIRE New Testament 2.0" -  LINK "The Grace "Deformation"" -  LINK "Hyper-Grace FALLACIES - Philippians 3:12" -  LINK Who are some of these teachers teaching a false grace message?  Joseph Prince, Paul Ellis, Steve McVey, Andrew Wommack, Clark Whitten, John Crowder, Andre van der Merwe, Tullian Tchividjian, Ryan Rufus, D.R. Silva, Chuck Crisco, Simon Yap, and Andrew Farley. Admittedly, some of them are more balanced than others. But all of them teach a...