Jesus said he would return stealthily, and nobody would know when. Therefore, if any of those people who keep predicting the time of the Second Coming get it right, then by their own theology they will delay it.
Nope. He said no one would know the hour or the day but he also said there would be signs and, if people watched for them, they wouldn’t be caught unaware.
I don’t have chapter and verse like the other person, but I do recall that the Bible said Jesus’s return would be triumphant. The only “stealthy” part of it (which the other person’s quotes don’t dispute) is that no one will know when (like, in advance). But when he does return, it will be no small feat. At least according to the Bible. Which I don’t follow, so I can’t claim to be an expert.
I always thought anyone claiming to be Jesus would find himself crucified.
Also, the Christians in power don’t want Jesus, the god of man, they want Jehovah, he’s their man, the one who punishes the gays and brown people and… yeah, I don’t believe that shit, either. But the real Jesus would be asking these men in power how they have so much and why the people they rule over have so little.
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A Christian is a follower of Christ’s teachings. He taught humility, acceptance of others, non-violence, truth, helping others, non-hipocracy, love, and peace. Just because people in power call themselves Christians, doesn’t mean they are.
Yeah, but then you get into “no true Scotsman” territory or “gatekeeper” territory.
I agree, but I’m worried about the implication of saying someone who’s trying (i.e. not one in power) isn’t Christian enough when they’re trying and I’m not.
That is to say, I follow my own code, but Christ’s teachings follow a similar line of thought. Does that make me a Christian, then? Or is something more (faith, baptism?) required?
I’ve actually been doing a lot of thinking about this lately. Reading the gospels and trying to leave my preconcieved ideas out of it. The conclusions I’ve been coming to are: You can call yourself a Christian, but if you don’t live like it, you’re not. Acceptance of Christ’s teaching is intertwined with what you do. Acceptance of Christ’s teachings has to be an inner thing, not just doing the right thing and staying bitter and angry inside.
If we accept what you say is true, then I argue most churches and people who go to them aren’t Christian in the least.
Hey now, most of the followers haven’t read it but still believe every word so you’re doing better than them. Don’t be too hard on yourself.
what he actually said is that he would come back before that generation ended
Pretty much yeah, in the sermon on the mount I think, he said he’d be back while the people who were listening were still alive.
He’s still taking a break from his first coming. His stamina is a bit low.
The people rooting for this don’t actually read their bible. They are either the grifters in charge who don’t really believe in it, or the people who just believe whatever they are told by their religious leaders. It’s a shame that we offer free public education, but when handed a book, people prefer to just listen to their influencers rather than actually read the source material.
nah man. He stopped by like over 25 years ago. Said he wanted to look around before everything went to trump.
There’s a word for it. It’s called hubris.
Those people clearly didn’t get the message of the Bible.
They are just going to fake it. And being a human plan being executed by humans, some will know the date.
But yeah, if you did believe this stuff, their hubris should be blasphemy
Evangelicals don’t actually read the bible.
I don’t blame them. The bible sucks and is horrible, just like them.
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I think OP is referring to the passage following what you posted, Matthew 24:36-44:
36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (ESV - emphasis mine)
There’s some additional passages in the Bible that reference the “thief in the night” motif, namely 1 Thessalonians 5:2, 2 Peter 3:10, and Revelations 16:15.
That said, my interpretation is that these talk about the point in time which is unknown, not about the manner of Jesus’ return.
