Letters to the Church

In his Letter to the Romans , Paul describes in detail the message of salvation that he proclaims among the nations. He declares that it is the “ power of God for salvation ” to all men who accept it. Due to humanity’s sin, two forces are at work in the world - Righteousness and Wrath . In Jesus of Nazareth, God has provided the solution to humanity’s desperate plight and made it available to all men through the “ faith OF Jesus Christ .”

Several Greek terms are applied by the New Testament to the return of Jesus, including ‘ Parousia ’ (“arrival”), ‘ erchomai ’ (“coming”), and ‘ epiphaneia ’ (“appearance”). Regardless of which is used, it is always singular in number, referring to only one future “ arrival ,” “ appearance ,” or “ coming .” The term ‘ Parousia ’ is used most often in the letters of Paul, though not exclusively so. It denotes an “arrival” rather than the process of someone or something “coming.”

Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians was written in the months following his departure from the city. In his first epistle, he expressed his joy at the good news that the Assembly had remained faithful despite pressure and opposition from the local population. In the second, he declares how he now boasts of the perseverance of the Thessalonians in the faith through and despite multiple “ persecutions ” and “ tribulations .”

The Gospel proclaimed by Jesus is  NOT  about reforming society or fixing governments. His message summons all men and women to repent and join an entirely new social order and political reality, namely, the  Kingdom of God , and his message contradicts the political ideologies of the present “ evil age .” Responding positively to his invitation is vital considering the approaching end of the existing world order and its disappearance from the Earth.

In his first epistle, John declares it is the Last Hour , a period elsewhere in the New Testament called the “ Last Days .” As evidence of this, he points to the presence of false teachers who are disrupting the congregations under his care. These deceivers are the products and instruments of the “ Spirit of Antichrist ” that is active already in the world, and these very same men are forerunners of the final “ Antichrist ” who is yet to come.