Through a Glass Darkly

Many years ago, I asked Jack Kinsella (my mentor from the Omega Letter), about something that had been really bothering me. How can a person, who claims to be a Christian, filled with the Holy Spirit (who is supposed to guide you into all truth), be a Preterist? How could a person who has the same Holy Spirit as I do be so utterly wrong and yet still be a Christian?

I suppose you could take that same question and apply it to any number of different doctrinal positions that have divided Christianity over the millennia. But Jack’s response really cemented in stone for me the why of why we are so divided on so many topics…yet remain part of the same body of Christ that has existed these last 2,000 years since Pentecost. He says…

“About the only Christian doctrine upon which there is more or less universal agreement is that we are saved by grace through faith in the shed Blood and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. BUT, that is the only doctrine, in the final analysis, which really and truly bears eternal consequences. Preterists that trust Jesus for their salvation will meet up in heaven with futurists who trusted Jesus, who will fellowship with pre-tribbers, midtribbers, and post-tribbers, who will fellowship with Calvinists and Arminians together.”

“Because if you trust Jesus Christ for your salvation, then you will go to heaven. That is the central message of the Gospel. The rest is the product of our longing to know God and know the things of God, while blinded by the limitations imposed on us by our earthly perspective. As the Apostle Paul put it, seeing the things of God ‘through a glass, darkly’. Paul says we know only ‘in part’ but the part that we all agree on is the only part that really counts. Salvation by faith. In the story of the Tower of Babel, God explains how the various ethnic nations came to be.”

“And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” – Genesis 11:6-7

“By scattering man ‘among the nations’ and removing the common bond of language and ethnicity, God ensured that no one man could ever again rule all men, as Nimrod did until the construction of the Tower of Babel. It prevented any one culture or worldview to dominate all mankind. That diversity is what allowed Christianity to flourish at the point when it was introduced into history. The reason is that Christianity is a personal relationship with Christ, rather than a commonly accepted cultural duty.”

God built that same diversity into the Church, which accounts for how and why sincere Christians can read the same Scriptures and come up with such widely divergent doctrines as preterist historicism and pretribulation futurism. It prevents any one teacher from becoming the only accepted source of information on the things of God. If everybody agreed on every point of doctrine, then the guy who articulates it the best becomes the Great Oracle of God. (And what if he was wrong?) So we have diversity of understanding, but the same Scripture. And we have a diversity of teachings, but share the same salvation by grace through faith. And we are equally sincere because we share the same awesome responsibility of accountability before the Lord.”

In the end, we will be judged by how we used the doctrine God delivered to us to lead others to salvation in Christ. The necessity of diversity of understanding in the Church Age is adequately demonstrated by a peek across the divide into the coming ‘Time of Jacob’s Trouble’ after the Church Age is concluded. During the Tribulation, that diversity of understanding is replaced by a universal religion imposed by the false prophet and directed toward the worship of the antichrist.” – (Jack Kinsella, Letting God Sort it Out)

By scattering man ‘among the nations’ and removing the common bond of language and ethnicity, God ensured that no one man could ever again rule all men, as Nimrod almost did in the days leading up to the doomed construction of the Tower at Babel. Scattering, confusing, and dividing the language (and subsquently, culture) would prevent any one culture or worldview from dominating them. That diversity is what allowed Christianity to flourish at the point when it was introduced into history. The reason is that Christianity is a personal relationship with Christ, rather than a commonly accepted cultural duty or set of rituals.

In the years since, and after much unnecessary argument and debate, I find myself asking the same question as to why the Bible was written the way it was...a little here, a little there. God's message to mankind was parceled out over 1,600 years to around 40 different writers, all from vastly different times and backgrounds. Why do some subjects lend themselves to such an extent that opposing views, whether it is on Baptism or the Second Coming, seemingly justify their points of view by opposing scripture verses that seemingly make their case airtight? You know what I'm talking about. Any time you've discussed the bible with anyone else, you point to this verse to prove your point, and they point to another that seems to prove their point. So, why was God's word written in that manner, when the Holy Spirit could have had the Prophets, Apostles, and Writers state exactly what God meant?

Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” 2 Timothy 2:15-19

Of late, I have undertaken a personal quest of sorts, to throw myself into the theological shark-tank of those directly opposed to what I believe. In a way, I wanted to see if what I believed really held up to what I have come to understand it to be, and thus far, I have not been disappointed. But yet, I have met some very sincere brothers and sisters in Christ who feel with equal passion that I'm as wrong as I think they are.

There are several different ways to approach this topic. The first is understanding that true, born-again believers, who all have the same Holy Spirit, sometimes have vastly different understandings of God's word. To be a born-again believer, we all have to agree on the fundamentals, though. These are those things that differentiate us from the cults and fringe Christian groups who only piggyback off the name of Christ, but deny what it is to really be Christian:

1. The deity of Christ includes: the virgin birth, sinless life, death, burial, and resurrection (Phil 2:6; 1 Tim 3:16)

2. The infallibility of Scripture: from Gen 1 to Rev 22, God's word can be trusted (2 Tim 3:16)

3. The Tri-une nature of God: The Godhood of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit- one Divine Being expressed in three distinct and co-equal Persons (Gen 1:26; Matt 28:19)

4. Man's helpless estate: All men are fallen and need a Savior (Rom 3:23)

5. Salvation by grace through faith, not of works: Just as good works do not save us, bad works cannot unsave us (Titus 3:5; Eph. 2:8-9)

So what is it that causes us born-again believers to divide ourselves so easily these days? I believe it is over the 'mysteries of God' that are revealed in the New Testament, primarily through the Apostle Paul, which is why he has become the most divisive writer in the Bible. Because it is through Paul that God reveals the deeper things of God, and it is to these that I wish to write today.

The Mysteries

What is a mystery according to the Scriptures? Simply put, a mystery (musterion-Greek) is something that has not yet been previously revealed to man. It does not mean it didn't exist prior, but only that God kept that information 'close-hold' and revealed it at a later point. Paul, to whom many of these were revealed, is, for the first time, explaining what these things are to us.

1. The mystery of Israel's blindness (Rom 11:25-27)

2. The mystery of Christ in you (Eph 3:3-5)

3. The mystery of the Church (Eph 5:32)

4. The mystery of Godliness (1 Tim 3:16)

5. The mystery of the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51-56)

6. The mystery of Lawlessness (2 Thess 2:7)

Each of these is a thing that was not yet revealed in the Old Testament and had been hidden from the prophets and even the writers back then, for the better part of 4,000 years. They recorded passages as moved by the Holy Spirit, but they themselves didn't fully know what it was they were writing about.

Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 1 Peter 1:10-11

It was Paul (former Pharisee and persecutor of the church) who said of himself that no one taught him these things, but that he learned everything from Christ directly [Gal 1:11-12]. It is over these mysteries that the church divides itself. It is to these mysteries that, if misunderstood, can lead to heresy. Peter addresses this as well:

and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,  as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ... 2 Peter 3:15-17

If we fail to see that God's dealings with Israel are not yet complete, they (Christians) will seem to think that God has replaced Israel. If we fail to see that it is Christ in us, who not only cleanses us, but imparts His righteousness to us, then we think that our salvation is somehow dependent upon our own behavior. If we fail to understand the mystery of the Church, we fail to understand our role and our royal standing in God's economy as 'the Bride'. If we fail to understand the mystery of Godliness, then we fail to see how it is God's righteousness that demands perfection, is also God's love provided a way for man to attain that righteousness through Jesus Christ. If we fail to understand the mystery of the Rapture, we then assume the Second Coming, which misplaces our hope in God's plan for the church, or worse, denying the 'wrath that is to come'. If we fail to understand the mystery of lawlessness, we will fail to recognize the season of Christ's soon return.

The Bible was written in such a manner that it takes the Holy Spirit to guide us and to reveal its truth to us. (John 14:15-18, 15:26-27, 16:12-15) It was why the Bible makes no sense to a non-

believer. It is why the Bible can be so easily tweaked and twisted, to allow those who would abuse God's message for their own glory, to do so for their own destruction. God's word was designed with the believer in mind. Aside from the Holy Spirit and various historical and archaeological proofs from our history, we are left with a 2,000-year-old Book we identify as God's word to guide us day to day.

Assessment

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds. Hebrews 1:1-2

Here now in the 21st century, we don't have signs and wonders for the Church, and we don't have the office of priest or prophets designated by God to speak for us to Him, or Him to usward. We have Jesus Christ, who serves now as our mediator, but also as Prophet, and one day as our King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. We are family, a royal family that is, and we have access to God's throne day and night, where we lay our cares and concerns before our Father.

But even if we are all family, we are not all gifted the same, as 1 Corinthians 12 clearly points out. We are all given different callings and different understandings, I think in large part, to draw us to different ministries that all make up the 'body of Christ'. To some, the prophetic word is that which brought them back to the Bible, or sustained their interest in it, or even led them to believe in the first place. To others, prophecy is all just 'pie in the sky' things that no one can understand, and why even bother, because it will all just happen one day anyway. To others, their understanding of prophecy has been corrupted through man's departure from the literal interpretation, and they have been led to believe in a complicated, inconsistent view of the prophetic word.

Clearly, the Bible was designed in such a way that it could only take the Holy Spirit to help one 'rightly divide' the word consistently from start to finish. We have very clear passages such as John 3:16, John 14:6, and Romans 3:23 that leave zero room for deviation. Why couldn't the bible have been entirely written in this manner, leaving zero wiggle room for wrangling different interpretations out of the passages? Two reasons I can think of come to mind:

1. Differences promote discussion.

2. Differences keep us separated

These may seem odd things to point out, but think about that for a moment. If we all agreed on everything, discussions would seemingly dwindle. I've found this to be true on almost any subject. I also think that this provides God a way to reward us differently based on how we approach a subject. Some view missions as the main focus for the Church today, while others view holiness of the brethren or discipleship as the most important. Either way, differences stimulate discussion like nothing else can. The main reason for our differences stems from HOW we interpret the Scriptures. Some take the Bible in a historical-grammatical-literal manner. Many others do not, so we have the same Book, but we look at the passages very differently.

Chart from Answers in Genesis

(Full PDF for download: H/T to Stan for sharing with me!)

90-4-078_world-religions-cults-poster.pdf

Download PDF • 1.48MB

I also believe that although we have unity in the body of Christ, this primarily lends itself to the fundamentals of our faith. On the other hand, what others have deemed as 'secondary' issues (those things not necessary to believe in for salvation) have largely divided us. This, too, was in keeping with the true church not falling under the sway of any one denomination or sect.

But that still doesn't answer the question of why?

Well, it was for our own good.

God knows man's heart, and He knew from the days of the Tower of Babel going forward, that if mankind remained united in belief and purpose, even under the pretenses of a good cause, that reason too would become corrupted by Satan just as he did with the monolithic Roman Catholic System.

Conclusion

Thus, we have thousands of divisions and schisms within Christendom in what we know as branches, sects, and denominations. God knew that fallen man would either corrupt or allow the message to become corrupted. I'm sure in its infancy, the Roman Catholic Church (circa 4th-5th century AD) had good intentions. But when you consolidate power into the hands of just the few (i.e., the clergy), and as the old maxim goes, absolute power corrupts absolutely, things get ugly very quickly. Next thing you have is the corrupted clergy introducing paganism into the church, selling indulgences, leading suicidal and murderous crusades, and the bloodthirsty Inquisitions to purge those who expose your corruption.

This is the reason why I believe the Bible was written as it was because God wants us united on the fundamentals, but divided on everything else, unless that unification came directly from the Holy Spirit. This division is not for His benefit, but for our own. Again, need I remind anyone of what God said in Genesis 11:6-7?

And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

And what God has divided, let not man reunite. Yet that artificial “unification” is exactly what Satan has been working on since the days of Babel.

In Revelation 1-3, Jesus acknowledges seven churches at a time when hundreds to thousands of churches existed. Notice the one thing Jesus doesn't chastise these churches for? They're not chastised for being different from each other. They were either commended or chastised for what they did and didn't do with the gifts and callings God gave each of them uniquely.

Our theological languages have been confused—intentionally so by divine design. Differences in how we interpret Scripture have always existed, but never to the extent we see today. There are now more denominations than at any other time in history. This is why in Revelation 2–3 we find seven distinct churches, each with its own unique strengths and failures. Jesus does not commend or rebuke them simply for being different, but for the specific good and evil in their works.

I don’t believe any single group holds the perfect hermeneutic this side of the Rapture, for we all still “see through a glass, darkly” (1 Cor. 13:12). Personally, I find Pre-Millennial, Pre-Tribulational Dispensationalism to be the most accurate and consistent framework. Yet even then, we do not possess every answer, for certain truths remain unrevealed until the appointed time. One day, at the Rapture of the Church, we will be glorified and granted full understanding (1 Cor. 15:51–56).

Until then, the Holy Spirit continues to guide us in truth, as Christ promised the faithful at Philadelphia:

I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. Rev. 3:8–11 (my emphasis)

As for Revelation 3:9, I tend to see those “who say they are Jews and are not, but lie” as a picture of those who embrace Replacement Theology. I may be mistaken (as I see through the glass darkly), but that is how I understand it. If you disagree with me, you're a heretic! (Jk) But one day we will know, and all that has plagued and separated mankind from the beginning will be revealed to the saints as we grow in the glory and the knowledge of the Lord.

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 1 Cor 13:12