The End Times P1: Jesus' Outline

The highly discussed and debated issue with in the church and between other religions is the study of The End Times also known as Eschatology.  The Apostles ask Jesus directly.  Right after Jesus tells them Jerusalem will be destroyed (happened in 70AD), they then start to wonder and ask in Matthew 24:3 "...what is the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”.  There are four predominate theories of how The End Time will happen and in this article we will look at what Jesus revealed first.  Jesus graciously gives us an outline of what will take place before The End Time happen and how it will unfold.

Early Accounts of Christianity from Non-Christians

Secular and Non-christian ancient writers were made witnesses without even knowing it. Now it is easy for these and any ancient account to be attacked but think about this:  We talk about and teach about Plato as if he was a real person of history who lived and taught around 400-300BC; yet the oldest manuscript we have of 'his' is around 800AD.  That is roughly a 1,200 year separation.  Yet, historians consider mentions about him in other earlier ancient writings as creditable and useful.  Below are lists of mentions of Jesus that are within 17-115 years after Jesus. Closer and more reliable than most sources of other ancient persons and are accepted as reliable.

Did the Apostles distort what Jesus taught?

There are allegations throughout history that The Apostles distorted what Jesus actually did and said.  This is an important issue because the claims formed completely new and separate religions.  Mormonism and Islam both claim the Apostles screwed up and distorted what Jesus taught.  Did they?  What evidence does Islam and Mormonism have to support this claim?  This is not about arguing the validity of one religion over another.  This is solely focused on what we know about Jesus and what has been distorted about Jesus.  Jesus is the primary subject and not any of the religions as a whole.

Why The Disciples of The Apostles Matter Today

This is a very important issue.  Why does it matter what the disciples of the apostles and their disciples taught?  If we have the apostles writings and eye witness testimonies of what Jesus did and said, why would their views be important?  As you can tell, through history of the church, the writings of the apostles can be misinterpreted and misunderstood.  How do we know what the apostles actually meant in their writings?  This is what we call The Apostolic Interpretation or The Linage of Apostolic Teachings; or what the Apostles themselves meant and the true understanding of their writings.

What Did Irenaeus of Lyons Teach?

Irenaeus was born around 115 AD and was martyred around 200 AD.  He was a disciple of Polycarp; who was a disciple of John The Apostle.  He is best known for his 5 books named "Against Heresies" which was comprised around 180AD and addressed the Gnostism heresy.  He generally laid out the orthodoxies of Christianity and express two very important aspects of the faith; scriptural authority and teaching linage from the apostles themselves.  He was a church leader in Gaul which is now Lyons France and had influence with the church leader in Rome, Victor I and later important church teachers like Hippolytus of Rome.  His teachings validates the teachings from the apostles, to their disciples, to him; the succession of truth.

Hyper-Grace theology

The amazing Grace of God is so amazing it changes lives for eternity.  Even the reformers stressed that we are saved by Grace Alone but does this amazing grace negate repentance and confession?  Wouldn't you want to live how-ever you wanted and not worry if it is sinful? The reality is that hyper-grace is nothing more than new age positivism and emotionalism disguised in churchy words that focuses on one subject of truth (Grace) while avoiding another (Obedience).  Thus it does not teach the truth of God in its entirety and just want man wants to hear and avoids what man does not want to hear. 

What Did Papias of Hierapolis Teach?

Papias is an important figure in the early church.  He was born around 70AD and died around 163AD.  He was a disciple of John The Apostle and friend of Polycarp who was also a disciple of John and Aristion (one of the 70 apostles).  He helpped lead the church around the same time Ignatius of Antioch was teaching.  He had access to The Apostles, disciples of the Apostles, and other eye witnesses.  He even spoke with the Apostle Philip's daughters in Hierapolis.  His understanding and insights are key influences on the continuation of the person, teachings, and works of Jesus Christ.  Although his writings were lost after the middle ages, they were still preserved in the quotes of other church leaders writings.  His insights have been continued on in the church through Polycarp, Irenaeus, Eusebius and all the other early church teachers.