____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ October 15, 1995 ____________________________________________________ WHAT MAKES MARRIAGE WORK? By Bobby L. Graham Marriage will work, for God designed it to work. All who want to succeed in their marriages must learn those principles given by God to regulate marriages, for they are God's means of assuring success in marriage. In an earlier study in this series, it was pointed out that the sharing of a common bond in Christ--spiritual unity between husband and wife--will contribute greatly to such success. On the other hand, the absence of such common belief in Christ will often destroy marriages. Marital disaster, moreover, is frequently the result of other factors; the success of marriage is dependent upon those divinely revealed principles alluded to earlier. Commitment to Permanence The pledge of commitment found in the traditional wedding vow "for better or for worse...till death do us part" is not joke. It accurately expresses the idea of permanence in marriage taught in the Word of the Lord. Such a promise to make the marriage last must be taken seriously before the partners will work earnestly to make their marriage an enduring one. When husband and wife freely choose each other, it would seem they have even greater motive to make their marriage work. Those who decide to live together for the physical benefits of such a relationship, either sexual or financial, without an intention to marry and live as husband and wife fall far short of the divine standard. Neither lust nor financial advantage is an enduring foundation for any marriage. Selfishness, exploitation, dishonesty, manipulation, depression, and other evils regularly follow as a consequence of their lack of commitment to a permanent marriage. Peaks and valleys characterize the best of marriages, for conditions sometimes become more difficult due to lack of effort or external conditions not controlled by the partners. If one partner or both of them view marriage as experimental or temporary, there will not be the determination to make it last. Lower standards always discourage more intensified effort. Wives or husbands who look at marriage as trading cars or moving from one house to another will naturally be looking for a better deal or trying to get rid of a lemon. God does not thus view marriage, nor will any who approach it in this way. When asked about the right of divorce, Jesus stressed the principle of commitment to permanence in Matthew 19:6. In the creation of the race, God made provision for marriage in His making male and female (v. 4). He further appointed that the young man should leave father and mother in order to cleave to his wife, with the two becoming one flesh (v. 5). In view of their relationship to each other in marriage, the divine decree is "therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate" (v. 6). God does not even want divorcing without remarriage; He wants the two to remain married. Though God permits remarriage by the innocent party when fornication has been committed, the only honorable end for a marriage takes place when one partner dies (Rom. 7:2). Marriage is a permanent contract, as established by God. The partners covenant together to stay married (Mal. 2:14). They should honor their word. Such commitment to permanent marriage encourages the adjustments that must take place for marriage to endure. Immature people do not make such adjustments easily and should not marry. Selfishness is more easily overcome by people really intending to stay married. Problems with partners' families, financial matters, and even sexual matters need not become destructive. They will not if unselfish partners have no idea of terminating their marriage but resolving their problems. It is for this reason that we insist that marriage is for adults! -- Via Gospel Guide, Vol. XXIII, No. 4 ___________________________________________ The Dual Coming Theory by Lynn Wessel Last Sunday evening, as we continued with the series on Premillennialism, the subject of our study was The Second Coming of Christ. The objective of that sermon was to look at the premillennial position in light of what the Bible teaches. A point by point comparison impresses us with how drastically different those who hold this position see the second coming of Christ as compared to how it is presented in the Bible. To encounter the premillennial or dispensational position one is confronted with a dual coming theory. This theory, in effect, says that Christ's second coming will have two phases. The first will be invisible to those on the earth and will initiate what they call the rapture. The second, at the end of the seven-year rapture period, will be visible and will mark the return of Christ, with the raptured saints, to the earth to establish His kingdom and begin His thousand-year reign on His throne in Jerusalem. To provide a scriptural basis for this theory, its proponents make a distinction between two Greek words which refer to the second coming of Christ in the New Testament scriptures. These words are parousia which means "presence" and epiphaneia which has a basic meaning of "manifestation." Parousia, they say, refers to the invisible first phase of Christ's coming for the rapture and epiphaneia refers to the second phase when Christ visibly returns to the earth. The premillennial doctrine has Christ coming for His "presence" in the rapture and at a later time, coming in His "manifestation" for the events to take place here on the earth. These are the basics of the dual coming theory. This theory may have some features that are attractive to people, but it has one big problem--it has no basis in the scriptures and, therefore, it is not true! Scriptural evidence against this theory includes the fact that the two words are used interchangeably to refer to the same coming of the Lord. Paul said, "and then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming" (II Thess. 2:8). The word "manifestation" ("brightness", KJV) is the word epiphaneia and the word "coming" is translated from parousia. We have both words in one verse referring to the same coming. The coming of Christ in this passage is called the epiphaneia. We have both words in one verse referring to the same coming. The coming of Christ in this passage is called the epiphaneia of his parousia. With the "manifestation" of His "coming," Christ will destroy the lawless one. There is not even one minute that separates the epiphaneia from the parousia, let alone seven years! They will occur at precisely the same time. Further, the events associated with the parousia of Christ, as taught in the Bible, are drastically different from what is taught by the premillennial theory. In II Peter 3, Peter is talking about the day of the Lord which relates to the fulfillment of the promise of his "coming" (parousia) as found in the question in verse 4. He said, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (II Pet. 3:10). At Christ's coming, rather than a "rapture" as taught in the premillennial theory, the "fiery fury" will be found in the fire that burns up the earth and not in a so-called "tribulation" that takes place upon it. The fact that Christ will come again is certain (John 14:1-2; Acts 1:11; Heb. 9:28). There is no question about it. But, we must let the Bible explain what will happen on that day and not some theory of men. God teaches us that the second coming of Christ will take place in a "like manner" (Acts 1:11) as He was beheld going into heaven upon His ascension (nothing dual there). At that time "there shall be a resurrection of the just and unjust" (Acts 24:15). All nations shall be gathered before the judgment-seat of Christ (Matt. 25:31-46). On this same day, when Christ comes to be glorified in His saints, He shall render vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel (II Thess. 1:7-10). Paul said in this passage that both of these events shall occur "at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power in flaming fire" (II Thess. 1:7). -- Via The Dewey Avenue Bulletin, September 10, 1995 ___________________________________________ GOSPEL MEETING I will be preaching a series of gospel sermons at the Harding Avenue church of Christ 416 Harding Avenue Sciotoville, Ohio 45662 (just a couple blocks north of Highway 52) (614) 776-2239 November 5-10 Services: Sunday: 9:30 and 10:30 A.M. 6:30 P.M. Weeknights: 7:30 We hope that you will be able to be with us! ___________________________________________ LOVING OTHERS by Tom Edwards Just as the spokes on a wheel draw closer to each other as they reach closer to the hub, even so, Christians draw nearer to one another as they draw nearer to Christ--who is to be the center of our lives. When bitterness and hatred begins taking root in the heart of a Christian, he is drifting farther from Christ and farther from the brethren. As John writes, "If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen" (1 Jn. 4:20). And with regard to this, the Hebrew writer warns, "See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled" (Heb. 12:15). May it be our desire to love God foremost, and our neighbor second with the same kind of love that the good Lord has shown to us. John's reason for love: "We love, because He first loved us" (1 Jn. 4:19). Let us each, therefore, draw nearer to God that we may also draw nearer to one another--and, as an additional result, also find ourselves more pleasant to live with. ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 1314 Montgomery Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________