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kid holding a Bible looking surprised

Can I tell you a story? A story so powerful that, if you pay attention, it will change your life?

It's the story of the Bible. Only, this story is probably different than anything you've ever heard.

Before I tell you this story, I first need to answer a huge question, perhaps the very thing you may be asking yourself right now:

How could you possibly tell the story of the Bible in a way that I've never heard before?

Excellent question! Here's how...

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baby's hand in an adult's hand

The resurrection of the dead is the linchpin of Christianity. Jesus’ resurrection is the evidence that Christians of all generations can trust in their own eternal life.

As Paul put it, “... if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith … And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” (1 Cor. 15:14, 17 NIV)

Welcome to the 45th post in my series of rethinking Christian eschatology. 

If you’ve read this entire series (and if you haven’t please stop reading here and start from the beginning so everything makes sense), then you have seen the mountain of evidence I have presented from the Scriptures (alone) that:

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Title Slide: Re-Thinking the Ekklesia [the visible and invisible church]

In last month’s lesson, The Church of the Old Testament, I emphasized how Jesus’ church is the promised re-gathering of scattered Israel.

Through the Prophets, GOD promised a new covenant with Israel that would be different than the first (see Jer. 31:31-34).

This month’s lesson continues developing the theme of re-thinking Jesus’ church by examining the differences between the visible and invisible church. While the differences may seem obvious at first, realizing the implications of these differences and how people have conflated the two churches provides a powerful “Aha!” moment for us.

Let’s begin our analysis by visualizing the two covenants GOD made with Israel.

GOD’s Vision for Ancient Israel

At Mt. Sinai, GOD offered the physical children of Israel (Jacob) a covenant.

5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you shall be a special people to Me above all nations; for all the earth is Mine. 6 You shall be to Me a royal priesthood and a holy nation.’
(Ex. 19:5-6 OSB)

Here was GOD’s vision for Israel:

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Video thumbnail: Rethinking the Spiritual Creation, Rebellion and Judgment

Did you know that the Bible:

  • Actually affirms the existence of other "gods" besides Jehovah?
  • Describes the creation of spiritual beings during the Genesis creation account?
  • Explains how the spiritual rebellion unfolded, and that it wasn't a single event?
  • Gives significant insight into how the spiritual realm was/is governed?
  • Prophesies a great deal regarding the judgment of spiritual beings who rebelled against GOD?

It's time for us to rethink the spiritual creation, rebellion and judgment.

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Septuagint LXX video thumbnail

In early 2009, I began a personal Bible study regarding the practices of the early church.

At the time, I was inspired to begin this study by perceived differences between what I read in the New Testament and what I saw being practiced at the time—primarily in the church where I was meeting, but also on a broader scale.

I felt I wasn’t benefitting from our church assemblies at the time, so, from the pew, I began to use the sermon time for my private studies.

My initial focus was on what the Bible said about church meetings in the first century.

That topic didn’t take long to complete because the Bible says surprisingly little about the assemblies of the first Christians. (Download my findings here.)

At the time, I knew that there were extra-biblical Christian writings from the first few centuries. However, my focus was elsewhere, so I “filed away” a decision to return to this topic of early church practices when possible.

(The events of 2009 and Q1 2010—which I discussed in this e-book—led to our decision to begin hosting church meetings in our home.)

In 2011, I began reading the early Christian writings. I started by reading a copy of David Bercot’s fantastic book, Will the Real Heretics Please Stand Up—the top book I recommend besides the Bible—which discusses differences between modern common beliefs with the views of the first Christians.

I observed that Bercot studied from Philip Schaff’s Ante-Nicene Fathers series as the source for the early Christian writings, so I got a copy. (Here’s a link to vol 1 on Kindle to vol 1 on Kindle, but you can also read the series online starting here.)

In that first volume, I read the following quote from an early Christian called Justin Martyr around 160 A.D. (while speaking with an unbelieving Jew named Trypho):

But I am far from putting reliance in your teachers, who refuse to admit that the interpretation made by the seventy elders who were with Ptolemy [king] of the Egyptians is a correct one; and they attempt to frame another. And I wish you to observe, that they have altogether taken away many Scriptures from the translations effected by those seventy elders… For you assent to those which I have brought before your attention, except that you contradict the statement, ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive,’ and say it ought to be read, ‘Behold, the young woman shall conceive.’ And I promised to prove that the prophecy referred, not, as you were taught, to Hezekiah, but to this Christ of mine: and now I shall go to the proof.

Say what?!?!