Life Line September 12, 2005 Volume 2: Issue 3


Dear Reader:

Two weeks ago our brothers and sisters in Christ living along the gulf coast in Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi were dealt a devastating blow in the form of hurricane Katrina. Many people lost their homes, places of worship, friends and family to this deadly storm. Please keep all of those affected by this disaster in your prayers and support organizations like IOCC who assist these people in their greatest hour of need. Thank you again for your continued interest in this newsletter. We have enjoyed your feedback and hope that it has proven to be a valuable resource. As always, we invite you to continue sharing your questions or comments on any issue facing us as Orthodox Christians by e-mailing: info@light-n-life.com. 

Sincerely in Christ,
The Staff at Light & Life Publishing

 


By Anthony M. Coniaris
       As I was driving one day I encountered a bumper sticker admonishing me: “WARNING!  In the event of Rapture, this car will be driverless.”
       The strange belief in the Rapture teaches that some day (sooner rather than later), without warning, born-again Christians will begin to float up from the freeway, abandoned vehicles careening wildly.  There will be airliners in the sky suddenly with no one at the controls!  Presumably, God is removing these favored ones from earth to spare them the tribulation of the Anti-Christ which the rest of us will have to endure.
       Unfortunately the Rapture has been promoted widely by the Left Behind series of books that have sold over 70 million copies.
       The Rapture represents a radical misinterpretation of Scripture.  I remember watching “Sixty Minutes”a year ago and was appalled to hear the announcer say that “the Rapture is an unmistakenly Christian doctrine”.  It is not!
       It is a serious distortion of Scripture.  It is astonishing that a belief so contrary to Scripture and the tradition of the Church could be propagated by so-called “Christians”.
       According to the Bible and according to the belief not only of Orthodox Christians but also of the Roman Catholic and most Protestant mainline churches, the true Rapture will not be secret; it will be the great and very visible Second Coming of Jesus at the end of the world.  That is the one and only “Rapture”.  It will not be a separate, secret event but one that every eye shall see (1 Thess. 4:16-17).
       The word rapture is not found in Scripture but hearkens to 1 Thess. 4:17 where St. Paul says that when the Lord comes again “we who are alive…shall be caught up…in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”  This “being caught up…in the clouds”—arpagisometha in Greek, is translated by some as “raptured”.  The word itself is not found in Orthodox theology.
       The notion of a rapture in which Christ comes unseen to take believers away secretly, and only later comes back again for everyone else publicly—this whole teaching is quite novel.  It was almost unheard of until John Nelson Darby formulated it in the 1800s as part of a new approach to the Bible, sometimes called “dispensationalism”.
       The purpose of the “Rapture” is to protect the elect from the tribulations of the end times.  Yet Jesus said nothing about sparing anyone from tribulation.  In fact, He said, “In the world you have tribulation, but be of good cheer.  I have overcome the world.”  Nowhere did Jesus ever say that He would return secretly to rapture the elect.  Rather, He promised to be with His elect in all tribulations.  “Lo, I am with you always.  I will never leave you or forsake you.”  He even had something good to say about being persecuted: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:10). 
       Those who espouse the Rapture claim that Matthew 24:40-41 refers clearly to the rapture of the just, “Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.  Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”  The entire passage, however, refers to Christ’s second coming where He will judge the living and the dead and separate the just from the unjust.
       Darby taught as dogma that when the Scriptures reveal that the Lord will reign on earth for a thousand years (Rev. 20:4), this figure is to be taken literally, rather than as a symbol for eternity as we believe.  The Council of Ephesus in A.D. 431 condemned as heresy this teaching which is called chialiasmos (millenianism or 1000 years).  In fact, the Seven Ecumenical Councils (325-787 A.D.) in which the essential truths of the Christian faith were defined never mention a rapture.  Yet evangelical Christians and Pentecostals keep using obscure passages of the book of Revelation which purport to give a detailed timetable of what will happen at the end of the world, despite the fact that Jesus Himself warned that no man knows either the day or the hour when the Son of Man shall return.
       A major problem with the Rapture is that it ends up teaching not two but three comings of Jesus—first His birth in Bethlehem; second, His secret coming to snatch away (rapture) the “born-again”; and third, His coming at the end of the world to judge the living and the dead and to reign in glory.  Yet only two not three comings of Christ are mentioned in the Bible.  We have the clearest definition of this in the Nicene Creed when we confess that “the Lord Jesus Christ…will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.  His Kingdom will have no end….  I expect the resurrection of the dead.  And the life of the ages to come.”  There is no mention of a “Rapture”.
       As already stated, most Christians, Orthodox, Roman Catholics and Protestants do not believe in the Rapture.  In fact, one Protestant pastor, John L. Bray, summarized magnificently what we Orthodox and most other Christians believe about the Rapture when he wrote these remarkable words, 

       Though many believe and teach this “Pre-Tribulation Rapture” theory, they erroneously do so, because neither Jesus, Paul, Peter, John, nor any of the other writers of the Bible taught this.  Nor did the early church fathers, nor any others for many hundreds of years….  Did you know that NONE of this was ever taught prior to 1812, and that all forms of Pre-Tribulation Rapture teaching were developed since that date? ….  If I were to preach something, or believe something, supposedly from the Bible, but cannot find that ANYONE ELSE before 1812 ever believed it or taught it, I would seriously question that it is based on the Bible.

       Thus the Rapture is foreign to the Bible and to the living tradition of the Church.  It is what we call a heresy, a false teaching.  False teachings, such as this, happen when people—like John Darby—believe that they have the right to interpret the Scriptures individually apart from the Living Body of Christ—the Church—where the Spirit of Truth abides and leads us to all truth.
       I can think of no better words to conclude than those of Jesus when He speaks of the one and only “Rapture”, the Second Coming: “Be on guard.  Be alert!  You do not know when that time will come…keep watch…if he comes suddenly, do not let Him find you sleeping.  What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch!”  (Mark 13:32-37).


The Orthodox Church:  455 Questions and Answers
by Stanley S. Harakas

Recommended by: 
Georgi Speliopoulos
       The front cover, which aptly describes the book, calls it  “A concise and comprehensive handbook on the Orthodox Faith thoroughly indexed for easy reference.”  In alphabetical order, by topic, you will find answers to many commonly asked questions about the Orthodox faith.  The questions come from the readers of the Hellenic Chronicle (Religious Question Box)—the largest paid-circulation Greek-American newspaper in the United States.  The topics range from the spiritual to the mundane; the answers range in length from one sentence to several pages. 
       This book is perfect for all levels, ranging from the non-Orthodox who might be curious to explore the faith, to those Orthodox Christians seeking a deeper understanding of our doctrine.  Take, for example, Fr. Harakas’ response to the question of Evolution.  He explains that we accept a position called “Theistic Evolution” and that most Orthodox theologians do not find problems with the general idea of “development” of our physical forms.  For those wanting to know more, Fr. Harakas outlines how to obtain an extended position from Holy Cross Seminary. 
       This book might be especially helpful for Orthodox Christians uniquely positioned to teach/share the faith with others.  Be careful, though.  What you think might be a two-minute reference of a specific question might turn into two hours, as you explore the wealth of information Fr. Harakas provides about the Orthodox faith.


Intelligent Design: The Bridge Between Science and Theology
by William A. Dembski

Recommended by: 
Alex Goodwin

       No greater example of the overt secularization of our society can be found than on the topic of the origins of humankind. For years the bellowed mantra of the academic and scientific communities has been strict Darwinism. So persistently has this view been propagated, that to even question it would level accusations of scientific heresy. 
       Proponents of Darwinism dismiss alternatives on the grounds that they are either mere theory, or that they are religious mythology (the ultimate scientific blasphemy). They scream for existential proofs with catchy quips like “show me the science,” or “where’s the data.” What they fail to mention is that Darwinian evolution is as much a theory as its alternatives, lacking the same hard data and only supported by observational probabilities and its convenient reliance on the tangible and the random. Where is the data indeed?
       William A. Dembski’s book, Intelligent Design attempts to level the playing field by comparing the “theory” of Darwinian evolution with that of intelligent design. He employs science, mathematics, rational philosophy and faith to examine both theories. He paints a picture of a universe that is full of harmony and order. He argues successfully that the observational probabilities that Darwinists hold so dear, don’t point to chance assemblies of matter but rather to a designer. 
       Though far from being a light read, Intelligent Design is written, with the exception of a few chapters, to be accessible to a wide audience. A doctorate in mathematics or philosophy is not required to read this book. Readers, in fact, should appreciate that the arguments posed are not over-simplified or “dumbed-down”, but rather they are thorough, complete and soundly based.
       Will the mystery of our beginnings ever been fully known? That is up to God. But at least in Dembski’s universe there is a God with whom such answers reside. This book will engender questions in all who read it and will provide a new way of looking at the universe, a universe that has room for both God and science.   



Copyright © 2005 Light & Life Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of these articles may be reproduced by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without written permission of Light & Life Publishing.
Dear Light & life,

       What effect does our prayers for the dead have?

Atlanta, GA.

       The Orthodox Church, from biblical times, has offered prayers for the dead. They are offered on the basis of the fact that the Church is one, but found both on earth (the Church Militant) and in heaven (the Church Triumphant). Since as members of the Church we are obligated to pray for each other, there is no reason why we may not pray for the dead. However, it is another issue as to the actual consequences of our prayers for the dead. For you see, the Church also teaches that all which we do for salvation must be done in this life. According to church teaching there is no movement from damnation to salvation in the life to come, nor is there a continuation of spiritual development.
       Then what effect can our prayers have for the dead? We have only the response that somehow they help providing comfort and assistance. We do not know precisely the nature of that assistance, but we trust the mercy of God, that He will hear our prayer for our beloved dead. But this is not so unusual. Even as we pray for things in this life, we never know in advance just what kind of answers our prayers will receive. Our prayers do not produce predictably automatic results. It is the same with our prayers for the dead. Needless to say, our prayers for the dead also have an impact on us; they remind us of those who have gone on; we come into communion with the Church Triumphant; and, not insignificantly, we are reminded of our own eventual death and our responsibility to prepare for it and to be ready for it.

- Stanley S. Harakas
taken from, The Orthodox Church:
455 Questions and Answers 

Send us a question at:
Light & Life Publishing
c/o Questions & Answers
4808 Park Glen Road
Minneapolis, MN. 55416
info@light-n-life.com