The most important concept for us to grasp in the present hour is that of serving Christ now with all diligence, remembering that an attempt will be made by unclean spirits to lead us away from genuine discipleship. Only the most dedicated of the believers will be able to survive the darkness that even now is coming upon us.

We always must be ready for Christ's coming. We are not of this world. It is time we Christians begin to demonstrate this fact.

"The Day of the Lord." Remembering that chapter divisions did not exist in the original Greek manuscripts, we understand that Paul still is speaking concerning the coming of the Lord (I Thessalonians 4:15), which is synonymous with the Day of the Lord, the Day of Christ.

Some teachers have attempted to present Paul's teaching in First Thessalonians as signifying a secret disappearing of all professing Christians several years before the coming of the Lord, the Day of the Lord.

There are numerous problems with this viewpoint. Three of them are as follows: (1) it does not fit with Christ's own discourse concerning His coming, as set forth in the twenty-fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew; (2) it suggests that Paul changed to another topic when he began Chapter Five of First Thessalonians (but there were no chapter divisions when Paul wrote this letter); and (3) it is not reasonable that God (or anyone else) would announce a "secret" coming with a shout of command, the voice of the archangel, and a trumpet. This certainly is questionable.

As far as we can observe, there is not one statement in either First or Second Thessalonians suggesting in any manner whatever that Paul is speaking of two separate comings divided by seven years or by three and one-half years. In fact, the flow of the discussion throughout both of the letters implies quite the contrary. One has to approach the texts with a preconceived "secret" in order for a special coming to be isolated from Paul's comments. The assuming of secrets within the body of the Epistles is not, of course, a proper approach to sound interpretation.

It may be noted in addition that Paul, in both letters to the church in Thessalonica, used the same Greek term (parousia ) whenever he spoke of Christ's "coming."

If we are correct in our knowledge, there is not one passage in the Old Testament or the New Testament that speaks of a disappearing of the Christian Church. Do you know of any verse that tells us the Church will disappear? Should we be believing and teaching that which is not set forth clearly in the written Word of God?

It is obvious there is no such teaching in either First or Second Thessalonians.

Perhaps we have been deceived and it is time now to repent.

From our point of view, the teaching of a special coming of the Lord prior to the scriptural Day of Christ, the Day of the Lord, has had an adverse effect on the believers in that they have not in numerous instances armed themselves to suffer in the flesh.

We must ask ourselves, What type of Christians have the current teachings produced? Are they walking in the Spirit? Do they possess the faith and determination to not look back in the Day of Christ? Are they living by the body and blood of Christ?

To be continued.