And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (Revelation 20:12)

Current Christian teaching concerning the consequences of the behavior of the believers in Christ is incorrect and dangerously misleading. It has destroyed the moral character of the members of the Christian churches The Scriptures cannot be changed without dreadful consequences.

The final judgment of every person, except those who attain (arrive at) the first resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:11), will take place at the second resurrection from the dead.

Where does salvation by faith in Christ fit into this picture? First of all, let us realize the early apostles did not preach faith in Christ as a means of escape from Hell when we die. Escape from Hell is not emphasized in their writings as the briefest of surveys will reveal. The wages of sin is not Hell but death.

The writings of the New Testament do not stress faith in Christ as an escape from Hell when we die. Rather, they present faith in Christ as the means of obtaining "eternal life". Eternal life always produces righteous behavior, and righteous behavior in Christ brings eternal life. It is the righteous behavior that Christ works in us that demonstrates our deliverance from the life and power of Hell. Even with this the tongue of some believers is "set on fire of hell" (Gehenna —James 3:6).

What kind of salvation did the early apostles preach? They preached salvation in the Day of the Lord, in the Day of Wrath, in the Day of God. They spoke very little of what happens to us when we die physically. The emphasis was on what will happen to us when Christ returns to earth.

When the apostles and teachers of the early Church preached salvation in the Day of Christ, they were referring to being preserved and blessed during two principal events:

During the work of judgment that will accompany the setting up of the Kingdom (which the apostles apparently thought would take place in their own day).

During the work of judgment that will take place at the end of the thousand-year period, at which time Christ will decide who will enter eternal life on the new earth and who will be banished from the Presence of the Creator and cast into the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, there to be tormented forever.

But doesn't Paul, In I Thessalonians, Chapter Four and I Corinthians, Chapter Fifteen appear to teach that all those who are part of Christ will be changed at His appearing and His Kingdom and then will be caught up to meet Him in the clouds?

Yes, that indeed is the teaching of Paul and that is what will occur.

To be continued.