If Jesus couldn't be trusted to keep his word while alive, how can so many trust him eons after his death?

Question

Matthew 16:27,28 --

* For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
* Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
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He told his followers that he would return before the end of many of their lifetimes. He did not; no return to earth, no judgement day, no rapture....nothing. Wouldn't this put the integrity of the centerpoint of Christianity at question, at the very least?

Answer 1

why is it that when something in the bible is wrote in clear language we are always told we dont understand or it means something else entirely-when it says the sky is blue that means the sky is blue-not red or green or something else altogether---just my thoughts-smile and enjoy the day

Answer 2

That is a great question. That passage has been misunderstood by many Christians and obviously as you pointed out it does not make sense. The passage is talking about Jesus' Ascension into Heaven where He is currently seated with His Father and the Angels in glory. Check out Acts 7:55-56, Philippians 2:5-11, Colossians 3:1. Jesus is reigning right now. Notice this would have been within the time of that generation. He does have a kingdom as well and that is the Church which came shortly after. How else would John say that he was a partaker in the kingdom if it had not come yet, Revelation 1:6,9. Check out also Hebrews 12:28. In that light, the passage from Matthew then makes perfect sense and fits in context of everything around it.

Answer 3

Friend, You do not have the correct interpretation of scriptures. Jesus was not talking about his literal return, How can he be talking about his literal return when he is still alive, First of all there was a man that was promised to see the Messiah before he died, & he did see Jesus, Now concerning verse 28 Jesus said that some shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. Do you know where the kingdom is at, It is in each & every True believer, So therefore There was many that was there that also saw the Kingdom of God coming down in the form of the Holy Ghost on the day of pentacost, that was only 50 days after Jesus was Risen from the dead. Without the Holy Ghost in a believers life, then they don't have the kingdom of God in them, but those that does have the Holy Ghost, also have the kingdom of God within them for the bible says the kingdom of God is within us.

Answer 4

Jesus DID "return before the end of many of their lifetimes." The problem is, you're assuming He was speaking of His Second Coming there. A careful examination of the Greek text proves He was not.

The word translated as "coming" at verse 28 is ἔρχομαι or "erchomai," which the Greek Lexicon defines as "to come from one place to another; to appear, make one's appearance, come before the public."

Contrast "erchomai" with the Greek word παρουσία, or "parousia," which the Greek Lexicon defines as "a presence; the coming, arrival, advent [return]." So while "erchomai" implies an initial (and arguably, temporary) presence, "parousia" implies a RETURN to a place where one has previously been. For example, "Parousia" is used at places such as Matthew 24:38-39:

38 "For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came [erchomai] and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming [parousia] of the Son of Man."

(It is this usage of the word "parousia" that proves this passage does NOT speak about the Rapture.)

So how can we defend Jesus' words here? Simple:

1) Matthew 17 records Jesus' "transfiguration," which was witnessed by Peter, James and John;

2) Acts 7:54-56 records Stephen's vision of "the glory of God" just before he was stoned to death for blasphemy;

3) Jesus was seen by hundreds of His disciples and the Apostles after His resurrection; during that time, He performed many miracles;

4) Jeusus appeared to the Apostle John on the Island of Patmos and gave him the Revelation.

Given these facts, I see no indication Jesus mislead anyone. The Apostles and disciples DID see Him in His earthly Kingdom (the body of believers) and in His glorified state. When Jesus next returns to His Kingdom, He will not leave again.

Answer 5

It is absolutely absurd and unfounded in scripture to define "death" in this context as anything but physical, mortal death. There is no basis whatesoever for interpretting it as Primoa does. None. Death means one thing and one thing only; the original scripture uses different words fro "seperation from Gos," "eternal damnation," etc. Death means death, and nothing else. Jesus said he would come back "quickly, as well. 2,000 years - in HUMAN terms - is not quickly. And Jesus was clearly, undeniably, speaking in human terms. Everything he said is consistant with him returining during the lives of thepeople present, and there is no indication (and the "no man shall no the hour" stuff included) that he did not intend a quick return.

Answer 6

No, Christ did not say that he will return before many of his followers and apostles are dead. its say in this verse that Christ will return and HE WILL RETURN but no one knows the time. These followers weren't tricked by Jesus. in verse 27, it says that he shall reward every man according to his works. these followers will be rewarded too.

besides Jesus Christ will come back when all hope is almost lost (Rapture). this will be after great tribulations where our belief and faith in Jesus will be tested most greatly. what we are living right now are merely small tests of our faith. when the time comes that our faith is tested to our limits then Christ will come.

However this coming does not mean rapture where we all go meet him. it can also be our daily lives being tested by Christ.
when we are tested and we overcome it, the angels will rejoice and Christ will reward us.

Answer 7

There are Roman, Greek, and Jewish debts touching on him for the duration of his lifetime. you're questioning why you at the prompt are not searching the writings of human beings that did not persist with him protected interior the Bible? a lot of his combatants even were in contact by ability of him. many human beings in authority had heard comments and wrote references to him. Are you assuming that the Bible is the in difficulty-free words historic source from that era? Even with out the writings you communicate with, there is better evidence (and extra debts) for Jesus than for any of the Greek philosophers. also, once you're saying "i imagine the earliest writings of Jesus are like 70 years after his lack of existence", you educate that you're both guessing, or you're repeating incorrect information. each and each and every of the books of the hot testomony were written interior of 40 years of the crucifixion, regardless of the actual undeniable reality that there is a mild probability the actual one of them (Revelation) changed into written many years later. no longer something interior the hot testomony changed into written 70 years or extra after the Crucifixion. Matthew changed into written interior of 5 years, and various different extra interior of many years of that.

Answer 8

There you misinterpret God's Holy scriptures again. Go and read chapter 17 about the transfiguration, then you will see the truth that you can not twist. John 14:6 Jesus said, " I am the way, the truth, and the life: No man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Answer 9

Not to get nit-picky, but if you recall he said his kingdom was not of this world. He was refering to his ressurection--which some of them did see.

(Now, I realize you don't buy that the ressurection occured and I'm not trying to convince you of anything--just answering the question). I'm not denying that there are difficult passages, and I don't have a pat answer for every one of them, but I think that was honestly what this was getting at here).

Answer 10

Maybe he overslept?

Why is it that Christians seem to know more about what Jesus said then Jesus? They are always putting words into his mouth he didn't say and interpreting things so that they fit?