Blessed hope
Intro
Titus 2
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Sauiour Iesus Christ,
What is the blessed hope talked about in Titus 2:13? Some baptists will go on about that this is the pre-trib rapture. One of them say that you are taking away his hope when you deny that the blessed hope is the pre-trib rapture.
The blessed hope is not the pre-trib rapture. Its the rapture.
1 Thess CHAP. IV.
Hee exhorteth them to goe on forward in all manner of godlinesse, 6 to liue holily and iustly, 9 to loue one another, 11 and quietly to followe their owne businesse: 13 and last of all to sorrow moderately for the dead. 17 And vnto this last exhortation is annexed a briefe description of the resurrection, and second comming of Christ to iudgement.
1 Thess 4
13 But I would not haue you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleepe, that ye sorrow not, euen as others which haue no hope.
14 For if we beleeue that Iesus died, and rose againe: euen so them also which sleepe in Iesus, will God bring with him.
15 For this we say vnto you by the word of the Lord, That we which are aliue and remaine vnto the comming of the Lord, shall not preuent them which are asleepe.
16 For the Lord himselfe shall descend from heauen with a shout, with the voyce of the Archangel, and with the trumpe of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
These people use the verses 1 Thess 4:13-16 to try to prove that its the per-tribulation rapture. But these verses talk about the post tribulation rapture.
Philippians CHAP. I.
3 He testifieth his thankefulnesse to God, and his loue toward them, for the fruits of their faith and fellowship, in his sufferings, 9 dayly praying to him for their increase in grace: 12 Hee sheweth what good the faith of Christ had receiued by his troubles at Rome, 21 and how ready he is to glorifie Christ either by his life or death, 27 exhorting them to vnitie, 28 and to fortitude in persecution.
Philippians 1
21 For to me to liue is Christ, and to die is gaine.