You talk like a partial preterist. At one point you said you were "leaning preterist," and that that point I said you had already "fallen," but you never answered that. All I can go by is what you write here. I do know that you don't believe in literal interpretation.
You have opposed my interpretations on this thread, anyway, so that means you are at a minimum a fellow traveler of the preterists.
Well, the thread's almost done and I haven't gotten to parousia in the general epistles yet.
Jas 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Jas 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
James would not be saying "unto the presence of the Lord," since we have the Holy Spirit within us. He is talking about the 2nd Coming in both of these verses. As for the "draweth nigh," I know someone's going to complain about that. I have no problem with it. But before someone says, "See, he meant AD 70," that was still many years away, so that won't work.
This is quite obviously the incarnation and transfiguration. It is not about the second coming since the verbs
2Pe 3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation.
This is a general statement about an event, not about a presence. It can't mean "presence," since Peter knew he had the presence of Christ with him through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Though not mentioning Christ, this refers to the end times, in particular when Christ will create the new heavens and the new earth. That is not a presence, but an event.
1Jo 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
Since this speaks of Christ's appearing, then the parousia in this verse is parallel to it and has to mean an event, the 2nd Coming.
In case I don't get back to this thread, here's a hint to the preterists. There's a reference in Josephus that seems to mean an appearance by Yahweh, using the word parousia. Ready, Set, Go! ;)
Do you ever find Christians more concerned about the technical details of prophecy, more concerned about speculation as to the time of Christ's return than about soul-winning?
John R Rice.
I enjoy this "debating". I know it may tick you off or what ever, but it has gotten me deeper in the bible then Ive sadly been in a while.
This is a classic quote by him--pure John R. Rice. I spoke yesterday in our college chapel. The VP, Dr. Jim, had asked me to speak about my Granddad, so I reminisced. So many great memories growing up in the "Rice Clan." We lived with revival principles all the time.
That must be an amazing thing to actually remember him...I was watching some old B/W video of him preaching, I never even heard of him ( I probably have but didn't know it) before I came here.
Apply it to yourself. You have not provided one quark of PROOF that the events you SAY have already happened, HAVE already happened! Jesus' parousia is still to come.