Hello everyone, I have been led to believe in a pre-tribulational rapture. My Dad, however, doesnt and he says that the rapture doctrine was created in Scottland in the 1800s and the traditional Christian Church never supported the rapture doctrine. Is this true? Is there any support for a pre-tribulational rapture, or have I been mislead?

I was researching Mary Magdalene and have questions about what appear to be inconsistencies about the Resurrection. I know the 4 gospels were written to different audiences with different emphases, but some details aren’t the same book to book, and I’m hoping someone can explain these to me.

Who went to the tomb

Matthew “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary”

Mark “Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome”

Luke “The women who had come with him from Galilee... Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women”

John “Mary Magdalene”

What they saw at the tomb

Matthew “there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow”

Mark “they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side”

Luke “They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them.“

John She “saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.” Later, “she bent over to look into the tomb and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet.”

Who they told about the resurrection

Matthew “they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples”

Mark “they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid” (apparently the earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9–20!! which says Mary Magdalene “went out and told those who had been with him.”)

Luke “returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest”

John “she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved.” Later, “Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord;’ and she told them that he had said these things to her.”

Mary Magdalene seeing Jesus

Matthew “they left the tomb quickly...Suddenly, Jesus met them”

Mark Either she didn’t see Jesus if the chapter ends with verse 8 or “he appeared first to Mary Magdalene” if 9-20 are included

Luke She didn’t see Jesus

John “she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus...Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’”

Those are the ones that immediately jumped out at me. Any insight is appreciated!!

Here are the passages (New Revised Standard Version)

Matthew 28 1 After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” 8 So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Mark 16 1 When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. 9 Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. 11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.”

Luke 24 1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in, they did not find the body. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. 5 The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. 6 Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” 8 Then they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.

John 20 1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples returned to their homes. 11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

So my mom is a devout Baptist as well as her side of the family. I'm a non-denominational christain, I've been figuring out where to apply to college. And I found one that I really like and it checks all the boxes. The only thing is that it is an Adventist university. How should I discuss this with my mom.

So I’m a non-denominational Christian and I’m open minded on that front, I’m pursuing a career in character animation and I want to go to college it turned out that the nearest college that offered that was a Seventh Day Adventist university. My biggest concern is my mom who is a devout Baptist as well as her side of the family. I’m just concerned how she would feel about me attending an Adventist institution. Any advice for how I could discuss this with her.

Firstly, I'm not Christian or religious but do believe in a higher power. That said, I interviewed my Christian friend with the hopes of delving into right-wing beliefs and have a debate. The conversation instead took a religious turn and he talked to be about his faith, him slowly transitioning from Catholic to Christian, how prayer helped his friend with ASL and other religious topics. I learned a lot and would totally like to share our interview on the Them, That and This podcast. Maybe you can can give your opinions and we can further the discussion.

God said he’d never create a disaster and destroy the eart again like the plugs and flood with Noah right? I keep hearing about getting to the end of days the end of the Bible what does that mean. And should we be afraid of the end? Cause I can’t help but feel afraid. I’m a firm believe I just need guidance and more education

So the funniest thing happened this morning. A God thing in my opinion.

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I went downstairs because breakfast starts at 6 in this hotel. I didn't see a spread, so I asked the baristo (what's male for Barista?) and he said only for those who paid with their reservation. I'm not on the list. No worries, I start to text my wife that breakfast won't be free and look at the menu.

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Mike (the fake name I'm going to give this Baristo) proceeds to say he wants to put a smile on someone's face so mine is free. (There's no one else around.) I know I have resting "tired German" face (thanks, ancestors) but I wasn't the least bit disappointed inside because mentally I don't mind paying for breakfast. I tell him I've got money and yet he insists. Ok, fine, I appreciate it. He says again he just wants to make someone happy. I pull out my military ID and tell him that this makes me happy. He says thanks for your service, I say thanks for believing in freedom or I wouldn't have a job, etc. Trying to be humble while showing him I can pay but it's not working. He walks off, and so I look at the menu, still expecting to pay for my meal even if the tea is free.

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While he's gone, God gently reminds me, "I thought I made you happy." "Yes, God," I respond, "you're right, I should've mentioned that first, I'll talk to him when he comes back, he might not be saved."

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So he comes back and I tell him that I should've said first that Jesus makes me happy. He responds in kind and acknowledges that he is saved, too. We strike up a conversation. He's been through drug addiction, but God brought him out of it. I'm studying it in college. I mention that I do jail work on this topic, from a Christian perspective, and he tells me about his past drug addiction. I bring up a story about my own past (again, no one is around). I lost my family to sex addiction, but God didn't abandon me.

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We talk while I eat, and I'm almost done. Mike insists that he pray for me for my journey (I didn't tell him I'm from Florida, not Texas, but I guess maybe the military ID implied that), so he comes over and, hand in hand, we pray, him leading. I tell him about the project I'm currently working on (samples of Roland System-1 pads for churches that want a cheap and capable synthesizer) and I give him my info. I tell him I'm from Florida, but he can reach out to me any time.

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I walk away and God gently reminds me, "see, I told you I have people everywhere." Thanks, God, I was worried about paying for breakfast because I'm on a budget and You provided.

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I'll keep this in my mind next time things don't go so well for me.

Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 1 Peter:1:16

Hey! Would like some potential advice believe on this difficult topic, if you please.

Bit of background - me and my partner met on Christian Connection and lived long distance. We made it work, and we got engaged last year and get married in a few months time. She has since moved here(about a month ago) and currently lives in our future house. I go round for dinner every day and generally stay on a Saturday and some Fridays(dependent on whether my youth group is on or not). She’s being really struggling with the weekends as her new job isn’t her most favourite thing right now and she has no friends as of yet, Sunday’s is the hardest as the anxiety builds up.

I’ve generally been trying to keep the staying over limited to two nights as a maximum but she has asked if I can always stay Sunday’s as these are the hardest, so some weekends could be three nights if I stay from Friday. For reference, I still live about an hour away from our new house.

Obviously the bible doesn’t give time periods or a very specific definition of what ‘living together’ can be classified as so I’m unsure as to whether this extra night makes a difference or the approach I should take to it. I’d really like some bible-focused advice if possible as I seek to do right by my future wife both presently and for the future.

Hello everyone, Although I have been convinced of my faith for years now, I hadn't found a church I have felt connected to, or a denomination. Recently, I have found a baptist church through friends that I feel really comfortable and homely in, and since I have been going I feel God has given me signs of his blessing for my attending this church. I also, having done much research, have found that my personal beliefs line up with those of the baptist church. (Although I don't think other churches are 'wrong' I think God calls us to each to what is right for us and our relationship with Him :) ) Now coming to the point of baptism, I am not baptized but have wanted to be once I found a church 'home'. I have not spoken to the minister about this because I'm not only unsure how to bring this up, but just generally don't understand how the process works. Can you guys help me? Also, just for those who have been baptized, how was it? Did you feel any different after, either immediately or later? Thanks for your help!

• Infant baptism in not mentioned in scripture. The household baptisms do not mention infants being baptized, but instead say that they believed (Acts 18:8, Acts 16:15, Acts 16:32-34). Can infants believe?

• Those in the Bible who we see being baptized are all baptized after hearing and publicly professing belief in the gospel. Water Baptism is identifying with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, and Colossians 2:12 says that those who are baptized are "risen with him through the faith of the operation of God".

• If baptism replaces circumcision as a covenant sign then why would females receive the covenant sign now if they didn't with circumcision? But baptizing females is biblical (Acts 16:15).

• Baptism is not described as a replacement of circumcision in scripture. If it were so then the brethren at the Council at Jerusalem failed to tell the Gentiles that they did not need to circumcise because "circumcision was now replaced by baptism". In Galatians Paul would had told them that circumcision was unnecessary because it had been replaced with baptism, and this would had ended the discussion very quickly. Also, why does Paul relate circumcision to keeping the law (Gal 5:3), if it was a sign of righteousness by faith (not by works)?

1. History of the Evangelical Churches of the Valleys of Piemont, by Sir Samuel Morland, 1658;
2. The Ecclesiastical History of the Ancient Churches of Piedmont, and of the Albigenses, by Dr. Peter Allix, 1690-1692 (two volumes)
3. History and Theology of the Ancient Vallenses and Albigenses, by Dr. George S. Faber;
4. Excursion to the Mountains of Piemont, by William S. Gilly.
5. The Waldenses: Sketches of the Evangelical Christians of the Mountains of Piedmont, by A. W. Mitchell;
6. History of the Waldenses, by J. A. Wylie.
7. Pierre and His Family, author not given, reprint by the Primitive Baptist Library of Elon College, NC;
8. History of the Crusades Against the Albigenses, by Simonde de Sismondi.
9. History of the Vaudois Church, by Antoine Monastier.
10. Histoire generale des eglises evangeliques de Piemont ou vaudoises (in French), by Jean Leger, 1669 (1980 Italian reprint, in the French language.) (two volumes).
11. The Bibliografia Valdese, containing 3,500 titles, available from Societa di Studi Valdesi, Via Roberto D'Azeglio 2, 10066 Torre Pellice, Italy.
12. Claudiana Editrice, Via Principe Tommaso 1, 10125 Torino, Italy, has published a catalog of 500 titles in different languages on the Waldensians.
13. Histoire des persecutions et guerres faites depuis l'an 1555 jusques en l'an 1561 contre le peuple appele Vaudois.
14. Histoire memorable de la guerre faite par le Duc de Savoye Emanuel Philebert contre ses subjects des Vallees, 1561.
15. The Glorious Recovery by the Vaudois of Their Valleys, by Henri Arnaud, 1690, with a compendious history of that people previous and subsequent to that event by Hugh Dyke Acland, 1827 (microfilm).
16. The Waldenses, or Protestant Valleys of Piedmont and Dauphiny, by William Beattie, 1836 (microfilm).