LEE BRAINARD'S PRE-TRIB WORD GAMES

 (94) The Didache — Explosive Pretrib Information - YouTube

Lee Brainard continues his bogus claim that the early Church Fathers taught a pre-tribulation rapture. On this occasion Brainard's word games have extended to The Didache: The Lord's Teaching Through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations. The general consensus is that the Didache is an ancient document written during the first century AD.

The Didache. Chapter 16. Watchfulness; the Coming of the Lord. Watch for your life's sake. Let not your lamps be quenched, nor your loins unloosed; but be ready, for you know not the hour in which our Lord will come. But come together often, seeking the things which are befitting to your souls: for the whole time of your faith will not profit you, if you are not made perfect in the last time. For in the last days false prophets and corrupters shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall be turned into hate; for when lawlessness increases, they shall hate and persecute and betray one another, and then shall appear the world-deceiver as Son of God, and shall do signs and wonders, and the earth shall be delivered into his hands, and he shall do iniquitous things which have never yet come to pass since the beginning. Then shall the creation of men come into the fire of trial, and many shall be made to stumble and shall perish; but those who endure in their faith shall be saved from under the curse itself. And then shall appear the signs of the truth: first, the sign of an outspreading in heaven, then the sign of the sound of the trumpet. And third, the resurrection of the dead -- yet not of all, but as it is said: "The Lord shall come and all His saints with Him." Then shall the world see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven. 1 

Imminence

Brainard: "We have no idea whether we have days, months or even a few years left before the rapture". (6:00 mark) Brainard's statement that the rapture could occur within "days and months" is incorrect. Jesus Himself states that the rapture will occur when the tribulation is cut short. (Mathew 24:22). There is a very short window of time in which the rapture will occur after the sixth seal is broken following the tribulation, before the outpouring of God's wrath. (Revelation 6:12-17). 

But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. (Matthew 24:36).

Jesus' statement above follows His description of various preceding signs concerning the end of the age in Matthew 24:3-14. Jesus specifically states that the rapture (i.e. the gathering of the elect) will follow the tribulation. Although that specific day and hour is unknown, certain fearful events in the heavens will immediately precede it. This critical information demolishes the pre-trib concept of imminence i.e. the argument that no event must precede the rapture.

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:29-31).

Brainard's spurious claim that τελειόω (perfect) and doxazó (glory) are synonyms

Didache 16: But come together often, seeking the things which are befitting to your souls: for the whole time of your faith will not profit you, if you are not made perfect (τελειόω) in the last time.

Brainard: "In last days contexts, this verb (τελειόω (teleioó) is more or less equivalent to glorified, and it constitutes a reference to the rapture/resurrection." (6:30 mark) Brainard's so-called "legitimate paraphrase" is an absurd attempt to crowbar the rapture into this sentence. It makes no logical sense to say: "for the whole time of your faith will profit you nothing if you are not glorified in the rapture in the last time." In context, this sentence is an exhortation to meet together often and is relevant to "the whole time of your faith". 

The Greek word for glory is δοξάζω (doxazó) = To glorify, honor, bestow glory on. From doxa; to render glorious. 2

Christians are in the process of being made perfect (τετελείωκεν) during this lifetime i.e. they are being sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14). When the rapture occurs our bodies will be transformed to be like His glorious body i.e. into conformity with the body of His glory. (Philippians 3:21; 1 Corinthians 15:51 cf. 1 John 3:2). 

The Greek word for perfect is τελειόω =  To bring to an end, to complete, perfect

Usage: (a) as a course, a race, or the like: I complete, finish (b) as of time or prediction: I accomplish, (c) I make perfect; pass: I am perfected.

Cognate: 5048 teleióō – to consummate, reaching the end-stage, i.e. working through the entire process (stages) to reach the final phase (conclusion). See 5056 (telos). 3 

Examples of teleióō

I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly (τετελειωμένοι) one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. (John 17:23).

By this is love perfected (τετελείωται) with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. (1 John 4:7).

The scriptures are our primary source, not scraps of information mistranslated out of context from the scriptures, the Didache or any other early church document as is Brainard's habit. 

Brainard refers to Theodoret of Cyrus' commentary of Hebrews 11:40. (11:30 mark) 

Theodoret: "God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.. all of these therefore distinguished in godliness, shall be the first to enjoy the resurrection." 

..since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect (τελειῶθωσιν). (Hebrews 11:40). 

Paul confirms the unity and joint perfection (consummation) of Old Testament and New Testament saints at the event we know as the rapture. (1 Thessalonians 4:15). ..the dead in Christ will rise first. (1 Thessalonians 4:16). This information demolishes the pre-trib argument that the rapture of the OT saints will occur separately at Armageddon. 

Matthew Poole: "That they without us should not be made perfect; the final cause of this gracious providence was, that the former and later believers might be completed together; they shall not reach that perfect state of grace and glory by a re-union of their bodies and souls until the general resurrection, when they shall not prevent us, nor we them; but as soon as the trumpet alarms the dead to rise, in the same moment, and twinkling of an eye, shall the living be changed, and all be caught up together in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall be ever with the Lord, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. The ground of which perfection of all believers in all ages being in the last time, is from his choosing them all to be but one body of Christ, and him their Head; so as one member cannot be perfected but in the perfection of the whole, Matthew 8:11 Ephesians 4:4. In which perfection of it, God is resolved to be all in all; not in one, or in some, but when Christ hath subdued all his enemies, and gathered all his members, then shall his body and kingdom be perfected, and God be all in all, 1 Corinthians 15:28."  4 

Partial resurrection at the second coming?

Didache 16: "And third, the resurrection of the dead -- yet not of all." Brainard: "'Yet not of all' refers to the Old Testament saints and the tribulation martyrs that are going to be raised at the second coming. The church is already raised, and when the Lord returns at the second coming, the church is coming with Him." (11:40 mark) The correct (traditional) view is that the Old Testament saints will be resurrected along with the church at the rapture.

..in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:52).

Brainard also quotes Eusebius - Fragments in Luke, Migne, vol. 24, p. 561 and Origen - Contra Celsum, 4:29. In all three of these short excerpts from the Church Fathers, the pre-trib rapture is entirely absent. All three agree that "perfection" occurs simultaneously with the rapture at the end of the age. However, none of these Fathers use the word "glorification" as a synonym for "perfection". This spurious assertion is Brainard's own invention.

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. (James 3:1). 

Brainard claims that his mission is: "Truth, truth at any cost, truth above any other consideration." I do not regard Brainard merely as an abysmal bible expositor, although that is not in doubt. His teaching is blatantly at odds with the scriptures and equates to false prophecy! The scriptures specifically admonish us not to be deceived regarding end-time events. (Matthew 24:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:3). Brainard may have achieved some notoriety among naive believers within the pre-trib camp, however, he and his associates are in danger of reaping severe eternal consequences for the offensive pre-trib outrage. (Matthew 24:11).

 

1. Didache. The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles (translation Roberts-Donaldson). (earlychristianwritings.com)
2. Strong's Greek: 1392. δοξάζω (doxazó) -- 62 Occurrences (biblehub.com)
3. Strong's Greek: 5048. τελειόω (teleioó) -- to bring to an end, to complete, perfect (biblehub.com)
4. Hebrews 11 Matthew Poole's Commentary (biblehub.com)