Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.You will recognize them by their fruits (Matthew 7/15-16)
South African "pastor" Joseph Mhlakela's false prophecy that the rapture would occur on September 23-24, 2025, on Rosh Hashanah, went viral on social media platforms, gaining 560,000 views. This nonsense was echoed by many other false prophets. Mhlakela now proclaims that the rapture will occur on October 6-7. Mark and avoid this false prophet. (Romans 16:17-18).
And the LORD said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds. (Jeremiah 14:14).
But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Matthew 24:36-44).
The aim of this post is to examine Charlie Kirk's faith and to compare some of his attitudes and beliefs to those found in the Bible. This post does not concern the conspiracy theories surrounding Kirk's murder.
Kirk was a "professing Christian", i.e., he claimed to be a Christian, he proclaimed the gospel accurately on a number of occasions, and he was generally considered to be a champion of biblical values. Many naive people assumed that Kirk was an authentic Christian. However, there were significant issues contained within Kirk's theology that were incompatible with his profession.
Ecumenism
The essential criterion that marks out a true believer is that he/she keep God's word. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. (John 14:15 cf. John 14:23-24; 1 John 5:3,2:3-5,3:22-24; 2 John 1:6; John 15:10,14. Matthew 7:21 etc.)
Kirk attended Dream City Church in Phoenix, Arizona, where he worshiped and hosted political rallies. Dream City Church (formerly Phoenix First Assembly of God) is a multi-site Pentecostal megachurch affiliated with the Assemblies of God USA.
Kirk also occasionally attended Mass at St. Bernadette Catholic Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, and openly acknowledged that he was ecumenical. He spoke about his respect for Roman Catholicism and the possibility of his conversion. In an interview reported by Crisis Magazine, he said: “Some of my greatest friends in the world are Catholic…I go to Catholic Mass every once in a while. I don’t take the Eucharist…but I’m open-minded, but I’m not there yet.”1
In an interview with Church Militant, Kirk said, "The world is a better place because of the Catholic Church, and that needs to be said more. He went on to express that he has 'so much respect for the Catholic Tradition and Church.'" 1
Kirk was, in fact, steeped in Roman Catholicism. Kirk's wife, Erica, was raised a Roman Catholic and attended Notre Dame Preparatory, a private Catholic high school in Scottsdale, Arizona. She is a practicing Roman Catholic, and it is reported that she attends Mass daily.2
Online pictures show the Kirks visiting the National Basilica in Washington, D.C., along with photos of Charlie Kirk attending Mass. Erika raised a rosary to onlookers as her husband's body was transported home.3 On a recent episode of his podcast, Kirk spoke about the "Blessed Mother" and mentioned how he was close to Father Don Kline, pastor of St. Bernadette Catholic Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, and how his wife was baptized Catholic.
EWTN: "During a July 16 episode of 'The Charlie Kirk Show' on “Real America’s Voice,” Kirk explained that he believes Protestants do not venerate or talk about Mary enough. He said she “is the solution” to “toxic feminism in America.”
“Mary was clearly important to early Christians,” Kirk said. “Have more young ladies be pious, be reverent, be full of faith, slow to anger, slow to words at times. Mary is a phenomenal example, and I think a counter to so much of the toxicity of feminism in the modern era.”4
Many evangelicals voiced concerns that these remarks were tantamount to a slide toward Roman Catholic tradition.While bible believing Christians respect Mary, she is not the answer to toxic feminism or anything else. To cross the line into the kind of "veneration" that verges on Mariolatry is sinful. In my view, Kirk blurred the lines, or was in the process of blurring the lines, between true biblical Christianity and its antithesis, Roman Catholic tradition. (2 Corinthians 11:4). In essence, ecumenism is a violation of the first commandment to prioritize God above all else. You shall have no other Gods before me. (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7; Matthew 22:36-38 cf. 2 Corinthians 11:14).
In a recent statement, Kirk's pastor at Turning Point USA, Rob McCoy, said, "Many Protestants, mainly Baptists and evangelicals, do not believe Catholics are Christians. If we are to learn anything from Charlie, it's to know Charlie did not believe this. Even though we have no evidence to show Charlie was on his way to the CC, Charlie very well believed practicing Catholics were Christians. And my encouragement to Baptists and evangelicals alike is to take this position as well."5
Mormons
Kirk: 'I love how Mormons send missionaries around the world, I love how polite they are.. Half my team is Mormon.. Mormons are great people.. I'm an evangelical Christian, but I'm not one of those guys that hates on Mormons.. We need a strong Mormon church back in this country.."6
Kirk claimed that he did not endorse Mormonism. However, he actively sought to get Mormons on board with his political agenda. The fact that Mormons send missionaries around the world indicates that they are spreading a false gospel. Why would the US "need a strong Mormon church" spreading a different gospel? (2 Corinthians 11:4).
New Apostolic Reformation > Dominion Theology
Kirk was involved with the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), an aberrant movement that seeks to influence society through Dominionist Theology. Kirk made public statements promoting the NAR agenda, particularly the "seven mountain mandate," at events such as the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). Kirk collaborated with prominent leaders within the NAR, such as Lance Wallnau, and he participated in the strategy to turn religious congregations into active participants in political campaigns, especially for candidates aligned with the "America First" agenda.7
"Right Wing Watch reported last week that Kirk had endorsed California congressional candidate Sean Feucht, a worship leader at Bethel megachurch and a favorite of dominionist 'apostles' and 'prophets.' It turns out that endorsement was the tip of the iceberg of Kirk’s partnership with a group of California-based pastors connected to Christian nationalist political operative David Lane."
The implications of Kirk's association with NAR leaders raises the critical issue of ecclesiastic separation of church and state. When dominionists conflate the kingdom of God and earthly power, they compromise the gospel. Jesus made a critical distinction between the kingdom of God and earthly dominion. Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” (John 18:36).
For Kirk, MAGA (Make America Great Again), and the goal of winning/maintaining political power over the Democrats took precedence over the command of biblical separation. The biblical mandate for believers to separate themselves from sin and worldly influences and to maintain holiness was entirely absent from Kirk's theology. (2 Corinthians 6:17; Romans 12:2; 1 John 1:6-7; Galatians 5:16; Ephesians 5:11).
Shabbat
Kirk strictly observed the Jewish Sabbath, Shabbat. In an interview, he recommended that Christians follow Shabbat, and he was due to publish a book on the subject, 'Stop, in the Name of God: Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Change Your Life', which is now scheduled to be published posthumously in December.
Kirk's teaching and book on this subject will undoubtedly influence Bible believers to observe Shabbat. However, the New Testament does not require believers to observe Shabbat or any Jewish Festival. Shabbat observance was a specific commandment to the Israelites, not to Gentiles.
The Israelites must keep the Sabbath, celebrating it as a permanent covenant for the generations to come. It is a sign between Me and the Israelites forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.(Exodus 31:16-17).
Within Orthodox Judaism, any Gentile who observes Shabbat must be circumcised or be put to death. Circumcision was a practice that Paul vehemently opposed in New Testament churches. (Galatians 5:2).
"Rabbi Yose bar Hanina said: A gentile who keeps Shabbat before [i.e. without] accepting circumcision is liable for death. Why? Because they [gentiles] were not commanded in it. And why did you see fit to say that a gentile who keeps Shabbat is liable for death? R. Hiyya bar Abba said R. Yohanan said: in the normal way of the world, if a king and matron sit and converse with one another, one who comes and inserts himself between them – is he not liable for death? Similarly this Shabbat between Israel and the Holy One blessed be He, as it is said “between me and the Israelites [it is an eternal sign]” (Exod. 31:17). Therefore, any gentile who comes and inserts himself between them before accepting upon himself to be circumcised is liable for death."8
Kirk did not claim that it is obligatory to observe Shabbat. However, he extolled the benefits of doing so, and he presented persuasive arguments in favour of the practice. Paul is clear; if we want to observe days and years, then we are free to do so. However, we should not seek to influence others, and we should keep such matters between ourselves and God. Christians are not obliged to submit to Old Testament practices to gain particular blessings. Gentile believers alreadyhave every blessing in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3).
Interestingly, nine of the original ten commandments given in Exodus 20 are referenced in the New Testament. However, the fourth commandment regarding the Sabbath is not mentioned as a statute that Christians are obliged to keep. This is becauseJesus embodies the true rest and fulfillment of the Sabbath. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. (Hebrews 4:9-10).
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain. (Galatians 4:8-10).
Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. (Colossians 2:16-17).
One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. (Romans 14:5-9).
The black community > divisive rhetoric
Although it is vociferously denied that Kirk was a racist by his supporters, there are clear examples that corroborate this allegation and confirm his damaging, racist remarks against black people.
Kirk frequently cast doubt on the qualifications of black professionals.. In 2024, he said, “If I see a black pilot, I’m gonna be like, boy, I hope he’s qualified.”
On one occasion, he referred to “a moronic black woman” in customer service and questioned whether she was hired “because of her excellence, or … because of affirmative action.” Kirk attacked civil rights leader Martin Luther King: “Clarence Thomas was a far better black role model to celebrate than Martin Luther King. Period. End of story. This guy is not worthy of a national holiday.” At Turning Point USA’s America Fest in 2023, Kirk said, "MLK was awful. We made a huge mistake when we passed the Civil Rights Act in the 1960s."
Kirk referred to journalist Joy Reid, former First Lady Michelle Obama, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as “affirmative action picks", and he claimed they did not “have the brain processing power to otherwise be taken really seriously.”9 Kirk blamed a Black fire chief in Austin, Texas, for flooding deaths that occurred a three-hour drive away from the city.10
Kirk denounced Juneteenth as a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery. Kirk: “Juneteenth should not be a federal holiday.. This holiday is not about celebrating emancipation, regardless of the veneer they put on it.”10
These remarks make sense when the roots and history of the NAR and its ties to Brahnamism, British Israelism, and the Ku Klux Klan are understood.
Collins: "William Branham's mentor was Roy E Davis.. the second in command of the 1915 KKK. Branham was working with not only Roy E Davis.. Davis was working with Caleb Ridley, who was the Klan's Supreme Religious Chaplain, and they were trying to establish, it was a short lived organization called the Supreme Kingdom, but they were trying to establish what today, you could almost say it was the prototype for today's Dominionism.They were trying to invade the government, the education system, the media, the entertainment industry.. Davis rose up to be the next Imperial Wizard of the Klan.. he is promoting Branham.." (40 minute mark)11
Appeasement to the Christian Right
This is not the time to capitulate under pressure from the powerful Christian right. Some surprising people have voiced their approval for Kirk.
If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses? And if in a safe land you are so trusting, what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan? (Jeremiah 12:5).
Below is a selection of viewer comments demonstrating that Good Fight's viewers have more courage and discernment than they do!
* I find this surprising to warn against his heresies that are so destructive. Can yall not see the eucumenical push to come from his death? I am very surprised yall hid the truth during such an important time. Its wild that this is a positive review of charlie and unlisting the video that pointed out the heresies he teaches that will lead many astray... Do yall not understand that many people are googling him and watching his stuff now and will fall into the seven mountain mandate?? Why not allow people to see the truth?
* Good fight: how devastating that you have deleted your vid confronting Charlie on his FALSE TEACHING about Co- redeemer Mary!!!!
How can we possibly TRUST YOU if you crumble under the pressure of Kirk suddenly becoming godhood in his martyrdom!!!
This new vid on Kirk is a GLOWING REPORT OF HOW GREAT HE IS!!!! it's DISAPPOINTING Seriously I'm so SURPRISED!!!
* Unsubscribed. I was very suspicious of you guys to begin with but now it’s confirmed. You do all of these videos on Freemasons yet you can’t see that Charlie Kirk is a Freemason and this was a club event to push propaganda and divide us further? Candace Owens said she’s a mason and one of her recent videos. She comes out and says it. They are all in the club. Maybe you are too.
Michael Grant is currently vacillating on the issue of Kirk's alleged faith. As a result, I have unsubscribed from his YouTube channel. The Faith of Charlie Kirk (1993-2025)
Many evangelicals promote the idea of eternal security, also known as "once saved, always saved" (OSAS). However, it is critical to note that OSAS is unbiblical. In fact, the concept of unconditional eternal security was not introduced until the Reformation in the sixteenth century, approximately 1,500 years after the formation of the church. The Calvinist doctrine of "the perseverance of the saints", the P in TULIP, is a key teaching connected to what Calvin described as "the horrible decree", i.e., the doctrine of double predestination. John Calvin (1509-1564) argued that salvation is unconditional and that believers are assured of their eternal salvation.1Woods' version of OSAS, "the preservation of the saints", is a modification of Calvinism. However, OSAS was never taught in any form until the Reformation.
The teaching that faith plus works done in faith is the biblical model for believers following initial salvation. The false doctrine of "works salvation" is not contradicted by this teaching. Believers are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. However, the scriptures indicate a process of continuing in faith following conversion.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10).
The following scriptures collectively emphasize the importance of remaining steadfast in faith and obedience to God. They confirm that salvation is not simply a one-off event, but that it is a continual process involving the active commitment of believers to walk by faith: Matthew 7:21-23; 2 Peter 2:20-22; Ezekiel 18:24; Hebrews 6:4-6; Revelation 3:5. Verses like Jude 1:24, John 3:16,10:27. Ephesians 4:30 and Romans 8:38-39 do not negate personal responsibility of believers to walk by faith. The command to "make disciples" is often neglected due to this dangerous teaching. (Matthew 28:19). The result is that many believers' salvation is put at risk. They either are not sufficiently motivated to follow their high calling and fail to meet their potential. Even worse, they may apostasize and yet still believe themselves to be saved.
Woods' "proof text" below includes the phrase "guarded through faith".
According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5).
Ellicott: "Through faith.--The Apostle is fearful lest the last words should give a false assurance. God can guard none of us, in spite of His 'power,' unless there be a corresponding exertion upon our part--which is here called 'faith'--combining the notions of staunch fidelity and of trustfulness in spite of appearances. It is through such trustful fidelity that we are guarded."2
Benson: "through faith — Through the continued exercise of that faith, by which alone salvation is both received and retained..2
Woods cites various examples from the "Hall of Faith" in Romans 11. Woods: "Abraham was justified right when he believed. Justification is something that already happened. So there is no big question mark if you have trusted in Christ for your salvation as to your justification, and there is no question mark as to your glorification.."
Nevertheless, Abraham was put to the test. It was by his act of faith that he was justified.
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son.. (Hebrews 11:17 cf Genesis 22:1-18).
Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? / You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did. / And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God. (James 2:21-23).
Woods' examples are interesting, but they do not constitute final evidence of eternal security. We are certainly not looking at sinless perfection in Paul's examples, and inevitably, all of them sinned to some degree, some worse than others. Only God knows the particular circumstances of each individual's life and their heart condition before Him.
I do take issue with some of Woods' conclusions; specifically, the question of whether Samson committed suicide. Scholars have debated this question, and most take the view that although Samson's actions resulted in his death, it was not strictly suicide. That is because Samson’s mission was to kill the Philistines and to take the lead in saving the Israelites from oppression. (Judges 13:5). Samson achieved his ultimate goal that day by killing over 3,000 Philistines. Commentators have reasoned that Samson sacrificed himself to finish the work God had called him to do, and that his death was a result, not the aim of his actions. It should be noted that he sought the Lord about his actions and asked for the strength to avenge the Philistines, and he asked God to let him die with the Philistines.
Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes.” And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other. And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life. (Judges 16:28-30).
In contrast, the narrative concerning Saul is completely different. Samuel informed Saul that the Lord had turned against him and had become his enemy. (1 Samuel 28:16). Samuel prophesied that the Lord would deliver Israel into the hands of the Philistines and that the next day, Saul and his sons would die in battle. (1 Samuel 28). The end result was that Saul took his own life to avoid capture after being severely wounded by the Philistines.
Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 5And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together. And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them. (1 Samuel 31:1-7).
Regarding the phrase spoken by Samuel: "..tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me." (1 Samuel 28:19). There is much discussion in the commentaries about this verse, and I do not regard this phrase as proof positive that Saul was saved. Samuel's statement may be referring to Sheol. (1 Samuel 25:1). At that time, Sheol or Hades was the abode of departed spirits of righteous and wicked alike. (Job 3:17; 2 Samuel 12:23).3 It is interesting that the Septuagint or the LXX translation of I Samuel 28:19 reads: “and to-morrow thou and thy sons with thee shall fall". If this 2nd-century translation is more accurate, then Samuel may have simply been referring to their death.4
For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. (Jude 1:3-5).
Woods teaches that the Israelites destroyed in the wilderness lost their physical lives but that ultimately they were saved. However, God's response to Moses was, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book. (Exodus 32:33). Furthermore, the context of Jude discredits Woods' assertion. Jude continues his epistle with the example of the angels who rebelled and were punished with eternal destruction, i.e., the same punishment as those who sinned in Sodom and Gomorrah > eternal fire:
And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgement of the great day— just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. (Jude 1:6-7).
Paul also refers to the Israelites who were overthrown in the wilderness: Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10:1-12 cf. 2 Peter 3:17 ).
Paul warned the Galatians that to fall away from grace is to be severed from Christ:You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. (Galatians 5:4).
To be severed from Christ necessitates that one must have been attached to Christ previously. Similarly to fall away from grace also necessitates prior attachment.
Meyer: "But all the admonitions, from 1 Corinthians 10:6 onwards (see, too, 1 Corinthians 10:14), have a direct reference to falling into sins, the consequence of which is a falling from grace so as to come under the divine ὀργή {wrath}(comp Galatians 5:4)."5
The Ante-Nicene
Fathers
The scriptures are always our first priority. However, it is very interesting that the early church fathers did not recognize OSAS. “Watch for your life’s sake. Let not your lamps be quenched, nor your loins unloosed; but be ye ready, for ye know not the hour in which our Lord cometh. But often shall ye come together, seeking the things which are befitting to your souls: for the whole time of your faith will not profit you, if ye be not made perfect in the last time.” (Didache, A.D.140)
“That eternal fire has been prepared for him as he apostatized from God of his own free-will, and likewise for all who unrepentant continue in the apostasy, he now blasphemes, by means of such men, the Lord who brings judgment [upon him] as being already condemned, and imputes the guilt of his apostasy to his Maker, not to his own voluntary disposition.” (Justin Martyr, fragment in Irenaeus’ Against Heresies, 5:26:1, A.D.156)
“Christ shall not die again in behalf of those who now commit sin, for death shall no more have dominion over Him; but the Son shall come in the glory of the Father, requiring from His stewards and dispensers the money which He had entrusted to them, with usury; and from those to whom He had given most shall He demand most. We ought not, therefore, as that presbyter remarks, to be puffed up, nor be severe upon those of old time, but ought ourselves to fear, lest perchance, after [we have come to] the knowledge of Christ, if we do things displeasing to God, we obtain no further forgiveness of sins, but be shut out from His kingdom. And therefore it was that Paul said, ‘For if [God] spared not the natural branches, [take heed] lest He also spare not thee, who, when thou wert a wild olive tree, wert grafted into the fatness of the olive tree, and wert made a partaker of its fatness.’” (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 4:27:2 A.D. 180)
“But some think as if God were under a necessity of bestowing even on the unworthy, what He has engaged (to give); and they turn His liberality into slavery. But if it is of necessity that God grants us the symbol of death, then He does so unwillingly. But who permits a gift to be permanently retained which he has granted unwillingly? For do not many afterward fall out of (grace)? Is not this gift taken away from many?” (Tertullian, On Repentance, 6 A.D. 204)
“Therefore, the ones who are pardoned are those who slip into sin unintentionally and incautiously. He who sins willfully has no pardon.” (Lactantius, A.D. 304)
“By believing in Him you will live. But by disbelieving you will be punished.” (Apostolic Constitutions, A.D. 390)
“Grace with the Lord, when once learned and undertaken by us, should never afterward be cancelled by repetition of sin.” (Tertullian, A.D. 203)
“He who keeps them will be glorified in the kingdom of God. However, he who chooses other things will be destroyed with his works.” (Barnabas, A.D. 70)
“Only those who fear the Lord and keep His commandments have life with God; but as for those who do not keep His commandments, there is no life in them.” (Barnabas, A.D. 70)
“We ought therefore, brethren, carefully to inquire concerning our salvation. Otherwise, the wicked one, having made his entrance by deceit, may hurl us forth from our life.” (Barnabas, A.D. 70)
“Let us therefore repent with the whole heart, so that none of us perish by the way.” (Second Clement, A.D. 150)
“I hold further, that those of you who have confessed and known this man to be Christ, yet who have gone back for some reason to the legal dispensation [i.e. the Mosaic Law] and have denied that this man is Christ, and have not repented before death—you will by no means be saved.” (Justin Martyr, A.D. 160)
“Rather, we should fear ourselves, lest perchance, after we have come to the knowledge of Christ, if we do those things displeasing to God, we obtain not further forgiveness for sin, but are shut out of His kingdom.” (Irenaeus, A.D. 180)
“He who hopes for everlasting rest knows also that the entrance to it is toilsome and narrow. So let him who has once received the gospel not turn back.” (Clement of Alexandria, A.D. 195)
“God gives forgiveness of past sins. However, as to future sins, each one procures this for himself. He does this by repenting, by condemning past deeds, and by begging the Father to blot them out.” (Clement of Alexandria, A.D. 195)
“The world returned to sin…and so it is destined to fire. So is the man who after baptism renews his sins.” (Tertullian, A.D. 198)
“Rather they must be preserved. It is not the actual attainment, but the perfecting, that keeps a man for God.” (Cyprian, A.D. 250)
“A son who deserts his father in order not to pay him obedience is considered deserving of being disinherited and having his name removed forever from his family.” (Lactaintius, A.D. 304)
“He who sins after baptism, unless he forsakes his sins, will be condemned to Gehenna.” (Apostolic Constitutions, A.D. 390)
“These things, beloved, we write unto you, not merely to admonish you of your duty, but also to remind ourselves. For we are struggling on the same arena, and the same conflict is assigned to both of us. Wherefore let us give up vain and fruitless cares, and approach to the glorious and venerable rule of our holy calling. Let us attend to what is good, pleasing, and acceptable in the sight of Him who formed us. Let us look stedfastly to the blood of Christ, and see how precious that blood is to God, which, having been shed for our salvation, has set the grace of repentance before the whole world. Let us turn to every age that has passed, and learn that, from generation to generation, the Lord has granted a place of repentance to all such as would be converted unto Him. Noah preached repentance, and as many as listened to him were saved. Jonah proclaimed destruction to the Ninevites but they, repenting of their sins, propitiated God by prayer, and obtained salvation, although they were aliens [to the covenant] of God.” (Clement to the Corinthians, 7:33-36)
“Day and night ye were anxious for the whole brotherhood, that the number of God’s elect might be saved with mercy and a good conscience.” (Clement to the Corinthians, 2:7, 8)
“On account of envy, Aaron and Miriam had to make their abode without the camp. Envy brought down Dathan and Abiram alive to Hades.”(Clement to the Corinthians, 4:20, 21)
“Having obtained good proof that thy mind is fixed in God as upon an immovable rock, I loudly glorify [His name] that I have been thought worthy [to behold] thy blameless face which may I ever enjoy in God! I entreat thee, by the grace with which thou art clothed, to press forward in thy course, and to exhort all that they may be saved. Maintain thy position with all care, both in the flesh and spirit.” (The Epistle of Ignatius to Polycarp, 1:1)
“What we gather from all these quotes is that the early Church believed one was saved by faith in Christ and His blood, apart from works. That we’re redeemed and washed from our sins, there must be repentance, if one sinned and did not repent they would be lost. They believed God’s foreknowledge and predestination, and they believed by blaspheming the Holy Spirit and/or forsaking God that one would lose salvation.” unknown
“God is a God of mercy and compassion, He is long suffering, patient, and willing to call you back, but if one persists in willful abandonment and blasphemy against His Spirit, how can He put up with that?” unknown
Justin Martyr- c. 100/114AD – c. 162/168 AD. He was another early Christian apologist (defender) of the faith and was martyred by beheading. His works represent the earliest surviving Christian apologies of notable size:
• Man acts by his own free will and not by fate. (20)
• We have learned from the prophets, and we hold it to be true, that punishments, chastisements, and rewards are rendered according to the merit of each man’s actions. Otherwise, if all things happen by fate, then nothing is in our own power. For if it be predestined that one man be good and another man evil, then the first is not deserving of praise or the other to be blamed. Unless humans have the power of avoiding evil and choosing good by free choice, they are not accountable for their actions-whatever they may be…. For neither would a man be worthy of reward or praise if he did not of himself choose the good, but was merely created for that end. Likewise, if a man were evil, he would not deserve punishment, since he was not evil of himself, being unable to do anything else than what he was made for.(21)
• But that you may not have a pretext for saying that Christ must have been crucified, and that those who transgressed must have been among your nation, and that the matter could not have been otherwise, I said briefly by anticipation, that God, wishing men and angels to follow His will, resolved to create them free to do righteousness; possessing reason, that they may know by whom they are created, and through whom they, not existing formerly, do now exist; and with a law that they should be judged by Him, if they do anything contrary to right reason: and of ourselves we, men and angels, shall be convicted of having acted sinfully, unless we repent beforehand. But if the word of God foretells that some angels and men shall be certainly punished, it did so because it foreknew that they would be unchangeably [wadicked], but not because God had created them so.
Andy Woods' rebuttal against Neo Calvinism is correct in many respects. However, his failure to recognize the false doctrine of OSAS is a lethal error. Problematically, Woods is a hyper-dispensationalist who teaches that the Church began after the events of the Book of Acts, as against Pentecost. He promotes the false hope of the pretribulation rapture, and in doing so, he denies the obvious fact that the Olivet Discourse references the rapture! When teachers put their own spin on the scriptures, incalculable damage is done to the body of Christ.
Truly, I say to you, this generation (ἡ γενεά αὔτη) will not pass away until all these things take place. (Matthew 24:34 cf. Mark 13:30; Luke 21:32).
Partial preterist Jeff Durbin speaks very confidently about bible prophecy, but he should be worried. Those who misinterpret the scriptures will face God's judgement. (Revelation 22:18-19 cf. Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:5-6).
Durbin's preterist claims are perplexing on a number of levels, especially the claim that 70AD fulfilled the events of Matthew 24. It is self-evident that the key events from Matthew 24:15 onwards are yet to be fulfilled and did not occur during the lifespan of Jesus' audience. Ecumenist CS Lewis' claimed that Mathew 24:34 is "the most embarrassing verse in the Bible".1 Unless we choose to follow Lewis' poor example and accuse Jesus of error, then we should give Matthew 24:34 proper consideration in light of other passages of scripture. (Luke 1:37). The general consensus is that the book of Revelation was written in 95AD, following the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD. This information indicates a future fulfillment of events following the abomination of desolation event. (Matthew 24:15-30). The book of Revelation describes "what must soon come to pass" (Revelation 1:1,3,19;4:1; 22:6,16).The Greek context of "come soon" suggests that eschatological events will happen quickly and suddenly rather than within a short period of time. Jesus' failure to identify the time of His return (Matthew 24:36 cf. Matthew 25:19 cf. James 5:7-8) should deter dispensational date setters and preterist deniers from making false assumptions.
One interpretation of Matthew 24:34 is that it refers to a future generation, i.e., those alive when the predicted events occur. I was relatively happy to accept this interpretation until recently. However, Ryan Meyer's thesis and subsequent book "This Generation in Matthew 24:34 and The New Exodus: (SJCTMS 2)"2 based on the lexical background of the noun "generation" is compelling.
Meyer argues that commentators have misunderstood the word "generation" and have applied it to the English understanding of the term. He cites the Brill Dictionary of Ancient Greek. Meyer: "They have all kinds of translation options or glosses depending on the category. It could mean something like race, family stock, breed descendants, place of birth origin."3 Other lexicons confirm this information.4
Further evidence for Meyer's thesis is found in the Old Testament use of the equivalent Hebrew term (dowr) in what is referred to as "the Song of Moses" in Deuteronomy 32. The phrases: they are a crooked and twisted generation.. for they are a perverse generation.. (Deuteronomy 32:5,20) refer to the Hebrew people group rather than a specific generation. Meyer argues convincingly that Jesus' use of "generation" in Matthew 12:39 and again in Matthew 24:34allude to the Song of Moses. It is widely acknowledged that Matthew has rich connections to the Old Testament. The exact number of Old Testament citations in Matthew varies among scholars, primarily because they are often indirect references and quotations.
This comprehensive interpretation of "generation" is groundbreaking in that, rather than interpreting this termsolely as a temporal generation contemporaneous with Jesus’s earthly ministry, a qualitative sense of the phrase becomes a viable alternative. In other words, according to Meyer, "this generation" is a transtemporal term that refers specifically to a people group, namely the Jewish people collectively.
Throughout the Old Testament, the theme of Israel's unfaithfulness and God's subsequent rebuke is a recurring narrative that underscores the covenant relationship between God and His chosen people. This relationship, established through the Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic covenants, is marked by God's faithfulness and Israel's repeated lapses into idolatry and disobedience.5 Despite the frequent rebukes and warnings given to Israel, the prophets also spoke of a future hope and the restoration of Israel. The concept of a "New Exodus" refers to the prophetic and eschatological expectation of a future deliverance and restoration of Israel and Judah, analogous to the original Exodus from Egypt. Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant they broke, though I was a husband to them. But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people. (Jeremiah 31:31-33).
