When we told you about the time our Lord Jesus Christ came with power, we weren’t trying to fool you by making up stories. We saw him in all his majesty with our own eyes.
The Word became human and made his home with us. We have seen his glory the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Then we won’t be babies in the faith anymore. We won’t be like ships tossed around by the waves and blown here and there by every new teaching. We won’t be fooled by the tricks that people use to hide their real plans.
Christ didn’t send me to baptize; he sent me to preach the good news. But I wasn’t supposed to try to persuade you with fancy words, because that would take all the power away from the cross of Christ.
“Look! He’s coming with the clouds!” “Every eye will see him, even those who pierced him.” All the nations of the earth “will mourn because of him.” This will happen! Amen.
Enoch, the seventh man in the family line of Adam, gave a prophecy about these people. He said, “Look! The Lord is coming with thousands and thousands of his holy ones.
Instead, we refuse to do secret and shameful things. We don’t trick anyone, and we don’t twist God’s word. We do just the opposite! We present the truth plainly so that everyone can judge us in their own conscience before God.
Unlike many people, we aren’t selling God’s word to make money. It’s just the opposite! Because of Christ, we speak honestly before God, as people God has truly sent.
And that’s how it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I didn’t use fancy words or human wisdom to preach the truth to you about God’s love.
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately and asked, “Tell us, when will this happen? And what will be the sign of your coming? What will be the sign of the end of the age?”
These teachers will be so greedy that they’ll make up stories to take advantage of you. But they’ve been under a sentence of death for a long time. Their destruction has not been sleeping.