Dear Brethren and Friends,
Christians of the first century didn’t know exactly WHEN, but many believed that Jesus Christ would return in their lifetimes. For a while, that anticipation created tremendous zeal!
The apostle Paul initially wrote in ways that seem to indicate he expected to be alive when Jesus returned (compare 1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; and 2 Thessalonians 1:7). However, later on, his writing reveals that he knew that he would die, and that meant he would live again to then meet Christ in the first resurrection—along with other faithful saints (2 Timothy 4:6-8).
As years turned into decades, and Jesus Christ did not appear, many lost their fervor, and some turned completely away from their incomparable calling. This is what Jesus said of that era of His Church: “‘…I have this against you, that you have left your FIRST LOVE’” (Revelation 2:4).
He and God’s Way of Life, as taught by Him, were their “first love,” and they quit seeking Him and what He represented—no longer passionately looking forward to His return!
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