He's completely wrong here as well. The Greek word doesn't even mean "departure" to begin with. That is a twisting of the word to make it fit with the pre-Tribulation rapture theory, and none of it is true. I repeat, this is just from taking a glance at his posts, let alone if I really got into studying his system.
It doesn't bother me that much about him posting this business on my thread. I read terrible eschatology all the time and there's no stopping it. It's the sort of thing that only those with ears to hear what the Spirit is saying are going to receive anyway, and Ronald is not one of them. I just thought since you were a friend that I would warn you, Ronald Milam doesn't have a clue what he is talking about.
Glad to understand your views now I understand why you quit replying, you were in essence just dodging someone who you could never out debate on the merits. I made a blog on this 5 or 6 years ago, most of this understanding is from Dr. Tommy Ice so I take no overall credit on the thesis, but of course its my put together blog on the subject, after all God is the giver of all knowledge to start with. I always know what I am speaking of, I put in hours upon end on my blogs and on my Exegesis Reports which I come out with.
MY BLOG FROM 5 YEARS AGO.
Is the Falling Away a False Teaching?
I have evolved with much study on this. I used to argue to all that there had to be this great
"Falling Away" also, as many still do today. All because of this one passage in2 Thessalonians 2:3. I do agree that the world gets far more evil towards the (now) end, as foretold in Romans chapter 1, and as Peter said, there will be scoffers in the last days etc. etc. But I do not think the true Church can “Fall Away”, either you are of Christ/God or you are not, and will get left behind by the bridegroom. Anyway, here is my understanding after much study on 2 Thessalonians 2:3.
“Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction…” – 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (NASB) This verse is used by many and they say it implies a “Falling Away” from the faith. But a guy named Tommy Ice has shed some exceptional light on this passage.
Mr. Ice has pointed out that the Greek noun, apostasia, is used only twice in the New Testament. The other occurrence is in Acts 21:21 where it states that an accusation was made against Paul that he was “teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake [apostasia] Moses.”
The word is used in verb form a total of 15 times in the New Testament, and only three of these have anything to do with a departure from the faith (Luke 8:13, 1 Timothy 4:1, and Hebrews 3:12). In other settings, the word is used for departing from iniquity (2 Timothy 2:19), departing from ungodly men (1 Timothy 6:5), departing from the temple (Luke 2:27), departing from the body (2 Corinthians 12:8), and departing from persons (Acts 12:10 and Luke 4:13).
This insight about the use and meaning of the word was certainly compelling, but the argument Mr. Ice presented that was most convicting was his revelation that the first seven English translations of the Bible rendered the noun, apostasia, as either “departure” or “departing.”
They were as follows:
1.The Wycliffe Bible (1384)
2.The Tyndale Bible (1526)
3. The Coverdale Bible (1535)
4. The Cranmer Bible (1539)
5. The Great Bible (1540)
6. The Beeches Bible (1576)
7. The Geneva Bible (1608)
Mr. Ice also noted that the Bible used by the Western world from 400 AD to the 1500s — Jerome’s Latin translation known as “The Vulgate” — rendered apostasia with the Latin word,
discessio, which means “departure.” The first translation of the word to mean apostasy in an English Bible did not occur until 1611 when the King James Version was issued. So, why did the King James translators introduce a completely new rendering of the word as “falling away”? The best guess is that they were taking a stab at the "false teachings of Catholicism".
One other point Mr. Ice made that I think is significant is that
Paul used a definite article with the word apostasia. The significance of this is emphasized by Daniel Davey in a thesis he wrote for the Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary:
Since the Greek language does not need an article to make the noun definite,
it becomes clear that with the usage of the article, reference is being made to something in particular. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3 the word apostasia is prefaced by the definite article
which means that Paul is pointing to a particular type of departure clearly known to the Thessalonian church.
In light of this grammatical point,
Tommy observed that “the use of the definite article would support the notion that Paul spoke of a clear, discernible notion.” And that notion he had already identified in verse 1 when he stated that he was writing about “our gathering together to Him [Jesus].” This interpretation also corresponds to the point that Paul makes in verses 6 and 7 where he states that the man of lawlessness will not come until what “restrains” him “is taken out of the way.”
And what it is that restrains evil in the world today? The Holy Spirit working through the Church. I think when the Church Departs, the Anti-Christ will be free to come to power.
I do not think this has anything to do with a "Falling Away" [from the faith]. It is the Church Departing before the Anti-Christ is brought forth. The King James Bible changed the known understanding that has been around for 1500 some odd years.
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You may or may not agree with my points/arguments etc. (everyone has a right to be wrong I guess) but making an argument that I am clueless and do not know what I am talking about brother is just not a winning point of emphasis.
I take on all comers on debates because God wants people to know His truths and gives us the sword of His word/spirit/truth. Others duck and hide and only seek out those they don't get any push back on, that is no fun to me, I love teaching, but I also love proving those wrong who think they are never wrong. And I never lose debates, because I rely on God's sword of truth.
So, many people duck/dodge/hide etc. But on judgment day all that will be gone brother, there will be no hiding from truths then, so I see the time as know to get educated by the Holy Spirit, not the time to say I know everything and there is no reproving of me to be done, the difference is I let God reprove me every day. Now go check all of those facts, you will see it does mean Departure in reality.
God Bless.