Harold Camping's Predictions

The United States is still, at the time of this writing, a free country, and I support Harold Camping's legal right to publicly teach whatever he wants. That is not to say that the issues are unimportant, however, and as a Bible believer I would say it is my duty to provide a serious response to them should anyone ask.

Obviously, the apostles did not go around making the predictions that Mr. Camping has been doing in recent years. As I mentioned in another post (at http://bibleissues.blogspot.com/2010/09/christian-theism-only-two-logical.html), whenever someone promotes a teaching which is different than what we have in the New Testament's record of the apostles' teaching, the burden of proof is on the person promoting such a teaching to demonstrate that either it is of apostolic origin or a necessary consequence of apostolic teaching. In order to do that, the person must use sound methodology to make their case. In the debates and discussions available at Iron Sharpens Iron, I have found that Mr. Camping's methodology is seriously flawed to say the least.

I do give Mr. Camping credit for one thing, though. In his teaching he recognizes that a great many people in our culture are so busy pursuing whatever it is they are pursuing, living as if only human opinions about what to believe or how to live are possible, and that the Creator and Judge of all things does not have the right to demand anything from them, even if they want to do some of the things He demands. As a consequence, they have left the most important issue unaddressed--their need to be reconciled to God, in the only way in which He has revealed that they can be reconciled to Him, and this way is found in the pages of Scripture.

Although I do not doubt the sincerity of those who follow Mr. Camping's teachings, if they really believe truth is important, and if May 21st of this year comes and goes without fanfare, I sincerely hope that they will come to their senses and realize that they need to be in the Lord's house on the next Lord's Day, May 22nd, for it is there where they have an opportunity to participate in the Lord's kingdom as He has commanded His people to do.

For an informative discussion of Mr. Camping's teachings, click here. For the testimony of a former follower of Mr. Camping's teachings, click here. For a sermon on the offices of the church, click here.