They had already been told in the multiple verses that talk about the "catching up". They were not unaware of what was meant and neither are we if we understand those passages that tell us.
>>This is why ALL of our positions are a bit of a clutching at the scriptures that support our particular viewpoint.<<
There is no "clutching at the scriptures" when you take all of it and fit it together with no contradictions.
>>It is why “ever virgin Mary” believing Catholics insiste upon translating the word “brothers” everywhere the bible refers to Jesus’ “brothers” to mean “cousins”.<<
It's nothing like that at all in that there is clearly a word for "cousins" in the Greek which the Holy Spirit did NOT use when speaking of Jesus brothers.
>>And that is, technically, one meaning of the word translated “brothers”, but it grossly strains the context.<<
No, it really isn't. If the Holy Spirit had meant they were Jesus cousins He would have inspired the word meaning cousin like He did here:
Collossians 4:10 My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin (anepsios) of Barnabas.
Greek - anepsios - cousin [http://biblehub.com/greek/431.htm]
Those who claim there was no Greek word meaning cousin are obviously lying to us.
Those who claim there was no Greek word meaning cousin are obviously lying to us.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G80&t=NIV
But again, it strains the context.
There is no “clutching at the scriptures” when you take all of it and fit it together with no contradictions.
I was told by a man with a doctorate in theology that, excepting the core Christian teaching (e.g. grace), the stronger a person with a different perspective from yours argues that theirs is the correct and undeniable perspective, the less educated they are on the actual content of the bible.
It’s as if the more you know, the more hesitant you are to make blanket “this is how it is” statements about the teaching of the bible regarding anything but core issues. I’m noticing the more I read and study it is what is happening to me.
I used to be a strong pre-tribulationist and let people know that it was clearly what the bible taught - because it was what smarter people than me said it was. Then I studied it and, low and behold I ended up with questions that had no “reasonable” answers. And that began my path to the “post trib, pre-wrath” rapture position.
But even then, though I can support my opinion far more than I could when I was “pre-trib”, I know that I could be wrong. There is plenty of scripture that can be taken many ways and used to support several interpretations without exhaustive study. It’s why it takes a lifetime and still there is so much more to learn.
So I won’t tell you I’m right and you are wrong. But I will say that I have made a good faith effort studying this issue from multiple perspectives since 1981 and the one I embrace is the one I embrace. We’ll find out after we die (or are raptured). ;-)