Are there any Brethren writings that suggest some believers will be excluded from the marriage supper and reigning with Christ in the Millenial Kiingdom?

Also, that 'weeping and gnashing of teeth' and the 'outer darkness' can refer to the Christian's remorse after the Bema Seat judgment burning up their wasting of time on earth?

Thanks!

Jeff

Hi Jeff. If you mean by "believers" those of the Church, the Bride - from Pentecost - then you are not likely to find any Brethren writings that suggest what you ask.

I do not believe that any Scripture would support your second point as Christian remorse - there is no remorse, regret, judgement in heaven. One reference in Mt 8 to those who will be cast out is certainly to the natural children of Jewish seed that rejected Christ, and not those of the faith of Abraham. Others, eg Mt 24, seem to be false professing believers (evil servants) looking at the Church (assembly) as a whole.

Some Brethren writers, along with others, take the warning verses seriously, while holding to the eternal security of the believers. They don't merely brush them off as being for "nominal" beievers. They saw eternal salvation as a gift of grace through faith, but to rule and reign with Christ in the Millennium was a prize to be won by faithfulness. Philippians 3 is a classic example of Paul striving for the prize of the high calling. Yes, many early Brethren mainly taught positional truths. But many also taught one must walk worthily of the Kingdom. G. H. Lang would be the best Brethren author who explored these truths. 

Perhaps just a further comment. I believe that in the overwhelming majority of the earlier brethren of the 19th century, you will not find that the position of any believer in Christ, as justified before God, will be compromised in any way, with respect to the marriage supper, or reigning with Christ during the millennium. Of course, at the Bema there will be reward or loss, but certainly nothing bordering on exclusion or remorse. Passages like Heb 12:14, for example, have caused much harm because of errant exegesis. But certainly, there are many verses of reproof, rebuke and exhortation that serve as serious warnings to the true believer. But the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus is what Paul exhorts all believers to be "thus minded" - to attain to the resurrection and our likeness to Christ in glory.

SYDWAR, as we all know in Revelation 2-3, the Lord has some harsh words towards His own. To one church, He even says He would vomit them out of His mouth unless they repented. To each church there is a promise to those who overcome. The promise to rule and reign with Him is only given to those overcomers. Not all are overcomers. There is a race to run, a course to finish. In I Cor 9 Paul said even of himself that there is a prize to win and he buffeted his body less he become a reprobate. John in I John 2:28 exhorted us to abide in Christ so that when He appears we do not shrink away from Him in shame. I wonder how those believers in I Cor 11 who died prematurely because they were profane at the Lord's Table will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ. Will they be rewarded with the prize Paul was striving for? We must seriously consider all the warning verses in the NT and walk worthily of the Kingdom. Too many believers live a life not worthy of the gospel and feel no problem for they have the blood and they will all reign with Christ in the Kingdom no matter how they lived on earth. That is false hope. The blood of Jesus only saves us from the wrath of God. 

Sorry Kyle, and my apologies to the administrator, this is not the place to assert any personal views. Back to Jeff about the question concerning brethren writings specifically. It's always best to study first hand their writings; I know that'll mean quite some reading. Perhaps others know of some specific references that could help.

Blessings, brother.