Q18: Did the apostles teach imminence of Christ's return? Balancing readiness with long-term planning

Mike addresses the doctrine of imminence: the NT teaches readiness for Christ's return, but he pushes back on the interpretation that early letters taught it would happen within the readers' lifetimes. He affirms: imminence means "be ready at any moment" not "it's definitely happening soon." He warns against the irresponsible form where Christians neglect retirement planning and long-term life planning because they assume an imminent return. He says we should be simultaneously ready for Christ to return today and to plan for great-great-grandchildren's lifetimes.