--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: From the time of Cain until the last…" description: "\"From the time of Cain until the last believer before Christ's return, we are all fundamentally in the same boat. We suffer the same spiritual afflictio..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/101/mark-dever-3175_affliction_from-the-time-of-cain-until-the-last-bel_494192.png" --- # From the time of Cain until the last believer before… ![“From the time of Cain until the last believer before Christ's return, we are all fundamentally in the same boat. We suffer the same spiritual afflictions and tendencies.” quote by Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/101/mark-dever-3175_affliction_from-the-time-of-cain-until-the-last-bel_494192.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/101/mark-dever-3175_affliction_from-the-time-of-cain-until-the-last-bel_494192.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/101/mark-dever-3175_affliction_from-the-time-of-cain-until-the-last-bel_494192.png) > “From the time of Cain until the last believer before Christ's return, we are all fundamentally in the same boat. We suffer the same spiritual afflictions and tendencies.” [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. All believers, from early biblical figures to future returnees, share the same fundamental spiritual struggles, highlighting universal human challenges. **In simple terms:** All believers share the same spiritual challenges. Key Takeaway Recognize common struggles across faiths. Themes faith unity spirituality Mood empathetic thoughtful Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - interfaith dialogue - personal spiritual practice - community support Key Concepts theology human nature Questions to Reflect On - How does recognizing shared struggles affect your faith? - What can we learn from others' spiritual journeys? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affliction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affliction/) [Believer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believer/) [Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cain/) [Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I suffer from a spiritual malaise which manifests itself in outbursts of vicious rage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-vance/i-suffer-from-a-spiritual-malaise-which-manifests-itself-in-outbursts/) [Jack Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-vance/) > [One whose soul does not wander in the expanses, one who does not seek the light of truth and goodness with all his heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-isaac-kook/one-whose-soul-does-not-wander-in-the-expanses-one-who-does-not-seek/) [Abraham Isaac Kook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-isaac-kook/) > [Livin' is like pourin' water out of a tumbler into a dang Coca-Cola bottle. If'n you skeered you can't do it, you cain't. If'n…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olive-ann-burns/livin-is-like-pourin-water-out-of-a-tumbler-into-a-dang-coca-cola/) [Olive Ann Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olive-ann-burns/) > [“We can't chose family," Cain agreed. "But we can chose our friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-folsom/we-can-t-chose-family-cain-agreed-but-we-can-chose-our-friends/) [Tina Folsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-folsom/) > [“You'll never think of the old Cain and Abel battle the same way. Day's gripping, compelling, and kick-ass Eve of Darkness will have you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-mcgee-causey/you-ll-never-think-of-the-old-cain-and-abel-battle-the-same-way-day-s/) [Toni McGee Causey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-mcgee-causey/) > [Eve kissed Able, that's how he got murdered by Cain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/eve-kissed-able-that-s-how-he-got-murdered-by-cain/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [This is a very violent place to live, the Earth, and we're a very violent species. Cain is still killing Abel. We see that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/this-is-a-very-violent-place-to-live-the-earth-and-we-re-a-very/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“Those who are unconcerned in the affairs of their brethren, and take no care, when they have opportunity, to prevent their hurt in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/those-who-are-unconcerned-in-the-affairs-of-their-brethren-and-take/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) > [Let me know if Cain is able.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mckay/let-me-know-if-cain-is-able/) [John Mckay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mckay/) > [“Wounds that haven’t healed properly still hurt you. You pretend to allow them faze you, but I see past the mask. Shame, that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millicent-ashby/wounds-that-haven-t-healed-properly-still-hurt-you-you-pretend-to/) [Millicent Ashby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millicent-ashby/) > [James Cain was saddled with being called the father of hardboiled fiction. Apparently, he didn't like this saddle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-callahan/james-cain-was-saddled-with-being-called-the-father-of-hardboiled/) [Bill Callahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-callahan/) > [Abel's sacrifice was accepted by God because it was made according to God's instructions. Cain, however, tried to approach God in his own way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jeffress/abel-s-sacrifice-was-accepted-by-god-because-it-was-made-according-to/) [Robert Jeffress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jeffress/) > [ “He \[James Cain\] is every kind of writer I detest...a Proust in greasy overalls, a dirty little boy with a piece of chalk and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/he-james-cain-is-every-kind-of-writer-i-detest-a-proust-in-greasy/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [Take the story of Cain and Abel. Why were we given that story? Scientifically, you may have an explanation for it, but I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/take-the-story-of-cain-and-abel-why-were-we-given-that-story/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [“WRITTEN IN PENCIL IN THE SEALED RAILWAY-CAR here in this carload i am eve with abel my son if you see my other son…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pagis/written-in-pencil-in-the-sealed-railway-car-here-in-this-carload-i-am/) Dan Pagis ## More by Mark Dever > [“not the writings that come from prophets inspired by the one true God revealed in Jesus Christ, then why do we find those passages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/not-the-writings-that-come-from-prophets-inspired-by-the-one-true-god/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I think it's unhelpful to suggest that the task of evangelism is essentially the responsibility of ministers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/i-think-it-s-unhelpful-to-suggest-that-the-task-of-evangelism-is/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [What really concerns me is for Christians to understand the fundamentals of evangelism in a way that is helpful in the contemporary scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/what-really-concerns-me-is-for-christians-to-understand-the/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [Prayer is the preview of God's action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/prayer-is-the-preview-of-god-s-action/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I assume that normally the Lord will be bringing people to himself through the instrumentality of the preached word. However, we have to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/i-assume-that-normally-the-lord-will-be-bringing-people-to-himself/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [“The motive for discipling others begins in the love of God and nothing less. He has loved us in Christ, and so we love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/the-motive-for-discipling-others-begins-in-the-love-of-god-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [If joy or urgency are missing from our presentation of the gospel, then our testimony to Christ will be missing that sort of fullness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/if-joy-or-urgency-are-missing-from-our-presentation-of-the-gospel/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [“Yet the Bible teaches that the local church is the natural environment for discipling. In fact, it teaches that the local church is itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/yet-the-bible-teaches-that-the-local-church-is-the-natural/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [Sin claims to free but in fact it kills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/sin-claims-to-free-but-in-fact-it-kills/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [Some believers are faithful in the way that they live, but at the end of the day, they will not share the gospel with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/some-believers-are-faithful-in-the-way-that-they-live-but-at-the-end/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [We do not fail in our evangelism if we faithfully tell the gospel to someone who is not subsequently converted; we fail only if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/we-do-not-fail-in-our-evangelism-if-we-faithfully-tell-the-gospel-to/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [Once we see more of our need and understand more of what Christ has done for us, he will become more precious to us.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/once-we-see-more-of-our-need-and-understand-more-of-what-christ-has/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [Unfortunately, many of our churches calibrate their life to these nominal Christians. The predictable result is that you get fake, hypocritical churches that confuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/unfortunately-many-of-our-churches-calibrate-their-life-to-these/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) [Explore all 137 Mark Dever quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) ## More Affliction quotes > [I don't feel insecure about any of this work anymore. Maybe I don't have what I had when I was younger. I'm not really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/i-don-t-feel-insecure-about-any-of-this-work-anymore-maybe-i-don-t/) [Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/) > [Every man will have his own criterion in forming his judgment of others. I depend very much on the effect of affliction. I consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-cecil/every-man-will-have-his-own-criterion-in-forming-his-judgment-of/) [Richard Cecil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-cecil/) > [WHANGDEPOOTENAWAH, n. In the Ojibwa tongue, disaster; an unexpected affliction that strikes hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/whangdepootenawah-n-in-the-ojibwa-tongue-disaster-an-unexpected/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [There is nothing in afflictions which ought to disturb our joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/there-is-nothing-in-afflictions-which-ought-to-disturb-our-joy/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [Come, then, affliction, if my Father wills, and be my frowning friend. A friend that frowns is better than a smiling enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/come-then-affliction-if-my-father-wills-and-be-my-frowning-friend-a/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Henceforth, I'll bear Affliction till it do cry out itself, 'Enough, enough, and die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/henceforth-i-ll-bear-affliction-till-it-do-cry-out-itself-enough/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [New materials are one of the great afflictions of contemporary art. Some artists confuse new materials with new ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-lewitt/new-materials-are-one-of-the-great-afflictions-of-contemporary-art/) [Sol LeWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-lewitt/) > [Aimee Parkison offers a distinct new voice to contemporary fiction. Her seductive stories explore childhood as a realm of sorrows, and reveal the afflictions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-anshaw/aimee-parkison-offers-a-distinct-new-voice-to-contemporary-fiction/) [Carol Anshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-anshaw/) > [May I strike my heart's keys clearly, and may none fail because of slack, uncertain, or fraying strings. May the tears that stream down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/may-i-strike-my-heart-s-keys-clearly-and-may-none-fail-because-of/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [We are infinitely more than our limitations and afflictions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/we-are-infinitely-more-than-our-limitations-and-afflictions/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [God measures out affliction to our need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-john-chrysostom/god-measures-out-affliction-to-our-need/) [Saint John Chrysostom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-john-chrysostom/) > [Afflictions make the heart more deep, more experimental, more knowing and profound, and so, more able to hold, to contain, and beat more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/afflictions-make-the-heart-more-deep-more-experimental-more-knowing/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [Religion prescribes to every miserable man the means of bettering his condition; nay, it shows him that the bearing of his afflictions as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/religion-prescribes-to-every-miserable-man-the-means-of-bettering-his/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Short-term amnesia is not the worst affliction if you have an Irish flair for the sauce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/short-term-amnesia-is-not-the-worst-affliction-if-you-have-an-irish/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Revolution will free society of its afflictions, while science will free the individual of his.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/revolution-will-free-society-of-its-afflictions-while-science-will/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) [Browse all 598 Affliction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affliction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "From the time of Cain until the last believer before Christ's return, we are all fundamentally in the same boat. 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