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Why I am No Longer a Dispensationalist
Credo House ^ | May 21, 2015 | C. Michael Patton

Posted on 05/22/2015 4:54:44 PM PDT by OK Sun

My Dispensational Upbringing

I have been taught Dispensationalism from my mother’s womb. I was born in a dispensational environment. It was assumed at my church to be a part of the Gospel. There was never another option presented. It made sense. It helped me put together the Scriptures in a way that cleared up so much confusion. And, to be honest, the emphasis on the coming tribulation, current events that prove the Bible’s prophecy, the fear that the Antichrist may be alive today (who is he?) was all quite exciting. But what might be the biggest attraction for me is the charts! Oh how I love charts. I think in charts. And dispensationalism is a theology of charts!

Making Fun of Dispensationalism

The first time I came across someone who was not a Dispensationalist was in 1999. I am not kidding. It was the first time! I don’t think I even knew if there was another view. It was when I was a student at Dallas Theological Seminary (the bastion of Dispensationalism) and I was swimming with some guys who were at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Once they discovered I was a dispensationalist, they giggled and snickered. They made fun of the rapture, the sacrificial system during the millennium, and the mark of the beast (which, at that time, was some type of barcode). It was as if they patted me on the head and said “It’s okay . . . nice little dispensationalist.” I was so angry. I was humiliated. I was a second-rate theologian. They were “Covenantalists” (whatever that was). But they were the cool guys who believed in the historic Christian faith and I was the cultural Christian, believing in novel ideas.

(Excerpt) Read more at reclaimingthemind.org ...


TOPICS: Humor; Other Christian; Theology
KEYWORDS: dispensationalism
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To: Seven_0

Peter’s epistles actually were not written to the circumcision.

I know, most Thomas Nelson Bibles have a preamble that declares that they were written to “Jewish believers,” but a careful read of the beginning of the first epistle shows that they were actually written to the “strangers” of the dispersion of northern Israel, and the author of the preamble was simply ignorant of the fact that Jews (House of Judah) are not a part of the House of Israel.


301 posted on 05/24/2015 10:08:07 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: editor-surveyor
The last trump will be a spiritual resurrection for the dead, and a change for those that are alive who will be converted to a spiritual body.

It's a physical resurrection where terrestrial bodies will be changed into celestial bodies...The spiritual resurrection has already taken place for believers...And no, I am not reading something into Eph. that is not there...It's there, not only read it but believe it as well...

Do you live disease free? Are you immortal in your present state? Can you travel through walls?

That falls under the physical resurrection just as Jesus was physically resurrected...Or is his body still in the tomb???

302 posted on 05/25/2015 2:18:38 AM PDT by Iscool
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To: MHGinTN
>>The great and sudden departing is coming soon ...<<

And the scoffers will get more vocal and vitriolic.

303 posted on 05/25/2015 4:24:24 AM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: editor-surveyor; Iscool
>>Nowhere does the Bible say that anyone was raised<<

Oh really?

Matthew 27:52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised 53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.;

304 posted on 05/25/2015 5:04:07 AM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: editor-surveyor; smvoice; MHGinTN; BereanBrain
>>The apostasy, and the coming of the man of sin are one event<<

2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;

305 posted on 05/25/2015 5:15:41 AM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: editor-surveyor; xzins; smvoice; MHGinTN; BereanBrain
>>which is nowhere to be found in the scriptures.<<

Yeah, we have seen the validity of your comments "nowhere to be found in scripture".

306 posted on 05/25/2015 5:24:15 AM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: editor-surveyor; xzins; smvoice; MHGinTN; BereanBrain
>>grace of God was dispensed to Abraham<<

Anyone who can't see the difference before and after Christ's death and resurrection is to be pitied.

307 posted on 05/25/2015 5:48:00 AM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: editor-surveyor; Cvengr
>>The adversary doesn’t attack it; he invented it.<<

1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

So no attacking there?

John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Murder without attacking? Seriously?

Luke 13:16 "And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?"

Satan binds without any attack?

1 Corinthians 5:5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

308 posted on 05/25/2015 6:13:23 AM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: af_vet_1981; smvoice

Still attempting to make it difficult to put the scriptures you post into context I see. And it’s no wonder since what you post is used out of context with the rest of scripture and clearly used to change the meaning.


309 posted on 05/25/2015 6:22:59 AM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: af_vet_1981; MHGinTN
apostasía (from 868 /aphístēmi, "leave, depart," which is derived from 575 /apó, "away from" and 2476 /histémi, "stand") – properly, departure (implying desertion); apostasy – literally, "a leaving, from a previous standing." [http://biblehub.com/greek/646.htm]
310 posted on 05/25/2015 6:38:28 AM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: CynicalBear; smvoice
Still attempting to make it difficult to put the scriptures you post into context I see. And it’s no wonder since what you post is used out of context with the rest of scripture and clearly used to change the meaning.

False, except one does not have ears to hear or eyes to see, in which case one is already spiritually blind and dead, in which case one believes one's vain imaginations. Do you also endorse the multiple gospel teaching devolution from Protestantism ? How many gospels do you profess ?

311 posted on 05/25/2015 7:18:13 AM PDT by af_vet_1981 (The bus came by and I got on, That's when it all began.)
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To: CynicalBear
apostasía

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
falling away, apostacy
Feminine of the same as apostasion; defection from truth (properly, the state) ("apostasy") -- falling away, forsake.

see GREEK apostasion

and how appropriate that definition is for this thread ...

312 posted on 05/25/2015 7:26:58 AM PDT by af_vet_1981 (The bus came by and I got on, That's when it all began.)
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To: af_vet_1981

Tell us in your words what is the Gospel. What did Jesus say is the Gospel? Can you do that here, now?


313 posted on 05/25/2015 7:30:47 AM PDT by MHGinTN (Is it really all relative, Mister Einstein?)
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To: af_vet_1981

BTW, ‘when’ you post it, would you please do so in black print? Thanks


314 posted on 05/25/2015 7:56:48 AM PDT by MHGinTN (Is it really all relative, Mister Einstein?)
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To: Iscool
The spiritual resurrection has already taken place for believers.

Death must come before resurrection. There are only two deaths and the second one hasn't happened yet.(Revelation 20:14)
315 posted on 05/25/2015 7:57:24 AM PDT by Seven_0 (You cannot fool all of the people, ever!)
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To: MHGinTN

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings. And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him? Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind? And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.
John, Catholic chapter ten, Protestant verses one to twenty three,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James

316 posted on 05/25/2015 8:17:03 AM PDT by af_vet_1981 (The bus came by and I got on, That's when it all began.)
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To: smvoice

**I’m not understanding what you are trying to say, Zuriel. “There was no remission of sins until the crucifixion of Jesus Christ...”: Mark 1:4: “John (the Baptist) did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”**

That was like the rolling ahead of the sins, as the sacrifices had been for. With the sacrifice of Christ the sins were finally remitted before God with his blood. If sin was blotted out before the crucifixion, then there would have been no need for Christ to have suffered and die. That’s why Paul REbaptized the certain disciples in Ephesus.

“Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus”. Acts 19:4,5.

It’s the power of the name of Jesus in baptism:

“Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” 1Cor. 1:13

**Why did Peter hesitate?**

Prove that he hesitated. The church was still new, in the same old world. It’s growth was resisted by Satan at every turn. It was WORK. Up until the last 200 yrs, everything was by walking, or by tamed beast. Peter was led by the Spirit of God. Why didn’t God simply tell him in the vision that the time had come to go to the Gentiles? If you can answer that, then you can answer MANY things that are not in the scriptures. The fact remains: AFTER the vision, God openly told him to go with the messengers, “doubting nothing, for I have sent them” (10:20).

That’s it. No other info. Peter meets them, listens to what they say, and learns about Cornelius. HE NOW KNOWS he’s to go to meet this Gentile man that has ask him to come. He lodges the messengers (I don’t know if they were Gentiles), then leaves with them on the next day.

In short, I believe you’re really taking this hesitation thing a bit too far.

**I’m not sure WHAT point you’re trying to make with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You’ll have to be clearer.**

“...Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his”. Rom. 8:9

Acts 2 is where that requirement was initiated.

Feel free to address the details of Paul’s conversion (Acts chapters 9,22, and 26), and of those in Acts 19:1-7.


317 posted on 05/25/2015 8:35:42 AM PDT by Zuriel (Acts 2:38,39....Do you believe it?)
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To: af_vet_1981
Hmm, I have read those sentences many times. But what do YOU say is the Gospel? HINT: it is so simple even a child comprehends it.

This time, try answering in your won words, because that is what Jesus expects you to do, and has promised that when you open your mouth to proclaim The Gospel, His Spirit will guide you to proclaim it accurately. So, in your words, not merely dragging and pasting a passage from Jesus speaking to the Jews in parables since it was not given to them to know the secrets of the Kingdom then, what is The Gospel?

318 posted on 05/25/2015 9:04:53 AM PDT by MHGinTN (Is it really all relative, Mister Einstein?)
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To: MHGinTN
So, in your words, not merely dragging and pasting a passage from Jesus speaking to the Jews in parables since it was not given to them to know the secrets of the Kingdom then, what is The Gospel?

Love.

319 posted on 05/25/2015 9:06:05 AM PDT by sargon
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To: sargon

That is a BIG clue!


320 posted on 05/25/2015 9:08:32 AM PDT by MHGinTN (Is it really all relative, Mister Einstein?)
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