Posted on 05/22/2015 4:54:44 PM PDT by OK Sun
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!
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 ...
God has his Church, men have theirs.
No Pope, Pastor or Televangelist can claim they are any closer to God than anyone else.
For there is no mediator between Man and God but Christ Jesus. 1 Tim 2:5
No, you don’t need to pray to patron saints, or get absolution, or visit the Pope, or send 50$ to a televangelist.
Denominationalism was a response to corruption of churches. When the day comes where we only have ONE church on the earth it WILL be the Anti-Christ’s church (and then, after that, Once Jesus puts things right, there will be God’s True Church)
Not really sure what the author is attempting to say, but I do agree with this statement. I HATE religious labels because they cause so much division and divide the Body. Believers should be able to discuss the Bible and share their view, even if either is in error.
I was a "dispensationalist" before I ever heard the term. I simply studied the Bible and noted the major differences between the OT, NT time of Jesus and Acts, and Paul's Revelation. It wasn't until later that I read works by Bullinger, Welch, and others who explained it better.
BTW - if you don't take a little lamb or two doves to church to sacrifice, you are a dispensationalist.
AMEN, Kandy Atz. Leave the lamb at home and see the dispensational change that occurred. It’s as simple as that!
**Dispensationalists believe that the dispensation of the grace of God began with Paul and not before. Eph. 3:2,3,5,6,9. That the Day of Pentecost does NOT mark the beginning of the Church the Body of Christ, since Paul says HE was given that ministry from Christ, and he wasn’t saved until Acts 9, so the Body of Christ could not have begun before then.**
The Lord made it clear to his disciples:
Matt. 28:19, Jesus Christ commanded THEM to teach all nations, baptizing them. Jesus Christ baptized with the Holy Ghost, so we know he wasn’t telling the disciples to do that. He was telling them to baptize souls in water, in his name.
In Mark 16:16, He commanded THEM that one must believe and be baptized. If you insist that he is talking about Spirit baptism only, then why tell the disciples that one must be baptized, since they had no power to baptize ANYBODY with the Spirit?
In Luke 24:47, He commands THEM to preach repentance and remission of sins in his name, beginning at Jerusalem.
In John 20:23, he commands THEM to remit sins.
Where are these commands first instituted?...Acts 2:38.
Peter’s own words reinforce baptism for the remission of sins:
1Peter 3:20,21 is quite plain. 20 “...eight souls were saved by water.” 21 “The LIKE figure whereunto even BAPTISM doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God.) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
“By the resurrection of Jesus Christ”.....For a little comparison, read again what Peter wrote, leaving out the words in parentheses, while following it with what Paul wrote in 1Cor. 15:29 (leaving the words in parentheses in is fine, if you prefer, for it doesn’t change the meaning).
Paul taught the same conversion as Peter:
“Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?” 1Cor 15:29.
That’s Paul (the one who wasn’t suppose to baptize, according to the misinterpretation of 1Cor 1:17)), saying that if Christ (and the asleep in Christ) rise not, then it is all vain. If there is no resurrection, then water baptism into Christ is a waste of time. Of course, we know that is not the case, since Christ is risen, and the Spirit poured out.
Those folks in Corinth had already been born again, or at least knew how (1 Cor. 1:2). So there was no need for Paul to talk water baptism in his teaching of the gifts of the Spirit. Remember that Paul had already discussed water baptism in the first chapter. He personally baptized at least four in Corinth (probably more, depending on how many made up “the household of Stephanus”).
Water baptism is not a bath, but is done in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins. That is how one has the answer of a good conscience toward God. Being “buried with him” is where you get his blood on you, but his NAME must not be left out.
The conversion of the keeper of the prison, in Philippi, is a story that is rarely told completely. Quote 16:31, and get out of Dodge.
The story continues with Paul speaking “unto him the word of the Lord, and to ALL that were IN HIS HOUSE. And he TOOK THEM that same hour of the night, and WASHED their stripes; and was BAPTIZED, he and all his straightway. And WHEN he had BROUGHT them INTO HIS HOUSE, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, BELIEVING in God with all his house.” Acts 16:32-34
1. We see that the keeper of the prison has brought Paul and Silas into his house, because they speak “the word of the Lord” to the man and all those “IN HIS HOUSE” (unless you think that they somehow got a message to hustle on down to the prison for church service).
2. “He TOOK THEM” (took them from his house to where, pray tell?). Well, he washed their stripes somewhere besides the house. Some place where there would be plenty of water for the messy job of washing their stripes.
3. While still AWAY from home, possibly at the same location, they were BAPTIZED, he and all his straightway.
(you can insist that that is talking about Spirit baptism only, but you can’t prove it. I believe it is water baptism, or both water and Spirit baptism).
4. He brought them back INTO his house,......he and all his “rejoiced, BELIEVING in God with all his house”.
Last, but not least, we have the re-baptism in Ephesus: Paul finds certain disciples that believe SOMETHING about the Lord, for Paul asks, “Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed”. To which they replied that they hadn’t even heard about the Holy Ghost. They had only been baptized “unto John’s baptism”. Paul told them that it was a baptism unto repentance.
“When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.” 19:5,6
IF there is a true wrath
from God (the tribulation) can the Church suffer that wrath?
I probably did not explain this very well. It's late for me and I'm sure I'm not making myself clear. Sorry! :)
I guess I don’t know what I am... not enough info here to tell.
I prefer not to call myself anything.
>>> If you believe you will be taken out of this world with out dying I think you would be considered a Dispensationalist.
Thanks... I guess i’m one of those then.
The bible is pretty clear on the point.
It’s also clear about the prediction that believers would walk away from the faith in the last days.
I think you’re right, ravenwolf. Also, if you believe that you are NOT spiritual Israel, that there really IS an Israel and God WILL be dealing with her again during the tribulation, you MIGHT BE A DISPENSATIONALIST..:)
>>> Also, if you believe that you are NOT spiritual Israel
OHH... so covenant theology = replacement theology?
That seems to be the case. All I know for sure is that I’m not Israel, Israel is Israel although she is, for the time being, blinded. But God is going to remove the scales from her eyes, as soon as we are raptured outta here and the tribulation begins. :)
Of course there is true wrath from God. It is revealed from heaven against ALL unrighteousness... Romans 1:18. All but one of the apostles were martyred! We still need to fear God.
Read Job. Satan is completely under God’s control. Whatever Satan intends for evil, God intends for good.
>>> All I know for sure is that I’m not Israel
Well, actually you are. We are grafted in.
This of course is a different perspective on what “Israel” is.
We are not the nation of... we are not the people of... both of which are dealt with during the tribulation.
We are however the family of... not in replacement, but rather in adoption.
Half of us (Jew and Gentile) have our oil and wait for the bridegroom. The other half (non-believers) are left behind when He arrives for His bride.
Sorry, the Catholic Church was not born BEFORE CHRIST.
Prior to “church” there was only the Jewish Temple - or the heathen junk.
I don’t know who started or created the Catholic church; and quite frankly my dear, I don’t give a darn.
The Catholic church is still a “denomination” .. just like the Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, etc.
So, I’m done.
Selah. Here is wisdom.
During this dispensation of the grace of God, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, we are a new man, without differences, without a wall to separate us. We are adopted into God’s family, according to the covenant He made with Abraham. But there is not a Jewish part of the Body of Christ and a Gentile part of the Body of Christ. We are, as believers, collectively, one new man in Christ.
I would suggest that we should look at the scriptures and discover whether or not what is being preached as Gospel is indeed what the scriptures say.
9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, do you not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little while, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
I don`t know the details but I take it that there will be many more brethren killed for the word of God.
I do not believe Christians are spiritual Israel but I also do not believe in the raptured up alive theory.
so I don`t know what I would be called technically.
Yeah, that’s what I thought you would say ha,ha.
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