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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: ravenwolf; Safrguns

I’m confused. What did you think I would say?


61 posted on 05/22/2015 9:24:36 PM PDT by smvoice ("Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation" 2Cor. 6:2)
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To: BereanBrain
There is a way for you to know the Rapture comes before God's Wrath arrives. The work of the Holy Spirit in the Church of believers acts to restrain each believer from the sins he or she would naturally fall into, leap into even. The Holy Spirit works in the believer and works in the world as a restraint which holds back the evil tide of the man of sin. The Holy Spirit will not be gone from the Earth during the Tribulation because the Bible plainly shows salvation will be happening during the Tribulation. So which work of the Holy Spirit is going to be removed, which restraint is to be removed so the man of sin can be revealed? Yep, the presence of the Holy Spirit in the individual believer. And If He is leaving in that capacity, well, ZAP, you whom He indwells will be taken away too.

You want scripture for that little sermon? See:

IThess 4:18 (how comforting would it be to have to go through the wrath of God in order to be gathered up by Christ as His Bride?)

John 14:1-3 He is preparing a place so we may be there with Him, not here with Him ... He brings us back when He sets foot on earth the Second Time

IThess 4:13-17 Gathering happens in a moment and caught up together in the clouds, not on Earth, whereas the Second Coming will happen as an unfolding of events

Rev 3:10 and IThess 5:9 we are not appointed to wrath and He will keep the Church from THE HOUR of the testing, not keep us from the testing

IThess 1:10 and Titus 2:13 The Rapture can happen at any moment, without any signs to fulfill first, whereas any event timed in the Tribulation or after has signs attached to know the thing isspecifically timed

Matthew 25:31-46 Sort out the sheep and goats, and if The Rapture is at the end of Tribulation there are no sheep to separate from the goats, and the Bible says living believers saved during the tribulation will populate the Earth in the Millenial Kingdom whereas The Church will reign with Christ embodied 'as the Angels in Heaven, neither marrying or giving in marriage

Revelation 19 And finally, The Church is pictured in Heaven already having gone through the Judgment and clothed in white, not yet returned with Christ for the Second Coming

Pax vobiscum


62 posted on 05/22/2015 9:25:57 PM PDT by MHGinTN (Is it really all relative, Mister Einstein?)
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To: MHGinTN

Amen, MHG. It’s common sense when reading God’s word that makes it so simple to understand!


63 posted on 05/22/2015 9:28:35 PM PDT by smvoice ("Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation" 2Cor. 6:2)
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To: Mrs.Z; Mark17

kerping


64 posted on 05/22/2015 9:28:58 PM PDT by MHGinTN (Is it really all relative, Mister Einstein?)
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To: MHGinTN

Since we are saved by accepting Jesus and are then infilled with the Holy Spirit, how can anyone be saved after the ‘rapture’? After all, under dispensational pre-trib rapture theory, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are no longer here to infill those who ‘accept’ Jesus, as evangelised by the Jews so absent the Holy Spirit, how can ANY be saved?

Perhaps instead of debating with fellow Believers, and causing ill feelings, debating when and how Christ is going to return, we should focus on His last instructions to His disciples to ‘Go and make disciples of all nations.’

If He is as good as His Word, and I have no evidence to the contrary, He promises us Salvation. If we believe on Him, how history all ends should not matter if we are saved. Debating how history ends, takes time away from living the Great Commission and if we are not living that way, are we not robbing Jesus? Are we not inadvertantly doing the Evil One’s bidding by NOT focusing on the Great Commission? There are already too many things that I focus my attention on which take away from such a task.


65 posted on 05/22/2015 9:29:20 PM PDT by A Formerly Proud Canadian (I once was blind, but now I see...)
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To: smvoice

I was thinking of the spiritual Israel taking the place of the state of Israel, I see what you mean and I agree.


66 posted on 05/22/2015 9:29:48 PM PDT by ravenwolf (s letters scripture.)
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To: ravenwolf

:) Got it!


67 posted on 05/22/2015 9:30:50 PM PDT by smvoice ("Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation" 2Cor. 6:2)
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To: Safrguns

“The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.” Luke 16:16


68 posted on 05/22/2015 9:31:42 PM PDT by captmar-vell
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To: smvoice

I’m confused. What did you think I would say?


I was just teasing but just to be honest the Catholics think of me as a protestant and the protestants think I must be Catholic or Mormon.

I just have not found any denomination that I completely agree with and mostly I can find something to agree with in any of them.


69 posted on 05/22/2015 9:36:15 PM PDT by ravenwolf (s letters scripture.)
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To: A Formerly Proud Canadian
You really should study to show yourself approved a workman worthy of the hire. I bet you haven't a clue regarding Old Testament Saints and Church Saints and Tribulation Saints. And the work of the Holy Spirit must be a mystery to you in this Age. If you do good deeds for someone and they ask you about the hope that is within you, what will you tell them if you don't comprehend what God is doing in the Church Age, what His Holy Spirit is doing, and what He intends to do to cleanse the Earth?

Could it be that speaking the particulars of The Gospel makes you uncomfortable, but doing busy work makes you forget how much you've avoided learning? There are lessons shouting at you from the parable of the sower and the seed and the good seed that came up and brought forth harvest.

I know lots of church attenders who love to get busy doing work for God, in order to avoid His Throne room. If you are called to spread the Gospel, you better know what it is or your works will be in vane.

Such an attitude as you are presenting ('don't contend for the Faith, just do good works and leave the rest to God') is precisely the note upon which Chrislam will sweep the ignorant away, for Islam teaches good works are a saving grace, and you're attitude is too close to that same pitfall. The Holy Spirit has ALWAYS been here, but in the Church Age He is also indwelling believers, thus making of them The Body of Christ to be Raptured away.

70 posted on 05/22/2015 9:42:49 PM PDT by MHGinTN (Is it really all relative, Mister Einstein?)
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To: A Formerly Proud Canadian; MHGinTN
..But those weren't His last words. His last words were spoken to Paul. And were revelations for the Church the Body of Christ. From Romans through Philemon. Giving us the beginning of the dispensation of the grace of God, the formation of the Church the Body of Christ, the role of the Body, when it began, what its duties are, and how it will end. Those things can only be found in Paul's epistles. Because the dispensation of grace was given to him from the risen Christ. Paul continually speaks of seeing and speaking to Christ face to face, and his being caught up to third heaven, and the revelations (PLURAL, NOT SINGULAR) that were given to him for the Church the Body of Christ.

We aren't preaching the Kingdom, Messianic gospel as Christ gave to Peter and the 11. We are preaching the Cross, the gospel of salvation by grace through faith, as given to Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. We are ambassadors for Christ, preaching reconciliation between God and man, based solely on the finished work of Christ.

71 posted on 05/22/2015 9:43:24 PM PDT by smvoice ("Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation" 2Cor. 6:2)
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To: ravenwolf
You, sir/madam are a piece of work! Exactly what Christ is looking for, a piece of clay He can mold, who has no prior misconceptions that are so hard to get rid of! I shall follow your posts just to see what you have to say! ;)

God Bless,

smvoice

72 posted on 05/22/2015 9:47:40 PM PDT by smvoice ("Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation" 2Cor. 6:2)
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To: smvoice

Selah!


73 posted on 05/22/2015 9:47:44 PM PDT by MHGinTN (Is it really all relative, Mister Einstein?)
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To: OK Sun

It’s been so dry in California, the Methodists have been sprinkling and the Baptists are using wet wash cloths.


74 posted on 05/22/2015 9:50:33 PM PDT by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives.)
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To: ravenwolf

Uh, I just re-read my post to you and...you DID take it as a great compliment, didn’t you? Because that’s how I meant it! Although for some reason, it didn’t translate well when typed out and posted...!


75 posted on 05/22/2015 9:57:45 PM PDT by smvoice ("Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation" 2Cor. 6:2)
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To: aMorePerfectUnion

The weakness of covenant theology is its readiness to become a Replacement Theology, i.e., “God has replaced Israel, because of it’s disobedience and sin, with the Church.” This pernicious view is at the root of the disgusting anti-Semitism so frequently found in Church history.

Yes, the Old Testament is full of stories of the people of Israel being unfaithful to God, BUT exactly the same can be said of the history of the Church. Given that the Church has had greater revelation, I would argue the Church has been even MORE rebellious against God.

Some of the Covenants with Israel were conditional, others, unconditional. The promise of the Land was unconditional, therefore it still stands today(God does not lie nor break his promises). The Covenant theologians disagree. It is no coincidence that among protestants, the most anti-Israel, friendly with Hezbollah denomination, is the Presbyterian-USA. And sadly Pope Francis is following the same arrogant prideful “Replacement” view that led to the sordid anti-Jewish record of the Catholic Church.

No, I’m not Jewish.


76 posted on 05/22/2015 10:16:29 PM PDT by cookcounty ("I was a Democrat until I learned to count" --Maine Gov. Paul LePage)
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To: smvoice

Yes, I took it as a compliment and appreciate it although I do not often deserve compliments.

I often say things in trying to make a point that would sound better said in a different way but I only know a few words.


77 posted on 05/22/2015 10:22:54 PM PDT by ravenwolf (s letters scripture.)
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To: terycarl
"Nope...the Catholic church was the Only Christian church for 1,600 years

What about the churches that existed BEFORE 1,600 years ago, i.e., the Assyrian, Chaldean, Coptic, Armenian, Georgian, all of which still exist today? They are "denominations" meaning organizations of local assemblies. AS is the Rome-Centric Catholic Church.

78 posted on 05/22/2015 10:24:01 PM PDT by cookcounty ("I was a Democrat until I learned to count" --Maine Gov. Paul LePage)
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To: Mrs.Z
So just as Enoch was taken out before the first wrath, so shall we.

Christ wasn't taken away prior to the Crucifixion and as I read the New Testament we're to take up our cross and follow Christ, not Enoch.

Of course, being rescued from the roof of an embassy or survival bunker by a solid gold Huey after Christ surrenders to Satan and before the real persecution begins does sell a lot more books than suffering with Christ ever will.

79 posted on 05/23/2015 12:26:47 AM PDT by Rashputin (Jesus Christ doesn't evacuate His troops, He leads them to victory.)
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To: SaveFerris
[Dallas Theological Seminary]

Well....I was a student of a guy who got his doctorate there. Nice guy, who’s name I will not mention in forum nor in message, has way different views than I.

I have personally known 5 or 6 Dallas grads. Hal Lindsey is another grad. There is one here on FR, who posts regularly.

80 posted on 05/23/2015 1:14:13 AM PDT by Mark17 (The love of God, how rich and pure, how measureless and strong. It shall forever more endure.)
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