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To: boatbums

BTW:
>>You may not realize this, but Ironside ALSO teaches dispensations,

I identified him as such, that was the point.

>>>>This article gives some of his reasoned arguments

I linked to the same article, except it was the entire article. My excerpts were from it.

>>>>>the concept of that is simply that the Scriptures are the infallible authority that is God-given to us so that we may know his plan of salvation and so that we may be sure of the central tenets of the Christian faith - truths even H. A. Ironside agrees with.

As do those he calls satanic. BOTH claim this, BOTH claim they rightly divide the word. That was the point. The concept fails miserably and demonstrably which it would not do if both were following the same infallible authority.

You don’t seem to have fully read or comprehended my post or point.

Earlier, a while back, your point was the differences between sola scriptura theologies were not that great. Your evidence and argument here concerning two branches of Dispensationalism is the opposite.


1,150 posted on 11/29/2011 5:49:57 AM PST by D-fendr (Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
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To: D-fendr; smvoice; HossB86; CynicalBear
As do those he calls satanic. BOTH claim this, BOTH claim they rightly divide the word. That was the point. The concept fails miserably and demonstrably which it would not do if both were following the same infallible authority. You don’t seem to have fully read or comprehended my post or point. Earlier, a while back, your point was the differences between sola scriptura theologies were not that great. Your evidence and argument here concerning two branches of Dispensationalism is the opposite.

You place quite a bit of trust in this "infallible authority" don't you? But what if this Magesterium of yours doesn't address a specific point? What do you do then? In Post #932, you said:

If there were, some would criticize the Church for being too controlling. You can look at the various systematic theologies as taking pieces of truth and expanding them into one big untruth. That's how heresies are. The Church is big. It's walls are as far out as possible, allowing as much freedom as possible while remaining true to the teachings of Christ to His apostles. She did so over the centuries dealing with heresies and maintaining the universal, catholic, faith. The Church has taken the truths taught by heresies and rejected the untruth they derived from them. The Church has harmonized these truths into its teaching. Within these walls, the individual is free to let Holy Scripture mean what it means to them individually, over time. Scripture if it is Holy in the true sense, has many meanings. This freedom of interpretation is more freedom than that found in, say, Calvinism. The official commentary on the Church's Holy Scriptures is found in its councils' decisions, it's dogmas and creeds. The great majority of Christians, Catholic or not, still hold to the Church's creeds. This, we believe...

So where your Church has determined "creeds", "dogmas" and "doctrines", according to you they leave room for conjecture and freedom of conscience on areas not ruled upon, did I interpret you right?

You have complained that I fail to either read or comprehend your points. Rest assured, I do read all posts on threads I participate. In speaking about the doctrine of sola scriptura, you claim about me "your point was the differences between sola scriptura theologies were not that great", and I still hold to this but please comprehend that these "differences" are not the fault of Scripture's sufficiency, but of the one who reads them and comes to an understanding of them. On many points, Scripture DOES allow flexibility suited to the times, customs, persons, etc. But on the major tenets of the Christian faith, there is unity and if some depart from these, THEY are at fault NOT Scripture.

Tell me, has the Catholic Church made a definitive statement about the reality of dispensations? H. A. Ironside says at the link http://www.gospelhall.org/bible-teaching/ironside--wrongly-dividing-the-word-of-truth/ultra-dispensationalism--chapter-1--what-is-ultra-dispensationalism.html that dispensations:

"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth" (2 Tim. 2: 15).

PAUL'S exhortation to the younger preacher, Timothy, has come home to many with great power in recent years. As a result, there has been a return to more ancient methods of Bible study, which had been largely neglected during the centuries of the Church's drift from apostolic testimony. Augustine's words have had a re-affirmation: "Distinguish the ages, and the Scriptures are plain." And so there has been great emphasis put in many quarters, and rightly so, upon the study of what is commonly known as "dispensational" truth. This line of teaching, if kept within Scriptural bounds, cannot but prove a great blessing to the humble student of the Word of God who desires to know His will or plan in His dealings with men from creation to the coming glory. A careful examination of the volume of Revelation shows that God's ways with men have differed in various ages. This must be taken into account if one would properly apprehend His truth.

The word "dispensation" is found several times in the pages of our English Bible and is a translation of the Greek word "oikonomia." This word, strictly speaking, means "house order." It might be translated "administration," "order," or "stewardship." In each successive age, God gives to men of faith a certain stewardship, or makes known to them a certain order or administration, in accordance with which they are responsible to behave. A dispensation then is a period of time in which God is dealing with men in some way in which He has not dealt with them before. Only when a new revelation from God is given, does a dispensation change. Moreover, there may be degrees of revelation in one dispensation; all, however, having to do with a fuller unfolding of the will of God for that particular age. This was very definitely true in the dispensation of law, from Moses to Christ. We have the various revelations: of Sinai, both the first and second giving of the law; then added instructions during the wilderness years; the covenant with David; and the revelations given to the prophets. The circumstances in which God's people were found changed frequently during this age of law, but the dispensation itself continued from Sinai until Jesus cried, "It is finished." It is important to have this in mind, otherwise the vast scope of an ever unfolding dispensation may be lost sight of, and one might get the idea that every additional revelation of truth in a given age changed the dispensation, whereas it only enlarges it.

I think you could see that the concept of "dispensations" is hardly a new one and, as Ironside states, accepting this truth helps to rightly divide the Word of Truth. The Bible IS God's gift to us that continues to present the infallible and authoritative truths the Apostles learned from Jesus and that the Holy Spirit revealed to them afterwards. The SAME truths they taught the early church and that faithful followers continued to teach. How one was known as faithful to the truth was how close he was to the source of the truth and today we have that same assurance of that source of truth through the divinely-inspired Holy Scriptures. God enscripturated ALL that he desires we know so that we can walk in truth. How we live out that truth every day determines the success or failure we have in growing closer to our Lord and, as the Holy Spirit present within us illuminates the deeper truths of God, we can in turn continue to help others come to the knowledge of the truth.

1,416 posted on 11/29/2011 5:33:42 PM PST by boatbums ( Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. Titus 3:5)
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