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 ...
Why do they have to be separate and distinct? Is not the Gospel of the Kingdom the fulfillment of God's Grace? Paul preached the gospel of the Kingdom throughout Acts:
Acts 28:
30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,
31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
Acts 2:
32 This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. 33 Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. 34 For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says:
‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, 35 Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Seems to me Peter is focusing on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ quite clearly.
Then of course Peter expands on his sermon a second time in Acts 3...
Acts 3:
17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. 18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. 20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. 24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.
25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. 26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
Looks like the same Gospel preached as Paul. But if that is not convincing, let's look at what Paul said.
1 Corinthians 15:
15 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
I agree.
Acts 2:
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
The above about shuts the door on this debate, IMO. So does 1 Corinthians 15. Paul made it clear the same gospel he preached was preached by Cephas and the 11.
Mark 16:16 was stated by the Risen Christ not before Christ's crucifixion.
Acts 2:
46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Also please reference 1 Corinthians 15 where Paul clearly states he, Peter and the other apostles preached the same gospel.
Maybe you should re-read Peter’s sermon. Where do you find him speaking of Christ’s death as GOOD NEWS? He didn’t. He BLAMED Israel for Christ’s death. That is not preaching the gospel of the grace of God. In no way.
Indeed. They have to be preaching the same message, as it comes from the same source. Paul is an astounding author, rich in doctrine. But his writings are also the only ones we are specifically warned about (by Peter) - that it is easy to twist his words - because his thought process is so incredibly intricate, and his knowledge is so much more profound. Coming from a quintessentially legalistic background, it is no surprise that his emphasis is as it is - Even so, necessarily, Paul must be in synthesis with Peter and James and John. IMHO, if that synthesis is not there, you're reading it wrong.
The key is in the interpretation - and the filters to narrow interpretation are two:
Yeshua cannot have broken Torah, and Paul cannot gainsay his Master. Then there is alignment not only between Paul and Peter, James, and John, but also with assurance that Yeshua's own words, and Torah remain unbroken.
JMO.
You are free to believe as you will. And you are free to believe what others judge to be marks of certain denominations. The Gospel of Grace did not begin with Christ’s resurrection and His commands to preach the Gospel. That was the gospel of the kingdom in Luke 24. Go back and read what that gospel was called: it was plainly called the gospel of the kingdom. Read what the Bible ACTUALLY SAYS, not what you THINK IT SAYS. There’s a difference, I assure you. The very fact that you think Luke 24 is the gospel of the grace of God tells me that. Perhaps you should look at His later command. To Paul. To preach the gospel of the grace of God. I’m sure your Bible has His words all highlighted in red for easy identification.
I think a lot of the confusion is in the terms *gospel of the kingdom*, *kingdom of heaven*, and *kingdom of God*.
I for one, have never heard much clear teaching about what the difference is between the two and what the gospel of the kingdom is versus the gospel of the grace of God.
Some people teach as if they’re the same thing. Others teach as if they’re not.
I think you’re right, mm. I will do a post showing the differences between the gospels if you want. It DOES make things very clear (IF a person will actually read it and check God’s word against it and not just dismiss it because they were never taught that). I’ll get back to you as soon as I get it together. My brother-in-law suffered a slight stroke this morning, and I’ve just gotten home from the hospital, where they’ve admitted him and are doing tests. He has MS, and is confined to a wheelchair with only the use of his right hand, so this is particularly difficult. Please pray for both him and my sister. Thank you in advance, as I already know you’ve done it as soon as you read this.:)
22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— 23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. 24 But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.
After this Acts records they were "were pierced to the heart." So we have the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ preached by Peter.
Acts 3:
12 But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. 14 But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses. 16 And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.
17 “And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. 18 But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19 Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you. 23 And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24 And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. 25 It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ 26 For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”
Again, Peter preaches the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Continuing in Acts 4:
5 On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; 6 and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. 7 When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, 9 if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
Continuing to Acts 5:
29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. 31 He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
In Acts 8 we have Philip preach the Gospel from Isaiah 53:
Acts 8:
30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 The place in the Scripture which he read was this:
“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 33 In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.”
34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”
37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”
And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.
The above seems to be consistent with the previous messages spoken on the gospel of Christ crucified, died and risen from the dead.
Seems Paul preached this same gospel:
Acts 9:
20 Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.
21 Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”
22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.
And if that is not convincing enough, Paul stated clearly that he preached the same gospel as did Peter and 11:
1 Corinthians 15:
15 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
Well stated. Thank you for your comments.
I have provided you with what the Bible ACTUALLY SAYS. You have provided the readers here with a theory of what SOMEONE other than the apostles preached. I provided you with the slam shut passage from 1 Corinthians 15 from Paul himself. He clearly said no difference. If one heard it from Cephas or any other apostle, then they heard the same gospel he preached.
You have skirted an important question I posed. It was the very first one I posed. Where do you see the Church beginning historically? Obviously you do not believe this happened on Pentecost. So where in your estimation did the church start in the book of Acts? Before Acts 28? After Acts 28? Middle of Acts? Where can you point to this transition from the kingdom gospel to the gospel of grace? We should start there as we did about a year ago, when the question went unanswered by many and a few changed their position as scriptures were presented. I also promise not to use capital letters if you do not.
"Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, AND BY WICKED HANDS HAVE CRUCIFIED AND SLAIN:" Acts2:23. Does THIS sound like good news? Does this sound like he is preaching the cross as good news and their salvation?
"Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear>" Acts 2:33-35. Read all three of those verses. Where is the gospel of the grace of God there?
Verse 36. Where is the message of Christ's DEATH as our REMISSION OF SIN? Where that message ANYWHERE in Peter's sermon?
When they heard Peter's words, they were PRICKED IN THEIR HEARTS. NOT happy or grateful that Christ had died for their sins. They were pricked in their hearts because of the guilt of knowing that what Peter was saying was right.
I'm not going to give any more of the verses. Read them for yourself. And tell me which one gives the cross as good news, as finished work for our sins, as remission for our sins, as justification, as sanctification, as being placed into the Body of Christ. They don't say that, because they didn't KNOW that. THAT was given to Paul to preach. He isn't saved until Acts 9 so how could they have known in Acts 1, 2,3,4,5,6,7,or 8?
They were repenting and being baptized because they knew they were guilty of their Messiah's death. Were they waiting to be told that they were now IN CHRIST? That the HOLY SPIRIT had placed them IN CHRIST AS SOON AS THEY BELIEVED? No, they were WAITING FOR THE RETURN OF CHRIST, to set up His Kingdom.
The gospel of the grace of God contains all those things I just gave you. The gospel that Peter preached on the day of Pentecost contained NONE of those things. NOT ONE> How, then, could he have been preaching the gospel of the grace of God? Obviously he wasn't. He was preaching the gospel of the Kingdom. Exactly what he was commissioned by Christ to preach. You'll find that in Matt. Mark Luke John and Acts, as long a God was dealing with His millennial people, Israel.
As a matter of fact, read Matt. 4:23,9:35, and every place that talks about God's covenant with David. That is what the gospel of the kingdom is about.
The difference between the prophecies in the OT concerning the kingdom and "the gospel of the kingdom" was that the kingdom, once predicted was NOW proclaimed "AT HAND".
The Gospel of the Kingdom IS the Kingdom of Heaven that John the Baptist, Christ, Peter and the 11 preached: Matt. 3:1,2; Matt. 4:17; Matt. 10:5-7, etc.
I'm sorry if you cannot see the difference. I cannot make it any clearer. Just as God cannot make it any clearer in His word. Read it as it is WRITTEN. NOT as you THINK IT IS WRITTEN> You'll be amazed at the differences you'll find.
I won't put any more on this post until this has been read.
GRACIAS, CB!
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This completely false statement disqualifies you as an arbitor of anything Biblical.
First, Michael Rood has never claimed to be a Rabbi, and has completely denounced any person or organization that uses the title “Rabbi,” Just as Yeshua did when he walked the Earth.
If you believe that any person or organization that uses that term is anything but an instrument of the adversary, that removes you from the realm of ministers of the gospel. There are no "Great Men" in God's creation
Michael Rood has no connection whatsoever with The Way International, nor does any minister of the gospel.
The 28 existing generations of the original Hebrew Matthew bear no reliance upon any Greek translation, and differ in all areas of significance from the Greek translations.
Your perception of “problems” bears much similarity to other manipulators of the word of God.
The falseness of John 6:4 is fully supported by the chronology of the other gospels.
Sorry to say this, but this display of embrace of deception has certainly diminished you in my esteem. We have many popping jays here with flimsy understanding of the word with whom you now appear to share much.
Your “good summary” unsurprisingly begins with the same glaring falsehood that you chose to use to discredit yourself in this post; Michael Rood has never used or tolerated the use of the false title “Rabbi.”
He has consistently denounced unscriptural toys and banners,like Kippas, and “Stars of David.”
He has held solidly with the plain words of Yeshua in every way.
I have no association with Rood's organization, but to see professing believers espousing so many demonically false accusations against one of the few men that totally hold to Yeshua’s commandments gives me much grief, both for you and for him.
I certainly never would have wanted to have to write this post.
And one more thing: There are no “Jewish Roots” to the Christian Faith.
Judaism is a serious departure from the teachings delivered by Moses, and Yeshua spent the greater part of his life on Earth demolishing the error of Judaism.
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>> “There is a difference between the gospel of the Kingdom and the gospel of grace.” <<
Hmmm.
For a truth, we will never see the kingdom without an abundant helping of Grace. The site you linked seems to be maintained by committed milk drinkers. They do not have a deep understanding of the NT.
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It has ALWAYS been about GRACE. Anything God has ever or will ever do for us is through HIS GRACE toward us. You know that. But He has manifested His grace in different ways at different times. Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Christ, Peter and the 11, Paul. And for different reasons, but the end result WILL BE: "That in the DISPENSATION OF THE FULNESS OF TIMES, he might gather together in ONE ALL THINGS IN CHRIST, both which are IN HEAVEN, and which ARE ON THE EARTH; even in him." Eph. 1:10.
Who would benefit from God's grace on this earth? Israel, of course. The Abrahamic COvenant and the Davidic Covenant testify to this. GOd has promised them real land on this earth. For them, forever. And the Kingdom Gospel also testified to this.
Who would benefit from God's grace in heaven? Those who were promised ALL spiritual blessings in HEAVENLY places. That would be those who are in Christ. Who are saved by grace through faith and not of themselves, by the GIFT of God, not of their works, lest any should boast. They are saved by believing that Christ died FOR THEIR SINS, was buried, and rose again the third day. THAT is the gospel of the grace of God.
One gospel has to do with the earthly inheritance promised by God. The gospel of the kingdom. From God to Israel. And THEN to the nations, with Israel as a kingdom of priests, ministering to those nations.
The other gospel has to do with a heavenly inheritance. The gospel of the grace of God. That is found from Romans through Philemon. THAT is where you will learn about that heavenly inheritance. And no place else. Because it was hid in God from before the foundation of the world, until he revealed it to Paul. Why would He have possibly revealed this to Peter and the 11? They were promised an earthly inheritance, where they will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. That is the convenant God made with their fathers. And He doesn't lie. His grace fills all in all.
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