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Introduction to Personal Bible Study - Videos (2007)

4 short introductory video studies First recorded in 2007, posted to GodTube in 2010  These short videos were made nearly 14 years ago. ...

Saturday, July 24, 2021

Re-Introduction to Dispensationalism

I was recently sharing some thoughts in an online community in regard to a set of videos based on the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I want to be clear here, there is nothing wrong with studying and learning from the Lord's earthly ministry, but we need to recognize his stated ministry while in the flesh. This is one of the several distinctions which fall under the banner of "dispensationalism." To that end, someone familiar with the word, yet unfamiliar with the implications asked for a primer.

We follow the risen, ascended Christ, not the carpenter from Galilee, and future King, who was sent to none but to Jews only to fulfill the promises made to their fathers. We know him no longer after the flesh.

I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 
-Matthew 15:24


These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
 
-Matthew 10:5-7


These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
 
-Romans 15:8


Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
 
2 Corinthians 5:16-17

Those of us delineated as "ultra" or "hyper" Dispensationalists make a distinction between the ministry of the Apostles in the Acts age and Paul's ministry post Acts. But we will leave that for now and refer you to our entry on the Epistles. 

The Non-Prison Epistles - Part 4

Basically, all dispensationalism is, is understanding God's different plans for different groups for different purposes. There is an earthly plan for earthly people. In fact, most of the Bible concerns God's plans for the earth ("the meek shall inherit the EARTH," "will you at this time RESTORE the KINGDOM to ISRAEL?" etc.). These are plans slowly revealed at different times for different purposes... all revealed FROM the foundation of the ages. The Hope of Israel versus The Hope of the Body, etc.

God has a plan for the true Holy of Holies in the far above the heavens where Christ sits at the right hand of the Father. This plan was hidden in God from BEFORE the foundation of the ages. Eph 1:4, Col 1:5, etc.

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love 
-Ephesians 1:4


We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven...
 
-Colossians 1:3-5

So, something like the Law has to be read in its context. Paradise must be understood in its context. The future plan for Israel is to be understood to be part of the earthly plan for an earthly people. Etc.

If you do an internet search you'll find a lot of kooky misrepresentations of dispensationalism (admittedly a few by self-proclaimed dispensationalists, but most from our detractors).

I only say this... unless you're going to the temple to slaughter bulls and sheep and checking women to see if they're virgins (and paying related fines in shekels), you're a dispensationalist. That is, you recognize that God has different commands for different people for different purposes.

Dispensation = economy = stewardship

There is a message and a hope for the current present age which differs from the message and hope of other ages. There are families of God looking for an earthly kingdom and an earthly priesthood and there is a family looking for spiritual blessings in the far above the heavens. We must not confuse these hopes and promises. We must "rightly divide the Word of Truth."

If I drive from France to England, when I get to England on the other end of the tunnel, I have to switch to the left side of the road. Murder is still wrong. Adultery is still wrong, etc. But the specific rules as to what I should be doing and to what I am HOPING for differ. These are the groups emanating from God (which includes angelic and spiritual beings) will all come together in an unknown future age. The "pasa patria" of Ephesians 3:14-15 (every lineage of God).

We have an apostle of this age: Paul. To him alone was given this message.

 

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already...)
-Ephesians 3:1-3


Paul's Post-Acts Ministry


Paul witnessed to the hope of Israel during the Acts Age. In the Post Acts age he became a prisoner for us gentiles and witnessed to the hope of the Mystery which had been hidden from BEFORE the foundation of the ages.  We have covered this in great detail in other entries. This post is for those who may be new to the concept and have, by the grace of God, stumbled onto this blog.






Wednesday, July 14, 2021

God's Sovereignty and Man's Responsibility: A Balance

I'd like to briefly address the following from Reformed teacher, D.A. Carson:

"[For non-reformed theologies] at the end of the day, the security of the believer finally rests with the believer. For those in the opposite camp [Reformed], the security of the believer finally rests with God -- and that, I suggest, rightly taught, draws the believer back to God himself, to trust in God, to a renewed faith that is of a piece with trusting him in the first place."


I'm decidedly non-Reformed (despite recognizing some Reformed as great people of faith in regard to the essentials), but I am not Arminian. I believe, in no uncertain terms, in the absolute security of the believer. The finished work is perfect and absolute and secure.

There may be subtle differences in understanding God's sovereignty, but there is no difference in the understanding of God's ability to keep that which is his.

Might I go a little "ultra" on you for a second? This verse in Ephesians is held by many among the UD as a specific choosing of God in his sovereign choice of "the Body" for his sovereign purposes:


Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will...


I won't go into "in heavenly places" and "before the foundation of the ages" as we have looked at these elsewhere. Suffice it to say for this context, there are many "non-Reformed" who recognize both man's responsibility to respond to the witness of God (even in the very creation), while also recognizing God's absolute fidelity in keeping that which he has reconciled.


And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 
-2 Corinthians 5:18-20


The work of Christ is absolute. God is already reconciled to men through his perfect sacrifice. Men are called to thus be reconciled to God. The offer is real and in accepting that offer, both God and man are reconciled to each other. That cannot be broken. The sacrifice has already taken away all "trespasses" and God is faithful to both his word and his satisfaction in that sacrifice.

I realize there are some semantic differences, but these are very secondary when we dwell on the finality of the cross and resurrection. So, I have no gripe with any Reformed who line up side-by-side to defend the absolute perfection of the sacrifice of the Son of God, who join me in "the ministry of reconciliation," imploring men to be reconciled to God by that work alone.

As a final note, I would add that as Carson worries about the non-Reformed, he has allowed some bad theology to slip past him. He has endorse the gender-neutral Bible translations and was part of the problematic NLT.

Not being Reformed does not make one an Arminian. These are manmade distinctions. Helpful for discussion, but they're not Biblical absolutes from which we must choose. let's be careful with absolutist labels.