A Brief Critique of Dispensationalism

The following is a brief, yet potent, argument against the errors of the Eschatological doctrine commonly known as Dispensationalism by Richard  Jones. It is not posted here for the purpose of  enjoyment or for simple agreement, but that it may further equip the saints in their labors to advance Christ’s Kingdom. Deo Vindice!

U.S. Christians should carefully re-think the troubling doctrine of Dispensationalism (Disp.). From its start in 1830, to the dubious Scofield Bible in 1909, to the present…an ill-fated conviction of Christendom’s  inevitable defeat in history has seriously hindered the Church’s duty to be an obedient source of “salt and light,” to “teach them to obey Matthew 28:20’s all things I have commanded,” and to “occupy until I come.” Our U.S. cultural collapse has not stemmed from (the admittedly troubling) government-imposed public schools, from left-wing media or from corrupt politicians. Rather, from a timid Church’s stubborn, misplaced allegiance to a bad theory. It’s time to face up to this (perhaps) personally comforting and thus semi-understandable error and begin re-instating the Bible’s message of victory in history and culture – to include continued, faithful evangelism – to a needlessly floundering nation.

* England’s John Nelson Darby founded Dispensationalism in 1830. It’s important to know he also established a well-known sect – the Plymouth Brethren – in the same time frame. It can be assumed that aspects of Brethrenism found their way into Darby’s novel, new, end-times related brainchild.

* The European Enlightenment’s rebellion in philosophy was in full force in Darby’s youth (as it still is today.) God was in the crosshairs of an atheistic, materialistic, pro-evolution, man-centered enemy busy demoting Christianity to the status of “mythology and religious superstition.” As the hostile substitute of “reason, logic and science” began supplanting God as the preeminent font of human thinking, knowing and morality, major Christian denominations retreated – pitifully – into piety, weakness and disarray.

* The resulting confusion and discouragement led to the creation of sects other than just Brethrenism. The sect craze continued as charlatans crept in with revolutionary “gospels” of Mormonism, Adventism and others as titillating answers to mainstream church failure to counter enlightenment heresy. The U.S. Civil War loaded an additional burden of long range significance onto Christianity as 600,000 of the nation’s best men – and Christian leaders to be – were killed and others crippled for life. It’s not unreasonable to ponder to what extent, or even if, the Union was truly saved.

* A few of the many Plymouth Brethren heresies include: 1) God’s moral/civil laws are said to be “no longer binding on Christians per the basic rules of life” in spite of Mt. 22:37-40, 5:18-20 and many others. 2) Plymouth Brethrenism denies the Church’s presence in the Old Testament even though the Septuagint– the Old Testament of Christ’s day – translates the Hebrew word qahal (assembly) into Greek as ecclesia (the “called out ones,” i.e., the church) 137 times. Nor, apparently, are the 15 heroes and prophets of Hebrews chapter 11 thought to be of the Church. 3) There are no assigned positions of church “minister-leader.” Adult male members speak with equal authority in spite of the ordination commands in Timothy and Titus for leaders such as bishops, presbyters, deacons, etc.

Major Dispensationalism theories:

1. The usual view is that there are seven ages or dispensations: Pre-Fall and Post-Fall Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, the Church Age, and earthly restoration of the Jews to the land.

2. In each dispensation God deals with people differently as to obedience and purpose. For example, after the fall Adam came under a “covenant of works” meaning that hard work was to be his lot.  Israelites in the Old Testament were under the Law for behavior and, some imply, for salvation as well. Troubling, however, is that in the New Testament or “Church Age” we are surprisingly not under the Law for daily personal conduct, raising the question of what replacement moral standard now governs instead?

3. Christians in 2011 are not tied to the Law’s moral code for salvation which, of course, is not in dispute.

4. Because God’s main purpose in earth history is national, physical Israel, the Church is not present in the Old Testament. However, for 1600 years prior to Disp., it was a Church given that the unifying theme of all Scripture – from Genesis to Revelation – was the covenant of the advancement and primacy of Christ’s Church and His offer of worldwide redemption. A few ancients believed Christ would literally reign on earth for a period of time and some didn’t, but the Church was always the focus. However, in Disp. this all changes. The Church “appears for the first time in the book of Acts” as a heaven-bound, temporary endeavor sandwiched between two other dispensations. Heavy emphasis is on earthly Israel both in the Old Testament and again after Revelation 20. The Church, “raptured to heaven” and gone, gives way to a national Israel restored to the land.

5. Some believe that David may return to reign from a rebuilt 4^th temple. Animal sacrifices will be reinstated. Hebrews 10:4 would need to be re-examined.

6. Evolution, self-servingly, needs for the earth to be multiple millions of years old in order to provide for the enormous amount of time needed for fish to evolve ever so slowly into monkeys and men. In that same way, and to make the theory work, Disp. needs for the book of Revelation to have been written after the apocalyptic events in Jerusalem and Israel in AD70 so that John’s prophecy is not only future for him but still future for us in 2011. Dispensationalism claims an AD94 date for Revelation, but centuries before its 1830 start, Church consensus was that Revelation was written shortly before AD70.

7. Five major pillars of Disp. are: A tribulation-rapture event; a rebuilt temple (actually, two; the 3^rd which is destroyed in the tribulation and the 4^th which replaces it); Christ’s literal return to rule on earth; the appearance of an “antichrist” in Revelation; the return of the Jewish people to the land. “Pillars” as vitally important as these should theoretically appear in the New Testament in abundance, however, they are not found there at all to include the theorized literal return of Christ to rule and reign physically on earth. He reigns now, has always reigned, and will continue to reign eternally from heaven.

8. Prior to Dispensationalism, a sovereign God’s doctrine of predestination, including for salvation, was assumed by most in the Church. But, in Dispensationalism, Arminianism prevails. Best known is the rejection of the “L” in TULIP (of Calvinistic-Covenantal prominence) which states that atonement is “L-imited” to God’s chosen elect. Disp. differs, saying that Christ died for every person ever born.

Disp. adherents often relish, privately, the false sense of relief and escapism inherent in the “soon end” of the political, social and economic chaos of “this present evil age.” Christians once stood at society’s forefront as guides and inspirers for the tough daily challenges continually faced by any culture. Sadly, it’s now accepted that culture has to deteriorate “in order to be on schedule” as related to the “inevitable coming apocalypse.” This mindset of resignation has lead, among other things to weak sermons and weak evangelism.

Parallels between Dispensationalism and Plymouth Brethrenism are evident. 1) The Church’s new, novel status, 2) the non-importance of the Law for daily conduct and behavior, and 3) the sense that man can be   independent of Church authority figures. This third factor has a direct relationship to the inroads made by the Enlightenment’s man-centeredness as played out in the existence of thousands of denominations and by the person-centeredness of independent house churches. It can also be seen in the “do your own thing, it’s all about me” attitudes in Western culture; even inside the Church.

Further Study:

http://reformed-theology.org/html/c-vs-dis.htm

http://www.goehringenterprises.com/Books/Dispensationalism%20Covenant%20Theology%20Chart.htm

http://www.angelfire.com/ca/DeafPreterist/compare.html

New Geneva Update 2012

New Geneva is launching its winter/spring semester beginning January 10th, 2012 via Internet conferencing and on campus teaching.

On campus classes include Biblical Economics, Biblical Worldview introduction studies, studies in Christian Character, literary analysis of Shakespeare’s King Henry V and Hamlet, and Logic I and II.

Correspondence courses via internet conferencing include Rhetoric/Homiletics and Systematic Theology.

New Geneva is also offering studies in statesmanship and political analysis this spring. This is a One year tract of 30 credit hours targeting all the necessary Biblical principles of leadership and statesmanship. Students interested in studying at the Geneva facility will have the benefit of full library privileges which include over 30,000 books and documents, along with thousands of primary source micro fiche documents.

As the Lord allows we hope to be hosting various professors and lecturers on special topics of interest.

For more information, scheduling and housing contact registrar@newgeneva.us or pastor@hisglory.us

Halloween: Pagan or Christian

The following article is from the Jeremiah Project:

History traces Halloween back to the ancient religion of the Celtics in Ireland. The Celtic people were very conscious of the spiritual world and had their own ideas of how they could gain access to it – such as by helping their over 300 gods to defeat their enemies in battle, or by imitating the gods in showing cleverness and cunning.

Their two main feasts were Beltane at the beginning of summer (May 1), and Samhain (pronounced Sah-ween) at the end of summer (Nov. 1). They believed Samhain was a time when the division between the two worlds became very thin, when hostile supernatural forces were active and ghosts and spirits were free to wander as they wished.

“During this interval the normal order of the universe is suspended, the barriers between the natural and the supernatural are temporarily removed, the sidh lies open and all divine beings and the spirits of the dead move freely among men and interfere sometimes violently, in their affairs”
(Celtic Mythology, p. 127).

The Celtic priests who carried out the rituals in the open air were called Druids, members of pagan orders in Britain, Ireland and Gaul, who generally performed their rituals by offering sacrifices, usually of crops and animals, but sometimes of humans, in order to placate the gods; ensuring that the sun would return after the winter; and frightening away evil spirits.

To the Celtics, the bonfire represented the sun and was used to aid the Druid in his fight with dark powers. The term bonfire comes from the words “bone fire,” literally meaning the bones of sacrificed animals, sometimes human, were piled in a field with timber and set ablaze. All fires except those of the Druids were extinguished on Samhain and householders were levied a fee to relight their holy fire which burned at their altars. During the Festival of Samhain, fires would be lit which would burn all through the winter and sacrifices would be offered to the gods on the fires. This practice of burning humans was stopped around 1600, and an effigy was sometimes burned instead.

October 31, Halloween, is one of the more popular holidays for children. What child wouldn’t want to dress up as a monster or fairy and score a bag of candy in the process?When Christianity spread to parts of Europe, instead of trying to abolish these pagan customs, people tried to introduce ideas which reflected a more Christian world-view. Halloween has since become a confusing mixture of traditions and practices from pagan cultures and Christian tradition.

By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. During their rule of the Celtic lands, Roman festivals were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain. The Romans observed the holiday of Feralia, intended to give rest and peace to the departed. Participants made sacrifices in honor of the dead, offered up prayers for them, and made oblations to them. Another festival was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of “bobbing” for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.

As the influence of Christianity spread into Celtic lands, in the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV introduced All Saints’ Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs, to replace the pagan festival of the dead. It was observed on May 13. In 834, Gregory III moved All Saint’s Day from May 13 to Nov. 1 and for Christians, this became an opportunity for remembering before God all the saints who had died and all the dead in the Christian community. Oct. 31 thus became All Hallows’ Eve (‘hallow’ means ‘saint’).

Sadly, though, many of the customs survived and were blended in with Christianity. Numerous folk customs connected with the pagan observances for the dead have survived to the present.

In 1517, a monk named Martin Luther honored the faithful saints of the past by choosing All Saints Day (November 1) as the day to publicly charge the Church heirarchy with abandoning biblical faith. This became known as “Reformation Day,” a fitting celebration of the restoration the same biblical faith held by the saints throughout church history.

Read More From the Jeremiah Project

New Geneva Launches Its On Campus Facility

On September 30^th2011 New Geneva launched its educational facility with an open house to the community and interested parties.  New Geneva is a Christian Leadership College conferring 1, 2, and 4 year degrees in Applied Theology, targeting various majors and a seminary school in Reformed and Theonomic studies.

New Geneva’s goal is to equip students with the necessary academic tools so that they are able to logically apply those things learned in the real world. Without the application of God’s Law-Word to the culture, academics are a simple head scratching without any teeth behind it for cultural dominion. Thus, New Geneva is more than a Bible College; it is a Leadership Academy.

Among the many tracts of study New Geneva offers courses in Theology, Biblical Law, Constitutional Law, Constitutional Philosophy, Political Philosophy, Basic Philosophy, Art, Music, Science & Engineering, Apologetics, Worldview studies, Government studies, Education, Economics, Literature, Counseling, Communication, Christian character, History, an internship program and an art guild affiliation. The Ambassador’s School is New Geneva’s internship program and the Bezaleel Art Project is Geneva’s art guild.

All course tracts are tailored especially for each individual student which enables the student to get the most out of his or her studies. Most importantly New Geneva’s price structure is geared toward families who want a superior Christian education without the exorbitant price tag.

On Campus Or Correspondence

Although the majority of Geneva’s courses can be taken correspondence, or via video feed, there are those that wish to attend Geneva for a season depending on their schedule. Once on campus the student can share in a small college atmosphere, and one on one interaction with the professors and staff. Of the many benefits of on campus visitation, the facility houses a theological library of over 30,000 books, pdf documents, seminary lectures, and videos for the serious student, along with an art studio/gallery, music room, study and lecture halls, a microfiche viewing room, and a café complete with WiFi accessibility and a theological bookstore. All of these are accessible to our on campus students.

The Lounge & Study Area

While relatively small, equipped with WiFI accessibility, the downstairs lounge hosts a book store and café type setting for fellowship and study for both the student and the community. For a more secluded study atmosphere Geneva’s study hall and library are perfect settings for research, study and reading.

The Library and Microfiche Viewing Room

While Geneva’s library hosts over 30,000 books, documents, pdf , MP3 lectures and videos and is without a doubt the serious student’s dream, the Microfiche viewing room unique. With 5 full screen viewers this room houses thousands of primary source materials of the colonial era from 1600 to 1820 including all of New England’s Newspapers from the Puritan & Revolutionary period. This resource is priceless for the serious researcher.

The Art Studio

Of course God’s world includes His Glorious Creation. Art, therefore, must reflect the Master Artist or it is not really art. Geneva’s art courses teach and equip talented students to express the Glory of God in their artwork as a repudiation statement against the postmodern nonsense we see in the world of today.

The Music Course Tract

Geneva’s music tract teaches both the philosophy behind music from a Biblical viewpoint but also conducts chorale singing in English and other languages as well.

Modular Students

Students can remain on campus for any length of time. New Geneva does not have dorms but will assist in housing arrangements as needed.

For More Information log onto www.newgeneva.us or email us at Registrar@newgeneva.us

God’s Wrath Kindled Against the Ungodly Statist Schools

California Governor Signs Landmark Law to Teach Gay History
Thursday, July 14, 2011 The Associated Press

The California ruling by Governor Brown should not surprise any Christian. This was coming. It was inevitable. However, we Christians need to look at this ruling from God’s vantage point. This perversion of law is an open judgment upon what we have known to be an anti-christian institution all along – the statist schools.

Since it is God who orchestrates all things, and all things work together for the advancement of His Kingdom, this ruling, allowing one of the most perverse practices into the schools, is actually an open manifestation of God’s wrath upon the schools. Even the wicked know it. ( They suppress the truth in unrighteousness, but they know that they are in deep, deep trouble intuitively – i.e. subconsciously.  (Let them rejoice. It will turn to mourning soon enough)

This major crack in the entire school system is cause for our rejoicing. God is dealing the death blow to one of the most insidious enemies of Christendom and the families of each Christian household – the statist schools.

We who have been obedient to His Covenant commission to Christo-centrically educate our children are not touched by this judgment. We are as Lot – spared the fire and brimstone of God’s wrath.

What we must do now is be prepared to gather those children whose parents refuse to submit to these rulings of abject perversion and who exodus the statist gulag. We must take upon ourselves the Levitical mantel and build schools at every level.

What is coming our way is a great opportunity. Gird up your loins brethren – God is sounding the Trumpet!

(Look for my sermon on Sermon Audio “Exodus Part 86 The Enemies of the Family” )

Legalized Assault via Sexual Harassment

World Net Daily has just released this report. If the picture dose not speak a thousand words, and fails to enrage you, you are either dead or a TSA agent.

This is the Government’s way of de-sensitizing the American people to tyranny, and lulling them into a false sense of security. What is being done here has nothing whatsoever to do  with safety, but everything to do with forcing the citizen into passive acquiescence.

The WND Report:

The Department of Justice under Barack Obama’s direction has threatened to make the state of Texas a “no-fly” zone if state lawmakers pursue legislation that would protect airline passengers from having their sex organs groped by Transportation Security Administration officials without probable cause.

The threat came yesterday from U.S. Attorney John E. Murphy, who warned state lawmakers, “Texas has no authority to regulate federal agents and employees in the performance of their federal duties or to pass a statute that conflicts with federal law.”
He said if state lawmakers would move forward with their plans to protect airline passengers from what critics have termed sexual assault in airport security lines, “TSA would likely be required to cancel any flight or series of flights.”

The letter’s impact was immediate, as one state senator told the Tenth Amendment Center he would not pursue his bill. But just as immediate was the outcry over the “tyranny” being imposed by the federal government and warnings that if this year’s bill isn’t successful, there certainly will be more to follow.

State Rep. David Simpson, who sponsored the state plan in the House and notes that it protects federal agents doing constitutional searches, suggested the federal government review the U.S. Constitution, under which its agents are supposed to be acting.

Read more: Feds to Texas: We’ll make you a ‘no-fly’ zone http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=303129#ixzz1NPUEZ1ko

Amerika’s Police State is Not Coming… It’s HERE!

This post is from Kurt Nimmo atInfowars.com

Last week it was announced that TSA goons would conduct a grope-down of students during prom night at a Santa Fe high school. The TSA promised to move from airports into the New Mexico high school after two girls said security personnel groped them and a federal judge ruled the TSA should conduct pat-downs at dances or graduations.

On Saturday night, the TSA did not conduct the searches at the Santa  Fe high school as promised. In public schools searching students is now a  well-established practice.

Santa Fe superintendent Bobbie Gutierrez told KOAT News in Albuquerque that instead of TSA goons with blue latex gloves, the  court allowed Santa Fe High School to use state police to search  students.

See the KOAT video here.

The judge’s ruling indicates the federal government and the TSA believe they should be conducting searches. The TSA has moved from airports to train and bus stations. TSA boss Napolitano has said she envisions the agency ultimately groping citizens at malls and hotels.

In February, we reported that the TSA had announced its intention to expand the  VIPR program to  include  roadside inspections of commercial vehicles, setting up  a  network of  internal checkpoints and rolling out security procedures  already   active in airports, bus terminals and subway stations to roads  and  highways  across the United States.

Following the purported killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, New York senator Charles Schumer called for no ride lists for Amtrak similar to the no fly lists currently used in the nation’s airports. Schumer issued his demand after the Pentagon supposedly gleaned  information about terrorists attacks from Osama bin Laden’s home in  Pakistan. The Department of Homeland Security sent an advisory to law enforcement officials around the country stating al-Qaeda  discussed tampering with an unspecified U.S. rail track so that a train  would fall off the track at a valley or a bridge.

The TSA’s declaration that it will move its grope-down operation into not only malls and hotels, but also high schools, is part of the federal effort to acclimate the population to an ever increasing police state.

Economic Meltdown – It’s Coming

Although the sinful love of money is the root of all evil, money  is nevertheless the tool that must be used to secure Christian families and advance the Kingdom of Christ.  Governments know what money is and how to use it – most Christians do not. As a result, the study of economics is placed last on the Christian’s list of interests other than the simple spending of money and paying of bills.

If there was ever a time when Christians needed to understand money, and what is happening to money in the United States and the world through gross debt and inflation, the time is now.

25 million Zimbabwean dollars = $1 US - This pile of money worth $100 US

Money and stewardship go hand in hand. The Scriptures speak volumes about money, its nature and its proper use. Still, Christians are ignorant of its nature, Biblical purpose and how it is the key to Righteous dominion.

Günter Schmölder once noted

“With inflation alone,  a government can extinguish debt without repayment or wage war and engage in other nonproductive activities on a large scale: it is not recognized as a tax.”

We are already in the midst of a terrible inflationary period that is effecting every aspect of our social order, from the price of gasoline to the price of food. With the coming of American hyper-inflation the situation is going to be worse.

Considering this, the words of Adam Fergusson are haunting.

“In [Germany's] hyperinflation[period -1920's], a kilo of potatoes was worth more than the family silver. A prostitute in the family was better than an infant corpse; theft was preferable to starvation; warmth was finer than honor; clothing more essential than democracy; food more needed than freedom.”

The New Geneva Chrisitan Leadership Academy is concerned with the turn of events in the American Economic system and offers introductory courses in economics, and advanced stewardship, to prepare Chirst’s people for what is soon to come. To be forwarded is to be forearmed.

New Geneva Christian Leadership Academy

Establishing a Biblical World View

Definition: A world view is any set of presuppositions – assumptions that may be either true or false – which a person holds – either consciously or subconsciously – consistently or inconsistently – about the basic makeup of the world.

Principle 1: Everyone has a world view. There is no neutrality when it comes to an individual’s assumptions about the world.

Everyone has  pre-supposed set of ideas or philosophies of the world in which we live. Everyone has an opinion of what is right or wrong, good or evil, acceptable or unacceptable. Everyone holds to a particular set of beliefs, standards, creeds, and code of ethics all of which are based upon some form of a supposition about the world around us.

Principle 2: Every assumption is a belief and therefore every assumption is religious. Every presupposition is a belief, religiously based upon  in one thing or another. Whether the assumption is based upon the notion of God, or the notion that there is no god, it is a religious assumption.

Most folks hold to a general belief in a god,  a group of gods,  luck, chance, fate, extraterrestrials, the self, government or any number of higher forms of power. All of these ideas about the world form an individual’s presupposition and they are religious in nature.

Principle 3: Everyone thinks in terms of a particular world view presupposition. The presuppositions man has about the world will form how he thinks.

Principle 4: Everyone acts according to a particular set of world view presuppositions. This means that a man will behave and make decisions based upon his beliefs about the world around him. Thus, man is controlled in his everyday affairs by his world view.

But the question is, “Is there an absolute right and wrong view of the world around us?” If the answer is “yes”, then which is the right view? If the answer is “no” then it doesn’t really matter what men do, since everyman will do what is good and right in his own eyes.

The reality is that the world was created with absolutes, by an absolutely righteous and unchanging God. There is an absolute right and wrong, and there is an absolute measuring standard by which to view all things – the moral Law of God.

The reason why man repudiates God’s Law and the totality of the Holy Scripture, to the extent that he does, is because he desires to be his own god.

The unchangeable Law of God is the only standard by which mankind can see  clearly and judge rightly.

The professorial staff at  New Geneva understands the vital importance of a Biblical World View and have developed a series of courses to train the Christian for their destiny or leadership dominion in a world gone mad.

Review our World View Course list here. Registration can begin at any time.

The New Geneva is certified by The Virginia  State Counsel of Higher Education

Family Economics Conference 2011 Update

In a series of lectures and workshops during Kevin Swanson’s March 2011 “Family Economic Conference”, the focus was upon family stewardship and its unity of purpose. One of the most misunderstood aspects of life, especially in the Christian realm, seems to be economics.

Economics is central to every aspect of life. Everyone trades something for something else. Life is comprised of trade-offs. We trade time for money, and money for things. Life is all about determining which trade is the better bargain. This is called trading at the margin.

New Geneva was represented at the Conference amidst the Chalcedon Book Table since New Geneva uses many of Dr. R.J. Rushdoony’s work as textbooks.

In this time of economic fear it is fitting to have a conference on the family’s economic responsibly and its security. It is also fitting to highlight courses and programs which prepare individuals and families for the rough times ahead. And so, to better prepare families and individuals for what may be the worst economic crisis of our time, New Geneva offers a wide range of courses in Economics, Stewardship and Business.

But studies on economics is not the real beginning point. Economic stewardship begins with proper Christian character.Without a proper Christ-centered focus all the studies in economics will avail nothing. Therefore along with every course tract at New Geneva the course on “Christian Character” is mandated.

PTR THEO VI – Christian Character  (PTR 200)
This course is designed for every Geneva student.
Requirements: Each student must show an in-depth understanding of the material presented and must be able to show forth the fruit of their study.

Instructor: Rev. Dr. Paul Michael Raymond
Format: Correspondence/Independent Study
Course Fee: $225 (3 credit Hours @$75/hr)

Check out our web site for the latest updated course listings and our Ambassador School Blog.