In Western Christianity, the “theology” of Dispensationalism is achieving unheard of popularity. However with examination one can see the many cultural and biblical problems this theology has. Ultimately this theology isn’t just unbiblical, it is dangerous.
In order to understand if Dispensationalism is biblical, its history and beliefs must be understood. A British pastor named John Nelson Darby heard of a Scottish girl’s dream of Jesus returning to earth in two stages which led to him becoming a follower of this idea (Witherington 94). Darby expanded upon the vision by stating that Christ would return once for the Church and then would return after seven years to make his domain in Jerusalem (Witherington 94). After Darby finished working
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Brooks and A.J Gordon (Balmer 34). Dispensationalism has been gaining followers for many years and its popularity can be seen in many places, such as in the Left Behind series which has captured the minds of many people around the world (Pagels 1). Now with historical context in mind, it is time to see what Dispensationalism teaches. Dispensationalism has three distinct characteristics: Rapture of Christians, Millennium Rule of Christ, and the Unfulfilled Prophecies of the Bible. For the purpose of this paper they will all be examined separately. The Rapture is the belief that Christians will be brought up and not have to endure the Tribulation (Robinson). The term “rapture” does not occur in the Bible but instead comes from a Latinized version of the word arpadzo which comes from “caught up” (Witherington 94). The belief in the Rapture for Dispensationalists is based on 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17 which they claim describes an event where living Christians return to heaven with Christ (Robinson). Secondly, the Millennium Rule is the belief that Jesus Christ will literally rule over earth for 1,000 years after the Tribulation (Robinson). The key here is that (as opposed to the Post-Millennial views) the believers have no part in setting up his reign …show more content…
That led many, such as Walter Rauschenbusch, to reform the ungodly world by advocating for things such as worker rights and child protection laws (Balmer 31). On the other hand Evangelicals believe that no such need exists to reform corruptness since God will take them back with him at any minute (Balmer 31). The reason for the contrast was that the Social Gospel (of which Rauschenbusch was a supporter) believed that Christians were to reform the world while Dispensationalists held to the belief that reform was useless since Jesus would return at any minute (Balmer 37). Ultimately one can see that our society only becomes better when we use long term considerations not short term calculations (Gore
You see, as the story of God develops, we begin to notice that God is not primarily aimed first and foremost at social reform. Now, don’t get me wrong, this is a GOOD THING—however it is not God’s primary goal. Jesus is ushering a kingdom that cannot be shaken and in this kingdom slavery is eradicated. However, first Jesus is working on kingdom people. Before he redeems the whole world and ushers in a new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21) he first is ushering in a new people—Christians…and you see, the social reform this world desperately needs is enacted BY Christians who have first been redeemed
One of the most distinct feature of dispensationalist view is the millennial kingdom in Revelation. The thousand year reign of Christ will take place on the earth. Based on grammatical-historical exegesis of chapter 20, Thomas provides
There are several aspects to consider when exploring the Christian worldview. There are many facets or denominations and they each have their own distinct beliefs and practices, but they all share the same fundamental beliefs. In this Paper we will explore the character of God, His creation, humanity and its nature, Jesus’ significance to the world, and the restoration of humanity, as well as my beliefs and the way that I interact with Christianity and my personal worldview.
In the book’s introduction, Walter Rauschenbusch has written “It follows that the relation between Christianity and social crisis is one of the most pressing questions for all intelligent men who realize the power of religion, and most of all the religious leaders of the people who give direction to the forces of religion” .
Overall, this book is an exceptional example of critiquing our culture with a firm grasp of the philosophies of the day. Our culture is rampant with idols that need to be destroyed. Twenty years have only made the idols more pronounced. This book ought to be required reading in Christian secondary education across the country.
In Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcy's essay, "Worldviews in Conflict," the authors evaluate the shifting culture context of today's society and how Christianity fits into this situation. The essay compares the differing views between Christianity and today's worldview, and informs the reader on how to engage today's culture. "Worldviews in Conflict" is a reliable source because its authors, audience, publication, and purpose make it
Robert H. Abzug theme of Cosmos Crumbling “explores the religious roots of reform and argues for the crucial importance of cosmological thinking to its creation.” These reforms occurred primarily as political and social actions during the first forty years of the nineteenth century. Abzug describes the new millennial age of reformers who “apply religious imagination and passion to issues that most Americans considered worldly” by eliminating the evils of society before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The main evils facing society, alcohol abuse, the lack of observance of the Sabbath, church ministry and education, slavery, individual health, and woman’s rights. Abzug primary focus is on the actual reformers, their history before and during the reform movement of discussion.
Within mainstream society it seems as if there is not a great deal of emphasis on the contributions made by theologians in society, as well as contributions by theologians to religious thought. Particularly in Christendom, ecclesiastical assemblies are so consumed with vain ideas of worship, and content on hearing biblical messages that capitulate to their personal desires, that theological studies are often neglected. Yet the contributions theologians have made in society, and the impact these contributions have had on religious assemblies have been pivotal in guiding religious discourse on subjects such as ethics, morality, and social transformation. It is for this reason, that in this essay an attempt will be made to analyze three essays from three world-renowned theologians of the 20th century. The theologians are Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Walter Wink, all of which have produced the essays used for this analysis, and have written works that have completely challenged status quo religion, and changed the landscape of Christendom forever.
―"Religion in “Brave New World“." Religion in Brave New World. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
Verstraeten, J. Scrutinising the Signs of the Times in the Light of the Gospel. Leuven: Leuven University Press, 2007.
Andrew Carnegie and Walter Rauschenbusch represent two opposing sides in the integration of Christian faith into society. Carnegie’s Gospel of Wealth stated that the rich must reinvest their earnings into social programs that would benefit the poor without providing excess money that would enable them to spend frivolously on items that would not actually improve their overall situation. In contrast, Rauschenbusch was more concerned with the physical well being of those in lower classes. Both men wrote their works as a moral response to the rapid changes industrialization produced in their economies; similarly, today’s economy is rapidly changing as a result of technological development. However, morality has struggled to keep up with the exponential advancement in technology, leaving people with little
The first part of the book begins by Wright telling the readers a little about himself and his thoughts on how people, including the church, overlook Jesus and belittles his reign. Early on, Wright discusses that the purpose of the book is to retell Jesus’ message, but in a way that it filters out the worldly explanation we have come to know. In fact, if we are to know just who Jesus was, we need to know the culture, attitudes, and assumptions of the first century Palestine. It becomes apparent in this section of the book that Wright uses liberal and conservative approaches to define Christians in this modern day. Conservative Christians believe God intervenes, while liberal Christians believe that God allows innate human development. In this part of the book Wright discusses the ‘perfect storm’ – which is found out to be three-sided. A storm in the west is created by the growing power of the Roman Empire, who politically reigned over the people in the Israel. Another storm brewed in the east, says Wright, the Israelites who have been in search of the return of God to their people. Lastly, a hurricane approached as well, which will be discussed in the next chapter. Throughout the first part of the book, it seems, Wright establishes that God did set up his kingdom in Israel and the world throu...
The debate of the destiny of the unevangelized is an issue that both Calvinist and Arminian continue to study. They attempt to answer questions similar to, “what about those who have never heard the gospel?” “Will they be judged simply for living in some faraway place where no missionaries have been?” “What about the people who lived before the time of Christ?” These questions are based on the exclusive claim of Christianity that Jesus is the only way to eternal life. There are four views that have strived to answer these questions. There is the restrictive view, universal opportunity view, postmorten evangelism view and inclusivist view. Each stance offers a Biblical argument, however not every view can be correct. In effort to answer the question, this paper will review each position and explain why of the four views; universal opportunity makes the most theological sense and in no way conflicts with the great commission.
The term millennium does not appear anywhere in Scripture. The idea originated from a thousand year period of time that characterizes the reign of the Messiah. In fact, the phrase “thousand years” is stated six times in Revelation 20. There are three main schools of thought based upon one’s view of the thousand-year reign of Christ. These views are: Amillennial, Postmillennial and Premillennial. Over the centuries these prophetic differences have caused conflict within the body of Christ and are still currently widely debated. Instead of the book of Revelation being the basis of comfort (1 Thess. 4:18) among Christians it has become a bone of contention. However, this controversy should not deter Christ’s disciples from receiving the blessings that Revelation has to offer (Rev. 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14). Rather, one should study prophecy under the Spirit’s guidance and look at the data provided within the full context of the Word assessing each of the views for correct motives and presuppositions. Therefore, this paper will examine the nature, timing, and duration of the millennium as well as the occupants of the millennial kingdom and the relationship of Israel and the Church to the millennial kingdom. The aim of this paper is to address “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place” (Rev. 1:1, ESV).
Catholics and Christians do things that are not in the Bible because of Tradition. Today, we examined the connection of Tradition with Revelation and Scripture, a description of how Tradition and Scripture support and complete each other, and an explanation of the meaning and the role of the Apostolic Tradition in supporting beliefs and practices not explicitly found in the Bible. God’s Revelation is made known through Tradition and Scripture. Both aspects of Revelation support each other and Apostolic Tradition is the guide.