Musical Interlude

Our daughter's first piano recital.

What is Dispensationalism?

I’m probably opening up a can of worms here (or possibly a bottle of Ambien), but I wanted to do a few posts on dispensationalism because it had me so confused for many years.

Dispensationalism is a way of interpreting the Bible. It was invented by a man named John Nelson Darby (right) in the 1830s, and popularized through the explanatory notes in the Scofield Reference Bible. It’s also the framework for the “Left Behind” novels.

According to the dispensational narrative, Christ’s ultimate plan was to start a literal kingdom in Israel. He came to earth the first time to offer such a kingdom to the Jews, but, surprisingly, they rejected Him. He then had to implement Plan B: dying on the cross for sins and establishing His church.

In dispensational theology, this “church age” is seen as a temporary fix—a historical “parenthesis.” The cross was not the focal point of all history, but more of an afterthought. Christ still wants to be the leader of a literal Israeli superpower. The next time He comes back, however, He won’t offer His kingdom politely. He’ll force everyone into submission. Membership will not be optional. (Means of salvation: compulsion).

The dispensationalists teach that the world will only get worse. The church will grow weaker. Satan will raise up a politician called the Antichrist. Christians need only cluck their tongues disapprovingly and disengage from the world, because any second now Christ will evacuate us. He’ll leave His Father’s right hand in heaven, return to earth and secretly resurrect/rapture us (but not Old Testament saints) and take us to heaven.

With Christians gone, Jews will go through a tribulation and become “saints” (their method of salvation is not entirely clear). After 7 years, Christ will again return to earth, bringing all the Christians back. He’ll kill Mr. Antichrist, resurrect all Jewish saints, and judge each nation (not individuals) based on how it treated the Jews. Then He’ll set up His government and reinstate the Old Testament system of animal sacrifices.

Now take note, Christians: you’ll be living on a sin-cursed earth in your glorified, immortal body during this earthly kingdom—right next door to neighbors who have regular bodies and regular lives. This will make for some awkward encounters.

After 1,000 years, there’ll be a military rebellion against King Christ (even though He’s immortal), but God the Father will crush the rebels. Then--1,007 years after Christians were resurrected--all the wicked throughout history will be resurrected and judged. At this point everyone will go to either heaven (this time permanently) or hell.

I’ve read countless books by dispensationalists and attended dispensational churches for 15 years. This is what they teach. Here’s another good summary, in case my explanation wasn’t very clear.

So let’s recap. The church fails. The Great Commission fails. Two separate returns of Christ. Animal sacrifices reinstated. Three separate resurrections. Multiple Judgment Days. Various means of salvation. Christians shuttling back and forth between heaven and earth.

Confused? Me too. But “God is not the author of confusion” (I Cor. 14:33), so there’s gotta be a more Biblical way of explaining His plan than this, right?

"Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed"--Movie Review

Just saw “Expelled” and thought I’d write a review for those who are interested. The movie is narrated by Ben Stein (actor and former White House speech writer), who travels the globe (well, at least America and Europe) to interview various players in the “Intelligent Design vs. Darwinism” debate. It opened yesterday in 1,052 theaters--about a third as many as a major blockbuster might.

I would highly recommend this film and found it to be suited for all ages (my 8 year old went with me and the overall message was not lost on him). It’s quirky; at times funny (as when Stein gets Richard Dawkins to admit he thinks intelligent aliens “seeded” earth with life), at times somber (Stein tours Dachau concentration camp and explores the Darwinian origins of eugenics).

What I found striking was how few Christian “apologists” were featured in the film—which I felt was not necessarily a bad thing. The fortress of evolution needs to be attacked from different angles. In this case, Stein seems to go out of his way to find accomplished Jewish detractors of Darwinism, which preempts the predictable charge that only backwoods Bible-thumpers question evolution. I was relieved that it was Dr. David Berlinski challenging Richard Dawkins on the big screen, rather than Ken Ham. (Not that Ken Ham doesn’t have his value, but this is a film about scientific wars being waged in the upper echelons of the academy).

The Berlin wall serves as the leitmotif of the film. Like the communists in East Berlin, the Darwinists don’t want any new ideas to flow to their side of the wall. You are only considered “correct” if you stand on the one side. And we all know what happened to that wall. Eventually, smart people get tired of being told what to think and they start chiseling away.

The film starts by cataloging several high-profile cases where critics of Darwinism have been “expelled” from the academy for their heresy. We then meet several proponents of intelligent design—William Demski, Stephen Meyer, Berlinski, Jonathan Wells, Gerald Schroeder--as well as some of the leading defenders of Darwinism, including Dawkins and Michael Ruse. Stein is on a quest to get one of the Darwinists to explain the origin of life, which makes for some amusing exchanges. Toward the end, Stein explores the implications of Darwinism, including racial cleansing, euthanasia and abortion. The film ends on a high note, interspersing images of the Berlin Wall coming down with various speeches about intellectual freedom, while The Killers sing their inspiring “All These Things That I’ve Done.”

While not explicitly a “Christian” film, this is an important documentary that will help open up the doors of academia to creation-minded scientists, if only by inspiring a younger generation of questioning minds. So take the kids, take the youth group, take the grandparents. The only objectionable content is one derogatory use of the word “hell,” a couple scientists openly denying the existence of God, and, well (if you’re a neo-fundamentalist), The Killers music.

Expelled--The Movie

This should be a great movie. Ben Stein pulling back the curtain on Darwinists. Check out the trailer. It opens this weekend. Thirty years ago it would've been impossible to get such a movie made and shown in theaters. So help spread the word about it.

"Train up a child in the way he should go"

“If they are founded in truth, it would seem that every reflecting father and mother must feel, that, after a provision for the comforts of life, education, in its true and full sense—the developing and perfecting the various physical, moral and intellectual faculties of their children—is the first and strongest duty; and that to sacrifice this, or any part of this, for the purpose of acquiring wealth, or station, or honor, or any other worldly interest, whether designed for parent or child, is but a surrender to an inferior good and a lesser obligation, of the greatest benefit and the highest rank. The Great Lawgiver has nowhere said to parents, bestow wealth, honor or power on your children, but he has said to them, by the very constitution of human nature, educate your children wisely, if you would train them up to fulfill their duty and their destiny…”

Sow Well and Reap Well, or Fireside Education
S. G. Goodrich, 1846
(An early American homeschooling guide)

Postmillennial Baptists

You might be a homeschooler if…you think the man on the left is Michael Pearl. It’s not. Nor is it anyone affiliated with ZZ Top. It’s B. H. Carroll, a giant of the faith and founder of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Texas. He was a postmillennial Baptist. So were the great missionaries William Carey and Adoniram Judson. So were many outstanding Baptist scholars and preachers like J. M. Pendleton, A. H. Strong, Calvin Goodspeed and J. A. Broadus.

So are we.

There’s been a noticeable resurgence in the postmillennial viewpoint in the last few years. It’s even cropping up again in some Baptist churches, most of which have been floundering in the fog of dispensationalism for over a century (more on that in another post perhaps).

What is postmillennialism? It’s the belief that Christ will come back only one more time, at the end of the world, to resurrect the dead and judge all people. (Sounds radically simple, huh? Plus it’s actually in the Bible). It’s the belief that prior to that “last day,” the church is supposed to fulfill the Great Commission. It’s the belief that Christ—not Satan—has dominion on earth, that He reigns now from heaven, and that He expects his kingdom to grow one soul at a time.

We certainly don’t consider it a matter of fellowship if someone isn’t a postmillennialist. But if you’ve ever been confused or bothered by dispensational teachings (the “Left Behind” narrative), or can’t seem to find what they’re saying in Scripture, we hope you take a look at postmillennialism. It’s kind of a relief to shed the pessimism and fear instilled by dispensationalism and return to a more optimistic and Biblical view of God’s plan.

Trivia: these hymns are postmillennial--“Joy to the World,” “Lead On O King Eternal,” “We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations,” “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “Hail to the Brightness,” probably countless others. Oh, and most of Handel’s “Messiah.” If anyone can think of any others, leave them in the comments.

In all seriousness...

Before anyone thinks about getting me this T-shirt for Christmas, I'd rather have this one.

Verse of the month

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”

2 Corinthians 10: 4, 5