Tag Archives: Hermeneutics

Pseudonymity and the New Testament

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After our freshman year at college, my best friend from high school and I got together and compared our experiences. I was attending FBBC while he attended another well-known Christian college. We both had learned so much and were really pleased with our education so far. Yet as we talked, he told me about something that disturbed him greatly. In his NT survey class his professor believed and taught that many of the epistles in the NT were not written by the claimed authors, but rather that they were pseudonymous.

Carnality and the Believer

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Reformed theologians have consistently taught that there are only two kinds of people in the world the saved or unsaved or, to use their terminology, the “spiritual” and the “natural.” They hold dogmatically that believers are always classified as “spiritual” in the New Testament. They do admit that believers can be “carnal” in some aspects of their lives, but deny that there can be a state of “carnality” for a believer. Lately this view has been adopted by some within dispensationalism.

The Inhabitants of the Millennium and the Timing of the Rapture, Part 1

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Introduction Pretribulational theologians contend that the rapture of the church is the next event on the eschatological calendar and that it will occur before the tribulation (also known as Daniel’s seventieth week). Pretribulational theologians also assert that the rapture is imminent, since no prophetic event need take place before the rapture can occur. Additionally, they affirm that Christ’s return for the church at the rapture will be separated from His second coming to the earth by the tribulation period. The doctrinal statement of Faith Baptist Theological Seminary is pretribulational.1 Posttribulational theologians contend that the rapture will take place at the end of the tribulation in conjunction with Christ’s return to the earth.

Functional Churches

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The local church is the only visible expression of the universal church, the body of Christ. As such, a living body must function consistently and well. In practical ways, though, how can the leaders of the local assembly bring Biblical body function into being? One fact remains startlingly clear. Christians do not grow in isolation. There needs to be a commonality with each other. Further, New Testament Christians were not given the choice as to whether or not they wished to function.

The Problematic Development of Progressive Dispensationalism, Parts 1&2

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In recent years major changes have occurred within dispensationalism. A new system, known as progressive dispensationalism, has caused major concern among traditional dispensationalism I. The Periods of Dispensationalism Several periods of development within dispensationalism have been suggested. The foundational period: 1885–1920 (John Nelson Darby, 1800–1882). The classical period: 1920–1950 (C.I. Scofield, 1843–1921, Lewis Sperry Chafer, 187–1952). The defining period: 1950–1990 (Alva J. McClain, John F. Walvoord, J. Dwight Pentecost, Charles C. Ryrie). The progressive period: 1990 and on (Darrell L. Bock, Craig A.

Progressive Dispensationalism: A Traditional Dispensational Critique

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I. An explanation of Traditional Dispensationalism As understood by this author, the essence of dispensationalism is that Israel and the Church, as well as God’s program for each, are clearly and consistently distinguished. The revelation concerning God’s program for each is not dealing with ways of salvation but ways of managing one’s life. The resultant features of dispensationalism understood in this way are these: A. Salvation, in the mind of God, always has been based upon the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.

The Benefits of a Bible College Education

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Selecting a college to attend is not always an easy task. For one thing, there are over 3,500 from which to choose. Then there are other factors, such as how far away it is, what it will cost, what kinds of programs it offers, would I get a quality education etc. When people begin looking for a college, they (and often their family and friends) want to know what the college has to offer. This question is an important one, and we believe that Bible colleges have some unique qualities which should be attractive to the college-bound, committed Christian.

Are We Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth?

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John Gerstner’s Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth: A Critique of Dispensationalism (Wolgemuth & Hyatt, 1991) is the latest of a number of books in recent years claiming to be the ultimate refutation of dispensationalism. 1. The design of the book: The subtitle states the purpose of the book. As one reviewer notes, the word “critique” “is putting it mildly—the book is more like a butchering” (The Baptist Bulletin, March 1992, p. 38). The jacket of the book informs the reader that this is “the most extensive and systematic study of Dispensational theology ever published.”

The Pastor—Scholar

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A New Testament pastor must be a theologian. He must also be a scholar. Both of these ideas suggest to the casual reader, a man of God who is a bookworm and out-of-touch with reality. Quite the opposite is true. The pastor’s mandate is to preach the Word (2 Timothy 4:2). This assumes that he accepts the Word is from God Himself in every detail, and that he must proclaim it exactly as God intended it. Rightly understood, then, theology and scholarship move the preacher in the direction of God and His Word, not away from it.

Faith’s Distinctive Goals

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Founders usually form their institutions to express some compelling idea. Ever since it opened, Faith Baptist Theological Seminary has published its goal to train Christian leaders who are Bible expositors. To train such leaders involves several compelling ideas. Since Faith is a seminary, not a church, it includes some activities and excludes others. Now that we are in our third year, we are in a position to assess what we have begun and to reaffirm what we are trying to do.