Recently in Viewpoint Monday Category

A few months ago I stumbled upon this long article discussing Dispensationalism. Let me say upfront, it is not a flattering article. But lest I remind my readers,

I recommend this article for the simple fact that it will get you thinking and will help you understand a topic from another point of view.

It is a good thing to read and understand other view points to make sure what you believe is best, and it is good to think through views different than yours in order to more fully understand the overall topic at hand. If we're not even willing to consider whether what we currently believe could be wrong (for lack of better term), then there is yet another more fundamental issue happening.

The article explains,

Perhaps the central doctrine of dispensationalism is the distinction between Israel and the church. Dispensationalism sees Israel as an earthly people with earthly promises, and the church as a heavenly people with heavenly promises. Membership in Israel is by natural birth. One enters the church by supernatural birth. Dispensationalists view Israel and the church as having distinct eternal destinies. Israel will receive an eternal earthly Kingdom, and the church an eternal heavenly Kingdom.

Darby, the father of dispensationalism, stated the distinction in the clearest of terms "The Jewish nation is never to enter the church."Ryrie considers this the most important dispensational distinction, and approves the statement that the "basic promise of Dispensationalism is two purposes of God expressed in the formation of two peoples who maintain their distinction throughout eternity."

In contrast, Christian theology has always maintained the essential continuity of Israel and the church. The elect of all the ages are seen as one people, with one Savior, one destiny. This continuity can be shown by examining a few Old Testament prophesies with their fulfillment. Dispensationalists admit that if the church can be shown to be fulfilling promises made to Israel their system is doomed.

If the church is fulfilling Israel's promises as contained in the new covenant or anywhere in the Scriptures, then [dispensational] premillennialism is condemned.

With that said, I commend the article, Dispensationalism A Return to Biblical Theology or Pseudo Christian Cult

You be the judge. I recommend these posts for the simple fact that they will get you thinking and will help you understand (in part) N.T. Wright's beliefs.

It is a good thing to read and understand other view points to make sure what you believe is best, and it is good to think through views different than yours in order to more fully understand the overall topic at hand. If we're not even willing to consider whether what we currently believe could be wrong (for lack of better term), then there is yet another more fundamental issue happening.

Jim Hamilton presents a good Q & A on N.T. Wright. Also read the subsequent comments.

Joel over at Sacra Doctrina also presents a Q & A of sorts in his Tom Wright and Reactions.

Both provide a good start in trying to understand NT Wright. I would highly recommend getting Wright's books so that you get a firsthand experience in what he teaches. If we only rely on second- and third-hand information on NT Wright (and anyone else for that matter!!!), we will lose sight of the real issues and begin debating caricatures rather than the issues themselves.

I recommend reading the Symposium on The Failure of the American Baptist Culture (in PDF format) presented by Biblical Horizons for the simple fact that it will get you thinking and will help you understand other points of view that you may not currently hold.

Below is the introduction and Table of Contents for the Symposium. Below the Table of Contents is the link to the PDF in which the symposium is comprised. At 317 pages, it is a thoughtful read.

The Editor's Introduction begins,

“The Failure of American Baptist Culture” might seem a puzzling topic for a symposium of essays, but the contention of the editors of Christianity and Civilization is that American culture or civilization has been, in the main, a Baptist modification of old catholic and Reformed culture. The New Christian Right, in its attempts to stem the tide of degeneracy in American life, is a Baptistic movement, and this is the reason why the New Christian Right finds itself in a condition of crisis, confusion, and indeed impotence. The thesis the editors are setting forth, then, is that American Christianity must return to a full-orbed Biblical and Reformed theology, and set aside Baptistic individualism, if it is to have anything to say to modern problems -- indeed, if it is to survive.

The purpose of this introduction is to set forth, in broad strokes, the kinds of problems that the various essays in this symposium deal with. This introduction, then, is a kind of road map to the symposium as a whole, and it is our hope that the reader will read this introduction before turning to any of the particular essays of the symposium itself.

In his post The Impossibility of Verbal Plenary Translation, Henry Neufeld discusses Bible translation with a critique on Mark Driscoll's new article Theological reasons for why Mars Hill preaches out of the ESV.

I recommend this post by Henry for the simple fact that it will get you thinking. It is a good thing to read and understand other view points to make sure what you believe is best, and it is good to think through views different than yours in order to more fully understand the overall topic at hand. If we're not even willing to consider whether what we currently believe could be wrong (for lack of better term), then there is yet another more fundamental issue happening.

Click here to read the article.