Statements of Faith
Many Churches, Seminaries, and Christian Organizations include on their websites a statement of faith where they typically layout the what they consider to be non-negotiable truths that they expect their members, adherents, and associates to abide by. This practice goes back to the Apostles Creed which states:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of the saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
As time went on, statements of faith began to include other doctrines that were necessary to differentiate one Church from another in terms of the core beliefs of Christianity.
For example, The Roman Catholic Church adopted many erroneous beliefs including infant baptism, justification by works, the creation of a specially empowered clergy, the worship of images and prayers to the dead. Therefore, non-Catholic Churches might affirm believer’s baptism, the authority and inspiration of the Bible, the nature of man, the requirements of salvation, and an affirmation of the second coming of Christ among other things. Deviation from these core doctrines typically would place a person outside of what is regarded as Christian orthodoxy by those adhering to these various statements of faith, some would go so far as calling it heresy to disagree.
Upholding Biblical doctrine is vitally important and statements of faith are a necessary component of upholding Bible truth. Here’s the problem. It is one thing to modify a statement of faith in response to false teaching. For example, theological liberalism has been infecting churches for well over 100 years and in response you see churches affirming things like Biblical inerrancy. However, something like Biblical inerrancy is affirmed by the Apostle Paul when he says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;” 2 Tim 3:16. Now we’re seeing affirmations of pretribulationism included in statements of faith. Not simply an affirmation of the Lord’s return or that there will be a rapture/resurrection, but insisting that Christians are exempt from the great tribulation in the absence of any Biblical or historical justification that predates the early 19th century.
This is dangerous for 2 reasons. First, it gives believers a false sense of security that they will never have to face the Antichrist and refuse the mark of the Beast. Some teachers like John MacArthur have gone so far as to say that a person can take the mark of the beast and not receive damnation as a result in direct contradiction to scripture.
Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. Rev 14:9-12
The second problem with this is that it causes unnecessary division. There are many believers who based on scriptural and historical precedent do not accept pretribulationism. Yet elevating this fringe albeit popular doctrine only serves to divide the body of Christ by regarding as unorthodox a belief that Christians will have to face the Antichrist at some point. Even though this belief has been demonstrated to have a Biblical and historical foundation to the very earliest Christian writings.
Examples of Pretribulational Statements of Faith
Calvary Chapel Association
CHRIST’S SECOND COMING
We believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, which is His personal, visible return to Earth and the establishment of His millennial kingdom, in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment and eternal blessing of the righteous and endless separation of the wicked (Matthew 16:27; Acts 1:11; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:11-15). We believe in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church where all believers will meet the Lord in the air and be taken out of this world prior to the Tribulation that will come upon the earth (Isaiah 26:20; Matthew 24:29-31; Luke 21:36; Romans 1:18, 5:9; I Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-16, 5:9; II Peter 2:7-9; Revelation 3:10, 5:7-10, 7:13-14).Assemblies of God
the RAPTURE of the CHURCH
A comparison of passages of Scripture relating to the Second Coming shows that some speak of a visible event seen by all mankind and involving the judgment of sinners.Others describe a coming known only to believers and resulting in their deliverance from earth.The latter is referred to among evangelicals as the Rapture. This word is not in the English Bible, but has been used so widely that one of the definitions of “rapture” in Webster’s Third New International Dictionary Unabridged is: “Christ’s raising up of His true church and its members to a realm above the earth where the whole company will enjoy celestial bliss with its Lord.” The word raptured could well be used to translate the expression “caught up” of 1 Thessalonians 4:17. Jesus said His coming will result in one individual being taken from a location while another is left. This indicates a sudden removal of believers from the earth with unbelievers left to face tribulation (Matthew 24:36-42).
Grace Christian University
The Return of Christ
– The pre-tribulation rapture of the members of the Body of Christ.
(I Corinthians 15:51-53; Philippians 3:20-21; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:13-14)
– After a seven-year tribulation period, the personal, premillennial return of Christ to reign on earth.
(Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 9:20-27; Zechariah 14:4, 9; Matthew 24:15-41; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:1-4)Billy Grahm Evangelistic Organization
What is the Rapture?
There are many Christians who believe that the second coming of Jesus Christ will be in two phases. First, He will come for believers, both living and dead, in the “rapture” (read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). In this view, the rapture—which is the transformation and catching up of all Christians, dead or alive, to meet Christ in the air—will be secret, for it will be unknown to the world of unbelievers at the time of its happening.The effect of this removal, in the absence of multitudes of people, will, of course, be evident on earth. Then, second, after a period of seven years of tribulation on earth, Christ will return to the earth with His church, the saints who were raptured (Matthew 24:30, 2 Thessalonians 1:7, 1 Peter 1:13, Revelation 1:7). He will be victorious over His enemies and will reign on the earth for 1,000 years (the millennium) with His saints, the church.
The Master’s Seminary (John MacArthur)
The Rapture of the Church
We teach the personal, bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ before the seven-year tribulation (1 Thessalonians 4:16; Titus 2:13) to translate His church from this earth (John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-5:11) and, between this event and His glorious return with His saints, to reward believers according to their works (1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10).Liberty University
We affirm that the return of Christ for all believers is imminent. It will be followed by seven years of great tribulation, and then the coming of Christ to establish His earthly kingdom for a thousand years. The unsaved will then be raised and judged according to their works and separated forever from God in hell. The saved, having been raised, will live forever in heaven in fellowship with God.
Numerous other Baptist and nondenominational churches also include pretribulationism as a core doctrine. This will lead to more error and alienation from those who would otherwise be their ally in the faith.
the church is not mentioned between between ch. 4 and 22. The word ‘CHURCH’ is never used in Revelation in reference to the ‘eklesia’ – the word is SINGULAR in Revelation 2 & 3 and it refers to SPECIFIC churches – SPECIFIC “CONGREGATIONS” – SPECIFIC ‘ASSEMBLIES’ in Asia Minor. NOT the Eklesia OR CHURCH as a Whole. The word Church is not found in Mark, Luke, John, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, or Jude.
SO WHERE IS THE CHURCH MENTIONED IN REVELATION?
They are the SAINTS’ – FELLOW SERVANRS – BRETHREN – THEY ARE THOSE WHO ARE WASHED IN THE BLOOD – WHO OVERCAME BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB – THEY ARE THE ‘CALLED’ ONES – THEY ARE THE ‘CHOSEN BY GOD – THE DEAD WHO DIED IN THE LORD
THEY ARE THE ONES THE BEAST MAKES WAR WITH – THE SAINTS
THE DEAD WHO DIE IN THE LORD
TWO PROPHETS IN THE CHURCH
THEY ARE THE ONES “who were slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held:”
They are the ones that, “would not worship the image of the beast.”
They are the ones who, “who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
They are the ones who, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on:”
they have shed the blood of saints and prophets
They are, “those who were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God.”
PRE-TRIB IS ALL ABOUT THE LIES!
Scott, What did the author of the Book of Hebrews say below about the land promise?
Heb 11:15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
Based on the passage below how can there be a permanent land promise on this earth?
2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2Pe 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Has God not fulfilled His promises to the Jewish people through the sacrifice of His Son at Calvary? Is the land promise unconditional to those who reject Christ?
1Jn 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1Jn 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
Who is replacing the word “so”, which is an adverb of manner, with the word “then”, which is an adverb of timing, in Romans 11:26?
I have heard Dispensationalists like John Hagee corrupt this verse by saying… “And then all of Israel will be saved.” Did Paul change his mind after recording the verse below from Romans 9?
Rom 9:27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
Does Paul define the people of God in Romans 11:1-5, or does he say modern Israelites will be saved outside of the New Covenant Church, in Romans chapter 11? Are there two different groups of “they” in Romans 11:28, just as there are two different groups of Israelites in Romans 11:1-5?
How much of Jacob’s DNA do I need in order for God to owe me a piece of land in the Middle East? What did Paul say below about genealogies?
1Ti_1:4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
Tit_3:9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
One of the greatest errors of modern Dispensational Theology is the claim that modern Orthodox Jews will come to salvation outside of the New Covenant Church of Jesus Christ. I will say it again. Once a person comes to understand the New Covenant promised to Israel, and Judah, in Jeremiah 31:31-34, the Two Peoples of God doctrine of modern Dispensational Theology falls apart, and the pretrib removal of the Church falls with it.
Joe teeter,
Do you not know that the earth is our inheritance? Throughout the word we are told the earth is our inheritance. Jesus said I go and make a place for you! He is in heaven creating the New earth.
Look at Revelation 21 where the New heaven is created and the New earth is given to us and prepared in all splendor where the streets are made of Gold. How then can you take and decide the Bible is not speaking of the new earth???
There is no separation by race religion or anything else in the Lord none whatsoever! Galatians 3:28 there is neither male nor female Jew nor Greek for we are all one in Christ! And if you are Christs then you are Abraham’s Seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Abraham was promised the earth forever! The earth was made for us and we from it it is ours forever even when it’s made new! Heaven is not our home it was made for God and His angels, not humans.
Tammy,
I agree with you 100% that the New Heavens and the New Earth are our inheritance, and also the inheritance of the Old Testament Saints found in Hebrews 11:15-16. It is what Peter was looking for in 2 Peter 3:13.
The earth was perfect before the fall, and Christ came to reverse the fall.
I do not disagree with anything you said in your reply above.
Joe, Here’s the problem. You’re approaching scripture beginning with a premise. If I’m correct in my understanding of your position, that premise is that God has forsaken His people Israel. That God’s promises to Israel have been transferred to the Church. That the people who call themselves Israel today are not truly the descendants of Jacob. That disagreeing with these positions amounts to idolatry. So the manner in which you approach scripture is to affirm your premise.
Case in point. The first scripture reference that you present is Hebrews 11:15-16. This perfectly illustrates my point. First of all, what is the context of the passage? Is the author of Hebrews trying to point out that the “land of promise” is spiritual rather than physical? Far from it. The context is giving multiple examples of faith followed by obedience. In fact, when the author of Hebrews contrasts the earthly from the spiritual, he is not comparing the land of promise (land of Israel) to a heavenly city. The author is comparing Ur of the Chaldeans to the land of promise. It was after Abraham left Ur by faith in obedience to God that God said to Abraham. “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates” To this day, this promise is yet to be fulfilled. If you were allowing the text to speak for itself, then by faith, you would expect God to fulfil this promise rather that using it buttress your false premise.
Your second point also ignores the context of prophecy in general. The new heavens and new earth happen at the end of Christ’s millennial reign on earth according to Rev 20-21. The fact that we are called to live holy lives eagerly anticipating a new heaven and earth, does not negate all of the intervening prophecies that occur between now and that ultimate climax.
Your third point begs the question, of course, God fulfilled many promises to the Jewish people in Christ but not all of them. Again you are misusing the scripture to support your premise. 1 John, who is it written to? Answer: believers in Jesus. Contextually who is John speaking of in chapter 2, is it unbelieving Jews? Answer: No, he is speaking of those who went out from us (Gnostics). John is warning against the doctrine of the Gnostics and is explaining that they are in darkness. This has nothing to do with the Jewish nation, it has to do with individual false teachers. Having said that, do I believe that Talmudic Judaism is Antichrist? Absolutely. Should that make Jews an object of derision? Absolutely not. We should love them even if they are our enemies for Christ’s sake and share the gospel with them. Not trying to deny them the land that God promised them. If you fail to interpret scripture accurately and in context, you will continue to make yourself His enemy by hating the object of His love.
In your complaint about the mishandling of the English translation of houto by John Hagee (who I consider to be a heretic), I don’t see how his mistranslation has any bearing on whether or not God still loves the Jewish people or failing to fulfil His promises to them. Nor does the fact that God says He will save a remnant of Israel change anything.
With respect to genealogies. It s important again to understand the context of what Paul is speaking about. In Pauls letters to Titus & Timothy he warns against “Jewish fables and endless genealogies.” What was he referring to? Was it establishing whether or not a person was Jewish as you are alleging? Answer: No. There were 3 errors circulating in Paul’s time concerning genealogy.
1.) Gnosticism. According to Ireneaus, this is specifically what Paul is addressing.
2.) Divination. It was a common practice among Jews of the day to associate allegorical meaning to names in genealogies in a similar way that astrology has been and is used today.
3.) To claim authority. It was not uncommon for Jews of the day to assert their pedigree as a basis of authority.
So your question about DNA is moot. What you are failing to recognize is that it is God Himself who is returning the Jews to their land.
Also, please understand, I’m not a dispensationalist. Having said that, just because I’m not a dispensationalist does not mean they are wrong on every point. There are some things that I agree with dispensationalists on like their emphasis on (not necessarily interpretation of) prophecy, their insistence on applying a literal hermeneutic (although they do so inconsistently), their futurist view of prophecy, and adherence to premillennialism, and other things including the belief that God has not fulfilled all His promises to Israel. I agree with you that there is only one way of salvation for Jews and Gentiles and that is repentance toward God and faith in Jesus. Dispensationalists that teach otherwise are on the very dangerous ground of proclaiming a different gospel and therefore are under condemnation.
But you Joe, are in danger of the same condemnation as those you stand against. Until you learn to love the Jews the way Jesus does, you cannot be His disciple.
Scott, this was so very well said, I agree entirely!
Scott,
In reality, no-one can “love the Jews the way Jesus does”? Even Jesus condemned certain Jews, most especially of the Pharisees, when He said to them that their father was the devil; John 8:44.
Dispensationalism is contrary to the Scriptures, and as we well know, it emerged circa 1830, and has since that time utterly corrupted the plain and simple doctrine of the Lord’s Second Advent. The Church Fathers knew nothing of pre-tribulationism (unless you believe the revisionists), nevertheless, as you affirm, Dispensationalists are not “wrong on every point.” There is much truth in what they assert, yet also much error!
Dispensationalism is another gospel in as much as those such as Hagee and his predecessors have taught that the OT saints, and even unbelieving Jews in our present day can be saved apart from Christ! This is plainly contrary to John 14:6 and Acts 4:12.
Most certainly, I agree with you that the Land (in all its fullness) has yet to be taken possession of, for the children of Israel will yet dwell peacefully in “the land of unwalled villages..” Ezekiel 38:11, yes, they WILL dwell securely in the land as prophesied in Isaiah 11:6-9, & 65:19-25, and as you say “the new heavens and earth” will not commence until the millennium has expired, that is after the “great white throne” judgment, Revelation 20:11.
I would label myself as a historic pre-millennialist; is that how you would describe yourself? for this is what the apostolic hope was, see; Acts 1:6. The apostles certainly believed that the Saviour was going to set His kingdom upon the earth back then, it was their ever present hope, and they will NOT be disappointed! it was the “times and the seasons” where they erred.
Scott,
Since my wife and I financially support “Jews for Jesus”, and “Word of Messiah” ministries, which are taking the Gospel to modern Orthodox Jews, if that is not loving modern Jews, please explain what is a better alternative.
You may not be a “Dispensationalist”, but you seem to be attempting to separate the Church from faithful Israel, which is necessary to make Dispensational Theology work. Like it or not, the Pre-trib doctrine is one of the pillars of Dispensational Theology.
Your problem is the fact that on the Day of Pentecost Peter addressed the crowd as “all the house of Israel” in Acts 2:36. On that day about 3,000 Israelites accepted the New Covenant promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34. Who was Peter talking to if he was not talking to Israel? The Gentiles were grafted in several years later. Paul called himself an “Israelite”, even after his conversion, in Romans 11:1. James addressed his letter to “the twelve tribes”, who were his “brethren” in the “faith”, in James 1:1-3. Who was James talking to, if he was not talking to Israel?
Throughout the history of Israel there were two different groups of Israelites. One group rejected God’s plan and worshiped false gods, like Baal. The other group made up a faithful remnant who remained faithful to God’s plan. Paul discusses both groups of Israelites in Romans 11:1-5, and says there was a faithful “remnant” of faithful Israelites during his time. Therefore, faithful Israel and the New Covenant Church of Jesus Christ cannot be separated. Unfortunately, many modern Christians cannot see the difference between the Israelite Baal worshipers, and the faithful remnant. The difference is found in 1 John 2:22-23, which was recorded by an Israelite.
You are correct about me approaching the scriptures through a premise. That premise is the New Covenant promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34, which is found fulfilled below by the blood of Christ. The 27 books, from Matthew through Revelation, are about the fulfillment of the New Covenant at Calvary.
Try looking at Ezekiel chapter 36 through the eyes of the New Covenant, if you want to understand how Israel, and Judah, are joined together as one stick. Who is the “sanctuary” forever found in Revelation 21, and Revelation 22? Who does Peter say sits on David’s throne in Acts 2? Who is the one shepherd in John 10:16? How long is “forever”. Can you find Tammy’s land promise in the chapter? Can you find any of Jeremiah 31:31-34 in the passage?
Jer_31:31 “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—
Mat_26:28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Mar_14:24 And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.
Luk_22:20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.
1Co_11:25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
2Co_3:6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Heb_8:8 Because finding fault with them, He says: “BEHOLD, THE DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL MAKE A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH—
Heb_8:13 In that He says, “A NEW COVENANT,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Heb_9:15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Heb_12:24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.
At one time my wife and I attended a local Bible church, which taught John Nelson Darby’s Two Peoples of God doctrine during Sunday School. The Pretrib doctrine was in the church’s constitution.
During a period of about five years, we never heard a sermon, or a Sunday School lesson about the New Covenant.
Now I know why. An understanding of the New Covenant destroys John Darby’s Two Peoples doctrine, which is less than 200 years old.
Joe Teeter speaks much truth as I understand it to be; sometimes we err in our understanding of what a lot of these labels mean, exactly? Perhaps he may be good enough to clarify? Scott, of-course, as you so rightly say “God has never stopped dealing with Israel”.
Anyhow, as I understand it, Dispenationalism/fundamentalism in its extreme form DOES indeed aggressively support unbelieving Israel! They put their hand to the plough of much that is opposed to Christian orthodoxy; trying to push God’s agenda as they see it, (as if He needs their help!) they are friends with unbelieving Netanyahu/Israel, the ungodly Temple institute and much, much, else. I see those adhering to Dispensationalism (if they are present in Jerusalem at the time of the Lord’s Second Coming) not listening to His words in Luke 21:21? (for they are still waiting for their false pre-trib rapture-they will be deceived).
I am a Christian Zionist (in the true biblical sense-I hope!) for I sincerely want the Lord to rule from that holy mount very soon! The King of the Jews ruling over His people in THEIR land-how natural! Also I am most certainly NOT anti-Semitic, nevertheless, I cannot support the zeal of these hyper Dispensationalists, for it is “not according to knowledge” Romans 10:2.
God bless.
BTW, there will be animal sacrifices in the millennial reign of Christ (Ezekiel 40:ff), and we don’t live on a planet…here I leave it!
Nice post just not enough proof, actually none that it’s post trib. If you would allow me to elaborate on the no pre trib doctrine and actually show you how to prove without question it’s post tribulation I will happily do that with very little teeny tiny bit of commentary.
No one can argue against the truth of the word of God when it’s presented as its own witness.
John 6:39,40,44,54. John 11:24. Matthew 13:39. 1Thess 4:13-17. Luke 17:26-30. Notice how on the DAY Noah and the 7 with him we’re taken into the ark the wrath was poured out in water! Notice also for Lot, as soon as he, his wife and daughters were told to get out on that same DAY the wrath was poured out in fire? So will it be for us, on the day the Lord is revealed!
Now look at 1 Thess 4:16 the dead in Christ rise first then we which are alive after the resurrected? Notice how Jesus says the last DAY He resurrects? Now I asked Lord obviously the resurrection/rapture must be in Revelation? I’m not kidding He Himself turned the pages of my bible from Matt 24:29-31 to Revelation 14:14-20.
Now notice as you pay close attention to Rev 14 how we see the shout of the archangel as stared in 1 Thess 4:16 with the shout of the archangel? Now we o ow what the shouts are! Reap for the earth is ripe for reaping!!! No sooner does He command His angels to reap us from the four winds of the earth, does He turn around and pour out the wrath of God!
Also notice in Revelation 16:15 as of the 6th vial, He has not come as a thief as of yet! But proclaims now He’s coming as a thief with the 6th seal, 7th Trumpet and, 7th vial!!!
When I show people this in person there’s one of two things that happen, they cry with joy at the truth of it, or get horribly offenders and flounce off that they had no argument that could suffice against the truth! Some say that’s your interpretation but no I’m afraid it’s the Bible’s interpretation and the Bible is it’s own perfect witness to itself!
Final point Revelation 19 the wedding feast after the defeat of the evil upon the earth, and the beginning of the millennial reign! We who were redeemed out of the earth being kings and priests with Him.
Hello Tammy, It was not the point of this article to make an exhaustive refutation of pretribulationism. For that, I recommend you read some of the other articles on this blog.
Oh sorry thought you might like the info
“Upholding Biblical doctrine is vitally important and statements of faith are a necessary component of upholding Bible truth.”
~As you stated here in your article, it is of vital importance to upholding Biblical doctrines.
“As time went on, statements of faith began to include other doctrines that were necessary to differentiate one Church from another in terms of the core beliefs of Christianity.
For example, The Roman Catholic Church adopted many erroneous beliefs including infant baptism, justification by works, the creation of a specially empowered clergy, the worship of images and prayers to the dead.”
~You forgot to mention another erroneous belief that crept into the church via Augustine (City of God), and that is Amillennialism. The dominant view based on the early church’s eschatology was that of premillennialism (or Chiliasm). To recap, the early church’s eschatology for the first 300 years was predominantly premillennialism. From Amillennialism (which is to say, the introduction of allegorization to the genre of Bible prophecy), would later spawn things like Preterism, Post-Millennialism, and Pan-Millennialism.
“This is dangerous for 2 reasons. First, it gives believers a false sense of security that they will never have to face the Antichrist and refuse the mark of the Beast.”
~the only way you can show any “Christian” (i.e., a pre-rapture Church-age believer) receiving the mark of the beast, is to CONFUSE who the church is with who those are on the earth AFTER the rapture. Will there be believers or converts to Christ after the Rapture? Absolutely yes. Are they the Church (in the Matthew 16:18-19 definition), NO.
~just as there were believers and converts before that first Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given, there will also be converts and believers to Christ after He removes the Church at the Rapture. Recap- At Pentecost, Holy Spirit was given to believers, indwelling and sealing them UNTIL the day of Redemption (the Rapture), likewise, that period of time of grace will come to an end. After the Rapture, believers will still be saved (or redeemed in the traditional sense of the word) but are not under the same indwelling/sealing that we are today. Just like the Old Testament, believers in God could be indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but the HS could also depart from them (eg., Samson, Saul). This is why you see the church mentioned 19 times in Revelation 1-3, but do not see the church (ekklesia) mentioned again throughout the rest of Revelation.
~as to the other commentator stating we dispensationalists hold to a dual-covenant theology, that is just wrong on so many levels. Clearly, he does not understand dispensationalism. There is ONE human race. There is ONE way of salvation. Israel did exist as a people long before the Church was created (Matthew 16:18-19, Acts 2, 7)
~we are the spiritual seed of Abraham (those who place their faith in God through Jesus Christ), that does NOT negate the reality that there is still the Old Testament UNCONDITIONAL promises made to the literal, ethnic, tribes of Israel. See Genesis 12, 15, Exodus 19, Deut. 30, Jeremiah 31:31-40, Daniel 9:24-27, 12, Romans 11, etc.
The TRUTH is, that the Bible teaches both in word and type, the Pre-Tribulation (or Pre-Seventieth Week) Catching up (Harpazo) of the Church before God pours out His wrath upon a Christ-rejecting world. That is why we (the Church) are not told to prepare for the Antichrist, His mark, or any of the specific judgments coming inside the 70th Week by ANY of the apostles. IF anyone should have taught it, it would have been Paul. But he doesn’t. He said that we will be removed before it (1 Thessalonians 4-5, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8).
The TRUTH is, that the Roman Catholic system (via Augustine) changed the predominant via of Eschatology and has suppressed it over the many centuries. Although the Reformation freed Christianity in many respects regarding doctrine, it carried with it that same catholic eschatology over into the protestant churches. This is why many mainline denominations are still Amillennial, Post-Millennial, or Preterist. Church movements that came out of the 1st or 2nd great awakening, were right to reintroduce eschatological clarity back into their belief statements because error begets error.
As for your hypothesis, here is what Jesus has to say to the faithful church.
Since you have kept My command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. Rev 3:10
Hello Pedro, I agree with you about Augustine. The early Church was definitely premillennial but they were also posttribulational. Even a cursory reading of the Didache and the pre-Nicene fathers make this obvious. They all believed the Church would face the Antichrist. There is no historical evidence to the contrary including the erroneous belief that there would be 2 kinds of Christians in the last days, one Spirit-filled and taken in the rapture and nonSpirit-filled believers left behind to face the Antichrist as you asserted.
Some pretribulationists like yourself, claim that the Church is not mentioned from the 4th to the 19th chapter of Revelation and therefore claim it is correct to conclude that the reason is that the rapture has already occurred by the end of the 3rd chapter. The Church is in fact mentioned throughout the book of Revelation. There is more than one word used to signify the Church and or Christians. One is ekklesia which is most often translated as Church or Churches, and the other is hagios which is translated as Saints. The word hagios appears 229 times in the New Testament. In every instance, it is used in reference to the Church or Christians, except as we are told by pretribulationists in the book of Revelation where the word appears 13 times. Twelve of those occurrences appear in within chapters 4-19 and several of those place the “Saints” in the tribulation. The Church is also clearly identified as being in the tribulation in Rev 12:17. Premillennialism is an established doctrine with 2000 years of Biblical and historical precedent. Pretribulationism has less than 200 years. The two do not automatically go together.
It has taken many years for me to understand that the Pretrib doctrine is only the tip of the iceberg in the Two Peoples of God doctrine of modern Dispensational Theology. Based on the book “Things to Come” by Dr. Dwight Pentecost, the Church must be removed from the planet so that God can go back and deal with Israel under the Old Covenant system. Pentecost’s version includes renewed animal sacrifices in a rebuilt temple. Dispensationalism is actually a type of Dual Covenant Theology, based on race.
Its proponents often accuse others of teaching “Replacement Theology”. However, the questions below reveal that it is the Dispensationalist who is actually guilty of Replacement Theology.
Who has replaced the one seed, with the many seeds in Galatians 3:16?
Who has replaced the children of the promise, with the children of the flesh in Romans 9:8?
Who has replaced the New Covenant Church made up of all races of people, with one made up only of Gentiles?
Who has replaced the heavenly city in Hebrews 11:15-16, with the city which is spiritually like Sodom, and Egypt in Revelation 11:8?
Who has replaced the temple found in 1 Peter 2:4-10, with one made for renewed animal sacrifices?
Who has replaced the one people of God found in John 10:16, with Two peoples of God?
We will never know how many modern Orthodox Jews have never heard the Gospel, because much of the modern Church has adopted a form of Dual Covenant Theology. Some are now allowing those who reject Christ to speak from their pulpits, and from their television programs. They have ignored Galatians 1:6-9, and 1 John 2:22-23.
Once a person comes to understand the New Covenant promised to Israel and Judah in Jeremiah 31:31-34, which is found fulfilled by Christ during the first century in Hebrews 8:6-13, and Hebrews 10:16-18, and specifically applied to the Church in 2 Corinthians 3:6-8, and Hebrews 12:22-24, modern Dispensational Theology falls apart, and the pretrib removal of the Church falls with it.
Thank God that Scott Pruitt is bringing the light to this false doctrine.
Hello Joe, I’m only in partial agreement with you. I believe you are correct in pointing out Dwight Pentecost’s erroneous belief that the Church must be gone in order for God to deal with Israel in the last days. God has never stopped dealing with Israel. A careful reading of the Epistle to the Romans should make this obvious. However, just as obvious in Romans is the fact that as a nation, Israel (not the Church) would continue to remain a distinct people before Him. While in a state of unbelief, they are not granted forgiveness of sin and eternal life, they are treated by God in a unique and prophetic way which will ultimately lead to recognition of their lost state and the salvation of the remnant that survives His appearing. Anti-zionism and antisemitism are just as unbiblical as pretribulationism is. We need to have the heart of Paul who would trade his own salvation for the salvation of his countrymen, the children of Israel. Or be like Corrie Ten Boom who along with her family, risked their lives and freedom to hide Jews from the Nazis. It is this kind of selfless love that wins the hearts and minds of the Jews, not denying them a right to a homeland that God Himself promised them.