4.10 – Beyond Creation Science (PT. 3)

Here is a link to the video review for our study through Chapter 2 of Beyond Creation Science, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgFq50bZklo&feature=youtu.be

4/10 – Wednesday Night Praise, Prayer, & Bible Study
Beyond Creation Science – Chapter 2

Agenda
– Praise & Prayer
– Discussion regarding reading through Chapters 2
– Outline Discussion
– Conclusion
– Closing Prayer

Chapter 2 – Time Is Running Out

The Proper Frame of Reference

The Disciples Followed The Master

Initial Expectation

 

Near-ing Expectation

 

Near-er Expectation

 

Near-est Expectation

 

Revelation: John’s Olivet Discourse

Conclusion

 

 

 

Chapter 3 – When Did This Happen?

Coming On The Clouds

 

The Right Question

 

What We Should Expect

 

Setting The Scene

 

There Shall be False Prophets

 

Increase of Lawlessness & Decadence

 

There Shall Be Wars & Rumors of Wars

 

Famines & Earthquakes

 

Persecution & Death

 

The Abomination of Desolation

 

If Those Days Had Not Been Cut Short

 

The Flood, Sodom, and Jerusalem

 

Signs & Wonders

The Destruction of Jerusalem

 

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Video & Outline Response to Aaron Tyler’s “Escape from Preterism” Interview

Here is a link to the YouTube video going through and explaining the below outline,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-cIp6yj3os

 

Recently, a man named Aaron Erhdman did an interview with Andrew White on “Open The Doors Radio” wherein he detailed his “escape from Preterism”. What I would like to do in this critique of that interview is offer some perspective and insights that will demonstrate the blatant nonsense spewed by both Aaron and the interview host.

At the beginning of the interview, Aaron goes on to define Preterism as “the idea that Jesus’s 2^nd coming happened in AD 70, as did the fulfillment of the new heavens and new earth was set up, and the resurrection”. This statement is right, however Aaron clearly does not realize that within Church History many scholars have admitted portions of that statement, either the coming, the new heavens and new earth, or the resurrection as prophesied by the prophets HAS indeed happened.  Here are some links you can review to see evidence of this;

https://www.preteristarchive.com/the-second-coming-of-jesus-study-archive/

https://www.preteristarchive.com/new-heavens-earth-study-archive/

https://www.preteristarchive.com/1907_terry_the-doctrine-of-the-resurrection/?highlight=resurrection

https://daysofouryouth.wordpress.com/2013/07/03/summary-paper-the-body-in-tertullians-on-the-resurrection-of-the-flesh-and-ambroses-de-bono-mortis/

 

Aaron, as many who critique Full Preterism often try to do, goes about asserting the Church Fathers as if they are a united front in regards to many areas of theology, especially eschatology. This is patently false. Consider the following statements that prove this. Also, none of these people were FP’s therefore were not trying to provide support for my position, yet there statements further make my case.

“I am shocked at the number of people who want to fashion their theology around the Church Fathers. One can find in their confusing writings the full spectrum of views from baptismal regeneration, infant baptism, and other heretical teachings. The Church Fathers do not determine doctrine! A sound study of the Word of God determines our doctrine”. – Mal Couch, Founder & 1st President of Tyndale Theological Seminary

“Most of what the Church Fathers wrote remains untranslated—218 Latin and 166 Greek volumes—therefore, we cannot be dogmatic in asserting what the early Church Fathers believed.” – Gary DeMar

“Vespasian vanquished the Jews in the first year of his reign, bringing the number of years to a total of fiftytwo, plus six months. For he ruled for eleven years, and so by the date of his storming Jerusalem, the Jews had completed the seventy weeks foretold by Daniel.” – Tertullian, 3rd century church father

“The Irish Book of Questions on the Gospels, interpreted Christ’s coming in the clouds in Matthew 24:30 as “in the armies of the Romans.” It then interpreted the angels in verse 31 as avenging angels “who are present in the Romans.” On the parable of the fig tree, the Book of Questions reads, Learn the parable from the fig tree, which is told about the Roman captivity. The parable contains these things. The fig tree was full of leaves but had little fruit. So also were the Jews in that glorious time, but few of them were elect. On them summer came, that is, fire burning their city.” – Gary DeMar

“And the Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world, and then the end shall come (Matthew 24:14). The Gospel, then, in a short time was preached in the whole world [Col. 1:6, 23], for a witness to the heathen, and Barbarians and Greeks alike possessed the writings about Jesus in their ancestral script and language” – Eusebius, 4th century church father

“I need now only say, all these things have been done : the old and elementary system passed away with a great noise : all these predicted empires have actually fallen, and the new kingdom, the new heaven and earth, the new Jerusalem — all of which were to descend from God, to be formed by His power, have been realized on earth.” Eusebius (c. 265 – 340), Bishop of Caesarea and “Father of Church History”

 

Building a “strawman”, of false characture of something, is often a method used when someone wants to go about dishonestly attacking another view or perspective. Aaron has sought to build up this image of him being a FP and then escaping. He asserted, “Preterist’s don’t believe in Spiritual warfare”. That’s strange – most FP including myself would surely say we do. 2 Corinthians 10 gives us the foundation of our warfare. I have preached on this. It surely doesn’t seem that Aaron ever came to fully understand Full Preterism, nor did he “escape”. The whole nonsense story, which I am sure grabbed the hearts and minds of some, is complete nonense. It would seem that Aaron battles with depression on his own terms, and rather than Spiritual leaders helping him do so, many are content to foster his confusion for there benefit (like making mocking interview radio programs). Aaron says Full Preterism leads to “
no hope”, which is a complete failure to understand how Hebrew Spirituality works – namely how individual future hopes are built upon passed fulfilled hopes. Proverbs 13:12 expresses this beautifully; “Delayed hope makes the heart sick, but fulfilled desire is a tree of life”

 

I’d like to touch a bit on the strange dishonesty and nastiness of character revealed by Andy White. He specifically said he doesn’t interact with Preterists because it’s silly to do so, he said – “Just a simple perusal through Scripture” and his mocking “Is water wet?”. So the many who have come to understand Full Preterism are just fools that can’t read? Thank God these guys show up with such clarity, because the church does seem rather divided on this and history seems to favor confusion on eschatological matters rather than how simply “is water wet” might sound. Andy asserts he believes  in the “Judeo-Christian hope of the resurrection”, which I would say I do, and his view is lacking, but notice also how he uses the obscure, a text often cited by scholars to be problematic and difficult to properly translate, to bolster his view –  Job 19. Andy is seems you are intentionally dumbing yourself, and attempting to do so to others, is favor of your view.

I had come across a video teaching of Andy’s, or Andrew White on Facebook, back in April 2018. After listening to his program I wrote this comment to him, and of course, never received a response (at least he is consistent with his not interacting with Preterists (which is also clear from his confusion regarding what Preterists believe- yet he knows its wrong, lol – please laugh with me). Anyway, here is what I had written to him:

Firstly, I’d like to commend and appreciate your passion my brother. I enjoyed your points about fighting for the truth and surely share sentiments about how many have “divorced from the truth”, sadly many within Christendom.

You spoke a bit about “authentic Biblical preaching” and the willingness to be offensive for the sake of His truth. That is another thing I can surely agree with you upon. I am looking to start a group soon enough to gather pastors who actually want to talk about doctrine (despite the many differences we may have). There really is such a need.

That brings me to my next point. You cited 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and Revelation 2:4 in a manner that seemed you believe we are in those days. I refer you back to your point about “authentic Biblical preaching”. Are you aware of the proper interpretation of Scripture and the use of “audience relevance”. How can we argue we are still in the times the 1st century Thessalonian church was in, or the 7 churches of Asia Minor in revelation. This “Futurism Gone Wild” has obscured the Truth in many areas and needs to be dealt with. I have labored in that regard for years.

I’m hoping you might consider this and maybe we can grab a coffee sometime and talk through more Biblical doctrine.”

Of course he wouldn’t repond. SMH

Back to Aaron who has supposedly written up a “list of reasons” why Preterism is not Christianity and is “absolutely a cult”. Well thank God for Aaron coming on the scene, huh? (Prayerfully you can understand my sarcasm and rather lament this young man’s arrogance with me). He goes on to say there is no history of FP before 1970, and makes remarks that one can find people have leveled against Full Preterism for years. Again, I believe I have made the point about the lack of a clear and consistent eschatology in Church History, so further reforms no matter when they show up in Church History should be examined by Scripture, not argued by way of councils, creeds, quotes, and confession. Do we not remember the words of the beloved 15^th century reformer, Martin Luther?

“Since your most serene majesty and your lordships require of me a simple, clear and direct answer, I will give one, and it is this: Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures and by clear reason (for I do not trust in the pope or councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted. My conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.”

Aaron also states that the Full Preterist view has “not one true scholar” and then falsifies his own point by stating Sam Frost as the scholar. Was this Aaron’s ignorant attempt to discredit and attack the Full Preterist movement and asserting there are none with accredited degrees that hold to and/or teach the view? That would be strange, and would not only show Aaron’s lack of information on the many that hold to the view and would reveal, which should already be evident, that Aaron’s knowledge on Full Preterism, the movement, the teachers is rudimentary at best, otherwise completely misinformed. What does all of this matter, I have no idea, just used to bolster to his attack on and again a misinformed “knowledge” of honorary degrees. As many have said after watching the video, “a young man trying to make a name for himself by attacking others”.

 

The little bit of Scripture that was brought up on the show was Aaron’s assertions on “bodily resurrection”. It’s clear that Aaron’s dogmatic assertions are not his own, as his lack of study in this regard is evident, as it would seem he just borrows different details from Scripture and theology to bolster his points without actual study. For example, and I will provide some links below, there have been various disagreements in the Church Fathers and the Christian Church (even within the Full Preterist community) regarding the resurrection of the dead – not this false unified front. Also, the fact that many within Church History saw it as necessary to write up teachings on it in great length, I think of Athenagorus of Athens, demonstrates that there were various understandings and needs for clarity (which unfortunately many time came from theological distinctions and nuances of the writer).
Arguments over “resurrection of the flesh”, “resurrection of the body”, etc. are found all throughout the history of the Church.

Yet Aaron goes about citing his “clarity” on this topic and using passages such as 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and Romans 7-8. Interestingly enough, I have many teachings on these passages, among other Full Preterist teachers, and once we prove our case, we are usually just buffeted with creeds and conffessions from Church History, not honest, simple, and natural reading of the text. Aaron states that the confusion regarding the“Body of death”  is found in Romans 8. “Romans 8 solves Romans 7”.

Let’s look at the text.  This first century letter to the Church at Rome.

Study Resources:

https://mianogonewild.wordpress.com/2014/04/17/1-corinthians-15-summaries/

https://mianogonewild.wordpress.com/2019/02/01/provision-of-justification-by-grace-through-faith/

https://mianogonewild.wordpress.com/2018/05/15/thinking-through-a-narrative-soteriology-1/

https://mianogonewild.wordpress.com/2018/08/30/thinking-through-a-narrative-soteriology-2/
Aaron goes on to cite ridiculous “implications”, that are only true according to his paradigm:
– if resurrection is in the past, no place for us (allusions to IO)
– In a futurist and individual ways asserts that God will redeem His creation; “mortal body”
– cites passages such as Daniel 12; Acts 24 – all over the place, lol
– tries to correlate FP with Sadducees; Preterists deny the “power of God”
– Go on to demonstrate confusion with his host regarding – “Philetus and Hymenaus”; “What was Paul saying” – Matthew 27?> lol
– Brings in divergent doctrines such as Hell; Covenant Creation; “In Adam”
– Ignorantly asserts FP’s believe that sin and death have been there since the beginning (many views not just FP have seem and demonstrated this)

Aaron’s arrogance (and his host’s as well) continues as he moves into the following points:

FP’s are not in touch with reality; “What reality are they living in”
– “If this present world is the fulfillment, we were sold a bill of goods”. The world is getting “worse and worse”, “more and more evil”. – Andy White

Even attached Biblical teachers such as Gary Demar and Kenneth Gentry “partial preterists”
– We are NOT in the age to come – oh ok Aaron. lol
– 43 minutes in, they talk about the “ages” – they clearly looked confused; “Lack of Logicness”

 

“I haven’t found a view that is perfect”
Andy White says, “When it comes to eschatology we have to remain open”; Daniel didn’t understand; Aaron piggybacks that with “There is a lot we do not know”. ; “We can not allow difference of opinion on basic things such as the resurrection” – Andy White

“My question for them is, what changed in AD 70”. – Aaron Erhdman

Well let’s see. Voices from scholars and church history regarding what happened and thus changed in AD 70.

“No matter what view of eschatology we embrace, we must take seriously the redemptive-historical importance of Jerusalem’s destruction in A.D.70.” (R.C. Sproul, Last Days According to Jesus, 26)

Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by the prophet: “I will take away from them the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the scent of myrrh, and the light of a lamp, and the whole land shall be destroyed” [Jer. 25:10]. For the whole service of the law has been abolished from them, and henceforth and forever they remain without a feast.” (St. Athanasius, Letters [vi]

“It is, in fact, a sign and notable proof of the coming of the Word that Jerusalem no longer stands” – Athanasius

“For I will ask them, Did He send the prophets and wise men? Did they slay them in their synagogue? Was their house left desolate? Did all the vengeance come upon that generation? It is quite plain that it was so, and no man gainsays it.” (Homily LXXIV) – Chrystrom

“When, then, we see what was of old foretold for the nations fulfilled in our own day, and when the lamentation and wailing that was predicted for the Jews, and the burning of the Temple and its utter desolation, can also be seen even now to have occurred according to the prediction, surely we must also agree that the King who was prophesied, the Christ of God, has come, since the signs of His coming have been shewn in each instance I have treated to have been clearly fulfilled.” (Demonstratio Evangelica (Proof of the Gospel) ;  BOOK VIII) – Eusbius

“If any one compares the words of our Saviour with the other accounts of the historian (Josephus) concerning the whole war, how can one fail to wonder, and to admit that the foreknowledge and the prophecy of our Saviour were truly divine and marvelously strange.” (Book III, Ch. VII) – Eusebius

“Since, then, the law originated with Moses, it terminated with John as a necessary consequence. Christ had come to fulfil it: wherefore “the law and the prophets were” with them “until John.”(2) And therefore Jerusalem, taking its commencement from David,(3) and fulfilling its own times, must have an end of legislation(4) when the new covenant was revealed.” – Irenaus

Origen (2nd Century)

“I challenge anyone to prove my statement untrue if I say that the entire Jewish nation was destroyed less than one whole generation later on account of these sufferings which they inflicted on Jesus. For it was, I believe, forty-two years from the time when they crucified Jesus to the destruction of Jerusalem.” (Contra Celsum, 198-199) – Origen

“It is no exaggeration to say that the Fall of Jerusalem is the most significant national event in the history of the world.” (B.F. Dunelm, The Arch of Titus and the spoils of the temple (1896))

https://www.preteristarchive.com/significance-of-ad70/

 

To bring all of this to a conclusion and thus urge your further study, I will make a few last remarks. Aaron has not led anyone out of Full Preterism. So his posturing himself as such is DISHONEST. Aaron seemingly expresses agreement with Andy White in everything, yet one wonders is that the cause. Are they really so CONFUSED as to divide Matthew 24:3 into 3 questions, therefore making it inconsistent with the correlating texts found in Mark 13 and Luke 21?

Consider the beneficial sermon by Pastor David Curtis of Berean Bible Church.     https://www.ecclesia.org/truth/mat02.html

All the mocking, strange giggling and patting each other their backs, and making foolish assertions simply reveals these men’s IMMATURITY in the Word and in character. May we desire to move away from dishonest, confused, and immature perspectives and desire to express diligence in study as 2 Timothy 2:15 urges us.

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”

 

Here are some other links I came across studying for this presentation that may be beneficial to your study on these matters:

https://www.preteristarchive.com/max-king-study-archive/

http://defendinginerrancy.com/early-fathers-resurrection-saints/

http://www.monachos.net/conversation/topic/32565-church-fathers-apologetics-about-the-resurrection/

https://catholicsay.com/resurrection-of-the-body/

http://preteristcentral.com/The%20Resurrection%20of%20the%20Flesh.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.26 – Beyond Creation Science (pt. 2)

3/27/2018 – Wednesday Night Praise, Prayer, & Bible Study
Beyond Creation Science – Chapter 1

Agenda
– Praise & Prayer
– Reading Through & Mark out Discussion in Chapter 1
– Conclusion
– Closing Prayer

Chapter One – What Did Jesus Say?

“Some Standing Here Will Not Taste Death Until…”

 

 

Peter Was Martyred, But John Lived On!

 

 

“This Generation Will Not Pass Away Until All…”

 

 

The Great Tribulation Has Already Happened.

 

 

Two Debates In One Book

 

 

X- millennialism vs. Pan – millennialism

 

 

Conclusion

 

You can watch the provided review video at the following link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiLrzW05B9Y

 

Book Review: Christianity & The Social Crisis In The 21st Century

Recently I read through Walter Rauschenbusch’s 1907 critique, Christianity and the Social Crisis in the 21^st century, a book said to be “the classic that woke up the Church”.

To be honest, the book was hard to read as I felt the same point was reiterated again and again, however there were some rather poignant things found throughout the book that do mark out problems and solutions all found within the contemporary Body of Christ. Therefore, this review will seek to highlight various quotes and portions from the book for our edification.

 

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

“…the essential purpose of Christianity was to transform human society into the Kingdom of God by regenerating human relationships and reconstituting them in accordance with the will of God”.

“Instead of a society resting on coercion, exploitation, and inequality, Jesus desired to found a society resting on love, service, and equality (not a postponed Kingdom but rather one in our midst, here and now – my insert)”.

“Whatever argument one would use to demand the postponement of social regeneration to a future era  will equally demand the postponement of personal holiness to a future life”.

 

THE PROPHETS

“…a study of the prophets is not only an interesting part of the story of social movements but is indispensable for any comprehension of the social influence exerted by historical Christianity and for any true comprehension of the mind of Jesus Christ”.

“The prophets were the heralds of the fundamental truth that religion and ethics are inseparable and that ethical conduct is the supreme and sufficient religious act”.
– “They said less about the pure heart for the individual than of just institutions of the nation”.
–  “The prophets were not radical individualists. During the classic times of prophetism they always dealt with Israel and Judah as organic totalities”.
–  “When speaking of their nation as a virgin, as a city, as a vine, they are attempting by these figures of speech to express this organic and corporate Spiritual life”.

“Our philosophical and economic individualism has affected our religious thought so deeply that we hardly comprehend the prophetic views of an organic national life and of national sin and salvation”.
–  “…distorts the utterances of the prophets as soon as we handle them”.

“When religion was driven from national interests into the refuge of private life, it lost its grasp of larger affairs and the old clear outlook  into contemporary history gave way to an artificial scheme. Instead of reading present facts to discern God’s purposes, men began to pore over the sacred books and piece together unfilled prophecies of the dead prophets into a mosaic picture of the future”.
–  “Yet the  unhistorical and artificial schemes of apocalypticism have been and are now more influential in shaping the imagination of Christian men about the future course of history than the inspired thoughts of the great prophets”.

Our desire should be “loyalty to facts and hostility to illusions”.

 

OUR HOPE

“The truth is that the idea in the sense in which Jesus and His audiences understood it almost completely passed out of Christian thought as soon as Christianity passed out of Christianity passed from the Jewish people and found its Spiritual home within the great Greco- Roman world”.
– “The Greek world cherished no such national religious hope as the prophets had ingrained in Jewish thought; on the other hand it was intensely focused on the future life of the individual, and the ascetic triumph over flesh and matter”.

“It takes more faith to see God in the little beginnings than in the completed results; more faith to say that God is now working than to say He will some day work”.

“In early Christianity we see a gradual change of Christianity from one hope to another, from its Hebrew origin…it accepted the intensification of the individual hope”.

Epistles of Barnabas: “There are 3 dogmas of the Lord: the hope of life…and righteousness and love”.

 

HISTORICAL NOTATIONS CONCERNING THE CHURCH

• Gregory of Tours called Frankish kings “men of God”
• Medieval clergy completely immoral
• Look up major church splits and divisions

“Their eye for profit was keener than their ear for God and humanity. That is the great sin of modern humanity, and unless we repent, we shall perish by that sin”.

“The health of a society rests on the welfare of the home”.

“If the Church tries to confine itself to theology and the Bible and refuses its larger mission to humanity, its theology will eventually become mythology and its Bible a closed book”.

 

CONCLUSION

“One of the persistent mistakes of Christian men has been to postpone social regeneration  to a future era to be inaugurated by the return of Christ”.

“Let us run the race with assurance that our faith is strong enough to change the lives of individuals and also redeem the soul of our society”.

“It is true that any regeneration of society can come only through the act of God and the presence of Christ; but God is now acting and Christ is now here”.

“The greatest contribution which any man can make to a social movement is the contribution of a regenerated personality…”.

“If any new principle is to gain power in human history, it must take shape and life in the individuals who have faith in it”.

“Let others voice special interests; the minister of Jesus Christ must voice the mind of Jesus Christ”.

3.20 – Beyond Creation Science (pt. 1)

3/20 – Wednesday Night Praise, Prayer, & Bible Study
Beyond Creation Science – Intro to the Study

Tonight’s Study Goals:
– Explore methods of study through BCS book
– Read through Forward & Introduction together (keep notes on back of this paper)
– Review outline and respond to questions below
– Resources for further study through the week

Could you relate to Normas Voss’s introductory story? How so?

 

“The inability of Christians to grasp the meaning and message of both Genesis and Revelation create a great divide in America. Christians struggle with both the beginning and the culmination of the Scripture – the Alpha and the Omega as they might be called. Both Genesis and Revelation bring a lot of baggage with them to the American religious scene”
– How have you personally seen this as true?

 

“You hold in your hands a book that offers a full picture of both ends of the story the Bible tells. You hold in your hands a book that brings together the story of origins with the story of redemption and provides the most complete and comprehensive understanding that I have ever seen in my decades of study”.
– What are you hoping to gain out of this study?

 

 

“conservative Christians in America” (pg. 13) 
cf. “We believe the Bible can be understood through careful consideration, intelligent inquiry, due diligence, and effort”.

You can watch the video review of this study at the following link; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnrPlXsXX-4

 

Further study:
Links for in- depth study of topics related to BCS & Covenant Creation
www.beyondcreationscience.com
http://deathisdefeated.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-covenant-creation-archive

Blog – Returning To Our First Love – Presuppositions
https://mianogonewild.wordpress.com/2015/02/15/returning-to-our-first-love-presuppositions/

Blog – Responding To Newsweek – Mr. Kurt Eichenwald & Biblical Illiteracy
https://mianogonewild.wordpress.com/2015/01/17/responding-to-newsweek-mr-kurt-eichenwald-biblical-illiteracy/

TJ Smith’s, Kingdom Come (Review of Wed. Night Study)

We recently did a few weeks study through TJ Smith’s book, Kingdom Come, in our Wednesday night Bible study at The Blue Point Bible Church. I had previously written a review for TJ’s book (the link to that review will be posted below). However, the goal of this short blog is to highlight some points we that were marked out in our studies sessions, a sort of outline for the book.

Here is the link to my previous review, https://mianogonewild.wordpress.com/2018/02/26/tj-smiths-kingdom-come-a-must-read/

• Many of us marked out some issues we had with TJ’s comments about parables, and found ourselves disagreeing a bit (pg. 18-20). Also, at some parts some readings had a hard time discerning whether or not TJ trusts the Bible (pgs. 70-86). This allowed for great conversation around our study table.

 

• TJ Smith explained early on in the book that his goal was to highlight the “progressive revelation” of the parables, in contrast to a “deferred hope” (pg. 13).

 

• We had a great discussion about “demonology” and the influence of Hellenism due to details TJ shares on pgs. 67-69. I will be soon providing an audio clip detailing some of that discussion and more at wickedthingsexplained.wordpress.com

 

• TJ created a “flannel board” for us to keep record of the parables and how they highlight “How to Build A Kingdom”. It looked something like this:
  – Bind the strong man (Chapter Two – Mark 3:20-29)
  – Formulate the message/ Build the Team (Chapter Three – Mark 4:2-20)
  – Product knowledge (Chapter Four – Mark 4:21-25)
  – Eliminate the competition (Chapter Five – Mark 4:26-29 cf. Joel :13-14)
  – Word of Mouth/ Best advertisement (Chapter Six – Mark 4:30-32)
  – Drain the swamp/ New distribution (Chapter Eight – Mark 12:1-12)
  – Trust the leadership
• Nearing the end of the book, TJ makes some rather poignant statements that I would like to mark out here and challenge YOU further to read his book (again), go through the aforementioned parables, and be effective and fruitful in the fulfilled eschaton, worshipping the Lord in Spirit and in Truth.

 

“In the Hebrew mindset, the “harvest” was not always the glorious ‘golden – sunrise, wind-blown’ event Western Christians have viewed through rose colored glasses. When the Hebrews spoke of ‘harvest’, they typically understood it as judgement.”

 

“Believers need to be studying Scripture, learning of the customs and traditions of the ancient Hebrews. Studying idioms of the Jews. We need to learn how-to interpret the Bible and that can only happen when we understand ancient Jewish culture, customs, language, and times in which Jesus lived”.

 

“Yeshua accomplished everything He said He would; we rule and reign with Christ as ambassadors on earth; God dwells with us; He is our God and we are His people; He is the Tree of Life and we are the ‘leaves’ used for the healing of the nations. His righteousness dwells on earth, through us, since we are now the righteousness of God exhibited through love and grace”.

 

Get your hands on a copy and be blessed by all of this and more, not to mention starting on page 132, TJ Smith highlights and offers wisdom regarding our being in the Kingdom, Christ being our King, and our application of such a reality. Glory to God.

Be blessed and edified, and Worship Him,
Pastor Michael Miano
The Blue Point Bible Church
www.bluepointbiblechurch.org

 

Provision of Justification By Grace Through Faith

Recently I was convicted by the following quote from Harry Emerson Fosdick, “A good sermon is an engineering operation by which a chasm is bridged so that the Spiritual goods on one side – the unsearchable riches of Christ – are actually transported into person lives one upon the other”.  That being so, I began to detail some of the riches we had in Christ in my sermons at The Blue Point Bible Church.

In this blog I want to specifically highlight the last two sermons I preached. On January 13^th I spoke through the “gifts and riches we have in Christ”, namely, the free gift of grace that provides justification as detailed in Ephesians chapters 1-2, as well as Romans chapters 5-6.  On January 27^th, I outlined the contextual details found in the Book of Romans. In both sermons I explained that in the Scriptures we find the details of “… corporate and individual aspect to God’s gift of grace”. Here are the links to those sermons;

http://www.buzzsprout.com/11630/918042-1-13-19-bpbc-worship-service

http://www.buzzsprout.com/11630/935576-1-27-2019-bpbc-worship-service

Ironically, these insights run directly against some charges that were made against Full Preterism, namely by Joel Sexton (an online “critic” of Full Preterism), in what he referred to as “soteriological implications”. A few months ago, in discussion with Joel, I had mentioned that I could use further study in the area of justification and how the implications of fulfillment pertain to that specific doctrine. Rather than honest conversation in these details however, Joel would rather join a ragtag group of online “Anti-preterists”, who make the substance of their confused theology to be attacking Full Preterism, and he asserted that this meant I did not understand justification. Also, he asserted that this must lend to my teaching a false gospel. Yikes, quite the charge, eh?

What I would like to do is cite the remarks he made and offer clarifying responses. Surely, you will come to see that Joel’s charges, as often is the case, are unfounded and without merit.

• Joel asserts “If God’s wrath is fully exhausted in AD 70, there is no need for justification today (because justification is tied to judgement. Number 1 of his “Fourfold Soteriological Errors Concerning A Past Judgement). He also ties this to Romans 3:19-26; Romans 5:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 2:16; and Revelation chapter 15.

 

Joel’s assertions here are strange for someone what has been understood by some to be in the very least a Bible student. The context of the Book of Romans has often confused many, thus what is known as the “Pauline perspectives”, and should be understood in it’s properly context. In Romans chapter 3, the details are speaking to how the Law was used to lock Israel under sin, as well as the whole world (“those who not sinned in the likeness of Adam”). The wrath of God was being revealed against that generation and it was. Joel seems to be misplacing the appropriate understanding of how these details apply and failing to understand the various ways salvation is used throughout the Scriptures. Not to mention, just because something is fulfilled in Scripture, it does not mean the application or the effect have been terminated. Romans chapter 5 connects the details of justification to wrath and atonement, both aspects noted throughout the Law (praise God that recent scholarship has begun to take note of the Jewish context of the Romans letter thereby challenging honest Bible students to properly frame the details as per the “audience relevance”). When the people of God are justified whats the “telos”? Telos is the Greek word for goal or end. The question honest students of Fulfilled Bible Prophecy must study out, and the critics must acknowledge, is what was the goal of God justifying His people? What would a justified people produce? I believe that honest answer alone destroys Joel’s charge that if the wrath is done and over than justification is no longer needed.
I have already outlined most of this and the proper applicability of judgement to the here and now. I would encourage an honest study through the following link,  https://www.preteristarchive.com/2018_miano_gods-past-judgment/

 

• Joel said that the Full Preterism understand of “God’s past judgement” leads to deism and he offered up Romans 3:19-26 and Romans 5:1-11 as his proof-text.

 

Deism is the philosophical understanding of God’s work within creation, and it makes the case that God does not directly interact with His creation any longer. Not only is this categorically incorrect, Joel’s use of the proof- texts demonstrate nothing. What is does show however is that Joel seems to fail to understand how proper use and understanding of Hebraic narrative and Spirituality actually applies. Maybe we could encourage more study of historical/cultural context and Biblical narrative through teachers like Andrew Perriman, Tom Holland, among others, rather than out-of-context citations of church fathers and reformers. These men, though at times in disagreement in how the story all fits together, are at least honest to admit the journey and do not spend their time attacking opposing positions.

 

• This next “implication” seemingly demonstrates Joel in the least unknowingly stretching the Scriptures, in the worst willing abusing Scriptures to try and make his points. In number 2 of his “Fourfold Soteriological Implications…”, he says that justification is died to resurrection (which I believe he is asserting a yet future physical resurrection), but if you read the texts, appropriately and in context of course, the “we”, “they”, “ourselves” and “our” terms found in the text should sufficiently hint at the corporate nature of the details being talked about. Not to mention, far more than sufficient studies have been done by lead Preterist teachers to demonstrate the corporate nature and fulfillment of the “hope of Israel” as made known through the Law and the Prophets and preached by Christ and the Apostles.

 

• In what seems to be another stretch of the Scripture, number 3 of Joel’s “Fourfold Soteriological Implications…” is that Romans 5:1-11 are in the “present active indicative”, as well as the glory in Romans 8:18 – 24. Well, maybe another “Bible student” can explain this one, I’m at a loss for words or thoughts for that matter. Why bring Greek details into what we are asserting the Scriptures clearly teach. Is my English translation sufficient or not?

 

• And lastly, Joel’s number 4, his last attempt at attacking Full Preterism was a return to his initial point. If Full Preterism is true, which is it regardless to his confused list of “implications”, and there is no more wrath, then there is nothing to be saved from. This time he used Romans 5:8-10 and Ephesians 2:3 as his proof-texts. This is a strange correlation since the context of the passages are speaking about different points. The Romans text is speaking about the justification by faith that the Jews who were enemies of God by way of the death brought forth by sin magnified by the Law. The Ephesians text, speaking about how at one time the Christian Jews and Gentiles had once found themselves living in the same carnality those “in the world” at Ephesus did, at that time living “…by nature deserving of wrath”.

 

“…but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” (Romans 5:8-10)

 

“All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.” (Ephesians 2:3)
Neither of these texts do anything to bolster Joel’s charges, but rather through a proper study of the above verses, one can gain a healthy perspective as to what God was doing in the first century through the Gospel applied to Jews and Gentiles. Wrath would come upon the Jew first, and then the Gentile (Romans 1:16), both being guilty of sin and death, and would this need Christ, the fulfillment of the hope of the forefathers and mercy to the Gentiles (see, Romans 15:8-9). Or as Bible teacher Andrew Perriman has noted in reference to the early chapters of Romans, “Works of Law could not save Israel because the Law could not deal with the root of the problem of human sin; in the end it could only condemn God’s people to destruction. Only those Jews, along with a growing number of Gentiles, who took the narrow path of trusting in the way of Jesus – the way of suffering and vindication – would be justified, would have peace with God, would not come under condemnation, and would find themselves on the right side of history”.

 

With such a foundation as Fulfilled Bible Prophecy, what I regularly refer to as “the power of Preterism”, we should continue to have faith in the increase of God’s kingdom. That faith demonstrates our justification and provides the provision, the Body of Christ, as a means for justification of others. As brother Steve Baisden recently pointed out in an article he posted online, “Fulfillment does not mean termination”. The fulfillment and effectivity of God’s faithfulness, mercy, grace, and justification was shown and established in the first century and now the church continues to “show forth the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Jesus Christ” (see, Ephesians 2:7).

 

I made some strong points in this article with the intention to mark out Joel Sexton for what he has become. Not only confused, but on a mission to attack those who hold to the truth. Scripture tells us to mark these men out. I do hope that despite the strong tone, the details were edifying to others, and challenging in the sense that we might “reason together”.

In Service to Him,

Michael Miano
Apologist, MGW Apologetics
Pastor, The Blue Point Bible Church