It seems like this debate on the timing of apocalyptic events transcends all theological debates, do you know what I mean? I thoroughly enjoyed watching the discussion on miracles in the last couple of posts. What makes this discussion so fluid and effective to the entire learning process is that all of you guys have re-examined your apocalyptic presuppositions at one point or another in your lives and have come to the consensus that the preterist interpretation is truth. The modern popular idea that the 'end times' are now in the present or in the future for us is the basic presupposition that most people come back to when discussing even minor details of theology or politics or philosophy or whatever.
How do you address someone's presuppositions in a debate like this? It's like trying to tell someone that they have a piece of spinach stuck in their teeth but they won't believe you because they can't see it. Only when we look in the mirror for ourselves does the reality set in. I guess a big piece of spinach stuck in your teeth isn't that big of a deal when everybody else around you has the same thing going on. Its like (insert name of popular bloviating futurist evangelical leader here) says that, "It has been prophesied that scoffers and false prophets would come in the last days and try to tell us that dental floss was delivered 2000 years ago!," or, "Who do you think you are to tell me that I have spinach stuck in my teeth?! Don't you know who I am?!"
The dispensationalist is affected daily by their own presuppositions, just as we all are though. The question we have to ask ourselves daily, however, is what we believe absolute God-given Truth or teachings from fallible man?
The question arose recently of why are more and more youth falling away from Christianity? I have my own idea for the cause of this dilemma because I was challenged with this as a youth and a young collegiate. Centered with futurist presuppositions, I struggled to find enough reason to love God with my mind in a crazy world I didn't understand. Do you guys know what I am talking about? Too much emotional chitter-chatter, not enough evidence; too much authoritative down-talk, not enough reason; too much gossip and hypocrisy, not enough focusing on the Truth of Jesus' message; too much apathy to cultural/social issues, not enough change; too much on emphasis 'me' and my personal salvation, not enough on God's Kingdom glorification.
4 comments:
The problem of people basing their world view on presuppositions is also true of their view of spiritual matters. I gave a speech in college (way back in the '60's called "An Abstract View of the Concrete Truth" in which my thesis was that it depends on where you are standing as to how you view the "Truth." If you view an object from a great distance it looks very small, but the closer you get to it the larger, and clearer it becomes. When we stand far away from "Scriptures" our view is not clear and is "small" - we don't have the true perspective. The first thing we always need to do is view spiritual matters from a Scriptural point of view. This means we must "study to show ourself approved." I dare say all of us at one time or another viewed eschatology from view of the distant future, now that we look at it as "past" we can see what the "last days" actually were.
As I showed in my previous posts Hebrews 1:1-3 shows us that God "in times past spoke to our forefathers by the prophets, but in THESE LAST DAYS He has spoken to us through His Son..." Clearly the writer was standing in the "last days", but to a futurist his view is not clear due to seeing the "last days" from a perspective other then Scriptural - instead it may be based on a man-made tradition, false teachers, or creeds (do you know any creed that supports the preterist view?). We say we believe in "Scripture Only" but often we take the falty testimony based on man and emotion - case in point is modern day "prophecy" and "tongues." I'll SOON be writing a blog on malapropisms - stay tuned. In Christ, David
Wow, your old David! Way back in the 60s! For a lot of people, the whole world was abstract.
I agree with the Gordon Clark view that everyone has presuppositions. No one is unbiased.
Jesse,
I know what you are talking about. Don't have a whole lot of answers to your questions, though.
I like to listen to debates to think through the issues at hand.
There is a recent one between Brian Schwertley and Don Preston that really highlights the spirit of your post. You can find the debate at www.covenantradio.com.
Blessings,
Tim Martin
P.S. You might find some very interesting material in Schwertley's closing comments...
Oops.
Did it again.
Sorry guys, those comments were directed to Ryan, who wrote the blog, not Jesse.
Sorry about the confusion.
Tim
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