I do not reject the millenial kingdom. If you'd read my post you'd know that.Originally Posted by AlwaysLoved
Profile questions are misleading and incomplete. Differences in ideological perspectives require different definitions as to terms and context. For example, being saved doesn't mean the same thing to a Baptist as it does to an advocate of Mormonism or World Church Tomorrow or Roman Catholicism, etc. What I'm saying is that the profile questions are meant for a select group of people. It is assumed that they know and understand the implications and meanings of the profile questions. I don't know what they imply and I'm not going to fill out an answer just to please someone who doesn't know how to write a question. I believe that Christ will return to earth in physical form, that He will establish a political governance and that His authority in that form will last at least one thousand years.
'Dividing of spirit soul and body' is a phrase which appears in scripture, but was not generally utilized in teaching or doctrine prior to the time of John Nelson Darby. He used that phrase as part of his published ideology generally known as dispensationalism. It was used widely during his rise to fame and continues to be used to this day even though those who use it do not know where it's popular useage today came from. It's become a buzz word or phrase that Dispensationalists like to use....a slogan as it were. Dispensationalism, by the way, is an American ideology. It is not generally accepted anywhere else in the world and in fact has been rejected by a convention of churches in Africa about a half dozen years ago. Their reasons for rejection was that the ideology is divisive and not efficacious to the body of Christ. I agree with our African bretheren.
By the way, I received a PM from some person who accused me of following a personality other than Christ. I have never done so. I thought it rather strange to be accused of following human doctrines by one who is a Dispensationalist - an ideology formulated by John Nelson Darby. Has Darby suddenly been raised to divine status? Not in my way of thinking. I follow Christ, not Darby/Dispensationalism. It would be helpful in this discussion if the reader did a little research on Darby. It will in no way subvert one's faith in Jesus Christ, but it WILL ruin the legitimacy of Darby's dispensationalism. No big loss as far as I'm concerned.
Your explanation of the parts of the soul are in the context of dispensationalism, which I do not hold to and which are purely an American invention anyway. The classic traditional orthodox interpretation of the soul is that the soul is a complete entity encompassing all of the being as in "he was a Christian soul" - meaning all of him. The person's experience and functions are further sub-divided into three parts; body, mind and spirit. The words spirit and soul are used interchangeably depending upon context and can be a subject of confusion especially among those unfamiliar with the intricate patterns of theological discussion.
The traditional Greek interpretation of fallen man, which is also consistent with Hebrew theology, is that man chose to disobey God (Genesis ch 3). In spiritual terms a man is not autonomous. No man lives for himself, but affects everyone with his actions and decisions. Therefore when Adam chose to disobey God, the authority of his (Adam's) physical actions were thus transferred by default to the opposer/satan. It isn't the tempter's fault. It is Adam's fault wholly and completely.
Dispensationalism is an invention of John Nelson Darby and is entirely an American invention. It did not appear anywhere in Christian literature, sermons or historical reference prior to the 1830's. Darby used scripture to justify and illustrate his ideology which was primarily intended to be interpreted as a division of history into two dispensations; law & grace. Further expansions upon the ideology were added by his followers; Scofield, Moody, Lindsay, etc. Throughout history those who wanted to promote their agenda, whether it be black slavery (South African Christianity 20th century & US Christianity pre-civil war) or the justification of a specific race (German National Socialism in the 20th century) or a specific set of revelations (Church of Latter Day Saints also mid-19th century) frequently resorted to quotations of scripture to legitimize their agenda. It never made them right, but it sounded good.
The use of scripture for devious means was fully demonstrated by the temptation of Christ documented in the gospels. Simply put, it happens. Scripture can be abused by those who have their own axe to grind. If one seeks truth and 'rightly divides' scripture, then one would include these facts in his study. On the other hand, one who wishes to continue in error will justify abuse of scripture under any and all means at their disposal including restrictions of those who promote the search for truth.
Chiliasm was indeed used for centuries. The word is interchangeable with the modern word millenium, meaning the passage of one thousand years. It connotes no meaning other than as a measure of the passage of time.
However, Christian interpretations of the thousand year reign of Christ were generally 'divided' (there's that word again) into three types; pre-millenialism, post-millenialism and amillenialism. Darby sought to clarify the argument within the context of history rather than scripture - 'dividing' history into two general dispensations; law & grace. Apparently Mr. Darby wasn't satisfied with the classic division of old and new testament.
Pre-millenialism generally meant that Christ would return to earth before the beginning of the thousand year reign. That is the form most Christians accept today. Post-millenialism generally meant that Christ would return to earth AFTER the church had won the people of the entire planet to the gospel. WWI ended that idea by proving that human violence was much more powerful than anyone realized in pre-Civil War America. Amillenialism suggests that there would be no real second coming of Christ at all and that it was entirely ethereal. I don't agree with this point at all. Darby entered this mess and tried to sort it out in terms of history, not scripture. In the end his advocates used scripture anyway because they thought it's use would add legitimacy to a totally illogical point of view. It didn't then and it doesn't now. To further complicate the messy ideology, we now see confusion as to multiple advents of Christ and further subdivisions of trouble or tribulation upon the earth. None of them make any logical sense. O what a tangled web we weave when we practice to deceive.
The basic problem with the rapture is that it contradicts the context of the Biblical teaching of how God deals with man in times of trouble. God can be depended upon to see us through trouble, thus adding godly character to our personalities. An early extraction from trouble is not God's way. It's also the same reason that suicide is generally thought to be a sin. It's the cowards way out, really. Jesus' disciples asked Him about this and He responded directly.
"My prayer is NOT that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one."
- Jesus as quoted by John 17:15
Which part of NOT does the reader NOT understand? One who seeks truth will find God's help in the midst of trouble, not outside of it in the midst of fantasy and cowardice. One cannot hold both ideologies in one's mind and be correct on both counts. One must 'divide' one's mind to go one way or the other. Once cannot have it both ways. Either God is a real help in times of trouble, or He is not - and will supply Star Trek beam out. The latter is not supported by context of scripture history or the testimony of the saints.
and that's me, hollering from the choir loft...
PS I include here a matter of educational background that the profile questions did not ask.
AAS - I hold an Associates Degree in Computer Science and Cost Accounting.
BS - I hold a Bachelor's Degree in History and Public Speaking.
MS - I hold a Master's Degree in Christian Theology and Church history.
I have been working in the computer field for approximately forty years and am currently employed by a State College in the computer department for the past eleven years.
I am familiar with the liturgy and theology of the Roman Catholic church, American Episcopal church, Baptist Church, Assemblies of God, Mormonism and Islam among others and am presently studying Hebrew faith and traditions especially with regard to Messianic Judaism and the modern State of Israel.
Spiritually, I am a Christian saved sanctified and filled with the Holy Spirit (Ruach Hakodesh as He is called in Hebrew).
Politically, I am a registered member of the Libertarian party and a veteran of six years military service (two of them in the middle east).
Geographically, I am a Floridian.
.....whatever else I may be I am a child of God...even though I seem to be disrespected for that on these pages.
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