Featured Can dispensationalists and covenantalists go to the same church?

then don’t be a cheerleader for Dispensations. My wife was all set to explore a church a while ago so she gets on the phone with the pastor and asked a question of him which was telling and in keeping with her rearing from childhood to adulthood as a Dutch Reformed,” Pastor can you tell me a little about Election?” The guy basically told her that Election is Calvinist doctrine and they don’t believe in it. Bottom line is this pastor didn’t ask enough questions of her to ascertain where she was at in her past Christian walk, didn’t respect her upbringing and just killed any interest she might have had… it was taken as an insult (it was completely alien to her understanding of how a church was to get out of scripture)…end of discussion & end of any future conversations on anything constructive and the door was therefore closed to anything further. I also had a similar discussion with a Orthodox Presbyterian Pastor when I asked him to explain where the soul of infants who die before they are baptized. The abrupt answer was they go to hell. I had a long talk after that with 3 Presbyterian pastors on the phone in a conference call and told them each to go to hell because the child we were discussing was my child so I’m still in no mood to discuss going to the church they represent…I.E., hardcore Calvinist covenant theology. Again a failure to ask probing question’s to discern where I was at vs ramming their theology down my throat. Honestly, the only ones who ever seriously listened, understood, heard me out, explained to me (sometimes painstakingly) were the Old Line Baptists who approached me.And here is another thing, they don’t claim to always be right however they come across as contrite & humble. Something I appreciate…. Like everything, the relationship building must come from a position of trust. I don’t see that played out today in many of these churches. And if the churches can’t come together then what hope do we have for growth… indeed for survival.

 

Let me ask a direct question to the board, “ What’s the primary purpose of church?

 

To spread the gospel.

 

To who and why?

 

To whosoever will.

Because people need to be saved, and salvation cometh by hearing. Therefore we are sent to share the gospel.

 

I am a Dispensationalist.
1 Corinthians 9:17.
Ephesians 1:10.
Ephesians 3:2.
Colossians 1:25.

 

Not good enough…churches are dying every day and ppl are now much more secular. So who do you concentrate your efforts on?

 

You have my deepest sympathy.

 

Here is a hint, target the youth

 

Jesus is building His church [made up of churches]. [Matthew 16:18, John 10:27.]

 

Show me the evidence of that. If Jon’s quoted numbers & statistics are correct, the only church growing are the Pentecostal churches (in numbers anyway). In New Jersey anyway, a group of General Baptist ministers went to every Confirmed Baptist Church to get them to disavow themselves from anything Baptist and consolidate into some new church design… and I use the word “Consolidate” specifically to emphasize that movements survival plans. So today there is very few or any “Baptist” churches in my area. Instead there are independent Bible churches and they are closing their doors at a rapid rate….and I don’t see ANY church plans! After all, how can you plant churches if your primary church is dieing?

 

Are you referring to regeneration?

If so men are regenerated by the Spirit of God, certainly by no man nor by anything that belongs to an earthly kingdom. Man has no part in the work of regeneration for: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:6). "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God (Christ) which liveth and abideth forever" (I Peter 1:23). This work is accomplished without the agreement or assistance of man. "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing" (John 6:63).

 

Sure, but not here and not now. Anyway, I've never seen you open to the concept.

 

A concept isn’t necessarily a reality! Besides I’m always up for a discussion …. Iron sharpens iron. That is, providing you are open to critical discussion.

 

Clearly, to glorify Christ. "20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen" (Eph. 3:20-21).

The foundation of dispensational theology is doxological.

 

Sure, but I'm really tired of the "debates" on the BB.

Besides, don't have time. I'm grading the research papers for my class on Dispensational Theology. For some reason, the most chosen topic for the class is covenant theology. They all seem to want to disprove it! Just read through an "A" paper on that.

 

I've had critical discussions here on the BB for many years, including some on the two theologies back in the day. Just getting tired of the nastiness that often happens.

 

Tell that to all the Fundamentalist colleges going SBC

 

Relevance?

Anyway, the only one I know like that was Tennessee Temple, and it subsequently went under. It forgot who its alumni were. If a school is Fundamentalist and graduates a bunch of young Fundamentalists, and goes SBC, it's alumni will object.