THE MINISTERIAL FORUM EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH MINISTERIAL ASSOCIATION Fall 2007 VOL. 17 NO. 1 INERRANCY, HERMENEUTICS AND ESCHATOLOGY A Report of the 2007 Midwinter Ministerial Conference Introduction Greg Strand of the central purposes of this confer - and Professor of New Testament, EFCA Director of Biblical ence was to help people understand delivered the message on the Theology and Credentialing these diverse views within premillen - hermeneutics of Amillennialism. Minneapolis, MN nialism and the hermeneutical princi - An important historical piece in ples that undergird those positions. this eschatological discussion is the n January 24-26, 2007 over 400 Only through comparison and con - role Dr. Moo played while teaching at pastors and church leaders of the trast could we make an accurate com - TEDS. During his early days, he was OEFCA met at Faith Missionary parison with a non-premillennial one of the presenters who addressed Church, Indianapolis, Indiana, to con - view (in this case, amillennialism) to the question of the tribulation during sider the topic "Inerrancy, Eschatol - consider what the implications would the 1981 Mid-Winter Ministerial. He ogy and Hermeneutics." be for this recommended revision in taught and defended the historic pre - our Statement of Faith. millennial, post-tribulation position Why This Theme? along with the hermeneutical princi - Our Speakers ples undergirding the position. This In our discussions of the Draft premillennial, post-tribulational posi - Revisions of our Statement of Faith Four speakers were invited to rep - tion was affirmed in 1977 by the Com - that the EFCA Board of Directors had resent four eschatological positions. mittee on Ministerial Standing, and submitted for consideration and dis - Our first two speakers were profes - Moo, with this position, was granted cussion in 2005, one of the most fre - sors from Dallas Theological Semi - tenure by the Conference in 1985. quently asked questions was How nary. Dr. Elliot Johnson, Senior Pro - Summaries would the deletion of premillennial - fessor of Bible Exposition, addressed ism affect our biblical hermeneutic? the hermeneutics of Dispensational - This conference was designed to ism. He was joined by Dr. Darrell In what follows you will read address that question. Bock, Research Professor of New Tes - summaries of the four presentations With the decision in 1977 to tament Studies and Professor of Spiri - written by EFCA Ministerial mem - broaden the meaning of "imminency" tual Development and Culture, who bers. Our summarizers do not interact in our Statement of Faith to include expounded the hermeneutics of Pro - or assess strengths or weaknesses of the pre-, mid-, and post-tribulational gressive Dispensationalism. These the various positions. We attempted positions within premillennialism, lecturers were joined by two profes - to reflect as accurately and objectively various approaches have developed sors from Wheaton College. Dr. Dou - as possible the words of the presenters within the Free Church to important glas Moo, Blanchard Professor of as they addressed the topic assigned questions like the place of the nation New Testament, elucidated the to them. In a final, concluding piece, of Israel in the purposes of God and hermeneutics of Historic Premillenni - our Ministerial Forum editor will cap - how that impacts our understanding alism. Finally, Dr. Greg Beale, Ken - ture the highlights of our QuestioIn of the Old Testament as a whole. One neth Wessner Chair of Biblical Studies and Answer time with the speakers. THE HERMENEUTICS OF TRADITIONAL DISPENSATIONALISM Dr. Elliot E. Johnson not overcome the plan that was intro - lives in complete obedience to the Summary by Paul Schliep duced at creation. The dispensations Law. According to Rom. 10:4, Jesus is Director of Administration and have nothing to do with ways of sal - the end of the Law, both as the goal to Credentialing, EFCA West vation. Salvation is tied to the restor - which the Law was directed and as ing of God’s purpose. Being saved by the termination of the Law because lliot Johnson began his presenta- grace through faith as a gift was true He has met the demands of the Law. tion by identifying the hermeneutic of Adam, it is true today and it will be The third stage is the Dispensation E of Dispensational theology as the true into the future. of the Gospel. This stage is recorded “plain sense reading” of the Scrip - Dispensationalism's in Acts and the Epistles and centers tures. He referred to this as a literal around what Jesus’ rule is today. hermeneutic. This literal hermeneutic Four Stages Johnson believes that the primary provides for the successful, contextu - question for an interpreter is, “Is the al interpretation of the textual details Johnson contended that there are meaning of the Hebrew Bible altered in the exegesis and exposition of any four stages, or dispensations, that when interpreted as a Christian Old text. cover Genesis 4 through Revelation. Testament?” Traditional Dispensa - The doctrinal statement of Dallas These four stages each involve a new tionalism would answer “no.” The Theological Seminary states: “We revelation related to the establish - basis for this answer is found in believe that dispensations are stew - ment of God’s rule. answering three questions: “After the ardships in The first stage first advent, what revelation has which God …the hermeneutic of is the Dispensa - already been fulfilled?”, “What reve - administers his Dispensational theology is tion of Promise, lation has not yet been fulfilled?” and purpose on earth recorded in Gen - “What is the new revelation?” The through man the “plain sense reading” of esis 12-50. The answer to the first, according to Tra - under varying new revelation is ditional Dispensational hermeneutic, responsibilities.” the Scriptures. that Abraham is is that the part of revelation related to Johnson sup - going to be the Gospel has been fulfilled. It was ported this unifying hermeneutic of blessed by God. This blessing was to anticipated in the Hebrew Bible and God’s administration and purpose by be used by God to bless others. fulfilled in Jesus. The answer to the pointing to Genesis 1, showing that Under the patriarchs, sinful as they second is that the promises to Israel God’s historical purpose was to create were, the rule continued. Under have not yet been completely ful - mankind in his image, thus making Joseph’s rule, one of Abraham’s filled. The answer to the third points possible a relationship between God descendants, the nations are blessed to the “mysteries” related to the King - and mankind. Mankind was given a and his brothers are saved. dom. According to Traditional Dis - delegated rulership over creation. At The second stage is the Dispensa - pensationalism’s hermeneutic, the Fall of mankind, that rulership tion of Law, recorded in Exodus Christ’s reign is currently over his was usurped by the enemy, the Ser - through the Gospels. The question in own, the church. There is coming a pent. The first announcement of this stage is, “How does the contin - time when he will also rule over his Good News was in the context of gency of the law add to the uncondi - enemies. God’s declaration that he would re- tional promises.” a consistent interpretive The fourth stage establish his rule over mankind. Johnson’s contention is the Dispensation Each of God’s successive adminis - is that under the procedure requires that of the Kingdom, trations moved toward God’s historic Torah the uncondi - recorded in the Book purpose of fulfilling the original cre - tional promises and someday Israel possess of Revelation. The ation purpose. In other words, God the contingency of the land fully and enmity between speaks and acts throughout history to the Law are kept sep - Satan and Christ has re-establish his rule over man who is arate, running as it Messiah reign on earth. yet to be resolved. in conflict with evil and then, as man were, on parallel The glory of the Mes - is ruled by God in salvation from evil, tracks. The Law does not replace siah, prophesied in the Hebrew Scrip - God will eventually reign through Promise because Promise continues to tures, has yet to see its fullest comple - man over the fallen creation. bless. The Law does not change tion. The earthly rule of Messiah has The Dispensational hermeneutic Promise because it simply adds the yet to be established. In Revelation views Revelation 20 as the moment at contingency that God expects obedi - 20, the Traditional Dispensationalist which the rule of man that was estab - ence if you are going to be a blessing sees the fulfillment of both the Abra - lished in creation, which is the rule of to others. In the coming of Jesus, hamic and Davidic covenants in the man that was lost in the Fall, is going these parallel lines come together. He reign of Christ with Israel and the to be restored in history. The rebel - lives according to Promise, under the Church. Israel comes into this rule as lion of evil which God permitted does Law. Jesus, according to Matthew 5, the promised people, the church Page 2 comes in as heirs and fellow heirs Packer put it, “a consistent interpre - Messiah reign on earth. A consistent with Christ. For Johnson, in this tive procedure yielding a consistent interpretive procedure requires that in understanding of Revelation 20, God understanding of Scripture.” In the Christ’s death the new covenant fulfills his creation purpose and thus case of the promises given to Israel promised to Israel be ratified, the ben - exposes the fullest display of God’s regarding the possession of a land and efits become available to all and the glory. the rule of Messiah, a consistent inter - inauguration of the complete fulfill - In summary, the Traditional Dis - pretive procedure requires that some - ment with the covenantI partner Israel pensational hermeneutic seeks, as J.I.