We
live in a special time. Behind us lays the burden of the Mosaic Law that
shepherded the world toward grace. Ahead of us is the thousand years of Jesus’s
rule over the earth from David’s throne on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem. Today in
this in-between time we are called to bear witness to all people of God’s
gracious work of salvation through Jesus. Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer, a noted
dispensationalist and founder of Dallas Theological Seminary, saw this present
time as “peculiarly an age of witnessing”. In his systematic theology he noted
that “it is evident that the present age, bounded as it is by the two advents
of Christ, is distinctive in that it is an age of witnessing to the ends of the
earth of the saving grace provided through the death and resurrection of
Christ.”
In light of this, I find it disturbing that dispensationalists are often charged with being so fixed on Jesus’s coming as to not be concerned with the spread of the gospel. Iain Murray for example accused what he called “defeatist dispensationalism” with turning the church away from missions. However, Dr. Chafer clearly saw that dispensational theology supported the notion that we are living in a time that provides a unique opportunity and responsibility to reach the world with the gospel. Chafer himself was originally an evangelist. Chafer’s mentor C. I Scofield founded the Central American Mission. New Tribes Mission is a dispensationally focused organization reaching indigenous people world-wide. Dispensationalists are involved with missions, evangelism, and outreach all around the world. Even Geroge E. Ladd a critic of dispensational theology recognized that dispensationalism encourages a zeal for evangelism and mission. Richard Mouw, a reformed theologian noted dispensationism’s zeal for mission and outreach when he wrote “before I had ever heard of Mother Teresa, I saw dispensationalists lovingly embrace the homeless in rescue missions”.
The very nature of dispensationalism, rightly understood, ought to inspire its adherents to embrace taking God’s word to the all of God’s world. What are you doing during this special time? Share the gospel with someone today!
In light of this, I find it disturbing that dispensationalists are often charged with being so fixed on Jesus’s coming as to not be concerned with the spread of the gospel. Iain Murray for example accused what he called “defeatist dispensationalism” with turning the church away from missions. However, Dr. Chafer clearly saw that dispensational theology supported the notion that we are living in a time that provides a unique opportunity and responsibility to reach the world with the gospel. Chafer himself was originally an evangelist. Chafer’s mentor C. I Scofield founded the Central American Mission. New Tribes Mission is a dispensationally focused organization reaching indigenous people world-wide. Dispensationalists are involved with missions, evangelism, and outreach all around the world. Even Geroge E. Ladd a critic of dispensational theology recognized that dispensationalism encourages a zeal for evangelism and mission. Richard Mouw, a reformed theologian noted dispensationism’s zeal for mission and outreach when he wrote “before I had ever heard of Mother Teresa, I saw dispensationalists lovingly embrace the homeless in rescue missions”.
The very nature of dispensationalism, rightly understood, ought to inspire its adherents to embrace taking God’s word to the all of God’s world. What are you doing during this special time? Share the gospel with someone today!
Comments
Post a Comment