Eschatology—"You Must Be Born Again"
Eschatology—"You Must Be Born Again"
By Christina Wilson
I have a berean1 approach to all my biblical studies. I use berean in a symbolic application of Acts 17:10-11.
NET Acts 17:10 The brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea at once, during the night. When they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 These Jews were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they eagerly received the message, examining the scriptures carefully every day to see if these things were so.
A fuller development of the Bereans is presented in Appendix 1.
Introduction
Why Study Eschatology?
One needs to study eschatology for the same reasons one studies any topic in scripture: it is part of God’s Holy Word. What God took time to write down and preserve, we need to study. What is important to God should be important to us.
There is a further reason for studying eschatology today, and that is simply because everyone else is doing so. It seems that in local neighborhoods, every church on every corner has done a study of Revelation recently. Famous people are involved in eschatological statements and presentations. As bereans, all who hear these words need to be informed from their own reading of scripture, as to the truth or nontruth of certain interpretations. One reason is that certain beliefs have entered the realm of politics and the thinking about politics and international relations. Eschatological beliefs can affect what people want their governments to do or not do.
Up until recently, I felt that one’s eschatology was a nonessential of salvation. "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity".2 A former pastor of mine used to teach his congregation that concerning end times, he only desired that each person in his congregation know the major eschatological choices available, choose one if we wished, and be able to state clearly the biblical reasons for our choice.
As a young Christian, having read through Revelation once or twice, I felt that it was far above my head to be able to comprehend it. I would read through it, replace it on the bookshelf towards the back of my mind, and trust that in due course, the Lord would reveal it to me in His own timing as He saw necessary.
When I began studying for this series of articles, I was still of the opinion that one’s eschatology was nonessential to salvation. If one misapprehends biblical eschatology as God wrote it, one may still be saved. However, having become more familiar with one form of dispensational premillennial interpretation, my view has changed dramatically. I now feel that one’s eschatology is essential to evangelism, if not to salvation, and a separate aritcle on this website explains why.3
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1 I use a small “b” in berean to distinguish from the denomination of that name, to which I have no affiliation nor make any allusion.
3 Christina Wilson, “Might a Dispensational Premillennial Gospel Be Dangerous?”, published by Users.Bible .Org, 2012, and available at http://users.bible.org/articles/might_dispensational_premillennial_gospel_be_dangerous
My sincere and deepest gratitude to the Bible.Org and Bible.Org Users staff, volunteers, and website for providing a forum such as this, where beginning authors may publish their thoughts about the Bible. Thank you very much.
Appendix 1
Motives for Writing
My first and primary motive for writing about hermeneutics and end time theology is to express my deep love, respect, and appreciation for God’s word. I also seek to express my deep love, respect, appreciation, and dependence upon my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Secondly, in the honesty of my heart and mind, I sincerely believe that the dispensational premillennial rapture/tribulation/millennial kingdom sequence is not biblically sound.
Finally, I have come to see what I consider to be a danger inherent in the dispensational premillennial approach to end times. This danger is fully described in the portion titled, “Might a Dispensational Premillennial Gospel Be Dangerous?”1.
Background
I am a berean. Not literalistically—I have never been to Berea nor have I ever in any way been associated with any Berean congregation or church—but in a biblical, symbolic, typological way, I am a berean, because that is how God formed me. I never asked to be one; He has made me this way. I am writing this article to encourage others who may also have berean tendencies in them.
Acts 17:10 The brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea at once, during the night. When they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 These Jews were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they eagerly received the message, examining the scriptures carefully every day to see if these things were so. (Act 17:10-11 NET)
The Bereans in the verse quoted above had two noteworthy characteristics: 1) They "eagerly" received the message. That is, they received the message with goodwill, willingness, and readiness. When they heard God’s word preached by Paul, they were not negative towards the Word, but positive. They wanted it and embraced it. 2) They wanted to be sure they were being told the truth; therefore, they did not merely rely on Paul's words, but they examined the scriptures carefully every day to see if what Paul was telling them was true. One could say that they valued the truth of written scripture more than they valued the words of Paul the preacher. One could also say that they trusted their own judgment as being capable of verifying the truth Paul was telling them, yet they were open to joyfully receiving what they had not previously discovered on their own. The Bible commends them in several translations as being "noble-minded".
As a female berean lay person, I have no authority; I am above no one; I teach no one. I have no credentials other than the Spirit of God within me, whom all regenerated Christians carry within themselves. I have had no formal Christian education. There is no reason why anyone should listen to me; I have no qualifications.
I do like to read and study scripture. That is by God's grace. He made me that way. I myself did not create inside of me the love I have for His word. I believe the word I read as much as I am able and to the extent His light within me shines, and I pray, Lord, that You will help me to trust You more and more each day up until and including the moment when You call me home.
I yielded my life to the Lordship of Christ as an adult some thirty plus years ago. I don't know why, but I never purchased a "study" Bible until quite recently, although I always have owned several reference Bibles, and I have studied from my kitchen table the original language of the New Testament. There are many fine study aids available for that. So, you see that I am self-taught at home, another reason why no one need listen to me.
God's Word encourages learners like myself. First, we have Acts 17:10-11, quoted above. Next, scripture gives all Christians the encouragement to rely for understanding upon the indwelling Holy Spirit--
1 John 2:27 Now as for you, the anointing that you received from him resides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things, it is true and is not a lie. Just as it has taught you, you reside in him. (1Jo 2:27 NET)
Finally, the Lord rewards the obedient seeker--
John 7:16 So Jesus replied, "My teaching is not from me, but from the one who sent me. 17 If anyone wants to do God's will, he will know about my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority. (Joh 7:16-17 NET)
None of what I have said here implies in any way that I do not value and highly esteem the words and teachings of preachers generally and of the preachers and teachers under whom I have sat. Further, I love to read the sermons and commentaries of others. My soul has been immensely blessed by certain authors greatly gifted by God.
Being berean simply means that I try to take everything I hear and compare that with God’s own word. Scripture clearly teaches that I have that capacity and freedom. So doing does not give me any authority in the church whatsoever—zippo! I do not seek nor do I desire any authority whatsoever in any church. It would not be biblical for me to do so. I am in my unsaved nature a foolish woman, and a very foolish one at that. But, God did give me a mind, and by His grace, I love to study those things which He freely has given to all His children, male and female alike.
In summary, the Bible does not discourage individual Christians from seeking out and verifying God's truth on their own through studying scripture by the light of the Holy Spirit given to every believer. Rather, the Bible encourages such earnestness and love of God's word, including among women. If all congregants applied themselves as diligently as the scriptural Bereans did, it is perhaps possible that the church would not slip into heresy or false teachings.
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1 Christina Wilson, “Might a Dispensational Premillennial Gospel Be Dangerous?”, published by Users.Bible .Org, 2012, and available at http://users.bible.org/articles/might_dispensational_premillennial_gospel_be_dangerous
My sincere and deepest gratitude to the Bible.Org and Bible.Org Users staff, volunteers, and website for providing a forum such as this, where beginning authors may publish their thoughts about the Bible. Thank you very much.
Appendix 2
What Is the First Requirement to the Study of Biblical Theology?
I purchased a book a number of years ago called Biblical Theology by John Owen, D.D.1 I confess that I never read it until I began to prepare for this article. In the course of recently reading several chapters, I was amazed at what I found, and I now understand why I was moved to purchase Dr. Owen in the first place. Dr. Owen lived as a Puritan in England from 1616 until 1683, preaching and writing. According to the book's jacket, he suffered persecution and was buried in a Non-Conformist burial ground. I want to print here a few somewhat extensive quotations of Dr. Owen, because I think what he writes bears heavily on the study of any biblical topic.
"First, let the reader take note that I only understand the names and terms 'theology' and 'theologian' in their true sense. That is, that they do not [italics in original] merely denote a certain branch of knowledge and the men adept in it. Rather, all true Christians are God's theologians, as the saving light of the gospel has been bestowed upon them all. All distinctions within this class are, to my mind, arbitrary for they simply show the differing degrees of the distribution of spiritual gifts among the faithful by the Holy Spirit who, 'divides to every man severally as He wills' (1 Corinthians 12:11). The same saving Spirit dwells in them all as, each in his appointed time, they are day by day transformed from glory into glory through God's Spirit. There will always be vast differences between the attainment of theologians, precisely because of the differing gifts imparted to them by the Holy Spirit. The common denominator, if their theology is true, is a spiritual awareness, renewing their minds and transforming them into the likeness of Christ, the true light." 2
.....
"These freely-imparted gifts of the Spirit (being additions to the free gift of salvation) not only bring out the differences between believers, but also have a double effect on the minds of those who experience them--first, by the gospel light poured into them at their new birth, all believers become lights for the Lord themselves, displaying His glory in them by their new obedience and salvation experience. They now have a radical and fundamental awareness [italics in original] of God's purposes and being. From then on, God's truths (both revealed in nature and set forth in the sacred Scriptures) become daily clearer and more distinct to them as their spiritual knowledge strengthens and becomes more correct. The result is a clear and purified judgment capable of distinguishing truth from error, a firmly grounded knowledge of the content of the Scriptures, and a facility for correctly systematizing those truths according to their relative importance. Second, they alone have the basic qualification needed to impart Gospel truth to others." 3
.....
"True theology, therefore is nothing but the disciplined efforts of the student's intellect (directed according to the rule of Scripture) to enhance and improve those inner spiritual gifts and saving light which constitute true, heavenly wisdom. [e.g. 1 Corinthians 14:12, 2 Corinthians 3:5, 6, 18; 4:6; Ephesians 1:17-19; 3:7, 16-19, 5:15-16; Colossians 1: 26-27]." [italics in original] 4
Owen then spends some time describing the calling of God upon certain men and the appointing by the Church for the office of theologian. My point is not to say that all Christians are equally good at being theologians, especially since Owen also writes that the gifts of the Spirit and the proper development through study and use vary from man to man. However, Owen did state that "...all true Christians are God's theologians, as the saving light of the gospel has been bestowed upon them all."
I believe therefore that all Christians minimally through the gift of the Holy Spirit bestowed upon all believers in Christ at the time of salvation and through the application of diligent reading and study of God's word have the capacity as did the Bereans commended in Acts to distinguish among true and false teachings. Jesus Christ provided promise of a similar capacity to those heeding His own teaching—
John 7:17 If anyone wants to do God's will, he will know about my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority. (Joh 7:17 NET)
The first requirement then of understanding any true biblical theology is being born again.
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1 John Owen, D. D., Biblical Theology, Translated by Stephen P. Westcott, Ph.D., published at Morgan, PA, © 1994 by Soli Deo Gloria Publications
2 Ibid., page 687
3 Ibid., page 688
4 Ibid., page 688
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Links to Related Articles by Christina Wilson
Rising to Meet Christ in the Air: Word Study
Overview of Paul in Ephesians 1 through 3—One Election or Two?
Jesus Spiritualizes the Kingdom: Concrete/Spiritual Conundrum—The Big Change
Why the Millennium Can't Be the Millennium
Might a Dispensational Premillennial Gospel Be Dangerous?
Hermeneutics: What Did Jesus Say?
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