Josheb
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Dispensationalism is overtly inconsistent in practice. To be hypocritical is to say one thing and do the opposite, or to assert a standard and then not practice it. This happens in multiple ways with Dispensational Premillennialism.
For example, one of the core tenets of Dispensationalism is the belief scripture should be read literally. Sometimes this is qualified to say prophecy, not all scripture, is to be read literally. The problems arising from this position are that the rules of correct biblical exegesis have been long-held and well-established by nearly everyone in Christendom no matter their respective theology or eschatology or other doctrinal views. The literal reading of scripture is a basic tenet of exegesis but that rule does not apply to ALL scripture, especially not prophecy since prophecy is often one of the most figurative and/or allegorical literary genres. As a consequence, Dispensationalism's requirement for literal reading ignores centuries of Christian thought, doctrine, and practice, but another problem arises because Dispensationalists do not actually read all prophecy literally, and they openly criticize others when they practice literal reading! Not only is literalism not practiced consistently despite the self-asserted emphasis on literalism, and not only is there inherently contradictory criticism of those who do practice literalism where Dispensationalists do not, but there is also enormous inconsistency between the imminent prognostications constantly being asserted and the fact rarely do any Dispensationalists act is if their own claims are actually true! They say the world is coming to an end any day now but they do not actually act as if that is true.
In regard to the emphasis on literalism, the Dispensational Hermeneutic (pdf file) states a word should be “given the same meaning it would have in normal usage.” In Dispensationalism this is often applied to OT prophecy but not NT prophecy. Neither is it applied to NT renderings of the OT. For example, Dispensationalists take literally the promise of a Davidic throne found in 2 Samuel 7 but they do not take literally Peter’s statements in Acts 2 about that promise. Another example of this inconsistency is when they use the word “near” to mean near but do not read scripture's use of "near" to mean near. They say, “The building of the temple is near,” but they do not give God’s use of the word “near,” in Revelation the same meaning it would have in normal usage. The word “near,” literally mean near in time or space.
Then when a non-Dispensationalist Christian does read verses or passages literally, they expose themselves to criticism by Dispensationalists and that criticism in often rude, disrespectful and sometime profane. I have even had my salvation called into question when I post a literal reading of scripture.
Robert Fitzpatrick was a man who spent over $140,000 on billboards and other advertisements to proclaim the gospel leading up to the return of Jesus on May 21, 2011 according to the predictions made by Harold Camping. No matter what anyone here thinks of Camping, Mr. Fitzpatrick acted with integrity; he acted in a manner consistent with his own beliefs. He acted in a manner consistent with the Dispensational Premillennial teaching he had received. He genuinely believed he was not going to be around to spend his wealth, so he spent it on that which was important to him: the gospel. Scores of people have behaved in like manner due to the Dispensational Premillennialist eschatology they were taught. They all lost their money foolishly and no one in DP leadership ever apologized or compensated any of them.
If a person truly believes they will raptured off of the planet next week, next month, next year, within the next decade or two then there is little sense in paying a mortgage, saving money for retirement, or investing in profitability of future stocks. That person will not be around to spend that wealth if what they believe to be true is in fact true. Therefore, every single Dispensationalist who believes in a soon-occurring rapture but acts in a manner inconsistent with that belief is acting with hypocrisy. Ironically, Dispensational Premillennialism also explicitly asserts the Church is corrupt and actively anticipates false teachers in the future, particularly as the millennium approaches but 1) it fosters an enormous number of teachers who teach falsely and 2) it does nothing to change this practice. More often than not those decrying false teachers are false teachers.
In other words, there are numerous conditions wherein Dispensationalism fosters objectively observable hypocrisy, where the Dispensationalist practices that which s/he reports to eschew or disdain.
No other eschatology has these problems!
From an article at Christianity Today on John Darby.
How many Dispensationalists do you know currently planning to liquidate their IRAs before the Rapture?
For example, one of the core tenets of Dispensationalism is the belief scripture should be read literally. Sometimes this is qualified to say prophecy, not all scripture, is to be read literally. The problems arising from this position are that the rules of correct biblical exegesis have been long-held and well-established by nearly everyone in Christendom no matter their respective theology or eschatology or other doctrinal views. The literal reading of scripture is a basic tenet of exegesis but that rule does not apply to ALL scripture, especially not prophecy since prophecy is often one of the most figurative and/or allegorical literary genres. As a consequence, Dispensationalism's requirement for literal reading ignores centuries of Christian thought, doctrine, and practice, but another problem arises because Dispensationalists do not actually read all prophecy literally, and they openly criticize others when they practice literal reading! Not only is literalism not practiced consistently despite the self-asserted emphasis on literalism, and not only is there inherently contradictory criticism of those who do practice literalism where Dispensationalists do not, but there is also enormous inconsistency between the imminent prognostications constantly being asserted and the fact rarely do any Dispensationalists act is if their own claims are actually true! They say the world is coming to an end any day now but they do not actually act as if that is true.
In regard to the emphasis on literalism, the Dispensational Hermeneutic (pdf file) states a word should be “given the same meaning it would have in normal usage.” In Dispensationalism this is often applied to OT prophecy but not NT prophecy. Neither is it applied to NT renderings of the OT. For example, Dispensationalists take literally the promise of a Davidic throne found in 2 Samuel 7 but they do not take literally Peter’s statements in Acts 2 about that promise. Another example of this inconsistency is when they use the word “near” to mean near but do not read scripture's use of "near" to mean near. They say, “The building of the temple is near,” but they do not give God’s use of the word “near,” in Revelation the same meaning it would have in normal usage. The word “near,” literally mean near in time or space.
Then when a non-Dispensationalist Christian does read verses or passages literally, they expose themselves to criticism by Dispensationalists and that criticism in often rude, disrespectful and sometime profane. I have even had my salvation called into question when I post a literal reading of scripture.
Robert Fitzpatrick was a man who spent over $140,000 on billboards and other advertisements to proclaim the gospel leading up to the return of Jesus on May 21, 2011 according to the predictions made by Harold Camping. No matter what anyone here thinks of Camping, Mr. Fitzpatrick acted with integrity; he acted in a manner consistent with his own beliefs. He acted in a manner consistent with the Dispensational Premillennial teaching he had received. He genuinely believed he was not going to be around to spend his wealth, so he spent it on that which was important to him: the gospel. Scores of people have behaved in like manner due to the Dispensational Premillennialist eschatology they were taught. They all lost their money foolishly and no one in DP leadership ever apologized or compensated any of them.
If a person truly believes they will raptured off of the planet next week, next month, next year, within the next decade or two then there is little sense in paying a mortgage, saving money for retirement, or investing in profitability of future stocks. That person will not be around to spend that wealth if what they believe to be true is in fact true. Therefore, every single Dispensationalist who believes in a soon-occurring rapture but acts in a manner inconsistent with that belief is acting with hypocrisy. Ironically, Dispensational Premillennialism also explicitly asserts the Church is corrupt and actively anticipates false teachers in the future, particularly as the millennium approaches but 1) it fosters an enormous number of teachers who teach falsely and 2) it does nothing to change this practice. More often than not those decrying false teachers are false teachers.
In other words, there are numerous conditions wherein Dispensationalism fosters objectively observable hypocrisy, where the Dispensationalist practices that which s/he reports to eschew or disdain.
No other eschatology has these problems!
From an article at Christianity Today on John Darby.
”What separated Darby's dispensationalism was his novel method of biblical interpretation, which consisted of a strict literalism, the absolute separation of Israel and the church into two distinct peoples of God, and the separation of the rapture (the 'catching away' of the church) from Christ's Second Coming. At the rapture, he said, Christ will come for his saints; and at the Second Coming, he will come with his saints.”
How many Dispensationalists do you know currently planning to liquidate their IRAs before the Rapture?
. They have created a contradiction by saying the great tribulation is in the far distant future and the church Thyatira experienced the great tribulation in the first century.
