A Rare Breed Indeed
What's more difficult to find than:
... an honest politician?
... Ergun Caner at a debate with James R. White?
... leftover fried chicken at a Baptist fellowship dinner?
... exegesis in Frank Page's book Trouble with the TULIP?
... an Arminian at the Ligonier National Conference?
Give up yet?
Here's the answer:
A Postmillennialist in the Southern Baptist Convention!
Believe it or not, there are at least a couple of these critters in existence.
One is my fellow Mafia don Gordan Runyan, the other is yours truly: Rhett Kelley. Though both Postmill, Gordan and I do have some minor differences when it comes to the interpretation of Revelation. Gordan holds to an Historicist interpretation and I hold to a Partial-Preterist view of the book. Though we differ on this, we pretty much agree on most other things regarding Postmillennial eschatology.
For those who have never been properly introduced to the Postmillennial view, I would like to encourage you to read this article by Jay Rogers. I think it's a good introduction to Postmillennialism in general and the Partial-Preterest view in particular.
I have recently come across some evidence that the SBC used to actually have some Postmillennial scholars within it's ranks long ago, however, like Reformed Soteriology and church discipline, this eschatological distinctive appears to have been largely lost also...
Post Tenebras, Lux!
8 comments:
Yeah, I've felt that way about being amill and attending SBTS, though there is a bit more people vocal about being A- instead of Post-, we're still slim pickin's. Imagine my surprise when in the first semester alone I've ran into 3 or 4 others.
Bryan
http://thisblogchoseyou.wordpress.com
Rhett,
Wow . . . I would have never guessed. I better return that Ryrie Study Bible I got for your '08 Christmas present! Maybe Hank Hanegraaff's latest book would be a better present? :)
Billy
Bryan,
You're Amill Partial-Pret, correct? If so, there's not a whole lot of difference between us except for how we expect the end to play out... (I think it was John MacArthur who said a Postmill is just an optimistic Amill!)
Billy,
LOL!
I'm even more of a theological misfit than you previously imagined, eh?? :)
There is surely a program out there for us somewhere.
Endangered Species Act?
Witness Protection Program?
Some 12-step recovery meeting?
BTW, Spurgeon was post-mil as well:
"It would be easy to show that at our present rate of progress the kingdoms of this world never could become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. Indeed, many in the Church are giving up the idea of it except on the occasion of the advent of Christ, which, as it chimes in with our own idleness, is likely to be a popular doctrine. I myself believe that King Jesus will reign, and the idols be utterly abolished; but I expect the same power which turned the world upside down once will still continue to do it. The Holy Ghost would never suffer the imputation to rest upon His holy name that He was not able to convert the world."
-Charles Haddon Spurgeon
(Quoted in "Paradise Restored" by D. Chilton)
Spurgeon was premill:
http://www.spurgeon.org/eschat.htm
Wow, I'm a postmil Baptist too. Check out B. H. Carroll, Willard Ramsey, Calvin Goodspeed, etc.
Mort,
Well, if you're going to reference the Spurgeon Magisterium, then I guess I'll have to concede your point. :) Who am I to argue with his infallible interpreters?
I'm kidding. But, I note that I didn't see the quote I referenced talked about in the article you linked. (Maybe I just misssed it?) And, if you're familiar at all with Ian Murray, well, I find it difficult to think he came to a different conclusion based on no evidence. I mean, I'm betting Murray was going on something, maybe something like my quote.
However, it sure does look like Spurgeon singled out postmillennialism as something he disagreed with.
Nevertheless, even that article concedes he was probably talking more about the nacent liberal social-gospel, utopian vision than he was about the Puritans' doctrine. In the quote above, he sure does seem hopeful that the Gospel will find ultimate success.
So, I'm not arguing with you: I'll concede that my labelling of him as a postmillennialist was at best hasty, and certain other quotes make that look flat-out wrong. But I would like to know what he thought about the issue of the Gospel's progress, which is the crux of Biblical postmil thought.
Gordan,
I don't recall Murray claiming Spurgeon was postmill. I read "The Forgotten Spurgeon" a long time ago, so my memory is fuzzy, but I seem to remember he basically said Spurgeon was inconsistent.
My own assessment is that Spurgeon was optimistic about the progress of the gospel, as evidenced by the quote you mentioned. I don't know how he squared this with his stated premillennialism, but I am glad for it.
Here is another optimistic quote from CHS:
"Because thou art thus above all gods, the people who have been so long deceived shall at last discover thy greatness, and shall render thee the worship which is thy due: thou hast created them all, and unto thee shall they all yield homage. This was David's reason for resorting to the Lord in trouble, for he felt that one day all men would acknowledge the Lord to be the only God. It makes us content to be in the minority today, when we are sure that the majority will be with us tomorrow, ay, and that the truth will one day be carried unanimously and heartily. David was not a believer in the theory that the world will grow worse and worse, and that the dispensation will wind up with general darkness, and idolatry. Earth's sun is to go down amid tenfold night if some of our prophetic brethren are to be believed. Not so do we expect, but we look for day when the dwellers in all lands shall learn righteousness, shall trust in the Saviour, shall worship thee alone, O God, and shall glorify thy name. The modern notion has greatly damped the zeal of the church for missions, and the sooner it is shown to be unscriptural the better for the cause of God. It neither consorts with prophecy, honours God, nor inspires the church with ardour. Far hence be it driven."
Treasury of David, Psalm 86:9
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