Question from a Site Viewer
I just read your article on amillenialism and you sound Protestant but seem as you are speaking for Baptist doctrine? Is that true? You don’t seem to identify yourself on your website.
Tim’s Answer
Thanks for your comment. You ask whether I am speaking for Baptist doctrine. I am not sure what Baptist doctrine you may have in mind, as there are so many different doctrines within the wide range of those who call themselves Baptists. But in any case, I am not a Baptist, have never been a Baptist, and do not purport to speak for any group of Baptists. But neither do I make that statement as one who thinks being a Baptist is a bad thing. I attended a Baptist Seminary because it had a strong Greek and Hebrew program. The theology I espouse is a theology that I held long before I went to Seminary to learn the languages, and at points differs from what the Seminary taught. Yet, I was truly blessed by the depth of Christianity I found at the Seminary and have a more favorable view of Baptists because of the experience.
I believe God has His work in many Christian groups, and all of us have things we can learn from other groups about the person and work of Christ in our midst. I have good friends who are Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Anabaptists (including Baptists). I think the breadth of the church is a strength, and not a weakness of the church.
Our effort with the site is to represent Christ as we see Him presented in the pages of Scripture, attempting to let Scripture interpret Scripture, seeking to understand how Jesus and His disciples read Scripture, and applying that hermeneutic to our understanding of Scripture. We also like to consult the early church writers to ensure that the interpretation is not straying from what they understood the Apostles taught. We rely less on the later church fathers (those after the second century), as we think that time has some correlation to the transmission of truth in the message. Our goal is to encourage people to search the Scriptures with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
The early churches (those who knew the apostles and those who immediately followed them) were not amillennial. That, for us, is a very powerful argument against amillennialism, especially when the words of Revelation and the prophecies of David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, and Zechariah among others strongly seem to argue for a literal reign of the Messiah on this earth during a period of tranquility and peace.
Our intent from the beginning for the site was not to draw attention to ourselves, but to exalt the Lord Jesus and promote a piety among His people that accords with what we find in the pages of Scripture. Our hope is that people will seek the truth in the pages of Scripture. If we could be totally invisible and Christ fully visible, then we would be most pleased. But we also understand that sometimes the presence of Christ is mediated through His people.
If what we write on the site accords with Scripture, then we trust that the Spirit of God will use the words to build up believers and draw others into the kingdom of Christ. If it does not accord with Scripture, then we pray that our words will lead no one astray. But we try hard to stay true to the Word, as those who must someday give an account to the One who is Head of us all. We also try to provide relevant Scriptural passages so that our views can be checked with Scripture. And though we do not claim that our theology is correct in every way, we will never intentionally write something that we think is questionable without trying also to provide the reader with a clear understanding of the potential weakness of the position. And we will never intentionally present something that we think is unsupportable by a reasoned view of the whole of Scripture.
The goal of the site is not to draw anyone into any particular church, or group of Christians. Rather, the goal is to be a blessing to the body of Christ as a whole.
I trust this helps.
a fellow bond servant,
tim