A student of mine directed me to this podcast with @DemarsSean and @danielghummel. Great questions, great answers, great tone. A fair, nuanced historical perspective on the history of dispensationalism. I highly recommend it. Two very minor quibbles: 1) My “Fathers on the Future” book doesn’t intend to place any system of dispensationalism in the early church. My own lay-friendly account of the history of dispensationalism in my chapter in “Dispensationalism and the History of Redemption” makes it clear that the stable pattern of doctrines and interpretations that make up Dispensationalism only coalesce in the nineteenth century. As far as eschatology goes, earliest fathers are actually premillennial, futurist, and take many elements quite literally, and their view of the assumption of the church is not as clear as various advocates of any modern view wish it was. 2) At times in the interview there appears to be some equivocation between “historicist premillennialism” and “historic premillennialism.” These aren’t the same thing. Historicism is a view of Revelation as a kind of charitable map through church history as its prophecies progressively unfold, as opposed to, say, preterism and futurism. Historic premillennialism is the claim that the non-dispensational view of premillennialism is not the same as that of the early church, though the earliest premillennialists appear to have been primarily futurist in their view of Revelation (though, like most throughout church history, they expected the end was near). Besides these minor tweaks, which are very, very minor, I appreciated the @RoomForNuance_ discussion.

Is gambling harmless entertainment? Or is there a deeper biblical question worth considering? Is gambling harmless entertainment? Or is there a deeper biblical question worth considering? In You Wanna Bet?, @DemarsSean tackles one of today's increasingly relevant ethical questions, examining gambling through Scripture's teaching on stewardship, contentment, covetousness, and love for neighbor. From lottery tickets and sports betting to prediction markets and friendly wagers, DeMars offers a carefully reasoned biblical case that challenges common assumptions and points readers toward a better hope in Christ. 📖 Get your copy of You Wanna Bet? today! a.co/d/052rddrU #YouWannaBet #ChristianEthics #CourierPublishing tackles one of today's increasingly relevant ethical questions, examining gambling through Scripture's teaching on stewardship, contentment, covetousness, and love for neighbor. From lottery tickets and sports betting to prediction markets and friendly wagers, DeMars offers a carefully reasoned biblical case that challenges common assumptions and points readers toward a better hope in Christ. 📖 Get your copy of You Wanna Bet? today! a.co/d/052rddrU #YouWannaBet #ChristianEthics #CourierPublishing

The Dispensationalism Interview: Link in the comments!

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The CREC reported nearly 4,000 baptisms over the past three years. That's about eight baptisms per church per year, on average. Considering that our average congregation has around 85 worshipers on Sunday, the number is remarkable. That means nearly a tenth of the average congregation comes to the font each year. Some larger congregations report over 30 baptisms annually. It's not hard to see why this number is so high: the CREC cultivates a culture of covenantal continuity where children are raised in the faith of their fathers. Further, many Baptist families who come in gladly and gradually embrace this covenantal understanding, and in time, bring their children to the font. While we continue to see young people and adults coming to baptism, the vast majority of our baptisms are infants. This reflects something fundamental about how we view the Church. Our congregations believe God's covenant promises belong to believers and their children, and that these children should be nurtured from their earliest days in the faith and obedience of Jesus Christ. The font, therefore, is not an occasional feature of congregational life but a visible testimony to God's faithfulness from one generation to the next. And the font leads naturally to the table. These are two central pieces of furniture in the household of faith. The child who is welcomed into the covenant through baptism is also welcomed to the covenant meal, where the same Lord who receives our children nourishes them throughout their lives. One of our favorite hymns sung during baptisms is the traditional Lutheran piece "God's Own Child I Gladly Say It." It encapsulates who we are as a people and how we view the status of our little ones: There is nothing worth comparing to this lifelong comfort sure! Open-eyed my grave is staring: Even there I’ll sleep secure. Though my flesh awaits its raising, still my soul continues praising: I am baptized into Christ; I’m a child of paradise! #CRECstats