Dr. Couch, Thanks for your ministry. I was introduced to you and your bible teaching by a student at Tyndale seminary about eight years ago when I was a new christian. Your books and sermons have really helped give me a foundation in dispensational premillenialism when many of my younger christian friends were were headed into reformed theology. While I was reading Ryrie, Couch, Lahaye and Lutzer, they were reading Sproul, Berkhof, and Kenneth Gentry. It seems that the popular and "in" thing is to head in the reformed direction. Have you heard of the "young restless and reformed" movement that is going on? John Macarthur, R.C. Sproul and some other notable pastors and theologians are encouraging it. To be very honest it seems that the men I know that are involved in this sort of thing are doing it just because it is popular and sort of noble to be "reformed." What do you think about this?
When I have talked to reformed guys about dispensationalism, and read blogs from guys like Kenneth Gentry, they will often accuse dispensationalism of being a new heresy that developed in the 19th century. People i know have jumped on this bandwagon. Oddly enough they dont want to actually talk about the biblical text they just want to bolster thier arguments with the names and opinions of their favorite theologians and bible teachers. How would you deal with this. Thanks for your ministry, and thanks for providing your bible lessons free on your website they are the epitome of great bible exposition and clear teaching.
ANSWER: Unfortunately, there is a war going on between hard core Reformed guys and dispensationalists. The dispensationalists are right. The Bible is "Dispensational," and that can be proven all the way back to the early church. While being dispensational is not exactly being premillennial, the two are very close together. All dispensationalists are premillennial! The early church was clearly premillennial and so were the orthodox Jews. Christ and the disciples were. They made it clear that the church and Israel were not the same nor were they inter-linked.
What is happening is not a textual war but a philosophical skirmish. The Reformed guys just don't like dispensationalism. I want to thank you for your great letter.
--Dr. Mal Couch (9/11)
When I have talked to reformed guys about dispensationalism, and read blogs from guys like Kenneth Gentry, they will often accuse dispensationalism of being a new heresy that developed in the 19th century. People i know have jumped on this bandwagon. Oddly enough they dont want to actually talk about the biblical text they just want to bolster thier arguments with the names and opinions of their favorite theologians and bible teachers. How would you deal with this. Thanks for your ministry, and thanks for providing your bible lessons free on your website they are the epitome of great bible exposition and clear teaching.
ANSWER: Unfortunately, there is a war going on between hard core Reformed guys and dispensationalists. The dispensationalists are right. The Bible is "Dispensational," and that can be proven all the way back to the early church. While being dispensational is not exactly being premillennial, the two are very close together. All dispensationalists are premillennial! The early church was clearly premillennial and so were the orthodox Jews. Christ and the disciples were. They made it clear that the church and Israel were not the same nor were they inter-linked.
What is happening is not a textual war but a philosophical skirmish. The Reformed guys just don't like dispensationalism. I want to thank you for your great letter.
--Dr. Mal Couch (9/11)
