1992 Issue 4 - Cross-Examination: Objections to Postmillenialism - Counsel of Chalcedon
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Transcript of 1992 Issue 4 - Cross-Examination: Objections to Postmillenialism - Counsel of Chalcedon
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8/12/2019 1992 Issue 4 - Cross-Examination: Objections to Postmillenialism - Counsel of Chalcedon
1/2
Each month the
Cross- Examina-
tion
column presentsasummarystate
ment of a Reformed and Recon
strUctionist conviction in theology or
ethics, and
then
offers brief answe S
to
common questions, objections or
con
fusions which people have about that
belief.
Send issues or questions you
wouldlikeaddressedby
Dr.
Bahnsen
to
the editor.
We
Believe
According to evangelical,
Bible
believingpostmillennialism,fal1enman
is
utterly incapable
of
entering or
ad
vancingthekingdomofGodinhisown
effort, wisdom, or accomplishment.
God's
kingdom
comes
not by human
work, but by the redemptivemission of
Jesus Christ cf. Colossians 1:13-14)
and according to the
gracious
power of
the Holy Spirit.
As
Jesus said
to
Nicodenrus:
Unless
one is born
again,
he cannot
see
the kingdom of
God
(john 3:3).
Postmillennialists
believe
thatJesus
established the kingdom of
God
on
earth during His
first
advent.
Mark
summarizes whatJesus preached: The
time is
fulfilled,
and the kingdom of
Godisathand CMark1:14). FromHis
exorcism of demons
Jesus
authorita
tively concluded: the
kingdom
of God
has
come
upon you
(Matthew 12:28).
Jesus
is
now
despoiling Satan's
house
(v. 29),
as
the kingdomslowly grows in
the earth
(Matthew
13:31-32), andev
ery enemy is brought in submission
under His feet
(Hebrews
1:13;
10:13).
He must reign until all opposition is
defeated,
and then
He
will
deliver
up
the kingdom to
the
Father- at His
second
cOlIling,
which
is
the
end of
history (1 Corinthians 15:24-25).
Postinillennia1ists believ'e that the
victorious
advance
ofChrist's kingdom
comes
about
by
means of the preaching
of
the gospel
and the
powerful
work of
God's
Spirit in regeneration and sanc
tification.
Thatis, it
is
the pursuitofthe
Great Commission,
rather than
the
use
of
violence
or
military
confrontation,
whichpeacefullysecures thewidespread
conversion of the world and brings it to
obeyall thatJesushas commanded cf.
Matthew
28:18-20).
However, theprocess throughwhich
the kingdom grows involves an intense
spiritual battle, with
its
ensuing
afflic-
4 THE COUNSEL
of
Cbalcedon
t
April, 1992
tions,
persecutions, hardships andsuf
fering for God's people.
The
ultimate
victory which
shall
come through
the
struggle
does not
cancel the
pain and
sorrow
which
attends
thatstruggle.
The
Apostle
John spoke of himself as a
~ c o m p n i o n
in the
suffering
and king
dom
.. that
are ours in Jesus (Revela
tion1:9). Paul called on
Timothy
to be
a partaker of
the
afflictions of the
gos
pel (2
Timothy
1:8), realizing that if
wesuffer[withHitnl,weshallalsoreign
with
Him
(2:
12).
xamination
Question lmtisn'tpostmillennialism
a
form
of naturalism and humanism,
arrogantly
trusting in m n and earthly
politics
to establish
God's
kingdom in
the
world?
Answer:
Absolutely
not, although
many
opponents of theposition, either
out of misconception or malice, have
triedOver and over
again to
pOrtray it
as
such.
In fact, though, Bible-believing
posnnillenniali.sIil is the diametric op
posite and mortal enemy of naturalism .
and humanism, for it
teaches
the need
for God's sUpernatural
intervention in
human affairs and in huIilan hearts in
order
for His
kblgdom
to
come.
Postmillennialism,
as can be seen from
what was said
above,
humbles
Irian's
pride and accomplishments bydeclar
ing
the necessity
of
God's
grace in order
for
anyone
to
enter thekingdomofGod.
Question
Postmillennialists are
dangerous, though, because they have
the
idea
that theyand theirfollowers
are
going to
bring in the kingdom of God,
and
they
are going to do
so
through
political
compulsion .and
even
armed
conflict.
Answer
That kind of remark is
nothing
less
than slander,
which
falls
under the wrath and CUISe of God
(cf.
Proverbs 6:16-19).
I realize that this
-
8/12/2019 1992 Issue 4 - Cross-Examination: Objections to Postmillenialism - Counsel of Chalcedon
2/2
amounts to a shatp reply to the
com
ment, but such a rebuke is morally
required - for the glory ofGod and
the
good of the verbal
abuser.
''He who
utters a slander is a
fool"
(Proverbs
10: IB)whowillnot beallowed to dwell
with Jehovah (Psalm 15:3). Theolo
gians and
Bible
teachers are even
more
responsible
to
guard what
they
say than
others (cf. James 3:1) -- so theyespe
cially must take care and
realize
that
the tongue is a restless
evil,
full of
deadly poison" (v. B).
Teachers who oppose post
millennialism have no
right to distort and mis-
represent what it stands
for. Postmillennialists
most surely do not hold
thattheyaregoingtobring
in God's kingdom. Their
procl:aIDation, to the very
opposite effect, is that
Christ has already estab
lished is own kingdom
Himself
And He didsoat
His first advent.
Postmillennialists insist
that Christ not be de
prived ofHis glory. He
is
the opposite
is
to
malign
them and the
truth.
Question But don't post
millennialists overlook the dimension
of suffering and weakness in the
Christian ife? Atleastthatiswhatlhave
read and been told. Posunillennialists
are
called
"triumphalists" who forget
the theology
of the
cross.
Answer: This too,like the
cases
seen
above,
is
a rhetorical distortion. By
using
language
like this the
critic
in
sinuates false
accusations
and
com-
Charles
Hodge, the postmillennial
dean of theologians at Princeton
Seminary
in the last century, wrote in
hiscornmentary on2 Corinthians4that
We constantly illustrate in our person
the sufferings of Christ.. [being] ne
glected, defamed, despised,mal-
treated ... This is hardly consistent
with the
charge
that postmillennialists
forget the theology of the cross
Both postmillennialists and
amillennialists not
to mention
premillennialists) recognize the inevi
table hardships and persecution which
believers
lIDdergO
in
this
world. That
is
not what
separates them. Post
millennialists trust the
word of the wrd
that,
even when contrary to
outwardappearances, our
sufferings in
this
world
eventuate in a greater
manifestation of Christ's
savingruleonearth,nota
diminished one. Wesuf
fer
to be sure, but it is a
suffering-unto-victory,
rather
than a suffering
-lIDto-defeat.
the
King
. He
is
the one in
a ;;;=======;;;;;
Further Investigation
whom
victory comes.
We are only
servants of the King.
Moreover, posunillennialists
do
not
advocate political compulsion or
vio
lence as the means by which Christ
works through ils to establish His do
minion or kingdom throughout
the
world. As Paul
says,
the weapons of
our warfare are not of
the
flesh" --
and
for that reason are "mighty
before
God"
for casting down strongholds (2
Corinthians
10:4).
Christ's kingdom
does not originate from this world,
which is the explanation for
the fact
that
is servants do not fight00hn 1B:36).
Postmillennialists look
to
the Great
Commission, not political revolution,
for the
victory
ofChrist's cause.
To
say
municares unfair connotations about
the postmillennial position, without of
fering details or objective proof. You
will
find
that it is much
easier to
make
these kinds of claims than to demon
strate them through responsible analy
sis and
scholarship.
Postmillennialists do not
deny,
try
to
evade, or downplay
the constitutive
dimension
of
suffering
and scrrow in
the Christian
life or in the history
of
the
church. One can hardly imagine that
the Scottish
theologians Symington
or
Brown had somehow forgotten the
"killing
times"
of theCovenanterswhen
they expressed their postmillennial
confidence.
CovenantTapeMinistry(24198Ash
Court, Auburn, CA 95603) distributes
a four-part lecture series entitled
Eschatology oj Optimism, which in
cludes a critique of dispensationalism,
premillennialism, and amillennialism.
The cost is $17, including postage.
A number of opportunities for edu
cation inethics, apologetics or theology
are available through the ministry of he
Southern California CenteI"
for hris-
tian Studies, where
Dr. Bahnsen
is the
scholar- in-residence. Write andask to
beplacedontheirmailinglist(P. O. Box
18021, Irvine, 92713), and you
will
receive
the
free
monthly newsletter,
Penpoint.
April,
1992
THE COUNSEL ofChalcedon 5