Author: Art Sims
Date: 8/7/2003 6:25 am CDT
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My reason for exploring a possible later date for the Thessalonian letters is simple. It is because pre-trib fundamentalists, like me, who become willing to consider Acts 28 dispensationalism must climb over the hurdle of anti "rapture" sentiment that Acts 28ers convey. They must also climb over several other unnecessary hurdles, in my opinion. As to the "rapture" issue, the Thessalonian letters are crucial. It has seemed to me that 3 possibilities exist.
1. The widely held early date of the Thessalonian letters must prevail in our interpretation of these letters, and thus, Acts 28 dispensationalists are separated from the teaching of 1st Thes. 4.
2. The early date combined with the widely recognized differences (by pre-tribbers) between Matthew 24 and 1st Thes. 4, makes sense, and thus, Acts 28 dispensationalism must not be true.
3. The early date, despite its overwhelming acceptance, should be revisited.
It has seemed to me that this last option is worth considering.
Bullinger's handling of the Thessalonian letters has been very interesting to me. Before taking an Acts 28 position, he had no difficulty see the Thessalonian material as belonging to our present dispensation. He argued convincingly in his book, The Church Epistles, that 1st Thes. 4 gives a new revelation concerning us today, different from what was known before. Then later, after changing his dispensational position, he argued in "Foundations of Dispensational Truth" that 1st Thes. 4 does not pertain to us, reveals nothing new, but is the same thing as Matthew 24. And yet, he said that the out-resurrection and upward call of Philippians 3 may actually be patterned after the events of 1st Thessalonians 4.
It doesn't look to me like the text of the Thessalonian material changed Bullinger's viewpoint but that the opposite happened. His changed dispensational view, combined with the overwhelming consensus regarding an early date for the Thessalonian letters, required him to rework his handling of the Thessalonian data.
Art |
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