Brothers:

Doug raises some interesting points.

why are we the way we are?
1. Parents, respected teachers and pastors who taught us when we were
growing up or first saved.

2. Our personalities play a big role. How many over weight accountants do
you know? Most that I know are skin and bones. Why is that? Why choose
accounting? And the cheery happy people I know are usually a bit over
weight. The accountants (not all or course) tend to be pessimists. They take
a dim view of everything.  When one gets saved, he will be the critic on the
Board of every plan you come up with. We had one and I used to thank him. He
would shoot holes in our plan and reveal all the problems so we could fix
them before we moved ahead.

3. In terms of eschatology, do pessimists go for a dim end time view? Do
optimists tend to move towards the postmil view?

4. In terms of the law/grace controversy: On the grace side I know a lot of
happy, slightly overweight people who really enjoy life and tend to be very
flexible in the schedules. Their desks are always a bit messy. (how am I
doing so far?) And on the law side, among my reformed Baptist friends I know
quite a few who keep to strict schedules and will not be flexible. It is not
in them to be flexible. Their desks an lives are very neat. If not in the
ministry they would have been lab techs or accountants.

(True story: I was travelling as a speaker to various parts of Canada as a
young single man. I dropped in and introduced myself to a reformed Baptist
pastor in Atlantic Canada -recent grad of Al Martin's school - this is back
20 years or so. I came in at 4:30. he made room in his day for about 15.
min. and then indicated he had to return to his studies. Supper was being
prepared in the background. he asked where I was staying - this was a very
rural area - and I said in my car - a 1973 Toyota I had converted into a
type of camper. I stood there on his doorstep, smelling the home cooked meal
in the background, while he shook my hand and said "be well, be clothed and
fed, God bless."  No, he did not say that, he just said he had to get back
on schedule. he pastored a small country church in a rural area - but I have
a hundred more times been welcomed and blessed by spontaneous hospitality
from Arminians and from sov. grace people, than those of the law school.
They tend to be rigid. This one example I give is one of many.)

I do believe that personality influences us theologically far more than we
would ever like to admit.

How do we understand the Word. I try to teach our people the most basic and
simple rules.
1. Compare Scripture with Scripture.
2. Before looking for hidden meanings, accept the plain and most obvious
meaning as stated. (i.e. if it says "treat as" it does not mean "is" a
pagan)
3. In understanding the OCS gather as many examples of how the NCS used to
old as possible. One of my favourites is asking them if Is. 11:6-9 has been
fulfilled. All the dispensational people in my class will say no way. I then
ask them to explain Paul's declaration in Romans 15:12. that this has been
fulfilled and I ask them why Paul used this passage. Another is Amos 9:11. I
ask has this been fulfilled. Many will say yes. So I ask them to explain the
use of this by James in Acts. 15 and ask what the implications are.

A few more examples and they see a pattern of use developing that will
enable them to come to a clear understanding, a pattern of use. By then I do
not need to tell them what view to form of the end times. It is being formed
by God's Word as they study the NT use of the OT. Some of course will balk
and squirm and seek to avoid what they see. That is sad as we should always
be willing to follow the apostles example.

4. Clear passages interpret unclear.
5. Parable illustrate doctrine but should never be a source of doctrine.

etc.

It is always a joy to give new believers and others with a shallow
background the tools to go digging into the Word. it beats spoon feeding
them what I believe on certain subjects.

Wm.



-----Original Message-----
From: Doug Skiles [mailto:skiles@...]
Sent: 23 April 2005 16:55
To: soundofgrace@...
Subject: [soundofgrace] Eschatological determiners in Hermeneutics


To possibly stir up a little different approach to determining a true NC
hermeneutic grid I was wondering what everyone thought about what "effect"
the premils or the amils would have upon "forming" this theological
construct.  Why were covenantalists for the most part amil?  Why are the
dispensationalists for the most part premil?  I think the truth about why
people are eschatologically prone to a certain position can be found
somewhere in the previous two statements.  Doesn't the NC have to determine
it's own limits so that the language is tight enough that those involved can
know exactly what they are standing so that those who are curious can't ask
unanswered questions?  Isn't the stagnation to building a hermeneutical
structure due to the disagreement on an eschatological "growing point", at
which additional issues differentiate.  Probably in the near future one or
the other eschatological views will dominate with the statement that NCT
requires their view.  Will everyone retake a look at their end-time view for
the sake of NCT or will they use it to jockey for position within the
movement?  I pray it is not the last.  Hopefully yours, Doug Skiles.
--
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