Context, Context, Context!

We now have an idea about where the idea of dividing history into Ages or Dispensations came from.

Theologians, trying to make sense of how God seems to change the way that God relates to humans, came up with a structure that allowed the ‘unchanging’ God to actually ‘change.’

This idea grew and morphed until Darby and Friends created the Dispensationalism that we have all grown to know and love. They devised a mechanism that allows God to judge the World with wrath and fire. At the same time they added an escape hatch for “true believers.” (And, we all know that “true believers” were ONLY those who believed exactly as they did.)

So, let’s begin to take a closer look at the so-called Biblical basis for this.

DISCLAIMER:
I realize that some of you who read this blog have not spent a lot of time studying the Bible. You may not have opened one since you were a teenager. Some of what I write here may seem strange. That’s because, well, it is. At least for those of us living in the 21st century. I will attempt to keep my assumptions and language accessible to everyone. PLEASE, if I am not clear about something, let me know in the comments and I’ll try to explain things better.
Thanks!

Context! Context! Context!
Anyone who has seriously studied ancient texts knows that context is everything. Not just literary context, how one part of the text is related to others around it. But, the social and cultural contexts of the writer and original reader of the text is also necessary. Missing this piece may cause folks to read an ancient text and assume that their own contemporary context is what’s important in any interpretation. It is Not! That’s where folks like Darby get things seriously wrong.

There are a few primary Biblical texts that dispensationalists use to build their fantasy. The first one that I want to deal with is in St. Paul’s first letter to the Church at Thessalonica. These people lived in an area of Macedonia, (modern day Greece), on the northern tip of the Aegean Sea. It’s location as a port city meant that the population was pretty diverse. It also meant that the population was decidedly pagan. Yes, there was a small community of Jewish folks. We know that because the story of Paul’s arrival recorded in Acts 17 states that there was a “synagogue of the Jews.” It was Paul’s custom to go to the synagogue of each city he came to. In the synagogue he would attempt to reason with the Jews in order to prove that Jesus of Nazareth was, in fact, their long-awaited Messiah. However, like in most Greek cities Paul & Co. visited, there were a number of non-Jewish people who also attended the synagogue. These folks were referred to as “God fearing Greeks.” As Paul spoke he convinced some of his Jewish sisters and brothers about Jesus. It was also recorded that a “large number” of the Greeks were convinced as well. This ultimately lead some of the Jews to stir up opposition to Paul and his team. So much so, that they had to hurriedly leave Thessalonica to save their skin.

That leads us to Paul’s letter.

Most scholars believe that after Paul got kicked out of Thessalonica he worried so much about the people that he’d left that he sent an envoy back to check on them and to encourage them. Paul was that kind of guy. He didn’t simply blow into town, sell some snake oil, and skate out of town. He was truly a pastor who cared about people.

When his partner, probably a guy named Timothy, returned he gave a report that both encouraged and concerned Paul. The small community that he had established was doing well in some areas. They understood what it meant to love one another and that it was necessary to stick together in the face of mounting opposition from others in the city. You see, it was very difficult for people to try to follow a God who was not Caesar. But, they seemed to be doing ok.

There were, however, a couple areas of concern for Paul. Because he had to leave in a hurry, he did not have the time to teach them fully. There were things that were lacking in the Thessalonians’ knowledge base that Paul needed to address. One of those things had to do with what would happen when Jesus returned to Earth. “Returned to Earth!” you say. Yes, you read that right. One of the foundational beliefs of the Christian Church is that one day Jesus will return to Earth as King and Judge. Paul had apparently begun to talk about this to the Thessalonian believers. However, it seems as though he didn’t really get to elaborate much about the details. We don’t have any letters or other documentation to show exactly what the Thessalonians were wondering about. But, from Paul’s responses we can get an idea.

Apparently, the Thessalonians were under the impression that when Jesus returned the people who were alive would see that and receive whatever blessing and advantage that Jesus brought. But, since Paul had left, some members of the community had died. What was going to happen to them? Would they be totally left out?

Hence, Paul’s letter of explanation.

Well, this post is getting pretty long. So, Paul’s explanation and what I, and many others, believe about this rapture thing will need to wait til the next post.

Again, if you have questions or other ideas, let me know in the comments.