I was just wondering if anybody was familiar with Dr. Chafer's background. I was reading some quotes collected by somebody who seems disappointed that DTS wasn't doing the job it should training graduates to attack CT.

I thought it interesting that Dr. Chafer was a Presbyterian, but his theology differs so much from CT (as in night and day). Does anybody know anything about his background? Did he at one time hold to CT and the Westminster confession? If so, what made him change so drastically?

Anybody read John A. Witmer's two-part refutation of John Gerstner's "Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth"?

__________________
B.Howes
Framingham, MA

Unfortunately, being Presbyterian is no guarantee against heresy.
Chafer graduated from Auburn Theological Seminary.
In 1889 Lewis became the interim pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Lewiston, New York
In 1906, he left the Congregational community to join the Troy Presbytery, Synod of New York, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
It seems as though it was his interaction with Scofield that turned him dispensational, so one must then presume that before then he was a Westminster covenantalist.
I am still waiting on a copy of the documents, but wither Chafer or Walvoord once made the comment that in dispensationalism salvation is by grace and by grace alone... And by grace, in the Old Testament I mean .. and in the New Testament I mean...

The last holdout of classical dipensationalism Tyndale has a good bio on Chafer located here: http://www.tyndale.edu/dirn/bios/chafer.html however the text is very light blue on a white background on my browser so I had to copy and past it into a text editor to read it.

After the Niagara conferences there was a strong move to fundamentalism in America and many people got carried away in it, including people like President Wilson... the likely subject of my History 3300 paper this summer (Historical writing and methodology)

__________________
Robert K. "Kelly" Brumbelow
In Inquirer's class at Grace Presbyterian (PCA) Cedartown, GA
Cedartown, Georgia

Dear Lord and Father of mankind, Forgive our foolish ways;
Reclothe us in our rightful mind, In purer lives Thy service find,
In deeper reverence, praise. - John Greenleaf Whittier 1807-1892

I should have followed your example - eye strain!

Interesting article.

I'd like to see it. Is it available on line?

__________________
For the Glory of our King,
Joe Johnson
Slave of Christ, husband, father, Preacherboy at Cornerstone Community Church, Escanaba, MI. and TMS graduate. Personal website - SoundLife.org

I do not know, and I do not say, that a person cannot believe in Revelation and in evolution, too, for a man may believe that which is infinitely wise and also that which is only asinine. ~ CHS

I don't know - it was mentioned at the link I posted.

...going into search mode...

[Edited on 5-14-2006 by blhowes]

It looks like they're publications that are available for purchase at DTS.

I have found volume 149 of Bibliotheca Sacra in jstor but you would need to be on a campus that subscribes to it to be able to access it. Your best bet to read it would be to go to your local seminary. I will likely take a look for it at DTS or Criswell next week just because I will be in the area and my curiosity is piqued.

There seems to be an argument going on as to salvation in dispensationalism. If, as several articles I have read tonight have contested, there is now and only ever has been one unequivocal way of salvatio, then it also seems that dispensationalism falls apart because then it is simply the unfoldng of revelation rather than true economies and so there is no absolute seperation between the church and israel as they claim. But then Dispensationalism is not typically very consistant with the truth anyways in my view.

Quotes from Chafer: SANS PAUL -- A clear recognition of that which, through divine grace, the Church is, of the supreme position she occupies as the Body of Christ, and of the glory and exaltation which awaits her as the Bride of the Lamb, is indispensable if a worthy perspective of God's plan and purpose is to be gained. The all but universal disregard on the part of theologians for the Pauline revelation respecting the Church has wrought confusion and damage to an immeasurable degree.

APOCRYPHAL COVENANTS -- The essential error of Covenant Theology is mentioned at this point only as it bears on human responsibility before God. The theological terms, Covenant of Works and Covenant of Grace, do not occur in Scripture. If they are to be sustained it must be wholly apart from Biblical authority.

What is known as Covenant Theology builds its structure on these two covenants and is, at least, a recognition--though inadequate--of the truth that the creature has responsibility toward his Creator. Covenant Theology has Cocceius (1603-1669) as its chief exponent. He taught that before the Fall, as much as after it, the relation between God and man was a covenant. The first was a Covenant of Works. For this was substituted, after the Fall, the Covenant of Grace.

More can be found here: http://withchrist.org/MJS/chafonct.htm

__________________
Conscience may lash us, but it cannot replenish a languishing life. Conscience may be God's word and minister to you, telling you of your faults and your follies and your destitution. It may point out, but it will never supply you. Christ must give you new life. Hart has well expressed it: "He to the feeble and the faint, His mighty aid makes known; and when their languid life is spent, supplies it with His own." - J. K. Popham