Why does postmillennialism seem to be linked to a certain interpretation of Romans 11?

Status
Not open for further replies.

GermanReformedHeidelberg

Puritan Board Freshman
It looks to me like every (puritan) postmillennialist also has the interpretation of Romans 11, that there is a future conversion of a preserved Old Testament Israel mentioned in Romans 11.

I am not sure if it is true, that this is always linked together for every theologian,expressing clearly postmillennialism and expressing a opinion on Romans 11.

If there is differences i would be interested, if there are interesting names, that do not hold to this, but still being postmillennial.

I do ask this, because i am curios, why this seems to be so strong linked together.

When you are postmillennial and you believe that all nations will come to Christ, then you do not need a special proof for the japanese people (the proof with the "all nations"-verses is sufficient). So i think that it should not be a problem to interpret Romans 11 like John Calvin and being at the same time a postmillennialist, you would only take away the special attribute about the conversion of the jewish nation, which gets related by the "typical postmillennial" Romans 11 view.

I do not see a real problem to be postmillennial and holding to Calvins view on Romans 11, maybe i oversee something, that is why i ask here for.

At least i saw people trying to show, that Calvin was some way postmillennial, so at him they also can not see a real contradiction out of his Romans 11 interpretation.

[I am from Germany, i am sorry when my text has some bad English or at worse is even suspicious]

All praise to the Lord!
 
Last edited:
Your thread title makes no sense. Do you want me to edit it?
 
Last edited:
To answer the OP, it is fair enough to note that most postmillennialists hold that Romans 11 teaches a mass conversion of the Jews at some point in the future. However, it is also possible to be a postmillennialist without adopting that interpretation of Romans 11. Likewise, it is possible to maintain that Romans 1 teaches a future conversion of the Jews while being an amillennialist.
 
It looks to me like every (puritan) postmillennialist also has the interpretation of Romans 11, that there is a future conversion of a preserved Old Testament Israel mentioned in Romans 11.

I am not sure if it is true, that this is always linked together for every theologian,expressing clearly postmillennialism and expressing a opinion on Romans 11.

If there is differences i would be interested, if there are interesting names, that do not hold to this, but still being postmillennial.

I do ask this, because i am curios, why this seems to be so strong linked together.

When you are postmillennial and you believe that all nations will come to Christ, then you do not need a special proof for the japanese people (the proof with the "all nations"-verses is sufficient). So i think that it should not be a problem to interpret Romans 11 like John Calvin and being at the same time a postmillennialist, you would only take away the special attribute about the conversion of the jewish nation, which gets related by the "typical postmillennial" Romans 11 view.

I do not see a real problem to be postmillennial and holding to Calvins view on Romans 11, maybe i oversee something, that is why i ask here for.

At least i saw people trying to show, that Calvin was some way postmillennial, so at him they also can not see a real contradiction out of his Romans 11 interpretation.

[I am from Germany, i am sorry when my text has some bad English or at worse is even suspicious]

All praise to the Lord!

Interesting questions. I think Daniel nailed it. One needn’t hold to a future conversion of ethnic Israel to be postmillennial and one may hold to a non postmillennial view while affirming a future conversion.

To your other points, I know of no postmillennialist (golden age type) that denies a future conversion of the Jews. However, I don’t think postmillennialists are necessarily letting their eschatology drive their interpretation of the passage, which I detect you might be inferring from something else you said. (First sentence of your fifth paragraph.)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top