DR. ROBERT L. SAUCY
Miles
J. Stanford
|
Dear friend in
Christ, you are in for a shock; and I would prepare you at the outset. Progressive
Dispensationalism, fostered by Dr. Saucy, and foster-parented by disciples Bock
and Blaising, has "progressed" beyond the pale of Christianity, into the vale of
New Covenant-Israel's Messianic Kingdom. This movement rejects the heavenly Church
as such; it is not Christian--it is Jewish!
|
DR. ROBERT
L. SAUCY -- Dr. Saucy (Th.D., Th.M., Dallas Theological Seminary) is
distinguished professor of systematic theology at Talbot School of Theology, Biola
University, in Los Angeles. The book in question is The Case for
Progressive Dispensationalism, Zondervan Publishing House, 1993, 336 pages.
PROGRESSIVE
DISPENSATIONALISM -- It might be said that Dr. Saucy is the originator of
Progressive Dispensationalism, having taught this particular view for over twenty years at
the seminary level. (See his previous book, The Church in God's Program,
Moody Press, 1972, 254 pages.) In the Preface of this present book Dr. Saucy
mentions that "a debt of gratitude is also due to the students at Talbot who over the
years were compelled to listen to much of the contents of this book in classes" (pp.
9,10).
DALLAS
THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY -- It might also be said that Dr's. Bock and
Blaising, among other Dallas faculty members, are disciples of Dr. Saucy in his
Progressive teaching. Bock and Blaising's Dispensationalism, Israel and
the Church (Zondervan, 1992, 402 pages), and Saucy's The Case
for Progressive Dispensationalism, for all intents and purposes, are
identical.
THERE GOES
THE CHURCH; HERE COMES THE KINGDOM! -- Dr. Saucy explains the subject of
his book as follows (bracketed numbers are inserted to facilitate the understanding of our
comments):
The addition of
"progressive" in the title of the work is meant here only to distinguish the
newer interpretation from the older version of dispensationalism, which we refer to in
this book as "classical" or "traditional" dispensationalism.
As will be evident throughout our work
[1] the changes in dispensationalism have been largely in the direction of a
greater continuity of historical salvation. [2] Instead of a strict
parenthesis that has no relation with the messianic kingdom prophecies of the OT, many
dispensationalists now acknowledge the present age of the church as the first-stage
partial fulfillment of the prophecies.
[3] Israel and the church are no
longer viewed as representing two different purposes and plans of God, as some earlier
dispensationalists taught; they are now seen as sharing in the same messianic kingdom
of salvation history. These changes have obviously brought more congruence between
dispensationalists and non-dispensationalists [Covenant] at many points (p. 9)
[emphases ours].
It will be seen from the beginning that
the Progressive movement has established a continuity between OT kingdom prophecies
and the Church.
Hence the Church is not allowed to be
the unique heavenly Body that it is, but instead, a "first-stage partial fulfillment
of OT prophecies" concerning Israel's Millennial Kingdom.
Therefore, the Church and Israel share
equally the Messianic Kingdom salvation history.
ZONDERVAN
STATEMENT -- On the back cover of the book the publisher put it clearly:
Dr. Saucy departs from classic
dispensationalism in showing that (1) the fulfillment of OT prophecy begins in the present
church age, and (2) the church is not a parenthesis in God's program, but represents a
continuity with the OT messianic program.
UNIFICATION
OF THE CHURCH AND ISRAEL --
[1] The historical plan of God is one
unified plan. Contrary to traditional dispensationalism, it does not entail separate
programs for the church and Israel. [2] The present age is not a historical
parenthesis unrelated to the history that precedes and follows it; rather, it is an
integral phase in the development of the mediatorial kingdom. It is the beginning of
the fulfillment of the eschatological promises. [3] Thus the church today
has its place and function in the same mediatorial messianic kingdom program that Israel
was called to serve (p. 28).
The Progressive teaching is that the
heavenly Church does not have a separate program and purpose from earthly Israel.
It is insisted that the Church is but an
"integral phase" of the coming Mediatorial Kingdom.
That leaves the Church in the same
Messianic Kingdom program as that of Israel.
ALL
IS BASED UPON ISRAEL'S NEW COVENANT -- How could such a thing happen?
How could Progressivism make the heavenly Church and earthly Israel one? It
is very simple. It is the result of all Evangelicalism's appropriating Israel's New
Covenant "spiritual" blessings for the Church. That error opened the door
and supplied the basis for the integration of Israel and the Church. All very
innocent; all very ruinous!
NEW-COVENANT
THEOLOGY --
According to the Scriptures, the
salvation of God that flows from the Cross is given to all mankind through the
[Israel's] new covenant. In both the Old and New Testaments it is the
provisions of the new covenant that ultimately provide the solution of the human
problem of sin and bring those in the covenant into a final perfect fellowship with God
and his sons and daughters (p. 111).
According to the NT, the new
covenant promise was fulfilled with the historical work of Christ.
These connections between Jesus' work
and the OT promise of the new covenant lead to the necessary conclusion that Jesus
was speaking of the fulfillment of the prophesied new covenant, and not some other
covenant especially for the church, as some dispensationalists had previously taught.
The NT clearly teaches that the
promised new covenant was inaugurated by Christ and now stands open to all who will
receive it (pp. 126,127) [emphases ours] .
ALL
CENTERED IN ISRAEL'S MESSIANIC KINGDOM -- If all is based upon Israel's
New Covenant, all is therefore centered in Israel's Messianic Kingdom:
The teaching of the early church
yields the same picture of the kingdom as that found in the Gospels. The
establishment of the kingdom on earth is still future. The believer is related to
this kingdom through faith in the King and is therefore an heir and already a citizen of
the coming kingdom (p. 110).
Israel's New Covenant has nothing
to do with heaven, thus the entire Progressive concept is limited to the earth. But
I, as a member of the Body of Christ, am heavenly. I am positioned, seated "in
heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6). My Christian life is
"hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3).
My saving faith is in the Saviour, not the
King as such (1 Cor. 15:1-4). My faith and fellowship are centered in the Lord Jesus
Christ, who is my Life--the Head of His Body, the heavenly Church (Col. 3:4; Eph.
1:22,23). I am not a citizen of Israel's New Covenant Messianic Kingdom, but of the heavenly
kingdom of God's dear Son (Col. 1:13; 2 Tim. 4:18). As part of His glorious Bride, I
will reign over Israel's kingdom, not be a subject in it.
"For our citizenship in in heaven"
(Phil. 3:20). "Now, therefore, ye are no more strangers and sojourners,
but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God" (Eph. 2:19).
"Hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in
Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6). "Since ye, then, be risen with Christ, seek
those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye died, and
your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3:1-3).
HEAVEN
REDUCED TO EARTH --
The verse that most clearly expresses
some kind of present position in the [Messianic] kingdom is Paul's statement that the
Father "has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom
of the Son he loves" (Col. 1:13 NIV). Many scholars view this "kingdom of
the Son" as a present heavenly spiritual kingdom [and well they might] of
salvation the believers enter into at the moment of conversion.
The context, however, favors an eschatalogical
[emphasis ours] meaning for the kingdom in this verse. Immediately
preceding this statement, Paul wrote that the Father "has qualified you to share in
the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light" (Col. 1:12 NIV). Several
terms in this statement point to the future (p. 108).
Everything points to the future for
those who are New-Covenant oriented! Even the heavenlies fall to earth!
According to the Colossian passage,
that place among the sanctified means heirship in the "kingdom of light" and
citizenship in "the kingdom of the Son"--which is presently in heaven but
will come to earth with Christ [emphasis ours] (p. 110).
What Dr. Saucy is saying is that the
Church does not consist of the heavenly kingdom of His Son, the kingdom of light,
but that it is the "already/not yet Messianic Kingdom," which we will simply
bring back and set up on earth at the Second Advent. So much for what the New
Covenant does to and for the Church!
THEOLOGICAL
IGNORANCE, OR EARTHLY MOTIVE ... OR BOTH?--
This concept [it certainly isn't
a doctrine!] that entering the kingdom is equivalent at present to beginning a
relationship with Christ, is similar to that held in the early church, which saw its
citizenship in heaven in relation to the King [emphasis ours] whose return
they awaited for the establishment of the kingdom on earth (Phil. 3:20) (p. 101).
This is truly astounding, and totally
Jewish! Israel's "blessed hope" is His and our return to establish their
Messianic Kingdom on earth (Col. 3:4).
The Christian's Blessed Hope is the
Rapture--His return from heaven to take us to His heavenly kingdom of light in the
presence of the Father, and that is what Paul is saying in Philippians 3:20:
"For our citizenship is in
heaven, from whence we also look for the Saviour [not as King], the Lord Jesus Christ, who
[vs. 21] shall change our lowly body [at the Rapture] that it may be fashioned like His glorious
body..."
SPIRITUAL
IGNORANCE COMPOUNDED --
It was for this same [Messianic]
kingdom that they were suffering (2 Thess. 1:5), and into which Paul anticipated a safe
entrance at the close of his life (2 Tim. 4:18) (p. 105).
Dr. Saucy ever seeks to "ground"
Paul, as that is all Israel's New Covenant can effect. But Paul, like all members of
the Body of Christ, is heavenly:
"And the Lord shall deliver me from
every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom" (2 Tim.
4:18). "Giving thanks unto the Father, who hath made us fit to be partakers of
the inheritance of the saints in light; who hath delivered us from the power of darkness,
and hath translated us into the [heavenly] kingdom of His dear Son" (Col.
1:12,13).
Would Paul, or I, or you, already
eternally positioned in the Holiest of All, "hidden with Christ in God,"
forsake heaven to "anticipate" entrance into an earthly kingdom citizenship?
No, thank you, Dr. Saucy, for your eternally earth-bound New Covenant for "the
house of Israel and the house of Judah" (Jer. 31:31).
MESSIANIC
DAVIDIC KING IN HEAVEN, NOW! --
The exaltation of Jesus to the right
hand of God in fulfillment of the Davidic messianic promise therefore allows for the
marginal fulfillment of those promises in distinction from the total postponement of the
Davidic promise in traditional dispensationalism (p. 76).
So far we have seen that the NT
teaches that the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant begins with the coming of
Jesus as the promised seed of David [somewhat premature!]. Our study also
affirms that through his victorious life, death, and resurrection Jesus has been exalted
to the position of highest honor and supreme authority at the right hand of God as
Messiah, the Davidic King (p. 80).
The kingdom promised in the OT, with
its central features in the Davidic covenant, thus finds its fulfillment according
to the NT teaching [Synoptics, but not the Church Epistles] both in the present
church age and in the future. This general picture of the [messianic] kingdom
as "already/not yet" that is taught in the NT includes evidence for a temporary
messianic kingdom as part of the future fulfillment of the total kingdom promise and plan
for world history (p. 110).
Dr. Saucy says He is in heaven now as the
Messianic Davidic King. Dr. Bock says He is "reigning" in heaven now as
the Messianic Davidic King (Dispensationalism, Israel and the Church,
chap. 1).
THE CHURCH
UNDER NEW COVENANT LAW! --
We suggest that the barrier aspects of
the law that were removed are similar to the tutorial or pedagogical aspects, which Paul
said were eliminated by coming to faith in Christ. These may be said to consist
essentially of the law of God as encompassed in the old Mosaic covenant, which was
fulfilled in Christ and replaced by the law of the new covenant [emphasis
ours] (p. 162).
The Progressives do not realize that the
Church has died to the law, all law (Rom. 7:4,6; Gal. 2:19). They now put her under
Israel's New Covenant, thereby subjecting her to the kingdom law. No wonder
the Progressives have such an affinity for the OT, the Synoptics, and the Sermon on the
Mount. Anything, anywhere ... except to Paul and the heaven-oriented Church
Epistles!
As believers in the church live in
anticipation of that kingdom [not the Rapture?], and are presently called
"sons of the kingdom' (Matt. 13:18), the pattern of life set forth by Jesus in the
Sermon on the Mount applies directly to them during this age (p. 18).
KINGDOM LAW
IN THE CHRISTIAN'S HEART! --
In addition to the language of "a
new covenant," the link to the covenant prophesied in the OT is seen in the
description of the covenant as one "of the Spirit" (2 Cor. 3:6), whose work is
portrayed as the writing of a letter in the heart of believers rather than tablets of
stone (3:23) (p. 127).
Instead of referring to the New Covenant
law written on the heart of the kingdom Israelite (Jer. 31:33), as any respectable
Covenant theologian would naturally do, Dr. Saucy appeals to Paul, of all people!
And Paul is not a minister of Israel's New Covenant, being heavenly, and infinitely above
and beyond that.
In his determined struggle to apply
Israel's future New Covenant to the present heavenly Church, Dr. Saucy weakly and
erroneously "exegetes" from Paul's 2 Corinthians 3:6, as follows: "...
whose work [the Spirit's] is portrayed as the writing of a letter [emphasis
ours] in the hearts of believers [Christians]."
PAULINE
LIFE-TRUTH -- But let Paul speak the rightly-divided Word of truth
concerning this matter:
"Our sufficiency is of God, who also
hath made us able ministers of the new testament, not of the letter [law] but of the
Spirit; for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life" (2 Cor. 3:6).
Paul said "the Spirit giveth life"--the
life of the indwelling Lord Jesus Christ, not the future kingdom law. Paul also
said, in the same context:
"Forasmuch as ye are manifestly
declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, [which would not be possible
if ministering Israel's New Covenant], written not with ink but with the Spirit of the
living God; not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart" (2 Cor. 3:3).
The Spirit of Christ ministers the life
of Christ to His Body, not the law! We are changed from glory to glory into His
image, "even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Cor. 3:18). "That the
life also of Jesus [not the law] might be made manifest in our body" (2 Cor. 4: 10).
NEEDETH ...
TO BE ASHAMED --
This functional identity of Christ and the
Spirit in relation to "the hope of glory," along with the other divine mysteries
in the lives of believers, affirms the truth that the indwelling Christ is inherently
related to the indwelling of the Spirit promised in the new covenant (p. 172).
No Robert; no, dear Progressive New
Covenant friends. Israel at its kingdom best will in no way approximate the heavenly
Church. The Spirit of Christ ministers the life of Christ as the life of the
Christian; the Spirit of God will minister the theocratic kingdom law to the Jew.
SHAMELESS
DEDUCTION --
The baptism of the Spirit is not some
unique ministry only for the people of the present church age, from Pentecost to the
rapture, but rather is the sharing by the members of the church in the Spirit's ministry
of the new covenant.
The baptism is at the heart of the
messianic salvation that has already begun in the revelation of the mysteries that pertain
to present-day believers. The fact that both Israel and the Gentiles participate in
Spirit baptism points to their common identity in their spiritual relationship to God and
his salvation (p. 183).
In his New Covenant compulsion, Dr. Saucy
would equate the Church's baptism with the Spirit--the one-time totally unique birth of
the Bride at Pentecost--with the future indwelling of the Spirit in the Millennial Kingdom
Jew.
CHURCH-ISRAEL-KINGDOM
CONCLUSION --
According to Paul, baptism with the
Spirit forms the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). The body, in turn, is frequently
[1] identified with the church (Eph.1:20; Col. 1:18). From this we could
conclude that all participants in the new covenant, including the nation of Israel, are
included in the church as the body of Christ and therefore any distinction between Israel
and the church--which is the heart of dispensationalists' interpretation [thank
God!]--is prohibited. And what can be said of the body would seem to
apply to the other images of the church also (p. 184) [emphases ours].
FALLACIOUS
FABRICATION --
Surely the continuation of the new
covenant salvation means that other believers will be indwelt by the Spirit. Since
the indwelling Spirit involves also the indwelling Christ it must be concluded that
all new covenant believers will be "in Christ" and vitally share his life.
The teaching of the metaphors [body,
bride, marriage, etc.] thus indicated that the members of the church share the same
salvation in relation to Christ and the Spirit as other believers.
Out-of-control evangelical leadership.
It would be quite difficult to go any further wrong than that!
"MARCHING
TO ZION" -- ("the seat of the Messianic Messiah's royal power on
earth"--Isa. 52:1-8; 60:14):
The OT concept of the messianic
kingdom with Israel at its center clearly pictures salvation for the world, including
peace and prosperity among the nations that transcends the present spiritual salvation
witnessed by the church.
Usually the emphasis is on the display
of God's glory through the grace and power exerted on behalf of Israel. The
transformation of Israel from a sinful, scattered, downtrodden people to an exalted
nation, following God's righteous ways and consequently blessed with spiritual and
physical prosperity, is frequently seen as the means by which God is going to reveal
himself to the nations and to Israel herself (p. 314).
"GLORY
TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST" --
In no way will Israel ever transcend the
Church. There will be His glory for Israel, for the Gentile nations,
for the earth. "Israel My glory" (Isa. 46:13). But when it
comes to the Father's heavenly glory, by means of the Bride:
"[God] hath raised us up
together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to
come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness to us through Jesus
Christ [not Israel]. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,
hath shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of
God in the face of Jesus Christ" [not Israel] (Eph. 2:6; 2 Cor. 4:6).
Give Israel their earthly
distinction according to the prophetic Word, and you preserve with simplicity the heavenly
distinction to which the grace of God has called you. You cannot be false concerning
Israel and retain unalloyed the truth of the Church. --Wm. Kelly
|