[greenbear]

Winman,
Thanks for your concern in recommending Ironside's article. I read chapter 7, then 1-3. Unfortunately, I feel it's a waste of my time to continue so I won't. In my opinion, Ironside resorts to character assassination, name-calling, fear-mongering, straw-man arguments, faulty reasoning, wrong interpretation of scriptures and he doesn't seem very strong in eschatology, either. Attempting to influence opinion by labeling those who disagree as a heretic by the "orthodox" consensus is the oldest trick in the book. I think the correct perspective is that the refomation didn't go very far toward literal interpretation of all scripture unless it is apparent from the text that it should be read otherwise. Men like Ironside were greatly used of God but they didn't go far enough in literal interpretation. It is impossible to literally interpret the scriptures without a dispensational framework. If people want to label me as something or other because I may agree on some points, oh well.

For the record, I never said the church/body of Christ/bride of Christ didn't start with the Jewish church. At this time, to the best of my understanding, I see it as same body, 2 dispensations. Not 2 bodies, 2 dispensations. Definitely not 1 body, 1 dispensation.

If some choose to let other men do their thinking for them and use every kind of argument including appeal to some man's authority rather than sound scriptural ones then that's their business. We all have to face the judgement seat of Christ. I choose to study to show myself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. If that causes some to accuse me of spiritual and intellectual pride then so be it. I'm not the judge.

I will endeavor to follow after charity in my posts: Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Charity never faileth

1 Corinthians 13:4-5.