Founded during the Fundamentalist-Modernist Controversy,
Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) was once a school associated with
Fundamentalism, however it abandoned that course long ago. Retaining something
of its Dispensational theology, the school now represents mainstream Evangelicalism
and the Dominionist Theology that undergirds it.
Dominionism which is actually antithetical to both the ethos
of old Fundamentalism and the theology of Rapturite Pre-millennial
Dispensationalism has all but devoured its competitors. Its message of worldly power
and cultural conquest has proven too powerful. This seemingly innocuous and
mundane article is actually riddled with proofs of its domination of DTS and
the institution's now radical drift away from Scriptural authority.
Vocational Christian Ministry is dominionist parlance because
under that theological umbrella all occupations are Kingdom related and sacral.
Since 'ministry' or Kingdom service is also being conducted (we're told) by the
banker, policeman, soldier, politician, scientist plumber and the like any work
within the context of the Church has to be specified. It is but one facet of
the larger programme of world conquest.
In terms of ecclesiastical polity DTS represents an abandonment
of Scripture and this is clearly on display. The offices and simple church government
presented in the New Testament are insufficient for our modern age of
Christendom-focused ecclesiastical leadership. Borrowing heavily from the world
and syncretising its models, concepts and tactics with the Dominionist purposes
and aims for the Church, Evangelicalism continues to invent new offices and
church structures which are utterly foreign to Scripture. The demands and
methods of modern marketing, psychology and cultural engagement mean these
'churches' will need to employ an array of 'ministers' whose training and
mandates have little to do with Scripture but are in fact the fruits of the
Dominionist project. This project manifests itself in different ways depending
on the culture of whatever group, denomination or tradition is attempting to
implement it. In the Evangelical world represented by DTS, Madison Avenue and
Dr. Phil have far more relevance than anything written by the Apostles.
Denying the Sufficiency of Scripture, the models represented
in this article represent a compromise with not only the world in practical
terms but in terms of thinking, ideology, philosophy and certainly theology.
Evangelicalism (ironically given its name) has little faith in the Biblical
gospel and must instead rely on the culture for its cues to reach the lost. It
approaches youth as a separate cultural category and more or less has
capitulated to our cultural realities concerning feminism, money, divorce and
statist control of the Church.
Rather than interact with technology, critique it and reject
it when necessary the Evangelical spirit of compromise is deeply ingrained at
DTS. Church is no longer Word centred but instead it's focused on cyberspace,
light and sound systems, gadgetry, gimmicks and the like.
The costs are staggering. The Church could be spending its
money on missionaries and the poor but instead vast sums of money are devoured
by made up extra-scriptural jobs, over-the-top facilities, tech and other
cultural expectations in terms of aesthetics and style. It is literally obscene
and those seeking to be faithful to the Scripture who are trying to attend
church in such circles have a real dilemma. In addition to wrestling with the
overwhelming error that surrounds them, can they really (in good conscience) give
money to such a machine?
The discussion regarding accreditation reeks with the spirit
of the world and once again represents a rejection of New Testament teaching
regarding revelation and spiritual knowledge.
Additionally the article (without meaning to) indicates some
of the real concerns of the modern Evangelical church. The Word takes a
backseat. It's the practical that takes precedent and whether or not someone is
clever enough to proclaim Scriptural authority and yet spend the bulk of their
time engaged in extra-Scriptural activities. The clever part is whether or not
you as a 'vocational Christian minister' can craft the arguments that give the
extra-Biblical bits a veneer of Scriptural fidelity.
One thing is clear, if you want to stay faithful to New
Testament Christianity have nothing to do with Dallas Theological Seminary and
be wary of those who have graduated from it... and have not openly repudiated
the institution and the anti-Scriptural basis of its educational and
ecclesiastical philosophies.
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