How To Get To Heaven When You Die

[xfrodobagginsx]

Wow

 

[Bladerunner]

I'm going to take a crack at this. Please don't make me regret doing so...

Hello Clete: it has been a minute or two since we last spoke. Good to hear from you.

Right off the bat the errant premise presents itself. Which is it, Bladerunner, His body or His Bride? I can't be both (an analogy made by Paul not withstanding, by the way.

The Church Saints are His Body. His Bride, a parallel of the Leverite Marriage answers many questions throughout both testaments about Jesus. Not sure what you are referring to when speaking of the 'anology of Peter'.

Israel is the Bride of Christ, we are NOT Israel, we are the Body of Christ. These are not the same thing. Thinking they are the same thing leads to confusion and errors. Errors such as denial of the rapture, for example.

Israel is not the Bride of Christ. She (Israel) is the wife of 'The Father', a divorced wife at this dispensation. The Remnant of Israel (Rev 12:6) yet to come, will be reunited with 'The Father' through the mediator, Jesus Christ.

(I find out several minutes after reading this first line of yours that you do not deny the rapture. I'm leaving the above intact because I cannot reconcile the contradiction.)

Yes, the Rapture will be a future event that will happen according to the Word of GOD.

This is false - as stated. It is grace that kept Adam and Eve alive to produce the human race and it is true, albeit irrelevant that Abraham didn't know the law of Moses but lots and lots of people did and do know the law of Moses!

Through God's Grace, we are alive. we have rain, we have sunshine. God's Judgement(s) was handed down to all men through Adam. As far back as Cain and Abel, we can surmise that God's rules (commandments) were well known. However, when I speak of Moses, I am speaking of the 630+ laws set out for Israel, both civil and religious. God's 7 out of 10 commandments, showed the world what sin was but at the same time, it increased the sins of mankind. How? Because of man's sin nature and free will, these commandments represented a border to crossed by most all. p.s. the other 3 commandments were and still are ceremonial in nature and is not obeyed in present times.

Why is Abraham and not Moses pointed to as the father of the whole household of faith? Because God entered into TWO covenants with Abraham. In the first Abraham sacrificed a whole bunch of animals, splitting them in two and placing half on one side and half on the other. Then God put Abraham into a deep sleep and passed through the sacrifice ALONE. This is the covenant of grace. Abraham had no terms to meet in this covenant because he was unconscious when it was consummated.

Yet, God swore to Himself making the covenant everlasting and cannot be taken away from Israel.
This is known to myself and others as the Abrahamic Covenant.

In the second, the covenant of circumcision, I can assure you that not only was Abraham FULLY awake but the covenant had a very distinct work of the flesh THAT WAS REQUIRED! Moses comes along and, under the same covenant, adds the Ten Commandments and from there the entire rest of the law was added, all of which was just as required as circumcision, which came first because it, being a physical cutting off of the flesh, is symbolic of the whole law, it being a cutting off of our fleshly desires. We can know for maybe just shy of a thousand reasons that obedience to the law was required but what has to be the clearest proof is the fact that God was coming to kill Moses himself because he had failed to circumcise his son. That sort of makes obedience to the law come off as being required to me!

was no aware of a Circumcision Covenant??

So which is it, Bladerunner? Is there a rapture or not? Just what is it you think the rapture is if no one is removed from the Earth? Just were are we going to be after we get raptured?

Yes, there will be a Rapture Event.Don't know when it wil happen but happen it will, I am certain of that. Only the Church Saints both dead and alive are removed from the earth to heaven (Throne Room). God's word tells us that when we die, if we are in Jesus, our spirit will be with Him always.

That gospel will be practically identical to that preached by Peter in Acts 2...

Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”​

​

38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”​

Are we speaking of the Everlasting Gospel Rev 14:6? This will be heralded by an Angel, the two witnesses and the 144,000 Jewish Ministers. Those at this time who come to believe in Jesus will have to be martyred by (most) losing their heads in His Name. These tribulation saints will be Redeemed to Heaven toward the end of Daniel's 70th week.

Have a great Thursday.

Top

 

[Bladerunner]

Still missing the point.

Try again.

According to Clete, it is many things I have missed...still not sure which one or group.

 

[JudgeRightly]

According to Clete, it is many things I have missed...still not sure which one or group.

I strongly recommend obtaining a copy of Bob Enyart's book (or seminar, if you're someone who prefers listening over reading) "The Plot - An Overview of the Bible is the Key to its Details."

The book (second edition) can be found here:

The Plot

science, philosophy, theology, morality, criminal justice, the Bible, apologetics

store.kgov.com

And you can find the seminar here:

The Plot: Audio Set

science, philosophy, theology, morality, criminal justice, the Bible, apologetics

store.kgov.com

(You can buy the CDs individually, but I recommend getting it all at once.)

Of course, NONE of these materials are necessary to understanding the Bible. You need only the Bible and to set aside the time to read it.

But these materials make understanding it much easier, thus the recommendation.

 

[xfrodobagginsx]

What do you all think of Les Feldick?

 

[Clete]

Hello Clete: it has been a minute or two since we last spoke. Good to hear from you.

The Church Saints are His Body. His Bride, a parallel of the Leverite Marriage answers many questions throughout both testaments about Jesus. Not sure what you are referring to when speaking of the 'anology of Peter'.

Israel is not the Bride of Christ. She (Israel) is the wife of 'The Father', a divorced wife at this dispensation. The Remnant of Israel (Rev 12:6) yet to come, will be reunited with 'The Father' through the mediator, Jesus Christ.

Yes, the Rapture will be a future event that will happen according to the Word of GOD.

Through God's Grace, we are alive. we have rain, we have sunshine. God's Judgement(s) was handed down to all men through Adam. As far back as Cain and Abel, we can surmise that God's rules (commandments) were well known. However, when I speak of Moses, I am speaking of the 630+ laws set out for Israel, both civil and religious. God's 7 out of 10 commandments, showed the world what sin was but at the same time, it increased the sins of mankind. How? Because of man's sin nature and free will, these commandments represented a border to crossed by most all. p.s. the other 3 commandments were and still are ceremonial in nature and is not obeyed in present times.

Yet, God swore to Himself making the covenant everlasting and cannot be taken away from Israel.
This is known to myself and others as the Abrahamic Covenant.

was no aware of a Circumcision Covenant??

Yes, there will be a Rapture Event.Don't know when it wil happen but happen it will, I am certain of that. Only the Church Saints both dead and alive are removed from the earth to heaven (Throne Room). God's word tells us that when we die, if we are in Jesus, our spirit will be with Him always.

Are we speaking of the Everlasting Gospel Rev 14:6? This will be heralded by an Angel, the two witnesses and the 144,000 Jewish Ministers. Those at this time who come to believe in Jesus will have to be martyred by (most) losing their heads in His Name. These tribulation saints will be Redeemed to Heaven toward the end of Daniel's 70th week.

Have a great Thursday.

Top

This almost entire unresponsive. To the extent it is, the single sentence responses are bereft of substance and amount to responding to what I said by merely repeating your position. Boring.

As for Israel being the bride of Christ....

Isaiah 54:5 (NKJV)​

"For your Maker is your husband,​

The LORD of hosts is His name;​

And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;​

He is called the God of the whole earth."​

​

Jeremiah 3:14 (NKJV)​

"Return, O backsliding children," says the LORD;​

"for I am married to you."​

​

Ezekiel 16:8, 15 (NKJV)​

“Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,” says the Lord GOD...​

“But you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your fame…”​

​

Hosea 2:19–20 (NKJV)​

“I will betroth you to Me forever;​

Yes, I will betroth you to Me
In righteousness and justice,
In lovingkindness and mercy;
I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness,
And you shall know the LORD.”​

​

Revelation 19:7 (NKJV)​

“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”​

​

Revelation 21:9 (NKJV)​

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. 12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.​

​

14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. 17 Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. 18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.​

That's what you call biblical proof, Bladerunner. It's so blatant that no commentary is even necessary. After reading the above passages, a denial that Israel is the Bride of Christ is the equivalent of denying that Christ is the Lamb of God.

 

[Right Divider]

What do you all think of Les Feldick?

Les was OK... why do you keep asking about him?

 

[Bladerunner]

This almost entire unresponsive. To the extent it is, the single sentence responses are bereft of substance and amount to responding to what I said by merely repeating your position. Boring.

As for Israel being the bride of Christ....

Isaiah 54:5 (NKJV)​

"For your Maker is your husband,​

The LORD of hosts is His name;​

And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;​

He is called the God of the whole earth."​

​

Jeremiah 3:14 (NKJV)​

"Return, O backsliding children," says the LORD;​

"for I am married to you."​

​

Ezekiel 16:8, 15 (NKJV)​

“Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,” says the Lord GOD...​

“But you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your fame…”​

​

Hosea 2:19–20 (NKJV)​

“I will betroth you to Me forever;​

Yes, I will betroth you to Me​

In righteousness and justice,​

In lovingkindness and mercy;​

I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness,​

And you shall know the LORD.”​

​

Revelation 19:7 (NKJV)​

“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”​

​

Revelation 21:9 (NKJV)​

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. 12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.​

​

14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. 17 Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. 18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.​

That's what you call biblical proof, Bladerunner. It's so blatant that no commentary is even necessary. After reading the above passages, a denial that Israel is the Bride of Christ is the equivalent of denying that Christ is the Lamb of God.

With the exception of one Book, Revelation, Jesus was not known to anyone God Himself in the OT. Yet, even in the days of John, Peter, Paul, Jude and Titus..God, the Father and Jesus Christ or Jesus the Son of the Father were kept separate even in the NT. The Levirate Marriage gives us TWO genealogies of Jesus. Right now we are parallel with the Groom to be off to build a house/room for the Bride. The Bride is to wait and be ready at anytime for she know not when the Groom will return. By the way, this return of the Groom was usually in the middle of the night according to Jewish customs. ............................................"Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love." 2 JO 1:3

 

[Clete]

With the exception of one Book, Revelation, Jesus was not known to anyone God Himself in the OT. Yet, even in the days of John, Peter, Paul, Jude and Titus..God, the Father and Jesus Christ or Jesus the Son of the Father were kept separate even in the NT. The Levirate Marriage gives us TWO genealogies of Jesus. Right now we are parallel with the Groom to be off to build a house/room for the Bride. The Bride is to wait and be ready at anytime for she know not when the Groom will return. By the way, this return of the Groom was usually in the middle of the night according to Jewish customs. ............................................"Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love." 2 JO 1:3

None of that made any sense. There is one and only one Lamb of God. It's Jesus Christ.

Never mind. If what I showed you doesn't convince you, nothing can because you don't care.

Good bye.

I swear I must be mentally ill. I know when I'm doing it that taking these people off ignore is nothing but a exercise in self-torture and yet I do it anyway!

 

[Bladerunner]

I strongly recommend obtaining a copy of Bob Enyart's book (or seminar, if you're someone who prefers listening over reading) "The Plot - An Overview of the Bible is the Key to its Details."

The book (second edition) can be found here:

The Plot

science, philosophy, theology, morality, criminal justice, the Bible, apologetics

store.kgov.com

And you can find the seminar here:

The Plot: Audio Set

science, philosophy, theology, morality, criminal justice, the Bible, apologetics

store.kgov.com

(You can buy the CDs individually, but I recommend getting it all at once.)

Of course, NONE of these materials are necessary to understanding the Bible. You need only the Bible and to set aside the time to read it.

But these materials make understanding it much easier, thus the recommendation.

I am aware of some of these though have not indulged in them to date. Because of your recommendation, I will look over them and get back to you. Thanks for your help.

"To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour." (Titus 1:4)

 

[Bladerunner]

None of that made any sense. There is one and only one Lamb of God. It's Jesus Christ.

Never mind. If what I showed you doesn't convince you, nothing can because you don't care.

Good bye.

I swear I must be mentally ill. I know when I'm doing it that taking these people off ignore is nothing but a exercise in self-torture and yet I do it anyway!

It is because you really do believe in what you say. It is not just a show...If I have offended you, my apologies. Not all of the Bible is a sentence within a sentence. I did not say there were two Lambs of GOD but rather two genealogies. I guess I am a hopeless romantic when it comes to the Bible. Why do we Love God? the answer is because He loved us First!.. Within the next two t o three weeks, I should have a fair handle on Bob Enyart's "The Plot". Here in this realm of theology, we may be able to speak without you loosing your sanity See you then!

 

[Bladerunner]

I strongly recommend obtaining a copy of Bob Enyart's book (or seminar, if you're someone who prefers listening over reading) "The Plot - An Overview of the Bible is the Key to its Details."

The book (second edition) can be found here:

The Plot

science, philosophy, theology, morality, criminal justice, the Bible, apologetics

store.kgov.com

And you can find the seminar here:

The Plot: Audio Set

science, philosophy, theology, morality, criminal justice, the Bible, apologetics

store.kgov.com

(You can buy the CDs individually, but I recommend getting it all at onc

Of course, NONE of these materials are necessary to understanding the Bible. You need only the Bible and to set aside the time to read it.

But these materials make understanding it much easier, thus the recommendation.

only the Bible is necessary to God's understanding. Are there any rule to the "sentence within a sentence" method that Mr. Enyart uses to explain the so-called contradictions of the Bible. Again, thank you for your help.

 

[JudgeRightly]

Are there any rule to the "sentence within a sentence" method

It's pretty straightforward.

 

[Clete]

only the Bible is necessary to God's understanding. Are there any rule to the "sentence within a sentence" method that Mr. Enyart uses to explain the so-called contradictions of the Bible. Again, thank you for your help.

Honesty. That's the rule.

Stop reading the book all together if the simplest of grammatical tools that you've been familiar with in other forms since you were in sixth grade throws you for a loop. It's nothing more than finding the “main clause” or reducing a sentence to its kernel sentence where you identify the core subject and predicate that remain after you remove subordinate clauses, modifiers, and other non-essential elements (i.e. "non-essential" to the sentence structure). It isn't about ignoring those clauses and modifiers, it's just a way to focus one's attention on the core of what it being said. All it takes to use it well is intellectual honesty. A point Bob goes into, if I recall. Something about preferring to be eaten by wild dogs rather than to mishandle God's word or mislead his audience or something along those lines (it's been a while since I read it!).

 

[xfrodobagginsx]

Les was OK... why do you keep asking about him?

Because he's the greatest Bible teacher I've ever heard. Nobody else even comes close. And I don't see him being talked about much here and it makes me scratch my head as to why.

 

[xfrodobagginsx]

He's certainly the best that is on Christian television - by a mile!

I'm pretty sure he was an Acts 2 dispensationalist, which led to some unavoidable errors, but, leaving relatively minor doctrinal issues aside, he was indeed an outstanding teacher.

I cannot, however, agree that he was the best. Bob Enyart was the best bible teacher I have ever encountered. The only person that I know of that was even nearly as good was his own pastor, Bob Hill.

He is a mid-acts dispensationalist. He does not divide at acts 2. He believes that the church began with the Apostle Paul and that 12 disciples were not part of the Grace age Church. I've stated this before

 

[Right Divider]

Because he's the greatest Bible teacher I've ever heard. Nobody else even comes close.

I think that you have not been exposed to much. There are many good teachers out there, including many that are better than Les (not putting down Les, he was very good).

And I don't see him being talked about much here and it makes me scratch my head as to why.

We tend to discuss Bible doctrine (and the Bible itself) and not Bible teachers.

 

[JudgeRightly]

And I don't see him being talked about much here and it makes me scratch my head as to why.

We tend to discuss Bible doctrine (and the Bible itself) and not Bible teachers.

"Theology Online"

not

"Theologian Online"

:think:

 

[Clete]

Because he's the greatest Bible teacher I've ever heard. Nobody else even comes close. And I don't see him being talked about much here and it makes me scratch my head as to why.

It isn't because we dislike him.

This website was originally created by Bob Enyart's ministry and was run for years and years by a member of his congregation. Bob's teaching has all of Les' doctrinal advantages and none of his theological short comings.

He is a mid-acts dispensationalist. He does not divide at acts 2. He believes that the church began with the Apostle Paul and that 12 disciples were not part of the Grace age Church. I've stated this before

Quite so! I stand corrected!

Les Feldick was definitely one of the most approachable Bible teachers you could listen to. My aunt watches his show daily, and I’m very happy that she does. Because of his mid-Acts dispensationalism, he got a great deal of doctrine right, especially when it came to daily Christian living. His clear distinction between Israel and the Body of Christ, his emphasis on Paul’s unique apostleship, and his unshakable teaching of salvation by grace through faith give believers a simple, solid foundation for walking with the Lord day by day.

When it came to explaining the gospel in plain terms, Feldick excelled. He had a way of cutting through tradition and making Scripture come alive for everyday life. He even got it right about there being no requirement to be water baptized, which almost no one gets right these days. On these issues there is no disagreement. There’s virtually no daylight at all between what Les taught and what Bob taught and what I personally believe today when it comes to most of what Les talks about on his daily television show. It is definitely worth the time to watch.

There are, however, important areas where I believe he fell short. I will briefly touch on a few of the most significant.

While he rejected Covenant Theology, he still carried over parts of classical theism that, in my view, distort the nature of God. Chief among these is the traditional idea of immutability that goes far beyond God’s moral character and personality, presenting Him as unresponsive and unchanging in every respect. This idea that God cannot change in any way whatsoever is the premise upon which Covenant Theology is built. Indeed, the entire system of Calvinism flows logically from that single premise. He accepted the premise and rejected its natural conclusion. I doubt he was fully aware that he was making such a clean error, but that does not change the fact that he was doing so.

While Les rejected Calvinism generally and Covenant Theology in particular, he did not reject all of the doctrines that are predicated on the belief that God cannot change in any way whatsoever. He held to views on God’s foreknowledge, sovereignty, and relationship to time that are all but indistinguishable from Calvinism’s teaching on these issues and which clearly differ from Enyart’s teaching and my own. Feldick saw God’s foreknowledge as exhaustive and definite in every respect, meaning all future events were fully known as fixed before they occurred. He often spoke of God’s sovereignty in terms of total control over everything that happens, rather than as God being the highest authority who can allow genuine freedom within His rule, which is the biblical teaching. In addition, he taught that God exists outside of time, regarding time as meaningless to Him. These positions, while common in evangelical teaching, blur God’s relational engagement with His creation and make it impossible to take the biblical record of His interactions at face value. Whole swaths of Scripture are rendered almost meaningless, transformed into lengthy “figures of speech” that must be taken to mean the opposite of what they plainly say.

Feldick also accepted the standard evangelical view of original sin, teaching that all humanity is spiritually dead because of Adam’s transgression. I believe this misses the mark in a couple of different ways. First, it ignores the whole of Ezekiel 18, which emphatically teaches that God does not hold people guilty because of the sin of their ancestors. Second, it overlooks the universal effect of Christ’s work at Calvary, which resolved the impact Adam’s sin had on his race and allowed God to act toward mankind in a manner consistent with justice, holding people responsible only for the sins they commit themselves. In this understanding, people are spiritually alive until they personally sin, and it is at that point they become in need of salvation through union with Christ. That difference changes how we think about the state of humanity and the way we present the gospel.

His view of faith leaned toward the common evangelical definition, trusting God’s word without necessarily seeking full rational grounding. I see it differently. True biblical faith is reasoned trust, rooted in objective truth and sound logic. Faith that is not anchored in reality as God has revealed it can drift into superstition or mysticism.

And then there is Logos in John 1:1. Feldick followed the usual translation of “Word” without digging into the depth of the term. I believe Logos is best understood as “Logic,” or “Reason,” not merely as an abstract idea but as the living rational principle at the heart of God’s being. This understanding of John’s use of the word Logos changes the way we understand both the passage and the Person it describes, as well as the role sound reason should play in our doctrine and in our daily lives. It may seem like a small issue, but it has an enormous doctrinal impact.

So, I can recommend Les Feldick in many areas, particularly where his mid-Acts perspective shines, which happens to be the vast majority of his content. Yet it is wise to study his work with discernment, as with anyone’s teaching. His strengths are real, and they are substantial. So much so that I will say again what I said in a previous post: Les Feldick is much better than any other person who airs on Christian television, by a rural Oklahoma country mile!

Clete

P.S. I made a LOT of claims in this post that might be trying to make your head explode! For the sake be brevity, I intentionally made no effort to establish any of those claims but am more than happy to do so. Please feel free to ask me any question that this post generates in your mind. By all means, challenge me to defend anything you wish to challenge me on. That's what I'm here for!

 

[Idolater]

... [Feldick] even got it right about there being no requirement to be water baptized, which almost no one gets right these days.

Catholicism gets it right.

On these issues there is no disagreement. There’s virtually no daylight at all between what Les taught and what Bob taught and what I personally believe today when it comes to most of what Les talks about on his daily television show. It is definitely worth the time to watch.

There are, however, important areas where I believe he fell short. I will briefly touch on a few of the most significant.

While he rejected Covenant Theology, he still carried over parts of classical theism that, in my view, distort the nature of God. Chief among these is the traditional idea of immutability that goes far beyond God’s moral character and personality, presenting Him as unresponsive and unchanging in every respect. This idea that God cannot change in any way whatsoever is the premise upon which Covenant Theology is built. Indeed, the entire system of Calvinism flows logically from that single premise. He accepted the premise and rejected its natural conclusion. I doubt he was fully aware that he was making such a clean error, but that does not change the fact that he was doing so.

While Les rejected Calvinism generally and Covenant Theology in particular, he did not reject all of the doctrines that are predicated on the belief that God cannot change in any way whatsoever. He held to views on God’s foreknowledge, sovereignty, and relationship to time that are all but indistinguishable from Calvinism’s teaching on these issues and which clearly differ from Enyart’s teaching and my own. Feldick saw God’s foreknowledge as exhaustive and definite in every respect, meaning all future events were fully known as fixed before they occurred. He often spoke of God’s sovereignty in terms of total control over everything that happens, rather than as God being the highest authority who can allow genuine freedom within His rule, which is the biblical teaching. In addition, he taught that God exists outside of time, regarding time as meaningless to Him. These positions, while common in evangelical teaching, blur God’s relational engagement with His creation and make it impossible to take the biblical record of His interactions at face value. Whole swaths of Scripture are rendered almost meaningless, transformed into lengthy “figures of speech” that must be taken to mean the opposite of what they plainly say.

Feldick also accepted the standard evangelical view of original sin, teaching that all humanity is spiritually dead because of Adam’s transgression. I believe this misses the mark in a couple of different ways. First, it ignores the whole of Ezekiel 18, which emphatically teaches that God does not hold people guilty because of the sin of their ancestors. Second, it overlooks the universal effect of Christ’s work at Calvary, which resolved the impact Adam’s sin had on his race and allowed God to act toward mankind in a manner consistent with justice, holding people responsible only for the sins they commit themselves. In this understanding, people are spiritually alive until they personally sin, and it is at that point they become in need of salvation through union with Christ. That difference changes how we think about the state of humanity and the way we present the gospel.

His view of faith leaned toward the common evangelical definition, trusting God’s word without necessarily seeking full rational grounding. I see it differently. True biblical faith is reasoned trust, rooted in objective truth and sound logic. Faith that is not anchored in reality as God has revealed it can drift into superstition or mysticism.

And then there is Logos in John 1:1. Feldick followed the usual translation of “Word” without digging into the depth of the term. I believe Logos is best understood as “Logic,” or “Reason,” not merely as an abstract idea but as the living rational principle at the heart of God’s being. This understanding of John’s use of the word Logos changes the way we understand both the passage and the Person it describes, as well as the role sound reason should play in our doctrine and in our daily lives. It may seem like a small issue, but it has an enormous doctrinal impact.

So, I can recommend Les Feldick in many areas, particularly where his mid-Acts perspective shines, which happens to be the vast majority of his content. Yet it is wise to study his work with discernment, as with anyone’s teaching. His strengths are real, and they are substantial. So much so that I will say again what I said in a previous post: Les Feldick is much better than any other person who airs on Christian television, by a rural Oklahoma country mile!

Clete

P.S. I made a LOT of claims in this post that might be trying to make your head explode! For the sake be brevity, I intentionally made no effort to establish any of those claims but am more than happy to do so. Please feel free to ask me any question that this post generates in your mind. By all means, challenge me to defend anything you wish to challenge me on. That's what I'm here for!

He sounds like a Calvinist Acts 9er Dispensationalist, we had a user here Hilston who was that.