# Dispensational Hermeneutics



## Barnpreacher (Apr 24, 2007)

I'm interested in knowing where some of you guys think that dispensationalists trace their biblical interpretation back to and why? 

I'm not looking for an explanation of dispensationalist hermeneutics, as I already know it well having studied it far too long. I'm more interested in knowing where and who they trace the history of their biblical interpretation back to.

Anybody know??


----------



## Poimen (Apr 24, 2007)

"In the Late, Great Planet Earth" Hal Lindsey references Cotton Mather's views on the Jewish people. 

They will often reference the early church Father's (chiliasts as they sometimes called) but the problem is that they though they were pre-millenial they were not _dispensational_ pre-millenialists. 

Other than that, the only other options - in my mind- are Marcion (2nd century) and the Anabaptists but I have never seen them referenced by dispensationalists. It is interesting, however, that Calvin refutes the errors of the Anabaptists in his _Institutes_ which makes it clear that they held many commonalities with modern day dispensationalists.


----------



## turmeric (Apr 24, 2007)

Where did their quirky take on "literal" come from?


----------



## Barnpreacher (Apr 24, 2007)

Poimen said:


> Other than that, the only other options - in my mind- are Marcion (2nd century) and the Anabaptists but I have never seen them referenced by dispensationalists. It is interesting, however, that Calvin refutes the errors of the Anabaptists in his _Institutes_ which makes it clear that they held many commonalities with modern day dispensationalists.



Yes, when I was heavy in dispensationalism I know that they attempted to trace their roots back to the Anabaptists. 

I also know that the men I studied under claimed everything they learned came out of the School of Antioch as opposed to the School of Alexandria. However, sad to say, hermeneutics wasn't at the top of their list on things to teach. Basically because they wanted you to buy what they taught without questioning it (Sounds popish to me).

If they want to trace their history back to Antioch then one might think they would fall in line with Theodore's grammatico-historical interpretation, but I know the school I studied in didn't hold to it. Fact is I don't think they held to any principles of biblical interpretation.


----------

