Gary DeMar affirms future return

[Afterthought]

"Oh no! Some Christians believe they get a new body after they die rather than maybe tens of thousands of years in the future! It's what I've heard pastors say at funerals, three of them in the past year. I guess we're all going to hell. Show me a verse that says when you die your spirit goes to heaven and at the Second Coming God will reconstitute your body that most likely no longer exists and join it with your disembodied spirit. That's so depressing. Really? Seems like being disembodied for maybe thousands of years would be depressing. You must mean a Third Coming. Wasn't the coming of Jesus in AD 70 a coming, what Heb. 9:28 describes as a "second time"? Gentry et al. say it was. The Nicene Creed and the WCF make no mention of these distinct comings."

Taking him at his words, he is saying that the traditional Christian doctrine that the soul goes to be with the Lord and their bodies are resurrected at the Second Coming is "depressing," and he mocks it in the way a heathen does ("body that most likely no longer exists") and which standard systematic treatments of the resurrection answer. He plainly denies the traditional Christian doctrine in this comment, finds it depressing, and worthy of mocking. He views the idea that a new body is received when a Christian dies as no big deal.

Notice his flippancy about the matter also--not a sign of a humble Christian. Also, a Christian when accused of heresy will take it seriously and seek to clear their name.

 

[Ploutos]

There is a time and a place to refuse to answer questions. Answer not a fool according to his folly. If someone follows me around heckling me, or if I'm being harassed online with clear intent, then evasion and refusal to answer are legitimate tactics. If it's clear I'm being set up, I have no obligation to walk into a trap.

The thing to note, though, is that such behavior makes a positional statement about superiority or rightness or orthodoxy. Joel Beeke has no accountability to, and therefore no need to respond to, the various protest blogs that fling mud his way, as one example.

Gary DeMar, in adopting these tactics, is assuming an implicit position above or outside of accountability to his questioners. He is saying that he is an innocent victim of hecklers trying to impede his quest for Biblical truth and that those calling him to account are hecklers. He doesn't want to set a bad precedent because he doesn't know where the chain of questions will end.

While he may be technically correct in an institutional sense - in that he has not resisted compliance with formal inquiries or procedures - from the perspective of rightness or orthodoxy, he has no such standing that would justify his evasive behavior. He is being called to account in the unofficial court of public opinion for refusing to clearly state adherence to an orthodox belief.

In this case, prudence would advise that he assume the lower position of one under investigation and humbly work to clear his name, rather than the higher position of an innocent but victimized seeker of truth.

In any event, even those who are legitimately evading to avoid harassment should have their beliefs openly stated and claimed. Joel Beeke is warranted in ignoring some of his hecklers, but it's really really easy to find out what the guy believes. If someone heckles me I might evade or reframe but at some point I am going to state my views clearly and explicitly, there or elsewhere. If the views are "I don't know" or "I'm still learning" then I should be a student and not a teacher.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

What Church does Gary DeMar attend? How are people certain that he is an active Deacon?

There are procedures in the PCA to deal with public error and it would be helpful to determine if/where he is a Deacon so that persons interested in pursuing those processes could do so.

 

[NaphtaliPress]

What Church does Gary DeMar attend? How are people certain that he is an active Deacon?

There are procedures in the PCA to deal with public error and it would be helpful to determine if/where he is a Deacon so that persons interested in pursuing those processes could do so.

His bio says he's a member at Midway PCA, Powder Springs (TE David W. Hall); and that is what I recall from when this came up last year; but he's not listed under church officers as a deacon; so while I think this has been said on this and older threads, if he was a deacon, he's not any more; at least he is not listed as a deacon. So info has been wrong or something has changed.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

His bio says he's a member at Midway PCA, Powder Springs (TE David W. Hall); and that is what I recall from when this came up last year; but he's not listed under church officers as a deacon; so while I think this has been said on this and older threads, if he was a deacon, he's not any more; at least he is not listed as a deacon. So info has been wrong or something has changed.

I communicated with his Church, and Gary has never been a Deacon there.

 

[NaphtaliPress]

Where the deacon claim came from? It's been repeated on this thread and I seem to recall it from previous but I could not find it.

 

[Ploutos]

Going back to the video in the OP, I still don't see where Gary gives any explicit affirmation of a future return of Christ. When asked about Jesus being "Daddy coming back to clean up our mess", he responds affirmatively to a question about Jesus' return, but never says anything about it himself and quickly shifts to talking about our ability to transform the world around us. I know that's been said above, but as I was watching the video I thought it was worth re-iterating.

This is a VERY poor exoneration of him, if it is one at all.

 

[Sovereign Grace]

It's the most rare of the various preterisms.

And just like that, I’m debating someone on another forum who seems to be adhering to that very belief. He’s a hardcore hyper preterist and claims the great commission is over.

 

[MyCrows]

And just like that, I’m debating someone on another forum who seems to be adhering to that very belief. He’s a hardcore hyper preterist and claims the great commission is over.

What kind of joints you been hanging out in bud?

 

[Ploutos]

What kind of joints you been hanging out in bud?

I'd say he's been hanging out on preteristboard.com,* but last I heard all threads on that site were closed and every topic that could be discussed has already been discussed. The site is still there, but nobody can give a clear answer as to why.

*DISCLAIMER: Not a real site!

 

[Sovereign Grace]

What kind of joints you been hanging out in bud?

It’s owned by Matt Slick. They have various forums and this is going on in the Eschatology forum.

I'd say he's been hanging out on preteristboard.com,* but last I heard all threads on that site were closed and every topic that could be discussed has already been discussed. The site is still there, but nobody can give a clear answer as to why.

*DISCLAIMER: Not a real site!

I see what you did there.