Paul Henebury: "True dispensationalists; consistent dispensationalists, never set dates."
Andrew,
I personally heard Camping refer to himself as a 5 pointer. And I heard him endorse the Westminster Confession. Is he a modalist? I don’t know. Maybe you have reasons for saying so.
Whatever, I’m just happy he’s not a dispensationalist :)
My reason for writing the post was that a friend of mine (and of SI) had been fending off jibes from….you guessed it…Reformed brethren taking another prod at dispensationalism. That’s the context.
But you are right. “Quirky” is an understatement. There are such folks on the fringes of all camps. Sorry if it offended you.
Your brother,
Paul H.
I personally heard Camping refer to himself as a 5 pointer. And I heard him endorse the Westminster Confession. Is he a modalist? I don’t know. Maybe you have reasons for saying so.
Whatever, I’m just happy he’s not a dispensationalist :)
My reason for writing the post was that a friend of mine (and of SI) had been fending off jibes from….you guessed it…Reformed brethren taking another prod at dispensationalism. That’s the context.
But you are right. “Quirky” is an understatement. There are such folks on the fringes of all camps. Sorry if it offended you.
Your brother,
Paul H.
Dr. Paul Henebury
I am Founder of Telos Ministries, and Senior Pastor at Agape Bible Church in N. Ca.
…as the ‘Elect.’ He changed the leaning of the meaning of the word to mean those in the ‘Family’ who had absolutely rejected any and every local church and did not attend church at all (if you did, you could be subject to the board’s excommunication - not sure what that punishment involved however.
In any case, I just think of him as the aged Marjoe Gortner.
In any case, I just think of him as the aged Marjoe Gortner.
Camping has appeared to be orthodox and saved, but one who carried his Reformed theology to its normal consequences on assurance and possible consequences on Eschatology. His doctrine of assurance by self examination was coupled with the normal Reformed doctrine as seeing faith as a work. From that he deduced that to say you know you are saved is of faith and a work therefore you were saying you were saved by works. He repeatedly stated that all we could do is say “God be merciful to me a sinner ” and hope we are among the elect. This was traditional Calvinism with many of the old Puritans. Some Calvinists border on this today. Those emphasizing a Lordship submission salvation do so. Most who embrace reformed soteriology call faith a work thus faith must be given by God who first regenerates the soul. Camping’s allegorical interpretation certainly went beyond the normal reformed hermeneutics and became immersed in private understandings. This then has given him to start date setting.
Andrew, from both your good self and two other sources I believe your correction to be entirely fitting. Camping has moved more left field since I heard him 8 years ago. I like your word “mutated” :)
Dr. Paul Henebury
I am Founder of Telos Ministries, and Senior Pastor at Agape Bible Church in N. Ca.
[Bob T.] Camping has appeared to be orthodox and saved, but one who carried his Reformed theology to its normal consequences on assurance and possible consequences on Eschatology. His doctrine of assurance by self examination was coupled with the normal Reformed doctrine as seeing faith as a work. From that he deduced that to say you know you are saved is of faith and a work therefore you were saying you were saved by works. He repeatedly stated that all we could do is say “God be merciful to me a sinner ” and hope we are among the elect.
Bob,
Have you ever heard Camping’s ‘gospel’? I’ve heard it several times, and there’s no way that (if Camping believes what he teaches), he is either ‘orthodox’ or ‘saved’. He does teach salvation by grace through faith, but then loads it up with all sorts of bizarre and aberrant teachings that add works to faith, including pulling out of local assemblies to listen to the pure church on the radio.
"Our task today is to tell people — who no longer know what sin is...no longer see themselves as sinners, and no longer have room for these categories — that Christ died for sins of which they do not think they’re guilty." - David Wells
Jay, you could be right. I have heard only bits and pieces from camping. We have a repeater for his San Fransisco station in our area. I often set our bedside radio to listen to their good late night music as I fall asleep. However, I do not hear much of camping or his open forum. So far as I knew he acknowledged and believed the essential orthodox doctrines but had his own peculiar twists added. Perhaps they have become peculiar enough to deny the true gospel. I guess that I can hope the elderly man is saved. He is 89 and I had thought he had perhaps become partly senile and confused. Maybe it’s more fatal than that.
So far as the church goes (local assemblies), I have heard him say (I think) that the churches are all apostate and you can not be saved through them. Does he also say you are not saved if you even attend any? It appears he will still be on the air and I am sure he will have a following. It is amazing how many of the on air prophecy teachers such as Hal Lindsey were way off base regarding Y2K but still had a following
So far as the church goes (local assemblies), I have heard him say (I think) that the churches are all apostate and you can not be saved through them. Does he also say you are not saved if you even attend any? It appears he will still be on the air and I am sure he will have a following. It is amazing how many of the on air prophecy teachers such as Hal Lindsey were way off base regarding Y2K but still had a following
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