On Good Friday this year I was privileged to give the message at Broderick Road Chapel in Wellington. I’ve re-recorded it for you as several people said that they would be interested. One of the themes that I look at is the idea that the Gospel is the truth behind so many of the myths we hear.
Enjoy, and have a safe and joyous Easter season. He is risen. 🙂
Glenn Peoples
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Chris
Interesting that you attend an Open Brethren church Glenn considering your views on hell, preterism, Israel etc etc which would be in conflict with the Brethren…care to elaborate??
Glenn
Hi Chris
When you refer to their views on Israel, I assume you’re talking about dispensationalism. Dispensationalism – a fairly recent point of view which is slowly starting to disappear again – is not something inherent to the Brethren churches. We’ve attended two different Brethren Churches now (one in Auckland while I was completing undergrad studies and another here in Johnsonville), and dispensationalism has not been taught at all. A more historic Christian view does exist in the Brethren churches and in my own experience it is the majority view. So there’s no issue there.
I also haven’t encountered any friction over my view on hell, in spite of me not trying to hide anything. So my elaboration is just to say that there’s no issue.
Chris
The Brethren at Johnsonville have taught dispensationalism for many years Glenn…I myself hold a futurist view on Israels reconciliation to their Messiah which is not identical to traditional dispensationalism. As to your views on hell/annihilationism-have you been up front on this issue and made your position clear? It must make you cringe when hell etc is mentioned given your open letter to your traditionalist friends which is quite scathing of that position…
Glenn
“The Brethren at Johnsonville have taught dispensationalism for many years Glenn”
If that’s so then there must have been a very sudden lull the day I arrived (and not out of fear of me, I’m sure!). Nobody has taught it since I’ve been here in Johnsonville (we started attending in Feb 2013). In fact in my conversations there I’ve made it fairly clear that I don’t hold that view, but that certainly didn’t stop them being happy with me preaching. Now I’m not saying that nobody there holds to a dispensational view, because I’m told that some do. But it hasn’t been taught since I’ve been there. The truth is that across evangelicalism, dispensationalism is fading away, at least visibly.
“It must make you cringe when hell etc is mentioned”
Actually, nobody has taught on that either since I’ve been there. This isn’t their “fault,” I’d say. It’s part of the wider phenomenon of Evangelicals simply not teaching the traditional view, but perhaps admitting that they believe it when asked, albeit awkwardly. So I haven’t had the opportunity to cringe.
And yes, I’m an open book with them. They *gasp* even know about this blog. 🙂
Although as it turns out – in spite of them not teaching dispensationalism or eternal torment from the pulpit, just over the last couple of weeks we’ve made a move to the Anglican Church (we’ve only attended twice so far). There are a few reasons for this, but as it turns out dispensationalism and hell are not among them (it has more to do with a personal calling actually), and we remain on very good terms with Broderick Rd Chapel. No doubt we’ll still visit them.