311 Evaluating Dispensationalism 1 (John Truitt)

Restitutio

Have you ever been on a long drive in the summer when you wore sunglasses for hours and hours? It’s getting dark and then suddenly you realize you’re still wearing sunglasses. You take them off and the whole world brightens and you realize it’s not nearly as dark as you thought? This is the nature of looking through a lens–it colors your perception of reality. Today, we are beginning a two part series to talk about lenses through which we read scripture. What’s your hermeneutic or interpretation strategy?

Today we’ll focus on the view known as dispensationalism, championed by Dallas Theological Seminary, the Way International, many Baptists, Charismatics, and non-denominational churches as well as theologians like Charles Ryrie, C. I. Scofield, and E. W. Bullinger. We’ll get into what this system entails in just a moment, but let me first introduce my guest.

John Truitt grew up in California and Texas converting to Christianity as a Methodist at 14. After a few years of not attending church, at 21 he converted to biblical unitarianism in the shadow of the Way International through an ex-Way group and learned to read the bible in line with classic dispensationalism. Later on he joined Spirit and Truth Fellowship and even served on the board for a number of years. After this, Truitt co-founded Allegiance to the King, a web-based ministry with over 150 video teachings, regular virtual church video-conferencing meetings, and an annual young adult event in Kentucky. Truitt is also the founder and owner of Kalleo Technologies, a managed IT service provider company, based out of Paducah, Kentucky.

Today he’s going to talk to us about dispensationalism. Whether that’s where you’re coming from or not, this interview should broaden your understanding of the topic.

—— Books ——

• Progressive Dispensationalism by Craig Alan Blaising
• Kingdom through Covenant: A Biblical-Theological Understanding of the Covenants by Peter Gentry and Stephen Wellum (also see God’s Kingdom through Covenant: A Concise Biblical Theology)
• Progressive Covenantalism by Stephen Wellum and Brent Parker
• Dispensationalism and the History of Redemption by Jeffrey Bingham and Glenn Kreider
• The Last Days of Dispensationalism: A Scholarly Critique of Popular Misconceptions by Alistair Donaldson
• Three Central Issues in Contemporary Dispensationalism: A Comparison of Traditional & Progressive Views by Darrell Bock, Elliott Johnson, Herbert Bateman, e