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The History of Presbyterianism in the United States

The History of Presbyterianism in the United States. Part 1: The Broader Picture C – Darby and the Origin of Dispensationalism. Master Timeline. United States. Europe. 1620 – Mayflower lands 1730s-1743 – 1 st Great Awakening 1776-1783 – American Rev. 1790-1840 – 2 nd Great Awakening

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The History of Presbyterianism in the United States

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  1. The History of Presbyterianismin the United States Part 1: The Broader Picture C – Darby and the Origin of Dispensationalism

  2. Master Timeline United States Europe • 1620 – Mayflower lands • 1730s-1743 – 1st Great Awakening • 1776-1783 – American Rev. • 1790-1840 – 2nd Great Awakening • 1830 – Book of Mormon • 1850-1900 – 3rd Great Awakening • 1861-1865 – American Civil War • 1870 – Scottish Common Sense • 1889 – Moody Bible Institute • 1891 – Briggs’ address • 1909 – Scofield Reference Bible • 1910 – Pres. G.A.: 5 Fundamentals • 1914-1919 – World War I • 1922 – “Shall Fund.s Win?” • 1923 – The Auburn Affirmation • 1925 – The Scopes Trial • 1929 – Westminster Theo. Seminary • 1936 – Orthodox Presbyterian Ch. • 1936 – John Mackay, Princeton Sem. • 1643 – Westminster Confession of Faith • 1650-1800 – Age of European Enlightenment & of Scottish Common Sense Philosophy • 1770s-1900 – Rise of German Higher Criticism • 1789-1799 – French Revolution • 1827 – Plymouth Brethren begin meeting • 1833 – Slavery Abolition Act of England • 1859 - Charles Darwin – Origin of Species • 1862-77 – Darby travels to the United States • 1919 – Rise of Neo-Orthodoxy United States (cont.) 1937 – Death of J. Gresham Machen - Bible Presbyterian Ch. (McIntyre) 1966 – RTS, Jackson, MI 1967 – Confession of ‘67, Book of Confessions 1973 – PCA 1983 – Union of UPCUSA & PCUS

  3. Plymouth Brethren • Nondenominational • A rejection of the institutional church • Aim: a holy and pure fellowship around the study of the Bible • Be open to all Christians indiscrimately • Given to the study of future prophecy particularly • Fast interest and growth throughout the UK • Dissension/division came early

  4. English Brethren “Family Tree”“Never has one body of Christians split so often, in such a short period of time, and over such minute points of difference. (Gerstner, p. 34)  Church of England (Anglicans) General Independent Movement (Puritans) Walkerites (1804) Plymouth Brethren (Cronin, Darby, et.al.) (1826)

  5. English Brethren “Family Tree”“Never has one body of Christians split so often, in such a short period of time, and over such minute points of difference. (Gerstner, p. 34) Plymouth Brethren (Cronin, Darby, et.al.) (1826) Plymouth Assembly Darby group (1845) “Open” Brethren (Bethesda) “Closed” Brethren (1848)   F. Vernal Hall & Dorman (1866) P. Mauro Ramsgate (1881) “Needed Truth”

  6. English Brethren “Family Tree”“Never has one body of Christians split so often, in such a short period of time, and over such minute points of difference. (Gerstner, p. 34) Ramsgate (1881) Kelly Darby   Grant (1883)   Stuart (1885) Raven (1890) (1926)

  7. John Nelson Darby(1800-1882) • Trained in law • 1825 - Ordained a priest in the Church of England • 1827 – Contemplated/concluded two essential “truths”: 1) His own union with Christ

  8. John Nelson Darby(1800-1882) But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-7 ESV)

  9. John Nelson Darby When I came to understand that I was united to Christ in heaven, and that, consequently, my place before God was represented by His own, I was forced to the conclusion that it was no longer a question with God of this wretched “I” which had wearied me during six or seven years, in presence of the requirements of the law. It then became clear to me that the church of God, as He considers it, was composed only of those who were so united to Christ, whereas Christendom, as seen externally, was really the world, and could not be considered as the “church”. (Letters, 3:2998)

  10. John Nelson Darby Darby built his view of the church directly on his christology, and there was a great appeal and attractiveness to his view. The true church, united to Christ, is heavenly. It has nothing to do with the existing state of earthly corruption. (Poythress, p. 15) Restoration of the corrupt church is impossible because the dispensation is running down. (quoted by Bass, p. 106)

  11. John Nelson Darby(1800-1882) • Trained in law • 1825 - Ordained a priest in the Church of England • 1827 – Contemplated/concluded two essential “truths”: 1) His own union with Christ 2) The return of Christ – its timing & implications

  12. John Nelson Darby Darby’s distinctive ideas in eschatology appear to have originated from his understanding of union with Christ, as did his views of the church. … Israel and the church are as different as heaven and earth, law and grace. (Poythress, p. 16)

  13. John Nelson Darby Darby construed the difference as primarily a ‘vertical,’ static distinction between heaven and earth and between two peoples inhabiting the two realms. He did not entertain the possibility that the difference was primarily a historical one, a ‘horizontal’ one, between the language of promise, couched in earthly typological terms, and the language of fulfillment, couched in terms of final reality, the reality of God’s presence, the coming of heaven to human beings in Jesus Christ. Darby was reacting against a dehistoricized understanding of the Bible that had little appreciation for the differences between redemptive epochs. (Poythress, p. 16)

  14. John Nelson Darby Out of Darby’s understanding of Ephesians 2 arose a rigid distinction between the church and Israel. The church is heavenly, Israel earthly. First in prophecy, when the Jewish church or nation is concerned, i.e., when the address is directed to the Jews, there we may look for a plain and direct testimony, because earthly things were the Jews’ proper portion. And, on the contrary, where the address is to the Gentiles, i.e., when the Gentiles are concerned in it, there we may look for symbol, because earthly things were not their portion, and the system of revelation must to them be symbolical.

  15. With these basic principles operative when approaching the Bible, Darby would then paraphrase Christ’s words to Nicodemus as follows: (John 3:10-12 ESV) Darby’s paraphrase Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? If I have spoken to you of the things which apply to Israel, if I have told you that Israel must be born again to enjoy those terrestrial promises which belong to her, and you have not understood me, how will you comprehend about heavenly things … the glory of Christ … and the Church? Darby, The Hopes of the Church of God, p. 132, Zens, p. 6

  16. Further, the Israel-Church distinction is so hard and fast that Darby would divide the attributes of the Father and the names of the son: The Church is in relationship with the Father, and the Jews with Jehovah … Jesus, in consequence, is presented to the Jews as the Messiah, the centre of the promises and of the blessings of Jehovah to that nation; to the Church He appears as the Son of God … who is the expression of all the glory of His Father … The same person may be a king of a country, and a father of a family; and this is the difference between God’s acting toward us and the Jews … [among the Jews] God sustains His name of Jehovah, and His character of judgment and righteousness … [in the Church] the Father reveals His character of goodness and love … The Lord having been rejected by the Jewish people, is become wholly a heavenly person. Darby, The Hopes of the Church of God, pp. 11, 137, 135, 136, Zens, p. 6

  17. John Nelson Darby When therefore facts are addressed to the Jewish church as a subsisting body, as to what concerns themselves, I look for a plain, common sense, literal statement, as to a people with whom God had direct dealing upon earth. (Writings, 2:35) Prophecy applies itself properly to the earth; its object is not heaven. It was about things that were to happen on the earth; and the not seeing this has misled the church. … The church is something altogether apart – a kind of heavenly economy, … The Lord, having been rejected by the Jewish people, is become wholly a heavenly person. (Writings, 2:376)

  18. John Nelson Darby(1800-1882) • Trained in law • 1825 - Ordained a priest in the Church of England • 1827 – Contemplated/concluded two essential “truths”: 1) His own union with Christ 2) The return of Christ – its timing & implications • 1829 – Began challenging current prophetic interpretations • 1839-1845 – Toured/Lectured in France & Switzerland

  19. John Nelson Darbycalled his distinctives“rediscovered truths” • A sharp distinction between law and grace. • The sharp vertical distinction between “earthly” and “heavenly” peoples of God, Israel and the church. • A principle of “literal” interpretation of prophecy tying fulfillment up with the earthly level, the Jews. • A consequent strong premillennial emphasis looking forward to the time of this fulfillment. • A negative, separatist evaluation of the existing institutional church.

  20. John Nelson Darbycalled his distinctives“rediscovered truths” Darby admitted his principle of interpretation had been hidden from the Church for nineteen centuries and then revealed to him. Even some Brethren leaders contemporary with Darby felt that he “was building a completely new structure of Biblical interpretation.” Coad, A History of the Brethren Movement, p. 131, Zens, p. 7)

  21. New Covenant Presbyterian Church Preaching God’s Sovereign Grace to a World of Need 128 St. Mary’s Church Rd., Abingdon, MD 21009 410-569-0289 www.ncpres.org www.ephesians515.com

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