eralism) widely used to describe the elevation of human reason and judg ment above the Holy Scriptures. It denies the divine inspiration of God’s Word and leads to unrestricted criti cism of any theological viewpoint or position. Because there is no unifying discipline there are many divergent views among religious liberals. • MID-TRIBULATIONISM Mid means middle thus the middle or midst of the tribulation. Often used to designate that viewpoint of the rapture of the church that places it in the middle of the seven years pre ceding the return of Christ in power and glory to set up His millennial kingdom. Some who hold this view claim a pre-tribulation position be cause the Great Tribulation is limited to the second half of the seven years (Daniel 9). A difficulty is seen in the use of the term tribulation to refer to the entire seven year period instead of the Biblical term “ week” (Dan. 9). A better term would be “mid-week.” • NEO-EVANGELICALISM A movement among fundamental Christians “ to stir the interest of evan gelical Christianity in meeting the societal problems through the content of Biblical Christianity.” These are the words of the founder of the move ment. Several theologians have spoken in behalf of this viewpoint but other areas of interest are seen also in their writings such as: a critical attitude toward a rigid fundamentalism; a friendly dialogue with religious lib erals; a re-examination of the doc trines of inspiration of the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit; a critical atti tude toward dispensationalism; an emphasis upon higher education; a de-emphasis upon eschatology; a low view of the doctrine of separation and cooperation with religious liberals in evangelism. • NEO-ORTHODOXY N eo means “new,” hence a New Orthodoxy. Applied generally to the theological views of Dr. Karl Barth, a noted Swiss theologian. Dr. Barth was trained under German religious liberals but through subsequent ex periences as a pastor during World War I he re-examined his position. The result is a return to a theology of the Bible but with the old liberal ism in control. It is difficult to sum marize Barth’s theology because of the many contradictions and am biguities, There are likewise opposing views among other Neo-orthodox theo logians. The following is basic to its other teachings. The Bible is not the Word of God. It is the word of man and the message of God may be found in it. It also contains God’s word to
who hold to the fundamental doc trines of the faith. Especially used in recent years by those who dislike the term fundamentalist. • EVANGELICAL THEOLOGY Dr. Karl Barth, noted Swiss theolo gian, declares that this is the proper term for his theological system known otherwise as Neo-Orthodoxy, Barth- ianism or Crisis Theology. • EVOLUTION This word covers a wide range of many theories concerning the origin and development of all living things including the human race. Commonly used of any theory that teaches that man has evolved from a lower form of life as opposed to the direct crea tion of man as a mature creature by the supernatural act of God. • FUNDAMENTALISM That area of Christian profession that declares itself as holding to cer tain asserted basic truths as being necessary for fellowship and coopera tion. These basic truths vary in num ber from the nine points of the World Christian Fundamentals Association to the five points of the 1898 Niagara Bible Conference. Promoted through the publication of a series o f paper- bound volumes under the title The Fundamentals in 1909 and now re vised and published in one volume by Kregel Publications of Grand Rapids. The five basic fundamentals are: the inerrancy of the Holy Scriptures in their original writings and the full divine inspiration of the same; the deity of Jesus Christ; His virgin birth; the substitutionary atonement and the resurrection and second coming of Christ. • GREAT TRIBULATION, The This is the term used in Matthew 24:21 and is considered by most fun damental scholars to refer to the last half of Daniel’s seventieth week (Daniel 9:27; Revelation 12:6, 14) or three and one-half years. Also called the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7). Loosely used in Christian cir cles to refer to the entire seven-year period viz., Daniel’s seventieth week. • h y p e r - d is p e n s a t io n a l is m Any dispensational teaching that goes beyond the commonly accepted pattern such as that in the Scofield Reference Bible and which denies that either the Lord’s Supper or water bap tism is meant for the church in this age. Most dispensationalists feel that this teaching is unscriptural in that it presses its dispensational interpreta tion to an excessive degree. 0 LIBERALISM (Religious) A compound term (religious lib
man. In the words of a Neo-orthdox theologian, “ The Bible is not the word of God until God speaks through that written word to the reader” (quoted from Crossroads, April-June 1955, publication of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., page 75). Neo orthodoxy is an old idea in a new dress whereby the word of God is made to be subject to the ideas of man. It has penetrated several of the large denominations through their seminaries and colleges. • PARTIAL RAPTURE The unscriptural teaching that only certain saints will be caught up at the rapture, such as those who have lived a superior life on earth. The remain ing saints are presumably left to go through the purifying fires of the great tribulation. • POST-MILLENNIALISM Post —after, thus after the millen nium. The teaching that Christ will not come until after the thousand year period of righteousness which is supposed to result from the preaching of the gospel. • POST-TRIBULATIONISM Post means “ after,” thus after the tribulation. Used generally in refer ence to the rapture by those who hold this view. • PRE-MILLENNIALISM Pre means “ before,” thus before the millennium. Usually applied to the second coming of Christ to indi cate its relationship to other prophetic events. Pre-millennialism therefore teaches that Christ will come before He sets up His thousand year reign upon the earth. • PRE-TRIBULATION Before the tribulation. • RAPTURE Said to come from the Latin word rapio meaning to seize or snatch away. Used to designate the catching away of the saints (I Thess. 4:16, 17) to meet the Lord in the air. The time of this event is designated by such terms as Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Trib ulation, Post-Tribulation, and Pre- or Post-Millennial. • THEISTIC EVOLUTION The teaching that God is the au thor of the evolutionary process whereby man is said to have evolved from a lower form of life. Those who hold this view apply it also to other forms of life. Usually held by those who seek to harmonize scripture with theories of organic evolution. • ULTRA-DISPENSATIONALISM See Hyper-Dispensationalism.
—Courtesy IFCA—VOICE
A PR IL, 1964
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