Introduction. Who Was Lewis Sperry Chafer?

Transcription

1 1 Sunday, January 13, 2013 Grace Life Schl f Thelgy Grace Histry Prject Lessn 88 Lewis Sperry Chafer and the Funding f Dallas Thelgical Seminary Intrductin While the mid-acts mvement was in its infancy in the 1920s under the leadership f J.C. O Hair there were als new develpments within mainstream premillennial Fundamentalism. One f these was the funding f Dallas Thelgical Seminary. Wh Was Lewis Sperry Chafer? Lewis Sperry Chafer ( ) was a well-knwn American premilleniarian, dispensatinalist, funder f Dallas Thelgical Seminary, writer, and cnference speaker. Chafer was brn in Rck Creek, Ohi, the secnd f three children brn t a graduate f Auburn Thelgical Seminary, Presbyterian/Cngregatinal institutin in New Yrk. He father Thmas Franklin Chafer, was a Cngregatinalist Pastr, and Thmas and his wife, Lrmia Sperry Chafer, were devted, caring parents. (Hannah, 67) Accrding t Jhn D. Hannah authr f the entry n Lewis Sperry Chafer in the Dictinary f Premillennial Thelgy tw events frm his childhd greatly impacted Lewis life. First he was cnveted t Christ under the tutelage f his parents at the age f six during his father s first pastral charge in Rck Creek. Secnd, in cnnectin with his father s death frm tuberculsis in 1882, Lewis was challenged by an evangelist named Sctt, wh als was suffering frm tuberculsis t peruse a career in Christian service. (Hannah, 67) Lmira nw a single mther struggled t prvide fr her family. After at least tw mves the family settled in Oberlin, Ohi where Lmira managed a barding huse s that the children culd attend schl. Initially, Lewis entered the preparatry schl attached t the cllege (1889) and then the Cnservatry f Music f Oberlin Cllege. He studied music in the cnservatry fr three semesters, fall and spring and the spring f There are n indicatins that Chafer tk religius studies at Oberlin Cllege r elsewhere. Financial cnstraints prevented further study. Beginning in the fall f 1889, he assciated with A.T. Reed, an evangelist under the auspices f the Cngregatinal Church in Ohi, as a baritne and chir rganizer in the meetings. (Hannah, 67) In 1896, he married Ella Lrraine Case, whm he had met at Oberlin Cllege, and the tw frmed an evangelistic team (Lewis preaching and singing with Lrraine playing the rgan). They briefly settled in Painesville, Ohi, where they served as directrs f the music prgram f the Cngregatinal Church thugh they cntinued t travel... (Hannah, 67) In 1899 Lewis became the interim pastr f the First Presbyterian Church f Lewistn, New Yrk, althugh in the fall f the year he began a tw-year ministry as an assistant pastr in the First Cngregatinal Church f Buffal. The initial year appears t have been an apprenticeship Pastr Bryan Rss

2 2 with a view t his frmal rdinatin as a minister in the Cngregatinal cmmunity, which tk place in April (Hannah, 67) In 1901, Chafter mved t Nrthfield, Massachusetts where he perated a farm and his wife served as rganist at the annual Nrthfield Cnference. In 1904 the Suthland Bible Cnference was inaugurated in Flrida, a cunterpart f the Nrthfield cnferences; Chafer was president f that cnference after Thrugh the Nrthfield cnferences, the Chafer s met an array f prminent evangelicals frm bth side f the Atlantic, amng them G. Campbell Mrgan, F. Be. Meyer, A.C. Gaebelein, James M. Gray, and W.H. Griffith Thmas. (Hannah, 68) By far the mst imprtant cntact that Chafer made in thse years was with C.I. Scfield wh as then the pastr f Trinitarian Cngregatin Church, Mdy s hme church in Nrthfield. Chafer fund in Scfield a clear, biblically riented teacher, and the tw were thereafter bund tgether in ministry fr tw decades. Scfield led the yunger Chafer int his particular understanding f the Scriptures as well as int a change f careers. N lnger an itinerant evangelist, Chafer prgressively jined his mentr as a traveling bible teacher, increasingly becming a central participant in the bible cnference mvement. Gradually, thrugh enlarged expsure in the majr Bible and prphetic cnferences, the publicatin f bks and articles, and teaching in shrt-term Bible institutes, Chafer emerge in the early 1900s as a quiet, energetic leaders f ne segment f the emrging evangelical mvement. (Hannah, 68) Frm 1906 t 1910, he taught at the Munt Hermn Schl fr Bys, instructing in Bible and music (his first published bk was Elementary Outline Studies in the Science f Music, 1907). In 1906, he left the Cngregatinal cmmunity t jin the Try Presbytery, Synd f New Yrk, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), reflecting his discmfrt with liberalizing trends in the denminatin and Scfield s ecclesiastical sympathies... His clse identificatin with Scfield increased in the secnd decade f the century as Chafer mved t East Orange, New Jersey, t jin the staff f the New Yrk Schl f the Bible, an agency that distributed Scfield s increasingly ppular bible crrespndence curse, written in 1892, and ffice fr the crdinatin f cnferences activities... In 1913, he assisted Scfield in funding the Philadelphia Schl f the Bible apparently writing the curriculum. Due t his grwing suthern ministry, Chafer jined the Orange Presbytery f the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in (Hannah, 68) Scfield s declining health, resulting in increasingly limited itinerant ministry, brught anther shift in the sphere and nature f Chafer s wrk. Mving t Dallas Texas in 1922, he became pastr f the First Cngregatin Church, which had been fund in 1882 by Scfield (it was renamed Scfield Memrial Church in his hnr during Chafer s pastrate in 1923); Chafer pastured the church frm 1922 t 1926 in additin t increased cnference speaking. (Hannah, 68) Charles Ryrie, authr f the entry n Chafer in the Baker Evangelical Dictinary f Thelgy reprts that Chafer mved t Dallas in 1922 with the expressed purpse establishing Dallas Thelgical Seminary. The schl came int existence in 1924 and Chafer served as the president and prfessr f systematic thelgy until his death in (Ryrie, 218) Pastr Bryan Rss

3 3 Originally funded as Evangelical Thelgical Cllege in 1924, Chafer s bligatins t the Seminary frced him t resign frm his pastrate as well as his secretarial duties fr Central American Missin, thugh he cntinued as a cnference speaker. After starting the Seminary his publicatins mushrmed and by 1948 his advanced age cupled with the burden f carrying n a schl withut secure financing, the grwing turmil ver Scfieldain dispensatinalism in his wn Presbyterian church, and the death f this wife in 1944 were factrs that prgressively limited his public ministry. After 1945, the peratins f the schl devlved t his execute assistant Jhn F. Walvrd. Chafer died due t heart failure while n a cnference tur in Seattle, Washingtn, in August Chafer s Writing Ministry Thrughut his career, Chafer s writing ministry increased. The fllwing is a brief sketch f his writing ministry Satan (Scfield wrte the frward) 1911 True Evangelism 1915 The Kingdm in Histry and Prphecy 1917 Salvatin 1918 He That is Spiritual 1919 Seven Majr Biblical Signs f the Times 1921 Must We Dismiss The Millennium? 1922 Grace 1926 Majr Bible Themes 1933 Biblitheca Sacra Dallas Thelgical Seminary acquired the jurnal fr which Chafer wrte cuntless articles f the years Systematic Thelgy (8 vls.) (Hannah, 68-69) In additin t institutinalizing the thelgy f the Bible cnference mvement thrugh the establishment f Dallas Thelgical Seminary, Chafer systematized its unique thelgical emphases with the publicatin f his Systematic Thelgy in This was significant because it was the first majr attempt t set frth the teaching f dispensatinal premillennialism within the framewrk f traditinal systematic. What Scfield s ntes delineated in a dispensatinal apprach t the Bible, Chafer s Systematic Thelgy simply enlarged. The wrk became the definitive statement f dispensatinal thelgy. (Hannah, 69-70) Fr the purpses f the Grace Histry Prject in tracing the resurgence f Pauline truth and the histrical develpment f the mid-acts mvement in the United States there are sme statements in Chafer s 1915 publicatin The Kingdm in Histry and Prphecy at are wrth nting. The intrductin was written by Scfield and bears further prf f the clse relatinship these men enjyed. Amng ther things, Scfield states: Fllwing the Rman Cathlic interpretatin, Prtestant thelgy has very generally taught that all the kingdm prmises, and Pastr Bryan Rss

4 4 even the great Davidic Cvenant itself, are t be fulfilled in and thrugh the Church... the great theme f predictive prphecy is that Kingdm... The New Testament reveals the present age as a parenthesis in the prphetic prgram during which the Church is called ut frm amng the Gentiles, a stranger and pilgrim bdy, belnging t the kingdm f Gd, but in n sense identical with the kingdm f heaven. (Chafer, 5-6) In Chapter One, titled The Theme, Chafer argues that the kingdm revelatin is a distinct bdy f Scripture running thrugh bth the Old Testament and the New... In view f these facts, it may be helpful t nte sme f the essential values accruing frm, and cnditins gverning, the study f kingdm truth. (Chafer, 9-10) These cnditins include the fllwing accrding t Chafer: 1) Bible interpretatin is incmplete withut it. 2) Knwledge f prphetic truth qualifies all intelligent Christian life and service. 3) Kingdm and prphetic truths are being falsely represented. 4) Unfulfilled prphecy is as credible as histry. 5) Prphetic language is equally as accurate as ther Scriptures. 6) Scripture must be rightly divided and applied. 7) There can be but ne true system f interpretatin. Regarding the first cnditin listed abve, Bible interpretatin is incmplete withut it, Chafer stated: It stands t reasn, since ne-furth f the bible is in prphetic frm, and five-sixths f the Bible is addressed t ne natin t whm the kingdm prmises are given, that any plan f study which avids prphecy and ignres, r spiritualizes, Gd s cvenants with His chsen earthly peple will be incmplete, misleading and subject t mre human assumptins. (Chafer, 10) In this same sectin Chafer, admits that there are tw distinct features f the revelatin given t Paul. It has been pinted ut that tw distinct revelatins were given t the Apstle Paul. In Arabia he received directly frm Gd the gspel f grace (Gal. 1:11-12) which he has presented, in the main, in the Rme and Galatian letters. This is a revelatin f a new rder, a new relatinship t Gd, which is neither a perpetuatin f Judaism, nt a mdificatin f that system. Judaism remains intact and fllws its predicted curse, accrding t Scripture, t the end. The new revelatin f the grace f Gd which hath appeared, and which is made pssible by the crss, shuld nt be clred by the Judaic teaching. It is a cmplete system in itself and, like Judaism, cntinues intact t its predicted end. Fr what else is Paul cntending in Galatians if it is nt that these tw distinct systems shall nt be mixed... The secnd revelatin came, in the main, frm Paul s tw years f imprisnment. This bdy f truth embraces the plan f the ages, the whle dctrine f the Church and the present ut-calling f a heavenly bdy and bride as Pastr Bryan Rss

5 5 recrded in the Ephesians and Clssian letters. It is they advance bdy f truth which is never cmprehended apart frm the exact lines f distinctins laid dwn in kingdm revelatins. (Chafer, 10-11) In his cmments n the secnd cnditin stated abve, knwledge f prphetic truth qualifies all intelligent Christian life and service, Chafer indicates that he understd grace t the gverning principle f the current age: In it a serius mistake t press law-bservance in the face f repeated revelatins that he believers f this age is nt under the law as his rule f life (Rm. 6:14; 10:4-5; Gal. 5:18; 2 Cr. 3:11,17). S als it will be fund that at present, service is the accmplishment f divine undertakings never befre revealed, and its mtives are alne the mighty gverning principles f grace. (Chafer, 13) Expunding n pint six, scriptures must be rightly divided and applied, Chafer argued the fur gspels have n applicatin t the church but cmprise specific instructin t Israel: It has been said, All Scripture is fr us, but all Scripture is nt abut us. It all bears a message t us, but is nt all ur rule f life. It will nt d fr Gentile believers t read themselves int the great prtin f the Bible which treats distinctly f a chsen natin, still a separate peple in the earth, under the special unbrken purpse f Gd and exactly where Gd intended them t be at this very hur... A right divisin and applicatin f Scripture demands that a prtin f the earthly life and ministry f Jesus be recgnized as belnging t the divine cvenants with ne natin in which Gentiles have n part (Eph. 2:11-12). During these ministratin Gentiles were nt in view (Matt. 10:5) nr can they be made t s appear by any fair methd f interpretatin. (Chafer, 16-17) The final paragraph in Chapter V, titled The Kingdm in Histry and Prphecy clearly states that Israel s earthly blessings have nt been transferred t the church because f Israel s unbelief. T cnclude that these literal earthly blessings fr Israel were transferred int spiritual blessings fr all natins because Israel rejected and crucified her King at His first appearing, cmpels ne t ignre the bulk f Old Testament prphecies and the plain prmise and teachings f the Jesus. The ath f Jehvah still stands, and He knw n defeat. His plan has nt been changed. T speak f the kingdm as pstpned is t cnsider it within the perspective f Israel s final glry. (Chafer, 62) In Chapter VI, Present Truth Chafer says much abut the current dispensatin with which a mid-acts dipsensatinalists wuld agree. Please cnsider the fllwing statements: These new unflding f grace and truth, it will be seen, are in n way related t r a part f, thse earthly kingdm revelatins which had been previusly recrded by the sacred writers. Much is in cntrast between these tw bdies f truth; but it is even mre imprtant t see that a great difference lives in the fact that ne treats f a celestial sphere Pastr Bryan Rss

6 6 f spiritual reality which is a much abut tempral, earthly cvenants f the ther as heaven is higher than the earth... Christianity is ttally ppsite f Judaism and any mixture f the tw must result in the lss f all that is vital in the present plan f Salvatin. One made its appear t the limited resurces f the natural man and cnditined his life n the earth; the ther sets aside the natural man, secures a whle new being in Christ Jesus, and cunsels that new being in his pilgrim jurney t his heavenly hme. (Chafer, 64) It is never said f any Old Testament saint that he was a member f the bdy f Christ, r that he was accepted in the belved ; but the New Testament saint is all this, and has been made the righteusness f Gd in him (Rm. 3:21-22; 10:3-4; 1 Cr. 1:30; 2 Cr. 5:21; Eph. 1:6). (Chafer, 67) As truly as the Christian is a new creature and a heavenly citizen, s every cnditin within the new life is supernatural. The human limitatins has been perfectly anticipated and prvided fr in the fact, that the all-sufficient Spirit indwells every saved persn (Rm. 5:5; 8:9; Jhn 3:6; 7:39; 14:16-17; Gal. 6:4; 1 Cr. 6:19). This universal abiding presence f the Spirit in a saved persn, prviding nthing shrt f the sufficiency f Gd fr the least f His children, is a vastly different relatinship than had been knwn befre. (Chafer, 67-68) The Epistles f the New Testament present a distinct heavenly rule f life which is gracius in cntrast t law. They instruct a heavenly citizen in his nrmal walk and life. Attempted bedience t these precepts will never make a heavenly citizen: they are rather set befre him because he is already a heavenly citizen thrugh the pwer f Gd. Therefre they d nt carry a legal imperative; but are presented as beseeching, and under the suggestive phrase, as it becmeth saints... a new gverning rule f lie is given t thse wh are lking back in saving faith t Calvary. Obedience t the new principle f life under grace wuld nt save ne. It nly suggests the nrmal manner f life fr thse wh have already becme heavenly in being thrugh the alne sufficient pwer f Gd. The new principle f life thrugh grace is superhuman; but accrding t the purpse f Gd it is t be perfectly fulfilled by the pwer f the indwelling Spirit. (Chafer, 68-69) Chapter Six, The Church Which is His Bdy bears witness t the standard Acts 2 arguments abut the frmatin f the bdy f Christ and the revelatin f the mystery. Chafer begins the chapter by stating, the new purpse f Gd in this age is seen t be the ut-calling f a heavenly peple. They frm a part f the kingdm in its present mystery frm (Mt. 13); but are in n way related t the Messianic earthly kingdm f Israel ther than that they, as the bride f the King, will be assciated with Him in His reign. (Chafer, 71) Nt nly des Chafer argue that the church began in Acts tw n the day f Pentecst, but he als states that Christ spke f the yet future church three times during his earthly ministry. Hwever, in the very next paragraph Chafer speaks f the church which is his bdy as a sacred secret cmmitted t the Apstle Paul and fully set frth in the bks f Ephesians and Clssians. Pastr Bryan Rss

7 7 The fuller revelatin f the church which is his bdy (Eph. 1:22-23) was cmmitted t the Apstle Paul. Her frmatin, being and destiny is the theme f the prisn revelatin and frms the basis f the prisn epistles, especially Ephesians and Clssians. The Apstle, writing f this special revelatin given t him cncerning the purpse f Gd in this dispensatin f grace, recrds that there was a mystery, r a sacred secret, nt make knwn t ther ages, but revealed t himself and the ther Apstles that Gentiles were t becme fellw heirs with the Jews in ne bdy. A Gentile blessing had been a freview f the Old Testament and was assciated with the earthly kingdm glries f Israel; but Paul s revelatin is f a new frmatin, int a new bdy, a new creatin, partakers f his prmise in Christ by the Gspel, which is nt fund in the Old Testament. (Chafer, 75) The ttality f Chafer s cmments reveals the fllwing incnsistencies. First he says that Christ spke f the Church three times in the gspels at time when he has previusly argued extensively that the kingdm f Gd was being ffered t Israel. Secnd, he states that the church was a mystery nt revealed until Gd caused the Apstle Paul t understand it. Hw then culd Christ have spken abut the church the subject f the mystery befre it was revealed t Paul? If Christ spke f the church which is his bdy in the gspels than it was nt a mystery when Gd revealed it t Paul. In additin, n pages 76-77, Chafer argues using Ephesians 2:11-18 that the bdy f Christ culd nt be frmed until the middle wall f partitin was brken dwn yet he des nt explain hw this happened prir t Acts tw thereby allwing Acts tw t be the birthday f the church. In cnclusin it shuld be nted that much that Chafer says in The Kingdm f Gd in Histry and Prphecy abut grace being the perative principle f Gd during the current dispensatin is expanded in his 1922 bk Grace. Wrks Cited Chafer, Lewis Sperry. The Kingdm in Histry and Prphecy. Chicag, IL: The Bible Institute Clprtage, Hannah, Jhn D. Lewis Sperry Chafer, in Dictinary f Premillennial Thelgy. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publicatins, Ryrie, Charles C. Lewis Sperry Chafer, in Evangelical Dictinary f Thelgy. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, Pastr Bryan Rss