I am not comparing those who deny that Jesus is the one true God in the flesh, with dispensationalists on the level of that JW's damning error. I did notice other tendencies to depart from the historic faith and plain statements of Scripture. Examples I give by the following quotes.
Quotes taken from - The Kingdom of the Cults by Walter R. Martin, 1985 copyright
"...it is possible for a Jehovah's Witness, a Christian Scientist or a Mormon, for example, to utilize the terminology of Biblical Christianity with absolute freedom, having already redesigned these terms in a theological framework of his own making and to his own liking, but almost always at direct variance with the historically accepted meanings of the terms." p 18
The Dispensationalists takes the historic term of "rapture" as found and defined in the past, and pretend their "rapture" is the same. Historically it just meant "caught up" or "snatched away" at the second coming. Today you hear the word used in connection with a 7-year tribulation period and the Christians being snatched away leaving the lost to continue living though the 7 years. Or, they try to equate their idea of premillennialism to that in centuries past and it is NOT the same, dispensationalism not being invented until the 19th century.
"The Jehovah's Witnesses represent those cult systems which put strong emphasis upon eschatology and prophecy..." p 25
Dispensationalists seem to be focused on current events, the coming of the rapture, a 3rd temple to be built, etc. It appears their prophecy views are more important to them than the doctrines of salvation.
"...almost all systems of authority in cult organizations indoctrinate their disciples to believe that anyone who opposes their beliefs cannot be motivated by other than satanic force or blind prejudice and ignorance..." p26
To the dispensationalist, the a-mil, post-mil and historic pre-mil positions are rejected as ignorant, in spite of those views being historical, and men holding to each were able to fellowship together as good men of God.
"...almost without exception, all cultic belief systems manifest a type of institutional dogmatism and a pronounced intolerance for any position but their own." p27
The dispensationalists develop an institutional dogmatism that is based more on the writing of men, rather than the express statements of God's word, and just like Roman Catholics, they put dispensationalist tradition on a level with the scripture. *That was the most difficult thing I had to do in escaping dispensationalism, not seeing the annotations in Scofield burned into my brain so strongly, I used them to counter what the scriptures actually state.
"Christian Science, unlike the two other cults we have considered, is neither interested in bestowing godhood (Mormonism) on its adherents nor pushing the eschatological panic button of Armageddon (Jehovah's Witnesses)."
The modern idea of "Left Behind" in the modern concept of a "rapture" certainly presses the eschatological panic button, and so much preaching is based on that fear mongering.
Do NOT misunderstand, I was just as much a child of God, born again, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit when I was a dispensationalist, but over time I could see these thought patterns common to dispensationalism and the JWs in particular. Did you ever try to debate a JW and see how they line up proof texts that do not relate to each other at all, except in their own system. Dispensationalists do the same with their idea of a rapture and the 7-year tribulation.
Quotes taken from - The Kingdom of the Cults by Walter R. Martin, 1985 copyright
"...it is possible for a Jehovah's Witness, a Christian Scientist or a Mormon, for example, to utilize the terminology of Biblical Christianity with absolute freedom, having already redesigned these terms in a theological framework of his own making and to his own liking, but almost always at direct variance with the historically accepted meanings of the terms." p 18
The Dispensationalists takes the historic term of "rapture" as found and defined in the past, and pretend their "rapture" is the same. Historically it just meant "caught up" or "snatched away" at the second coming. Today you hear the word used in connection with a 7-year tribulation period and the Christians being snatched away leaving the lost to continue living though the 7 years. Or, they try to equate their idea of premillennialism to that in centuries past and it is NOT the same, dispensationalism not being invented until the 19th century.
"The Jehovah's Witnesses represent those cult systems which put strong emphasis upon eschatology and prophecy..." p 25
Dispensationalists seem to be focused on current events, the coming of the rapture, a 3rd temple to be built, etc. It appears their prophecy views are more important to them than the doctrines of salvation.
"...almost all systems of authority in cult organizations indoctrinate their disciples to believe that anyone who opposes their beliefs cannot be motivated by other than satanic force or blind prejudice and ignorance..." p26
To the dispensationalist, the a-mil, post-mil and historic pre-mil positions are rejected as ignorant, in spite of those views being historical, and men holding to each were able to fellowship together as good men of God.
"...almost without exception, all cultic belief systems manifest a type of institutional dogmatism and a pronounced intolerance for any position but their own." p27
The dispensationalists develop an institutional dogmatism that is based more on the writing of men, rather than the express statements of God's word, and just like Roman Catholics, they put dispensationalist tradition on a level with the scripture. *That was the most difficult thing I had to do in escaping dispensationalism, not seeing the annotations in Scofield burned into my brain so strongly, I used them to counter what the scriptures actually state.
"Christian Science, unlike the two other cults we have considered, is neither interested in bestowing godhood (Mormonism) on its adherents nor pushing the eschatological panic button of Armageddon (Jehovah's Witnesses)."
The modern idea of "Left Behind" in the modern concept of a "rapture" certainly presses the eschatological panic button, and so much preaching is based on that fear mongering.
Do NOT misunderstand, I was just as much a child of God, born again, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit when I was a dispensationalist, but over time I could see these thought patterns common to dispensationalism and the JWs in particular. Did you ever try to debate a JW and see how they line up proof texts that do not relate to each other at all, except in their own system. Dispensationalists do the same with their idea of a rapture and the 7-year tribulation.