Finished Van Til's _Letters from America_ this morning. A fun little read for those interested in early 20th-century American religious history.
- "TIL" that CVT believed the Westminster Standards ruled out the premillennial view entirely, yet Machen softened it a bit, ruling out only the dispensational form of premillennialism. After all, many of the divines in the "Long Parliament" were of this persuasion. See his little artcle, "Premillennialism" (available here:
J. Gresham Machen Bibliography
Premillennialism
The Premillennial view of the return of Christ is that our Lord will return before a thousand-year period held to be mentioned in the Book of Revel...
). The denomination has followed Machen on this to this day, although most in my immediate circles are decidedly amillennial. There is wisdom in keeping debatable things...debatable.
- I was reminded that the first big debate in the newly formed 'Presbyterian Church of America' (later forcibly renamed to the 'Orthodox Presbyterian Church') was over teetotalism (this was even after the 21st Amendment), and premillennialism--which lead to the formation of the 'Bible Presbyterian Church'. The BPC wanted to make both issues 'required' for all ministers (or was it all officers?). But "TIL" that the BPC (which still exists!) has, since then, rescinded both positions as litmus tests for orthodoxy...(smh).
- After Machen's "untimely" death, the term 'fundamentalism' become more and more--and rightly--associated with teetotalism and dispensational premillennialism. CVT gave thanks that *those* 'fundamentalists' went out from among them, so they could get to work building on solidly Reformed ground. I am inclined to agree with him.
- CVT's letters were surprisingly sarcastic (in a very funny way), I even laughed out loud a couple of times. A fun read.
Available here:
Letters from America: A Dutch Reformed Perspective on the Struggle for Orthodoxy in American Presbyterianism (1935–1940) – Reformed Forum
Van Til, Cornelius. Edited and translated by Daniel J. Ragusa. Hardcover with dust jacket.
