Debate topic: “There are no biblical promises awaiting fulfillment in the nation, or ethnic descendants, of Israel.” Steve Gregg of The Narrow Path affirms. Dr. Michael Brown of Ask Dr. Brown denies. Due to hectic schedules, the debate had to be limited to an hour: two 7.5-minute openings, 30 minutes of informal dialogue, and two 5-minute closings.
Debate topic: “All Christians in the New Covenant will live forever in heaven with Christ.” Fred Torres is a Jehovah’s Witness and affirms. My friend Mike Felker of The Apologetic Front denies. Fred and Mike have been recording a modular debate; they each recorded and sent me their opening statements and rebuttals separately over a span of weeks, with live cross-examination and listener-submitted Q&A. This episode contains part 2’s cross-examination. Listen to episode 91, “Heaven Lasts Forever,” for part 1’s opening statements and first rebuttals. Please email me your questions to Fred and Mike for the third installment’s second rebuttals, Q&A and closing statements.
Debate topic: “All Christians in the New Covenant will live forever in heaven with Christ.” Fred Torres is a Jehovah’s Witness and affirms. My friend Mike Felker of The Apologetic Front denies. Fred and Mike have been recording a modular debate; they each recorded and sent me their opening statements and rebuttals separately over a span of weeks, with live cross-examination and listener-submitted Q&A. This episode contains part 1 of the debate, including opening statements and first rebuttals. A future episode will contain part 2’s cross-examination. Please email me your questions to Fred and Mike for the third installment’s second rebuttals, Q&A and closing statements.
Debate topic: “The final punishment of the risen wicked will be annihilation, the permanent end to the conscious existence of the entire person.” Chris Date, host of the Theopologetics podcast and contributor to the Rethinking Hell blog and podcast, affirms. Joshua Whipps, creator of the Razor’s Kiss blog and author at Choosing Hats, denies. Dee Dee Warren, friend to Chris and host of The Preterist Podcast, moderates. This episode is part 3 of the debate, including the second round of cross-examination, closing statements and listener Q&A. Listen to episode 88 for part 1’s opening statements and first rebuttals; listen to episode 89 for part 2’s first round of cross-examination and second rebuttals.
Debate topic: “The final punishment of the risen wicked will be annihilation, the permanent end to the conscious existence of the entire person.” Chris Date, host of the Theopologetics podcast and contributor to the Rethinking Hell blog and podcast, affirms. Joshua Whipps, creator of the Razor’s Kiss blog and author at Choosing Hats, denies. Dee Dee Warren, friend to Chris and host of The Preterist Podcast, moderates. This episode is part 2 of the debate, including the first round of cross-examination and second rebuttals. Listen to episode 88 for part 1’s opening statements and first rebuttals; listen to episode 90 for part 3’s second round of cross-examination, closing statements and listener Q&A.
Debate topic: “The final punishment of the risen wicked will be annihilation, the permanent end to the conscious existence of the entire person.” Chris Date, host of the Theopologetics podcast and contributor to the Rethinking Hell blog and podcast, affirms. Joshua Whipps, creator of the Razor’s Kiss blog and author at Choosing Hats, denies. Dee Dee Warren, friend to Chris and host of The Preterist Podcast, moderates. This episode is part 1 of the debate, including opening statements and first rebuttals. Listen to episode 89 for part 2’s first round of cross-examination and second rebuttals; listen to episode 90 for part 3’s second round of cross-examination, closing statements and listener Q&A.
James B. Jordan joins me to discuss how the symbolism of the book of Revelation supports a preteristic interpretation and points to an early date for its authorship.
It’s about two and a half weeks until my upcoming debate with Joshua Whipps of http://www.choosinghats.com/ on the topic of annihilationism. I’ve carefully followed the posts Joshua has authored and have listened to his recent podcast episode, and am looking forward to discussing the biblical texts and the theological issues Joshua intends to bring to bear in the debate. As of yet I remain convinced of the biblical case for annihilationism, and I find Joshua’s responses unconvincing, but I am thankful as he has caused me to study the topic in greater depth, further consider its place within systematic theology, better nuance my view and articulate it more precisely. What’s more, I appreciate the intensity and seriousness with which he is coming into the debate, for if my position is unbiblical (and therefore untrue), my prayer is that the Lord would use Joshua to make that clear to me and everyone who listens to the debate.
We do need your help, though. Our debate moderator, my friend Dee Dee Warren, will have some time to pose your questions to Joshua and me after our closing arguments. I’ve found that the Q&A portion of debates can be very useful, so long as the questions are relevant and of high quality. Dee Dee has received a number of questions for me, but as of a few days ago she had not yet received any questions for Joshua. If you have a question you’d like one of us to answer, please email her at preteristpodcast@gmail.com, letting her know to which of us she should pose the question (we will both have an opportunity to respond, but the one asked the question will have longer).
Also, in addition to your questions, please pray for us and for the debate. Pray that Joshua and I would be humble and gracious toward one another, while nevertheless treating our opponent’s position as the serious error—perhaps even heresy—we believe it to be. Pray that the truth God has revealed to us in the Bible—whether that’s what I’ll be arguing or what Joshua will be arguing—would be made evident to both of us and to everyone who listens. The Lord can and does soften hearts and open minds, and if any of us is stubbornly refusing to see the truth, may the Lord be merciful.
After my recent appearance on the Unbelievable? radio program with Justin Brierley, a listener of Justin’s, named Paul, wrote a blog post entitled “Clutching at Straws,” arguing against the case I made. I responded to his blog post in one of my recent episodes, as well as via email. He wrote me back, to which I am presently working on a response. But in a more recent post, I think this blogger demonstrates that it is he (and fellow traditionalists) who are the ones clutching at straws.
I was recently contacted by a Dr. Ean Theron who, having somewhere learned of my newfound belief in annihilationism, asked if I had read Dr. Robert Morey’s Death and the Afterlife. This began a still ongoing email exchange, the direction of which is not yet clear. But I did a search for his name online and came across his recently-published book, According to Jesus: The Theology of Christ, which is claimed to refute annihilationism. Sincerely hoping (but not expecting) to find something new, I purchased the Kindle version for $3 with some of my very first ministry donation (Thanks! You know who you are!), and took note of those passages which allege to challenge my view. What follows is my response to Dr. Theron’s arguments.
