558 Courageous Baptist Seeks Biblical Truth (Joshua Michael Smith)

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• My thoughts on your trailing comments in this podcast relating to the previous podcast.

  Being a conditionalist does not necessitate the dead “being asleep”. The doctrine of “soul sleep” has also been defined in more than one way by different groups. I am firmly a conditionalist but not a supporter of any soul sleep doctrines. There is an intermediate conditionalist position on the period between “first death” and “resurrection/judgement” that I believe more completely satisfies all of scripture. I have found some support for my own conditionalist position in aspects of Webb Mealy’s “New Creation Millennialism ” model of eschatology (you can read his free eBook at … https://www.simplegospel.com/docs/NewCreationMillennialism.pdf) ALONGSIDE some of my own “theoretical speculations” concerning the space-time framework of our current dimension of existence. I am not insisting I am right in my position, but this is where I have been landing for some time now on this subject.

  I would also call myself an Anabaptist, if I was forced to choose a denominational label other than Restorationist. I also prefer Kermit Zarley’s “one God Christian” or “I am a Bible Christian” to “biblical unitarian”. All of these could provoke fruitful conversation I believe. Labels tend to have a lot of baggage with them so I try to avoid them as much as possible.

  I like the way you handled the podcast interview 557 in not putting forward your beliefs during the interview but leaving it for later comment by listeners like you have.
  While I have called myself a “young Earth creationist” for the last 14 years and remain firmly in that camp, I do have loose ends that desire answers regarding my position. You mentioned your own (see below). I too was a “gap creationist” to start with for many years, before I then slipped into evolutionary thinking during my backslidden years. I started out as a “gap creationist” when I came to the Lord just before attending university in the 1980s and studying physics, biology, geology, palaeontology… which then led to me progressively disbelieving more and more scripture and eventually leaving the church at 21. This was the first area the Lord challenged me on when I recommitted to Christ at age 48. Above it all … I am a “truth seeker” or Berean on all things including history and science … This is why I also still have a few loose ends with my own “Young Earth Creation” position.

  Have you seen the recent production of “Ark and the Darkness”?
  SEE it free here … https://youtu.be/pyDsRbfB7Q8
  I thought it was well done (excluding the trinity nonsense at the very end) even though it doesn’t answer absolutely all young Earth opposition. I am a firm believer in “The Truth has nothing to fear”. I pray Christian scientists continue their work in answering these types of questions. What will be revealed concerning Creation at the eventual coming of our Lord? I am confident we live in a “functionally mature” young Creation that has been “winding down” ever since the Fall. For me, this is the logical conclusion if I say I believe scripture. … The question is “How young?” I believe it will be in the range of thousands of years, and not millions or billions. You mentioned having unanswered questions in the following areas …
  Ice-core issue?
  Salinization of the oceans?
  Radiometric dating of rocks and carbon dating?
  Dust on the moon?
  Missing links?
  Not billions of years but more than 6 thousand years old? How much more?

  DATING ARTICLES from “Creation Ministries” and “answers in Genesis” present convincing answers to these questions. Are they 100% accurate? I don’t know!
  https://creation.com/en/topics/dating
  https://answersingenesis.org/search/?q=dating
  https://creation.com/refuting-evolution-chapter-3-the-links-are-missing
  https://answersingenesis.org/search/?q=missing+links
  Perhaps you could also extend an invitation to “Creation Ministries” PhD scientists on these questions for discussion on Restitutio. I believe they would welcome the opportunity. They asked me to think about joining them at one point – but I could not agree with their often-heavy emphasis on the Trinity and Dispensationism. Also, that is not what God has primarily called me into at this point in my life.

  I agree with what you shared about Augustine, Luther and Calvin.

  I believe God leaves us with unanswered questions to allow room for both Faith and discovery … which means challenging us to be comfortable with what scripture declares without having every “i” dotted and “t” crossed. I believe God wants us to engage in progressive discovery of answers to questions raised within our scientific and historical communities in God-honouring ways that do not contradict scripture. Will all our remaining questions be answered at his Second Coming? Will the Almighty God continue to leave us with room for speculation in many areas? Perhaps!
  I have worked through Will Barlow’s series on “Science and Scripture” and greatly enjoyed it. I appreciated all the differing positions put forward … an excellent catalyst for fertile “Origin” conversations.

  Restitutio and the Trinities podcasts have over recent years become my favorites alongside the Bible. Keep up the great work Sean & Dale.

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