DEBATES

Historic Premillennialism
vs.

Amillennialism
Dispensationalism
Preterism

Answers RE:
the Rapture

Introduction

Answers from Jesus:
The Wheat & The Tares
The Olivet Discourse
The Upper Room Discourse

Answers from Peter:
Peter's First Sermon
Peter's Second Sermon
Peter's Epistles

Answers from Paul:
1 Cor. 15 & the Last Trumpet
1 Thess. 4 & the Rapture
1 Thess. 5 & Day of the Lord
2 Thess. 1 & Posttrib Rest
2 Thess. 2 Antichrist First
Titus 2:13 The Blessed Hope

Answers from John:
The Rapture in Revelation
Resurrection in Revelation

Misc. Answers:
Rapture Terminology

Answers from the Early Church:
Early Church Eschatology

Answers for
Pretribulationists

Pretribulationist Revisionism
Origin of Pretribulationism
Double Talk
Imminence
Not Appointed to Wrath
Jewish Wedding Customs
24 Elders & the Rapture

Answers for
Amillennialists

The Corruption of Eschatology
Kingdom Hope in Hebrews
Revelation 20
New Jerusalem

Answers from
Genesis

The "Sons of God" in Gen. 6
360 Day Pre-Flood Calendar
The Eschatology of Creation
Chronology of the Whole Bible
Bible Chronology Chart

Debates: Dispensationalism vs. Progressive Dispensationalism

Dr. Mal Couch is an author, founder and former president of Tyndale Theological Seminary & Biblical Institute, and a member of the Pre-Trib Study Group. His position is "normative dispensationalism."

Tim Warner is an author and editor of Answers in Revelation (formerly The Last Trumpet) and pastor of Oasis Christian Church, Tampa, Florida. His position is "progressive dispensationalism" (post-trib).

Tim Warner was invited by a member of the Tyndale Theological Seminary staff to debate "Progressive Dispensationalism" vs. "Dispensationalism" with Dr. Mal Couch. The debate was hosted by the Conservative Theological Society, an extension of Tyndale Theological Seminary.

"Progressive Dispensationalism" is a fairly recent term. This view is virtually identical with Historic Premillenialism, and for all practical purposes they may be considered the same.

I. Dichotomy or Continuity Between the Present and Past Dispensations
Opening Argument Tim Warner - (08-07-02)
Rebuttal Mal Couch - (08-19-02)
Response Tim Warner - (08-22-02)
Closing Statement Mal Couch - (09-19-02)

II. The Nature of the Kingdom in Both Testaments
Opening Argument Mal Couch - (09-26-02)
Rebuttal Tim Warner - (10-01-02)
Response Mal Couch - (12-05-02)
Closing Statement Tim Warner - (12-16-02)

Events Leading to the Discontinuation of the Debate
We do not wish to put any kind of "spin" on the debate itself, or the manner in which it abruptly ended. We believe our readers can make their own intelligent assessment regarding the outcome of the debate. However, we also believe the events which led to the discontinuation of the debate are germane to a proper assessment by our readers. Therefore, we have decided to document the sequence of events leading up to the debates' untimely end.

1. Dr. Couch's response to our rebuttal (round 2) was posted 8 weeks after our rebuttal was submitted. Tim submitted the closing statement for round two eleven days later. It was not posted on the CTS site for another 2 weeks.

2. Tim was informed by Eric Peterman, editor of CTS, that he must meet new demands by Dr. Couch if the debate was to continue, as follows: Tim would not be permitted to reference the Early Church Fathers in future rounds. Eric Peterman must have the option to edit the content of all future submissions.

3. Tim protested that adding restrictions on us in the middle of the debate was not ethical, unless there was a public statement explaining the restrictions, and that Dr. Couch had made such restrictions a condition for continuing the debate. Tim agreed to avoid future references or quotations of the Early Church Fathers ONLY IF such a statement was posted. However, Tim refused to allow anyone from CTS to edit his submissions for content.

4. We waited at least two weeks while our repeated e-mails requesting Dr. Couch's final decision went unanswered. During that time, Tim wrote his opening argument for round three. After hearing nothing from CTS, Tim submitted the opening argument to CTS and posted it on this site.

5. Within a few days, Tim was notified that Dr. Couch had elected to exercise his option to withdraw from the debate (a possible option both sides had agreed to prior to the debate). The opening argument for round three was never posted on the CTS site. (We subsequently removed the submission from our debate section and converted it to a three part series of articles called, The Church in the Old Testament.

6. A few weeks after Dr. Couch withdrew, the debate was removed from the Conservative Theological Society's website.