Another Divisive Doctrine: The A.D. 70 Theory
by Dennis Gulledge
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A movement among the churches of Christ that continues to grow and exert a divisive influence is that of the A.D. 70 doctrine, most often associated with Max King of Warren, Ohio, who has written two books espousing his views. The premise of this novel teaching is that all biblical prophecy was completed by A.D. 70 when the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish state took place. Thus, according to this ideology all such events as the second coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the Judgment Day, and the end of the world have already occurred. That is, all "end-of-time" things have supposedly been "realized," according to the students of this theory. For that reason the doctrine is also called "Realized Eschatology."
The advocates of this theory firmly believe that if the second coming of Christ did not occur during the supposedly expected time frame of the first century, then inspiration has been impugned and the New Testament writers were not only mistaken, but also uninspired. Edward D. Stevens, a proponent of "realized eschatology," said that we cannot now expect the future coming of Christ "without casting doubt upon the integrity of the New Testament" ("What Happened in 70 A.D.? -- A Study In A Bible Prophecy," p. 3).
This doctrine may be unheard of to some of you, but apparently it is making itself known in churches of Christ all over the country. How does it manifest itself in a congregation? Allow Wayne Jackson to explain: "Someone within a congregation becomes infected with the A.D. 70 dogma (or someone who endorses these ideas and moves in and identifies with the local church). The teacher may discretely circulate literature and/or tapes, etc. Gradually, if they have a public teaching capacity, they move into the open, and congregational conflict results. In some cases faithful brethren are forced to move elsewhere; other instances more dramatic division accursed" ("Christian Courier," June 1992, p. 71).
It seems to work very much the same as other heresies worked in the past to destroy unity among the brethren. It begins with "private home studies," and the secret circulation of tapes and literature. It is brought in piecemeal and is spread, in most cases before elders are even aware that such a thing is in the works. The teacher can successfully sow the seeds of the A.D. 70 doctrine by becoming a closet-preacher and see to it that his views are heard in a cleverly veiled strategy.
The proponents of this doctrine realize that their notions are so unorthodox that their task to win converts is a formidable one at best. They are very critical of what they call "traditional views" of Bible teachings on the last things. They expect to stimulate interest by a "new view of the Scriptures," or, "a fresh approach."
This article first appeared in Tower (August 1994). Tower is a monthly publication of the Southaven church of Christ. This article may be reprinted and freely distributed. If this article is to be cited in other work, please credit the author. The contents of this article may not be altered in any way.
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