CALL FOR PAPERS
Eighteenth Annual Council on Dispensational Hermeneutics
Southern California Seminary, San Diego (area), California
September 17-18, 2025
“Counterpoint: Comparative Views on Key Biblical Passages”
This is a call for papers for the 2025 Council on Dispensational Hermeneutics. The Council is an academic study group for traditional dispensationalists although observers from other theological traditions are welcome to attend. All presenters must affirm traditional dispensationalism. This year’s focus is on pivotal or key passages that challenge or help to establish a dispensational understanding of the Bible. We want to highlight solid exegetical work in those key passages. It is important in doing such exegetical analysis that we make a positive presentation of dispensationalism along the way and not just give negative critique of opponents of dispensationalism. One of our goals will, as always, be the publication of a book using some of the presentations.
We may be asking specific individuals to deal with various passages as well as receiving your proposals. Off-topic proposals will be considered but those concerning the chosen theme will be reviewed first. All proposals with full title and descriptions (not more than 200 words) should be emailed to the Executive Director, Dr. Mike Stallard, at mstallard@foi.org. The deadline for topic proposals to be turned in is June 6, 2025. The entire Steering Committee of the Council will decide collectively which papers are accepted. This process usually does not take long. The deadline for presentation papers to be turned in is September 1, 2025, in order to be posted at the Council website prior to the actual conference.
Once again, this year there is a modest registration fee of $25 for the Council to help cover the costs of the meeting. Approved speakers for the conference as well as faculty and students from the host school do not have to pay the registration fee. However, we do ask for everyone to register, even if they do not have to pay the fee so that we can get an accurate prediction of how many are planning to attend. Registration will be online at the Council website: www.dispensationalcouncil.org. We would also like everyone to consider making a donation at the Council website as we begin some fundraising to cover increased costs such as the publication of JMAT and future ventures.
For this year’s Council, passages that we are requesting members to analyze exegetically may include the following:
- Genesis 17:1-2, 9-11 – Abrahamic Covenant – How do dispensationalists handle the conditionality elements within a covenant we believe will never be abrogated or annulled?
- Deuteronomy 29:1 – Is there a separate land covenant for Israel?
- Joshua 21:43-45 – Do these verses imply all promises to Israel have already been fulfilled so that there remains no future fulfillment for the nation?
- Psalm 89 – Davidic Covenant – Can disobedience of Davidic kings annul the Davidic Covenant (vv. 30-37)?
- Isaiah 11 – Do the pictures of Messiah, nature, and Israel demonstrate a nonliteral understanding about the coming kingdom?
- Isaiah 61:1-2 with Luke 4:16-21 – How does our theological understanding of two comings of Christ correlate to our exegesis of these two passages?
- Isaiah 65:17-25 – How do we account for death and child-bearing in the coming kingdom?
- Jeremiah 31:31-34 – New Covenant – How secure is this covenant promise to Israel over time based upon this passage in context?
- Ezekiel 40-48 – What is the proper understanding of the role of a Jewish temple and sacrifices in the coming Millennium?
- Daniel 7:8-18 – When does the Messianic Kingdom begin according to this passage?
- Daniel 9:24-27 – The Seventy Weeks of Daniel – Does this famous prophecy deal only with First Advent events or does it also entail events related to the Second Advent?
- Daniel 12:2 – Who participates in this resurrection at the end of the tribulation? Do Old Testament saints who have died get raptured with Church saints (some dispensationalists) or are both trib saints who have died and OT saints who have died get resurrected at the end of the trib?
- Hosea 6:7 – Does this verse teach that there is a covenant of works in Genesis 2?
- Luke 19:11-27 – Parable of the Minas – Some possible considerations: (1) What does verse 1 suggest concerning the timing of the Messianic Kingdom? (2) Does “after receiving the kingdom” in verse 15 teach that the Messianic Kingdom begins before Messiah returns a second time? (3) What does the passage teach about variation in rewards given to believers at the Second Coming?
- Luke 24:27 – To what extent does the Old Testament speak of Christ?
- Acts 2 – Are the predictions of the Old Testament quotes in Acts 2 realized in such a way that the Messianic Kingdom begins on the day of Pentecost?
- Romans 4:13 – What does the promise that Abraham would be heir of the world imply for Israel, the Church, or all believers? Are the land promises to Israel expanded or annulled in light of this promise?
- Romans 9:6 – Does this verse teach that Israel refers to Gentiles or the Church?
- Romans 10:4 – What does “Christ is the end of the Law” mean?
- Romans 10:12 – Are Jews and Gentiles saved the same way?
- Romans 11:26-29 –The future deliverance of Israel and the permanence of the promise
- Galatians 3:16-18 – The permanence of the promise to Abraham after the Law
- Galatians 4:21-31 – How should we understand Paul’s use of allegory?
- Galatians 6:16 – Is the “Israel of God” = Church?
- Ephesians 2:15 – What does it mean to say that the Law is abolished?
- Hebrews 2:5 – In context, what does this passage say about the timing of the Messianic Kingdom?
- Revelation 19-20 – What is the basis for believing in chronological progression from chapter 19 to chapter 20 so that premillennialism is assured?
- Any passages that address ethical concerns prominent in current culture involving issues such as family, sexuality, government, or economics among others (we want exegetical and not just theological treatments)..
Proposals can consider other key passages not mentioned. These are suggestions to guide thinking about the issues. Why should dispensationalists be concerned about any of these passages? We would also like to demonstrate dispensationalism’s belief that exegesis, exposition, and biblical theology precede the development of systematic theology.
As always, we will attempt to have an appropriate pastor’s panel to make sure our discussions stay grounded in concern for the local church. We will make every effort to live stream each session.
Again, final papers are to be submitted to Dr. Stallard by September 2, 2025 at the email listed earlier. There will be no remuneration for presentation of papers. Council attendees need to provide their own transportation to the Council site. The Council website will provide information on area hotels.