Affirms
Hope of Christ's return affirmed; no specific eschatological system
Disciples affirm the return of Christ as part of the Christian hope embedded in the New Testament and in the weekly Eucharist ('until he comes,' 1 Corinthians 11:26). The denomination does not endorse a specific eschatological system — dispensationalism, premillennialism, or otherwise. Detailed prophetic speculation is not characteristic of Disciples piety.
The communion table provides the primary eschatological reference point in Disciples worship: each Lord's Supper is a memorial of the past, a celebration of the present, and a foretaste of the coming Kingdom. This liturgical eschatology is more characteristic of Disciples identity than any prophetic timeline.
Key Distinctions
- Return expectation:
- affirmed; no binding eschatological position
- Tribulation view:
- varies widely
- Parousia nature:
- bodily return of Christ broadly affirmed
Scripture References
Sources
- Disciples of Christ, Design of the Christian Church (1968)