[topcat54]

You've given your answer. You don't consider The Garden of Eden to be a separate period of time.

Correct, given my interpretation of the question.

Personally, I think there was a clear beginning and ending mentioned in the Bible itself.

There is a clear beginning and ending to many things in the Bible. There was a beginning and ending to the life of Abraham. There was a beginning and ending to the exile of Israel in Egypt. There was a beginning and ending to the wanderings in Sinai. There was a beginning and ending to the time of the Judges. There was a beginning and ending to Babylonian exile. There was a beginning and ending to the time of the minor prophets.

Perhaps I’m missing something by your use of the phrase "separate period of time". Are you speaking of something like an era or age? Like the Middle Ages? Or the Victorian Era?

There is a sense in which the Victorian Era is different from our own, but that does not make it a "separate period of time".

The point you are trying to make is very cloudy, perhaps because you lack biblical support.

I really don't see how we can continue discussing the Bible together.

We were discussing the theories of dispensationalism, which on this subject have little to do with the Bible. E.g., can you show me from the Bible where seven dispensations are delinieated using Bible principles as opposed to the theories of Darby and Scofield?

You seem to be using a method of analysis and interpretation other than the evidence presented by the text.

Hardly.

It's been interesting discussing with you.

What discussion? We never really got there because you were just looking for me to fall into a trap.

But here’s a proposal. Let’s take up the proposition: Dispensationalists use the word "dispensation" in the same way the Bible uses the term.

[xzins]

I don’t really care how big or small the period of time is. I’m simply interested in whether you consider it a separate period of time.

You have said that you don’t.

If you don’t, I don’t really see much point in continuing the conversation. There is no basis of agreeing on simple facts presented in the Bible.

I don’t really care if you’re concerned with falling into some kind of trap. The facts of the bible are what they are, and one’s theology would have to be really flaky for them to have it blown up by simple biblical facts.

[Lord_Calvinus]

***Perhaps I’m missing something by your use of the phrase “separate period of time”. Are you speaking of something like an era or age? Like the Middle Ages? Or the Victorian Era?***

Bingo. He really needs to define his terms.