What is dispensationalism

Yes dispensationalism is true. In it's basic form I suppose you can say that it is understanding God's time table and how He operates within this timetable.

 

In its simplest form, dispensationalism is that system of studying God's word in the context of the various time periods in which God deals with mankind to bring him to a right relationship with Himself.

IMO; this is the ONLY way to correctly understand the Scriptures. Within the broad use of the term "dispensation" there are several subsets of thought and theology. However; it is still the only proper way to understand Scripture.

For example; In the garden of Eden God gave man ONE prohibition. Yet during the Exodus God gave man several other prohibitions. And still later; during the church age God has revealed still more. We in the church age would be foolish to apply prohibitions from the Edenic age to our age.
This is the essence of "dispensational" theology.

 

I happen to be dispensational, but covenant theology has some very good points and should not be wrote off until one studies it.

Please read "The New Covenant and the People(s) of God" by Dr Bruce Ware

Also you may want to read Elliott E. Johnson, “Covenants in Traditional Dispensationalism"...something I do not agree with, but it is another view. His views are called progressive dispensational.

Then you have hyper-Dispensationalism...

anyway...Piper has a small overview...

http://www.desiringgod.org/Resource..._covenant_theology_and_new_covenant_theology/

 

If you are looking for a good defense/explanation of dispensationalism I would highly recommend Charles Ryrie's book "Dispensationalism".

http://www.amazon.com/dp/080242189X/?tag=baptis04-20

 

I am ex-dispensationalist, because of what I learned it from baptist church. Now I am no longer myself as dispensationalist, it is not biblical, it is man-made teaching of their philosophy.

Dispensationalism emphasis that there is distinction of Israel and Church of God's program. Dispensationalism teaches, Jews of Israel is God's chosen people.

It teaches, when the Church Age ends at rapture, then God will turn focus on Jews in Israel for future seven year of Tribulaiton period.

But, the Bible teaches us, God only have ONE people of all ages, those who believe and have faith in Jesus Christ through Calvary alone.

Gal 2:7 tells us, they(O.T. saints) which have faith, the same are 'the children of Abraham'.

Gal 2:8 tells us, it prophecied that, God shall jusitified Gentiles through faith, preached before the gospel Abraham, saying, In there shall ALL nations be blessed."

Gen. 12:1-3 is not limited for Jews as physical tiny nation - "Israel" only, also, promise is for the whole world.

I suggest you to read throughout whole Galatians chapter 3 as contextually, so, you will understand what it is all tallking about.

I want to show you few emphasis import verses of Galatians chapter 3.

Verse 25 tells us, when after the faith come, we are no longer under the law(Mosiac Law), next verse 26 says, for YE(you means include myself, you and everyone) are ALL 'the children of God by faith IN Jesus Christ. Verse 28 says, either Jew or Gentile, ALL are ONE in Christ Jesus. It tells us, ANYONE as individual whosoever believeth and faith in Jesus Christ, all are the same children of God- one family.

Verse 29 says, "And IF ye(you) be Christ's, THEN are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

It tells us, if you are in Christ's so therefore, you are part of Abraham's seed according God's promise!

Genesis 12:1-3 is not limited for "Jews" or tiny physical nation - 'Israel' only, also, it gives the promise to the WHOLE world, whosever believeth and have faith in Jesus Christ by through Calvary alone.

Also, in Ephesians chapter 2 tells us, CHrist already broken down the wall fixed between Jews and Gentiles, now both become one as untify or reconciled together because of Calvary's result.

No longer divided between Gentiles and Jews, now we are all together in God's family on the same boat.

There is only ONE same gospel for all ages by have faith in Jesus Christ only. That is simple.

In Christ
Rev. 22:20 -Amen!

 

It views the purposes of God as several (usual seven) "dispensations" or manners of administration. Its beginnings (at least in a sysematical form) are attributed to John Nelson Darby, one of the early leaders of the movement known as the "Plymouth Brethren". It was strengthened by C. I. Schofield and his reference bible. It sees the church as a temporary "hiatus" in God's dealings with national Israel. I have seen it suggested that dispensationalism is based on the words of 2 Timothy 2.15:

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.​

The seven dispensations are:

1. Innocence -- From the creation of man until the Fall

2. Conscience, or Moral Responsibility -- From the Fall until the flood

3. Human Government -- From the Flood until the call of Abram

4. Promise -- From the call of Abram until the Exodus

5. Law -- From Sinai until Christ

6. Grace -- From Pentecost until the Rapture

7. Kingdom -- From the Rapture until the eternal state​

The only one I personally believe in (as a separate "dispensation") is the first. According to the bible, Noah found grace in the eyes of God, the promise of salvation was made right back at the Fall, people of all ages have conscience and moral responsibility, and so on. Also, dispensationalism goes against Galatians 3.28:

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.​

 

What part of dispensationalism goes against this?
​

 

I was thinking of the idea of the church being just a "blip" in the history of God's dealings with national Israel, rather than the body of Christ made up of saved Jews and saved gentiles. I think some of the other verses quoted by DeafPostrib were probably better ones, and that his wording was much clearer than mine. Apologies for that!

 

Dispensationalism teaches that the bodyof Christ is made up of saved Jews and Gentiles. It simply recognizes that the promises have not been annulled (Gal 3) and will still be fulfilled to national Israel in the future at their repentance. The body of Christ is the church, and that is fundamentally distinct from national Israel.

No problem. DPT's post has some serious issues, including missing the part in Genesis where the AC is given to the genetic descendants of Israel. He has to avoid some Scripture to arrive at his position.

 

Pastor Larry,

Didn't you know that we are now under the new covenant because of calvary?

Where did you get the idea that Antichrist's genetic descendant line comes from Israel? If you have verse. Please prove it where in Genesis to us. Thanks.

In Chrst
Rev. 22:20 -Amen!

 

I'll second that recommendation, and highly so.

Definition of a 'dispensation' from Ryrie, and which I agree with. I am quoting this from memory, so might miss a word or so, but the gist is there.

"A dispensation is a distinguishable ecomony in the outworking of God's (eternal) purpose."

I agree.

BTW, for David Lamb, the author of the reference Bible is C. I. Scofield, not C. I. Schofield.

Ed

 

Actually, we are not "under the New Covenant" since we are not of teh "house of Israel and the house of Judah." We participate in the blessings of the New covenant to be sure. Remember, if you read the Old Testament (and believe it) the NC was made with the house of Israel and house of Judah whose fathers came out of the land of Egypt. That is, exegetically, only applicable to Jews.

The NC includes not only forgiveness (which is our part of hte blessing of teh NC as Hebrews 8 makes clear) but also restoration of Israel to the land in peace. Remember, the NC is in Jer 31:31-40. You must read the whole passage. You can't stop after v. 34.

I didn't say anything about Antichrist, though someone who convinces Israel they are Christ must surely be a Jew. What I said was that the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant (AC) were given to Abraham's genetic descendants. This was specifically specified in several places, including Genesis 15 where it was not given to Eliezer, Gen 16 and 21 where it was not given to Ishmael and Gen 25 where it was not given to the sons of Keturah. It is a promise given to the seed that comes from Abraham's own body. That is why the late birth of Isaac was so important to the covenant.

 

Don't let it be imposed on you. As with all books, read it critically and compare it to Scritpure. I have read it, but I am a dispensationlist because of Scripture, not Ryrie.

It was "invented" long before that. It was not systematized until later. The same is true with Covenant theology which was not systematized until fairly recently and still has a wide divergence of views in it. Progressive dispensationalism and New Covenant Theology are even more recent.

The tenets of dispensationalism go all the way back to the garden of Eden where God told Adam not to eat of the tree, and Adam understood it to mean "don't eat of the tree." He did not take the words and assign some other meaning to them. He took them just as God had given them, in the normal literal, grammatical, historical sense.

 

That is simply unprovable rhetoric that anti-dispensationalists would have you believe to steer you away.

There are a lot of people that use these kinds of unprovable statements to hault someone in their tracks from going any further in their study of the matter.

Be like the Bereans and study the matter out and ask that the Holy Spirit will lead you and guide you into His Truth on the matter.

 

I am dispensational, but it has bothered me that it took 1800 yrs to systemize it.
I would love to find some historical proof that it was taught before Darby...

If only the concepts were taught...
but What I have found in history is amillenialism... even our baptist ancestors (the anabaptist) were amillenialists...

This has also bothered me for a while...
Why would God hide this great truth to only be brought out by Darby and Scofield? There were great minds before them...why did it take 1800 yrs?

 

This is an allegation that is not factual, and led by those who are opposed to the teachings or at least, a caricature of the theachings, of dispensational type of theology. At least some of them were, in fact, taught, as I have posted in another thread.

http://www.baptistboard.com/showthread.php?t=40633&page=1

I specifically refer you to these posts - # 61 by LadyEagle; and my own posts, #s 35, 38, 40, and 67.

I am certainly not trying to extol myself, but listed these numbers for information purposes.

Ed

 

CY, this topic has been pretty well civil thus far.

Beware though, for there are some who will be very adamant that they convince you that "dispensationalism" is a heresy!

Pay attention to those on both sides, THAT PROVIDE SCRIPTURAL SUPPORT ONLY, then study all in it's context and ask the HS to guide you.

Ignore (as much as possible ) those who want to claim dispensationalism is invalid based on all their extra biblical parameters.

May God bless you as you search!

 

Thank you... you wouldn't happen to have any thing from pre darby history that alludes to the Rapture would you?
(yeah, I know 1 Thess 4... lol... but I am talking about historical interpretations)