Dispensationalism??????

[Katydid]

OK, what exactly is dispensationalism. I saw a different thread about it and I have no clue what it is.

[ShirChadash]

From this link: http://www.dispensationalism.com/


Definition



A Dispensation - The system by which anything is administered. In Christian terms, looking back, it refers to a period in history whereby God dealt with man in a specific way. (Conscience, Law, Grace)
Dispensationalism - A system of theology that sees God working with man in different ways during different ages. While 'Dispensations' are not ages, but stewardships, or administrations, we tend to see them now as ages since we look back on specific time periods when they were in practice.
Dispensationalism is distinguished by three key principles.
1 - A clear distinction between God's program for Israel and God's program for the Church.
2 - A consistent and regular use of a literal principle of interpretation
3 - The understanding of the purpose of God as His own glory rather than the salvation of mankind.


What about the Dispensations?

The key to Dispensationalism is not in the definition or recognition of a specific number of dispensations. This is a misunderstanding of the opponents of Dispensationalism. Almost all theologians will recognize that God worked differently through the Law than He did through Grace. That is not to say that salvation was attained in a different manner, but that the responsibilities given to man by God were different during the period of the giving of the Law up to the cross, just as they were different for Adam and Eve. The Jews were to show their true faith by doing what God had commanded, even though they couldn't keep the moral Law. That's what the sacrifices were for. When the apostle Paul said that as to the Law he was blameless, he didn't mean that he never sinned, but that he obeyed God by following the guidelines of the Law when he did sin, and animal sacrifices were offered for his sin. Salvation came not by keeping the law, but by seeing it's true purpose in exposing sin, and turning to God for salvation. The Jews weren't saved based on how well they kept the law, as that would be salvation by works.

Dispensationalists will define 3 key dispensations, (1) The Mosaic Law, (2) The present age of Grace, and (3) the future Millennial Kingdom. Most will agree about the first two, and covenantal believers will disagree about the third, seeing this as the 'eternal state'. (Since they don't see a literal Millennial Kingdom, the future literal fulfillment of the Davidic Kingdom.)

A greater breakdown of specific dispensations is possible, giving most traditional dispensationalists (7) recognizable dispensations.


Innocence - Adam
Conscience - After man sinned, up to the flood
Government - After the flood, man allowed to eat meat, death penalty instituted
Promise - Abraham up to Moses and the giving of the Law
Law - Moses to the cross
Grace - The cross to the Millennial Kingdom
Millennial Kingdom - A 1000 year reign of Christ on earth centered in Jerusalem
While not everyone needs to agree on this breakdown, the point from the dispensationalists view is that God is working with man in a progressive way. At each stage man has failed to be obedient to the responsibilities set forth by God. (administration, dispensation) The method of salvation, justification by faith alone, never changes through the time periods. The responsibilities God gives to man does change. The Jews were to be obedient to the Law if they wished God's blessing of Land. If they were disobedient, they would be scattered. However, God promises to always bring them back to the land promised to Abraham in the Abrahamic Covenant. After the cross, believers no longer need the Law, which pointed to Christ as the one that would take the burden of sin. We are under a new Law, the Law of Grace. We have more revelation about God, and are no longer required to keep ceremonial laws given to the Jews.

Remember that making a distinction between these time periods is not what makes someone dispensational. Recognizing the progressive nature, and seeing the church as part of Plan A and not Plan B is what makes someone dispensational. Dispensationalists see a clear distinction between God's program for Israel and God's program for the church. God is not finished with Israel. The church didn't take Israel's place. They have been set aside temporarily, but in the end times will be brought back to the promised land, cleansed, and given a new heart. (Gen 12, Deut 30, 2 Sam 7, Jer 31)





and same site, different page:



Article 5: THE DISPENSATIONS

We believe that the dispensations are stewardships by which God administers His purpose on the earth through man under varying responsibilities. We believe that the changes in the dispensational dealings of God with man depend on changed conditions or situations in which man is successively found with relation to God, and that these changes are the result of the failures of man and the judgments of God. We believe that different administrative responsibilities of this character are manifest in the biblical record, that they span the entire history of mankind, and that each ends in the failure of man under the respective test and in an ensuing judgment from God. We believe that three of these dispensations or rules of life are the subject of extended revelation in the Scriptures, viz., the dispensation of the Mosaic law, the present dispensation of grace, and the future dispensation of the millennial kingdom. We believe that these are distinct and are not to be intermingled or confused, as they are chronologically successive.

We believe that the dispensations are not ways of salvation nor different methods of administering the so-called Covenant of Grace. They are not in themselves dependent on covenant relationships but are ways of life and responsibility to God which test the submission of man to His revealed will during a particular time. We believe that if man does trust in his own efforts to gain the favor of God or salvation under any dispensational test, because of inherent sin his failure to satisfy fully the just requirements of God is inevitable and his condemnation sure.

We believe that according to the "eternal purpose" of God (Eph. 3:11) salvation in the divine reckoning is always "by grace through faith," and rests upon the basis of the shed blood of Christ. We believe that God has always been gracious, regardless of the ruling dispensation, but that man has not at all times been under an administration or stewardship of grace as is true in the present dispensation (1 Cor. 9:17; Eph. 3:2; 3:9, ASV; Col. 1:25; 1 Tim. 1:4, ASV).

We believe that it has always been true that "without faith it is impossible to please" God (Heb. 11:6), and that the principle of faith was prevalent in the lives of all the Old Testament saints. However, we believe that it was historically impossible that they should have had as the conscious object of their faith the incarnate, crucified Son, the Lamb of God (John 1:29), and that it is evident that they did not comprehend as we do that the sacrifices depicted the person and work of Christ. We believe also that they did not understand the redemptive significance of the prophecies or types concerning the sufferings of Christ (1 Pet. 1:10-12); therefore, we believe that their faith toward God was manifested in other ways as is shown by the long record in Hebrews 11:1-40. We believe further that their faith thus manifested was counted unto them for righteousness (cf. Rom. 4:3 with Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:5-8; Heb. 11:7).



There's loads of info on the 'net. Personally, I am not a dispensationalist.

[Yasatora]

See this passage in NASB ("]NIV[/url] | MSG | NLT | NLV | CEV | KJ21 | WE | DARBY | NIRV | Albanian | Français | Italiano | Norsk | Español | Tagalog | Nederlands | Danish | Polish | Romanian | Hungarian | Korean | Chinese | Maori | Greek | 1 Corinthians 9:17 (http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=1COR+9:17&language=english&version=KJV&showfn=on&showxref=on) For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.

Ephesians 1:10 (http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=EPH+1:10&language=english&version=KJV&showfn=on&showxref=on) That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

Ephesians 3:2 (http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=EPH+3:2&language=english&version=KJV&showfn=on&showxref=on) If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

Colossians 1:25 (http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=COL+1:25&language=english&version=KJV&showfn=on&showxref=on) Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;

This is my favorite time, this dispensation that Paul is talking about, this time when the time of the gentiles be fulfilled.

[CharlesYTK]

Here is an article that I thought was very interesting on the subject.

http://www.home.earthlink.net/~cfryalls/disp2.html

[Bon]

Here is an article that I thought was very interesting on the subject.

Thanks for the site Charles, it looks very interesting. I shall be reading it through.

Shalom from Bon

[CharlesYTK]

Yes, I hope you enjoy it. Almost every false doctrine of the last days apostacy needs a foundation to support itself and dispensationalism, (particularly Ultra-dispensationalism) practiced widely today being taught in almost every Christian seminary, serves that purpose well. It runs exactly contrary to the eternal nature of God and his puposes and covenants which do not change, anulling here, canceling there, rivising in another place, so that every twisted doctrine has a place to neatly fit together in the "New Picture" it has created.

While I do not agree with every detail of the original article, it does go a long way to shine a very bright light where darkness has slipped in.

Charles

[Henaynei]

well said ;)

[JewishHeart]

I believe the truth is somewhere in between dispensational theology and covenant theology. Dispensationalists have added alot to the christian world by creating a pro-Israel stance and preaching against replacement theology (they believe the Jewish people are still the chosen people and will fulfill their role in the millenial reign). However, they do not see the Torah or its calling or the messianic Jewish priesthood/apostolic covering and its calling as applying today. Dispensationalists do understand the endtime millenial kingdom better than covenant peoples.

Covenant theology, however, gets the endtime thing right about going through tribulation. They also get the whole law applying through all times right. They, however, do believe in replacement theology and are anti-Israel many times.

[visionary]

bump

[shmuel]

Yes, I hope you enjoy it. Almost every false doctrine of the last days apostacy needs a foundation to support itself and dispensationalism, (particularly Ultra-dispensationalism) practiced widely today being taught in almost every Christian seminary, serves that purpose well. It runs exactly contrary to the eternal nature of God and his puposes and covenants which do not change, anulling here, canceling there, rivising in another place, so that every twisted doctrine has a place to neatly fit together in the "New Picture" it has created.

Actually dispensationalism is taught in very few seminaries. Dallas Theological Seminary and Moody Bible School are two of the old time proponents of the doctrine. Dispensationalism was popularized in this country by the Scofield Study Bible and DTS first met in the basement of Dr. Scofield's church. Dispensationalism is in direct opposition to Replacement Theology.

S

[Mirelys]

***Dispensationalism is in direct opposition to Replacement Theology.***

I don't know how, but some people manage :D We attended a covenant church for a VERY brief time which held to both of these doctrines.
I think that covenantal dispensationalists tend to believe in the dispensations, but apply them differently than other dispensationalists. I think? I spent the sermons analyzing one of their doctrinal statements and finding scriptures to the contrary, so I didn't hear much of what they were teaching.

[visionary]

Three prominent theological perspectives that attempt to bridge that gap are: Replacement Theology, Dispensational Theology, and Covenant Theology.

Replacement Theology is basically where the word “Christianity” simply replaces the word “Israel” wherever it is mentioned (in a positive way) in end-time Bible prophecy.

Dispensationalists believe that God works with different people at different times in different ways. God’s laws, therefore, are not universal but, rather, are the somewhat arbitrary guidelines he uses at different times throughout history.

Covenant Theology is where God’s relationship with people is dependent upon the covenant or agreements between them.

All of these views have the same basic premise. The Jews WERE God’s chosen people who were given certain laws UNTIL he sent their messiah to them. Since they rejected their messiah, God rejected them and chose a NEW people and new set of laws.

The problem is that the Bible simply does not support this premise.