There are some who are opposed to dispensationalism, and that is ok. Rather than kind of jump around looking for problems with dispensationalism, I thought I would outline some of the opposition to the dispensational camp as it were. So here are the five major opponents to dispensationalism.
Opposition to Dispensationalism
I. Criticism of Dispensationalism (from 5 major opponents)
A. Liberalism
Liberalism asserts that: there is no absolute, final and infallible revelation from God; there is a spark of divinity in all men; denies the truth that man is a fallen creature; the lesson of the ages that proves the utter failure of man under all tests is of no interest to it; denies inspiration.
B. Amillennialism
1. Glories in the creedal declaration of the church, a marked unwillingness to subject its views to a direct test of Scripture.
2. Outlook tends to be philosophical and logical. Sometimes this coloars its consideration of the Word of God as the only court of appeal.
3. It rejects the truth of a definite actual place in God's future plan for Israel.
4. It does not fully comprehend a distinction between Law and Grace.
5. It views no unique place for the church in God's program.
C. Post-millennialists
1. Accuses dispensationalism of a negative attitude toward the law of Moses.
2. Accuses dispensationalism of taking no responsibility for Christian reconstruction.
3. Attempts to Christianize the entire world to usher in the millennium.
4. Admits the church has been extremely negligent during the past 19 centuries.
5. Employs spiritualization of events to facilitate its views.
D. Historic/Covenant Premillennialists
1. Attempts to reconcile the error of covenant theology with premillennial truth.
2. Interpret the Old Testament by means of the New (reads the New back into the Old), thus, Israel and church are the same. (Also known as replacement theology)
3. Employs spiritualization of events to facilitate its views.
E. Ultradispensationalism (yes you oppose dispensationalism too)
1. Explanation. The movement of Bible students who push the dispensational approach beyond the point where most other dispensationalists would stop is generally called ultradispensationalism. The distinctive feature of ultradispensationalism is its view concerning the beginning of the church.
In contrast to mainstream dispensationalism, which holds that the church began at Pentecost in Acts 2, ultradispensationalism believes the church began later -- the moderate group suggesting Acts 9 or 13 and the more extreme group, Acts 28.
The extreme group follows E.W. Bullinger (1837-1913), a scholar of some renown; earlier dispensationalism, in fact, was sometimes called Bullingerism. Others in the group include Charles H. Welch of London, successor to E.W. Bullinger; A.E. Knoch; Vladimir M. Gelesnoff; and Otis Q. Sellers of Grand Rapids. Bullinger taught that the Gospels and Acts were under the dispensation of Law, with the church actually beginning at Paul's ministry after Acts 28:28. The New Testament books that set forth the revelation concerning this concept of the church are Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. Bullinger identified three periods in the New Testament (1) the gime of the gospels when the gospel was preached to the Jews only and authenticated by water baptism; (2) the transitional perod in Acts and the corresponding earlier New Testament epistles when the offer still went to the Jews, offering them participation in the "bride church" and authenticated by two baptisms, water and Spirit; (3) the period of Jew and Gentile as one body in Christ and authenticated by Spirit baptism alone. Because the Gentile church is related to Christ through the Spirit, baptism and the Lord's Supper have no significance for the church. Those rites relate to the flesh, according to Bullinger.
The moderate group, holding that the church began in Acts 9 or Acts 13, is identified by J.C. O'Hair, Cornelius R. Stam, and Charles F. Baker, author of A Dispensational Theology. Grace Bible College of Grand Rapids is the ultradispensational school leading to ministries with Grace Gospel Fellowship and World-wide Grace Testimony.
Stam taught that the church began in Acts 9, with the conversion of Paul. The "Body Church" could only begin with the beginning of Paul's ministry because Paul was the minister to the Gentiles. Because after that time there was no further offer of the kingdo to Israel, J.C. O'Hair taught that the church begain in Acts 13:46 with the statement: "We are turning to the Gentiles." Because O'Hair's followers being the church within the time frame of Acts, they observe the Lord's Supper but not water baptism.
2. The apostle Paul was solely given the pure unmixed revelation of the gospel of Grace (doctrine of the church). Peter and the eleven proclaimed a mixture of Jewish nationalism and Messianic hope.
3. Baptism and the Lord's Supper are not essentials of this dispensation. Some do observe these but not as necessary ordinances.
4. A fundamental distinction is made between the baptism in Acts 2 (baptism by Christ for empowering) and II Corinthians 12:13 (baptism by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ).
5. Strong emphasis is given to the distinction between John's baptism (Acts 1-8) and Christian baptism. Acts has the same stress as the Gospels.
II. Arguments Against Dispensationalism
A. Guilt by association
Dispensationalism has in some mysterious way been linked with Roman Catholicism, modernism, Christian Science, Mormonism, and the like. It has been called "heresy" by covenant theologians.
B. Ad Hominem (lit., "to the man;" aimed at one's prejudices rather than the intellect or an objective standard)
This form of opposition usually centers on Darby's separation from the Church of England, his controversial personality and methods, or modern separatism.
C. Intellectualism
Sometimes it has been stated that dispensationalism was given up or found to be untenable when higher education was attained.
D. Historicism
It is alleged that dispensationalism is out of harmony with the history and consensus of prophetic thought, the early Fathers, and the ecumenical creeds and confessions. It is further said to be a product of J.N. Darby and others of the early nineteenth century.
E. Ridicule of Doctrine
Dispensational straw men are sometimes built and then devestated by brilliant argumentation. Common straw men are:
1. Dispensationalism has two ore more ways to salvation.
2. Dispensationalists refuse to preach the Sermon on the Mount.
Opposition to Dispensationalism
I. Criticism of Dispensationalism (from 5 major opponents)
A. Liberalism
Liberalism asserts that: there is no absolute, final and infallible revelation from God; there is a spark of divinity in all men; denies the truth that man is a fallen creature; the lesson of the ages that proves the utter failure of man under all tests is of no interest to it; denies inspiration.
B. Amillennialism
1. Glories in the creedal declaration of the church, a marked unwillingness to subject its views to a direct test of Scripture.
2. Outlook tends to be philosophical and logical. Sometimes this coloars its consideration of the Word of God as the only court of appeal.
3. It rejects the truth of a definite actual place in God's future plan for Israel.
4. It does not fully comprehend a distinction between Law and Grace.
5. It views no unique place for the church in God's program.
C. Post-millennialists
1. Accuses dispensationalism of a negative attitude toward the law of Moses.
2. Accuses dispensationalism of taking no responsibility for Christian reconstruction.
3. Attempts to Christianize the entire world to usher in the millennium.
4. Admits the church has been extremely negligent during the past 19 centuries.
5. Employs spiritualization of events to facilitate its views.
D. Historic/Covenant Premillennialists
1. Attempts to reconcile the error of covenant theology with premillennial truth.
2. Interpret the Old Testament by means of the New (reads the New back into the Old), thus, Israel and church are the same. (Also known as replacement theology)
3. Employs spiritualization of events to facilitate its views.
E. Ultradispensationalism (yes you oppose dispensationalism too)
1. Explanation. The movement of Bible students who push the dispensational approach beyond the point where most other dispensationalists would stop is generally called ultradispensationalism. The distinctive feature of ultradispensationalism is its view concerning the beginning of the church.
In contrast to mainstream dispensationalism, which holds that the church began at Pentecost in Acts 2, ultradispensationalism believes the church began later -- the moderate group suggesting Acts 9 or 13 and the more extreme group, Acts 28.
The extreme group follows E.W. Bullinger (1837-1913), a scholar of some renown; earlier dispensationalism, in fact, was sometimes called Bullingerism. Others in the group include Charles H. Welch of London, successor to E.W. Bullinger; A.E. Knoch; Vladimir M. Gelesnoff; and Otis Q. Sellers of Grand Rapids. Bullinger taught that the Gospels and Acts were under the dispensation of Law, with the church actually beginning at Paul's ministry after Acts 28:28. The New Testament books that set forth the revelation concerning this concept of the church are Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. Bullinger identified three periods in the New Testament (1) the gime of the gospels when the gospel was preached to the Jews only and authenticated by water baptism; (2) the transitional perod in Acts and the corresponding earlier New Testament epistles when the offer still went to the Jews, offering them participation in the "bride church" and authenticated by two baptisms, water and Spirit; (3) the period of Jew and Gentile as one body in Christ and authenticated by Spirit baptism alone. Because the Gentile church is related to Christ through the Spirit, baptism and the Lord's Supper have no significance for the church. Those rites relate to the flesh, according to Bullinger.
The moderate group, holding that the church began in Acts 9 or Acts 13, is identified by J.C. O'Hair, Cornelius R. Stam, and Charles F. Baker, author of A Dispensational Theology. Grace Bible College of Grand Rapids is the ultradispensational school leading to ministries with Grace Gospel Fellowship and World-wide Grace Testimony.
Stam taught that the church began in Acts 9, with the conversion of Paul. The "Body Church" could only begin with the beginning of Paul's ministry because Paul was the minister to the Gentiles. Because after that time there was no further offer of the kingdo to Israel, J.C. O'Hair taught that the church begain in Acts 13:46 with the statement: "We are turning to the Gentiles." Because O'Hair's followers being the church within the time frame of Acts, they observe the Lord's Supper but not water baptism.
2. The apostle Paul was solely given the pure unmixed revelation of the gospel of Grace (doctrine of the church). Peter and the eleven proclaimed a mixture of Jewish nationalism and Messianic hope.
3. Baptism and the Lord's Supper are not essentials of this dispensation. Some do observe these but not as necessary ordinances.
4. A fundamental distinction is made between the baptism in Acts 2 (baptism by Christ for empowering) and II Corinthians 12:13 (baptism by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ).
5. Strong emphasis is given to the distinction between John's baptism (Acts 1-8) and Christian baptism. Acts has the same stress as the Gospels.
II. Arguments Against Dispensationalism
A. Guilt by association
Dispensationalism has in some mysterious way been linked with Roman Catholicism, modernism, Christian Science, Mormonism, and the like. It has been called "heresy" by covenant theologians.
B. Ad Hominem (lit., "to the man;" aimed at one's prejudices rather than the intellect or an objective standard)
This form of opposition usually centers on Darby's separation from the Church of England, his controversial personality and methods, or modern separatism.
C. Intellectualism
Sometimes it has been stated that dispensationalism was given up or found to be untenable when higher education was attained.
D. Historicism
It is alleged that dispensationalism is out of harmony with the history and consensus of prophetic thought, the early Fathers, and the ecumenical creeds and confessions. It is further said to be a product of J.N. Darby and others of the early nineteenth century.
E. Ridicule of Doctrine
Dispensational straw men are sometimes built and then devestated by brilliant argumentation. Common straw men are:
1. Dispensationalism has two ore more ways to salvation.
2. Dispensationalists refuse to preach the Sermon on the Mount.
