S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

Ultra-dispensationalism, also known as hyper-dispensationalism/hyperdispensationalism (although some theologians draw fine distinctions between these terms), is the teaching that Paul's message was...

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July 01 2013 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Philip Davies Supporter

Dispensationalism is an idea invented in the 19 century by John Nelson Darby and promoted through the Schofield Reference Bible. Darby believe that history was divided into seven periods in which God dealt with mankind in seven different ways:
1. Innocence - before the fall
2. Conscience - from the fall to Noah
3. Human Government - from Noah to tower of Babel
4. Promise - From Abraham to Moses
5. Law - from Moses to Jesus
6. Grace - from Jesus to second coming
7. Millennial Kingdom - from second coming to a thousand years
Ultradispensationalists add to this the idea that the Church began with Paul.

The best that can best said about Dispensationalism is that it is a fairly modern human framework laid down on top of the Bible and through which the Bible is interpreted. The danger of approaching the Bible in this way is the framework can be seen as being just as true as the Bible. (Some treat the notes of the Schofield Reference Bible as being as valid as the scripture itself) 

At worst, the dispensational view has been described as contrived, fanciful, and lacking Scrip­tural support. There is for example no mention in the Bible of "a dispensation of human conscience" dur­ing the period before the flood. Nor is there mention of "a dispensation of human government" from the flood to Abraham. Further the grace of God is not limited to "Dispensation of Grace" but is present throughout history. 

Viewing the Bible through the distorted lens of any man-made framework will always lead to errors. In the case of Dispensationalism those errors include the false ideas of the restoration of the Jews, a secret rapture, misconceptions about the antichrist and a false view of the kingdom of God.

We can avoid all these problems if we simply stick to the Bible and add nothing of our own, not even John Nelson Darby's novel ideas.
Philip

June 21 2016 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Mark Vestal Supporter Proud of nothing of myself. Freed by Christ who did it all!

The definition of the word "dispensation" from the Greek word "oikonomia" is summarized as ‘an administration of a religious economy’, or more simply put ‘house rules’. God never changes, but His dealings with mankind, His 'house rules', have changed on multiple occasions throughout the Bible, giving man varying instructions to live by.

An obvious example of this is found through His various dietary restrictions:
Genesis 1:29-30 tells man to eat plants only.
Genesis 9:2-4 tells man to eat whatever animals they want.
Leviticus 11:46-47 states there are only certain animals now edible.
1 Timothy 4:3-5 states that any animal can once again be served up.

Miles Coverdale, influential in the eventual publication of the English version of the King James Bible, points out a vital truth in proper understanding of God's Word. His statement is the direct reason why students of the Bible are to study as taught by God Himself in 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV, "rightly dividing" it, as with a dispensational view:

"It shall greatly help you to understand Scriptures
If thou mark not only what is spoken or written,
But of whom, and to whom, with what words, at what time.
Where, to what intent, with what circumstances,
Considering what goeth before and what followeth after." 

There are four times the word "dispensation" is used in the King James Bible: 1 Corinthians 9:17, Ephesians 1:10, Ephesians 3:1-2, and Colossians 1:25, and some important points are discerned from these verses:

1. In Eph 3:1-2 we learn that Paul is the apostle to the Gentiles, anyone outside of God’s covenant promises with Israel, and that he has been given a dispensation to be revealed to this group of believers, which includes us today.
2. In Col 1:25 we see that Paul’s gospel will ‘fulfill the Word of God’, making the Bible complete and perfect (1 Corinthians 13:10).
3. The Eph 1:10 ‘dispensation of the fulness of times’ is then a separate economy from the current dispensation of God’s grace, and that all things in Christ can be found in Heaven and also on Earth. Therefore, those in Christ are of Heaven (believers of Paul’s gospel of God’s grace), and Earth (Messianic Hebrew believers of the gospel of the earthly kingdom). This is why Paul refers to his gospel as ‘my gospel’ (Romans 2:16, Romans 16:25, 2 Timothy 2:8), as it is unique from that of the kingdom gospels found in the early and late parts of the New Testament and outside of his thirteen epistles, Romans through Philemon.

When a Bible student sees the dispensational differences throughout the Bible, the observation that the kingdom gospel differs from Paul's gospel of God's grace should be of no surprise. Differences are openly seen when comparing scripture with scripture (1 Corinthians 2:13). For instance, the following verses of the kingdom gospels are clear that Gentiles are NOT included in God’s covenant with Israel: Matthew 10:5-7, Matthew 15:24, and John 4:22.

Years after Pentecost, Peter had still not commenced with “the great commission”, as the awaited kingdom had still not come (Acts 10:28). The church the body of Christ had then obviously not yet been established, or Peter would have embraced the chance to offer a Gentile the gospel. In fact, the church the body of Christ isn’t even mentioned until Paul was given the knowledge of this “mystery” church from Christ ascended into Heaven. It had been kept hidden from everyone, mainly Satan, since the world began until now (Romans 16:25, 1 Corinthians 2:8).

Now compare the above Matthew and Mark verses with these of Paul regarding salvation today: Romans 11:25, Romans 11:13, Ephesians 3:1-2, Colossians 1:25.

Another comparison of dispensational differences is with the Hebrew “faith plus works” requirement for salvation (James 2:20), and the Gentile’s “faith plus no works” requirement (Romans 3:28) in Paul’s gospel of Christ crucified.

The seeming contradiction of these verses will cease when the Bible is studied with a dispensational understanding.

February 10 2023 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report