Your wish is my command!
The Scripture to back it up - I think its the verse right after the one about the Trinity!
SO what is your thoughts about Dispensation
(and please, lets keep this civil!)
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Dispensationalism,
- Thread starter Salty
- Start date
The Scripture to back it up - I think its the verse right after the one about the Trinity!
SO what is your thoughts about Dispensation
(and please, lets keep this civil!)
Thread coming as soon as I can get to it.
Can we start by putting to rest the idea that Darby started it and it didn’t exist before that?
The first congregation was established in Plymouth, Devon, in 1831.
Websters 1828 has this definition
4. That which is dispensed or bestowed; a system of principles and rites enjoined; as the Mosaic dispensation; the gospel dispensation; including, the former the Levitical law and rites; the latter the scheme of redemption by Christ.
If Darby was such a great teacher that he had converted Webster three years before his first congregation, Darby should have been writing books about church growth and he could have been more popular than Ziglar.
He would have been making converts in a foreign country that had less than two decades before been at war with. This he would have done by the age of 28. I think history does not bear this out.
The first congregation was established in Plymouth, Devon, in 1831.
Websters 1828 has this definition
4. That which is dispensed or bestowed; a system of principles and rites enjoined; as the Mosaic dispensation; the gospel dispensation; including, the former the Levitical law and rites; the latter the scheme of redemption by Christ.
If Darby was such a great teacher that he had converted Webster three years before his first congregation, Darby should have been writing books about church growth and he could have been more popular than Ziglar.
He would have been making converts in a foreign country that had less than two decades before been at war with. This he would have done by the age of 28. I think history does not bear this out.
Charlie - you dont need to - this thread is the one!
Ok, when I get to it I'll post it here.
Ephesians 1:10
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:
I’ve been looking and I don’t see the Trinity in the previous verse.
5 point Gillinist
Active Member
If that sort of argument was valid, then all the guys who use that argument should be historic premillenial by their own reasoning.
Awww, @Salty, I just noticed you placed Dispensationalism in "Other Christian Denominations." I guess that's the picture of the hill to be climbed. But that's ok, we'll clime that hill anyway.
Dispensationalism is a Biblical doctrine that covers the entire Scripture from Gen. to Rev. I can't even come close to explaining all of it short a book. I think the area of contention here on BB can be covered in focusing on the difference and distinctions between Israel and the Church.
Covenant Theology is the view of how God has dealt with man through primarily the covenants of Redemption, Works, and Grace, while Dispensationalism is the view of how God dealt with man through the dispensations of time.
The main difference focuses on the literal translation of Scripture taught in Dispensationalism. It teaches that the Scripture should be interpreted literally until it becomes obvious it's not. I sometimes us the simple example of Christ saying "you are the salt of the earth." it should be obvious that man is not literally salt and should not be taken literally. We will discuss this later when we reach the differences of Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism found in Scripture.
First we must understand the foundation of Dispensationalism. There are 7 original dispensations, some cut it down to 3-4 and some go to great detail with 12-14, it really doesn't matter, it's according to the depth of detail one takes it. For a better understanding I stick to 4, it serves the same purpose and I think easier to understand. Here are the original 7.
1. Innocence
2. Conscience
3. Human Government
4. Promise
5. Law
6. Grace
7. Millennial Kingdom
I don't have the space to explain these individually, you can easily go online and see them explained. My concern is how they work and create the foundation of Dispensationalism, and that is what I will explain.
During the dispensation of innocence with Adam and Eve, they didn't know good nor evil, they had no sin, and didn't need a Saviour. God dealt with them much differently than with those under Law. He deals much differently with us in this dispensation of Grace, the Church Age.
With each dispensation in time the knowledge of God and His Christ are progressing. God is dealing with man according to the knowledge man had during the dispensation in which he lived. So will man be judged according to the knowledge he had in his life.
Paul said, where there is no Law, sin is not imputed. Those who lived before the Law did not have their sin imputed to them as later after the Law came. But that in no way exonerates them from the responsibility of sin. Paul said that man has no excuse, and the Gentiles that had no Law naturally do the things written in Law, if nothing else they had a God given conscience that gave them some light as to right and wrong.
So from this hopefully we can see the progression of knowledge given to man through the dispensations of time, leading up to the this dispensation of Grace where we have the New Testament, having more knowledge of God and His Christ than any dispensation of time before us.
But this dispensation of Grace we now live in will come to an end as all the others have. Man will be taken to even a more advanced knowledge of God and His Christ on this earth. The Kingdom Age is before us, and will begin at the Second Coming of Christ, sorry Preterists.
Entering into the Kingdome Age is where Dispensationalism takes a huge turn from Covenant Theology. This is the time in Scripture where the literal interpretation is critical to understanding future events.
Where Covenant Theology follows the covenants of God into this new dispensation in view of the Church, Dispensationalism follows the literal dispensation of the Kingdom of Christ on this earth in view of Israel.
Concerning Dispensationalism, the question should be, is it Biblical? That will be the subject of part 2.