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S. Michael Houdmann
Supporter
A dispensation is a way of ordering things-an administration, a system, or a management. In theology, a dispensation is the divine administration of a period of time; each dispensation is a divinel...
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Philip Davies
Dispensationalism is a human theory invented by John Nelson Darby (1800–82) taught by the Plymouth Brethren and propagated through the Scofield Reference Bible. It was completely unknown to the Christian church before the 19th Century. It teaches the idea that human history is divided up into seven dispensations. These seven dispensations are not referred to anywhere in the Bible, nor was the idea of dispensations ever taught by Paul or any of the apostles, or any of the founding fathers of the church. Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Wesley had never heard of dispensationalism which was completely unknown to them. Dispensationalism teaches that there is not one, but seven different ways of salvation, one for each of the dispensations. People were saved in different ways at different times rather than through faith alone. Dispensationalism also teaches that there are two people of God, rather than one. A more useful view of the history of God's dealings with mankind is one that takes its teachings from the Bible rather than from John Nelson Darby. The Bible talks of God's dealings with mankind being on the basis of the six covenants referred to in the Bible: Adamic covenant Gen 3:14-19 Rom 5:12-18 Noahic covenant Gen 9:1-17 Abrahamic covenant Genesis 22:15-18 Mosaic covenant Ex 19:5 Davidic covenant 2 Sam 7:11-16 New Covenant Jeremiah 31:31-33 Matt 26:28 This more biblical approach to God's dealings with man emphasises that there is only one way of salvation, and there has only ever been one way, namely through faith in God. And that there is only one people of God, the people of faith, the seed of Abraham, and whether Jew or Greek, male or female, slave or free, they are one people, saved only by faith in Jesus Christ. Regards Philip
Donald Woody
In answer to your question "Is dispensationalism biblical?" The answer is no. The Bible does advance, promote or even allude to such a notion. The theory of dispensationalism is part of a larger theological scheme created and promulgated by the 19th century John Nelson Darby along with his "end times" interpretation of the book of Revelation, which is also not biblical and is pure human opinion imposed on scripture and not sound doctrine. Again the bible does support this claim and even condemns it. There are so many errors and lies evoked by the dispensational theory most of which the bible refutes. One of the most blatant lies of dispensationalism is the that God has 'two' separate people - the Jews and the church. Yet the bible from Genesis to the book of Revelation proves this to be not true. The status of the Jews as God's select people was not written in stone and was contingent upon on them remaining faithful to the Lord their God. In this, they failed miserably. Moses predicted their demise before they left the wilderness and Rome sealed their fate in AD 70 by divine judgment, disenfranchising them as God's chosen people. The entire book of Hebrews is dedicated to the fact that the God has one people the followers of Christ. There is no 'Jew or Greek' in Christ - all are one people. Finally, the book of Revelation is the unveiling of the fate of two antagonists of God; a harlot and the beast, who are apostate Israel (the former) and the beast being the Roman empire (the latter). God used Rome to destroy the Jewish state and religion to make way for Christ and He destroyed Rome because it is His (Christ's) kingdom that will rule the earth into eternity. We are in Christ's kingdom (the 1000 years of Revelation) now. It started on Calvary on the Cross. His second Coming will be His physical inauguration, not the rapture, a 7 year tribulation period or the end of the world. The end of the world as we know began over 2000 years ago. Its fruition will be clearly seen at Christ's second and final return for He will never leave again. That is the blessed, glorious and beautiful message of Revelation and not the gloom and doom of John Nelson Darby.
Paula Fether
Yes, it's Biblical. It simply recognizes that though God himself never changes, his dealings with people certainly do. Unless one still lives only on fruit (as before Adam and Eve sinned), they are a dispensationalist. The separation of Israel and the Body of Christ is also Biblical. The apostle Paul called the latter a "mystery" (something only God knows until it's revealed at the proper time), unknown and unforeseen in the Old Testament. When one looks carefully at Rom. 11 and understands the various covenants (see https://www.fether.net/?LS=FOU&LE=F06), this separation becomes clear. God is not done with national Israel also because of yet-unfulfilled promises to Abraham, for not only physical progeny but also physical land, ruled by a descendant of David for a thousand years. God keeps his promises, and the ones to come are just as literal and physical as the ones already seen.
Robert Hibbard
I certainly agree with the criticisms of dispensationalism, but wish to point out that people I have known in this viewpoint are certainly believers in the Lord Jesus. For a short time I was part of a Baptist church that believed this theology and I knew wonderful Christian people there. My biggest disagreement with this view is the separation of Old Testament Israel from the church, as I think Israel was a "prototype," if you will, for the church; "the shadow and the substance (Col. 2:17). Whereas I tend to think unbiblical views are obviously non-Christian, I would place dispensationalism as a different viewpoint in the big Christian arena, as it does believe in the atoning sacrifice of Christ, His resurrection, and coming again.
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