TomJamieson.com

A Closer Look at Dispensational Theology

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:48:27 +0000

Dispensationalism, as defined on wikipedia.org, “is a nineteenth-century evangelical development based on a futurist biblical hermeneutic that sees a series of chronologically successive ‘dispensations’ or periods in history in which God relates to human beings in different ways under different Biblical covenants.”

What does that mean? It means that, according to this view, biblical history is to be seen as a chain of progressive, separated periods of time called “dispensations.” They are called dispensations because it is perceived that the way God dealt with mankind was different for each dispensation and that He “dispensed,” or dispersed, these dealings in a progressive manner from one period of time to the next.

C. I. Scofield, a leading dispensationalist, explained it this way, “These periods are marked off in Scripture by some change in God’s method of dealing with mankind, in respect to two questions: of sin, and of man’s responsibility. Each of the dispensations may be regarded as a new test of the natural man, and each ends in judgment—marking his utter failure in every dispensation.”

There are four basic principles that drive dispensationalism:

Progressive Revelation
Historical-Grammatical Interpretation
Distinction between Israel and the Church
Distinction between Law and Grace

There are also five different types of Dispensational Theology:

Classical Dispensationalism
Traditional Dispensationalism
Progressive Dispensationalism
Hyper-Dispensationalism
Ultra-Dispensationalism

We will explore these principles and types further in future posts.

Comparing Dispensational Theology and Covenant Theology [chart]

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 17:23:42 +0000

Editor’s note: In this spirit of full disclosure, I did not create this chart and am merely providing it for educational purposes. The source link can be found at the end below.

Chart: Dispensationalism vs Covenantalism, comparing the two theologies and providing a short list of proponents.

Dispensational Theology	Covenant Theology
Most are Arminian, but many are Amyraldian (4-point Calvinist).	Usually Calvinist.
Usually does not accept the idea of the ‘Analogy of Faith.’ There are many systems of hermeneutics utilized by Dispensationlists from hyper-symbolic to hyper-literal.	Accepts the idea of the ‘Analogy of Faith’ (allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture) The Baptist Confession, Article 1.9: The infallible rule for the interpretation of Scripture is Scripture itself. Therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of any [part of] Scripture (which is not a miscellany, but a unity) it must be understood in the light of other passages that speak more clearly.
‘Israel’ always means the literal, physical descendants of Jacob (ethnic Jews).	Depending on the context, ‘Israel’ may mean either physical descendants of Jacob, or “spiritual Israel” (who are people with faith in Christ like Abraham).
‘Israel of God’ in Galatians 6:16 means physical (national, ethnic) Israel alone.	‘Israel of God’ in Galatians 6:16 means spiritual Israel, parallel to Galatians 3:29; Romans 2:28-29; 9:6; Philippians 3:3.
God has 2 peoples with 2 separate destinies: Israel (earthly) and the Church (heavenly). Many do not believe in God’s sovereign election. But for those who do believe that God has an elect, they divide the elect by ethnicity (ie Jew, Gentile).	God always had only one people, the Church who gradually developed through the ages, in accordance with a Covenant worked out in eternity past between the “Three Persons of the Godhead.” (The Cov. of Redemption)
The Church was born at Pentecost after the Ascention of Christ.	The Church began in the Garden of Eden and grew in the Old Testament with the OT covenants and reached fulfillment in the New Testament with the New Covenant in Jesus Christ. God has one family, one church, one flock, one baptism, one way of salvation whether before the Cross or after – by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
The Church was not prophesied as such in the OT but was a “mystery”, hidden until the NT.	Recognizes that there are many OT prophecies of the NT Church, and that the NT writers also affirmed this fact (1 Peter 1:10-12; Acts 2:16-35; 3:22-25).
All OT prophecies for ‘Israel’ are for the physical nation of Israel (ethnic Jews), not the Church.	Some OT prophecies are for national Israel, others for spiritual Israel based on context.
God’s main purpose in history is national, ethnic Israel.	God’s main purpose is His own glory, which is revealed in Christ and then through the Body of Christ – the New Covenant Church.
The Church is a parenthesis in God’s program for the ages.	The Church is the culmination of God’s saving purpose for the ages.
The main heir to Abraham’s covenant was Isaac and literal Israel (ethnic Jews).	The main heir to Abraham’s covenant was Christ, the Seed, and spiritual Israel which is “in Christ” (Galatians 3:16). Thus all who have faith in Christ (are “in Christ”) are the participants in the Abrahamic Covenant.
God’s program in history is mainly through separate dispensations.	God’s program is history is mainly through related covenants, but all those covenants were derived from the eternal covenant that the Trinity made in eternity, the Covenant of Redemption.
Most teach that men in the OT were saved by faith in a revelation peculiar to their Dispensation.	All men who have ever been saved have been saved by faith in Christ as their sin-bearer, which has been progressively revealed in every age.
The Holy Spirit indwells only believers in the Dispensation of Grace, not OT and not after the “Secret Rapture.”	The Holy Spirit has indwelt believers in all ages, and He indwells the Body of Christ in a special way in the present NT era as an anointing upon the Church for ministry from the glorified Head of the Church who is established on the Throne in heaven, and the Spirit will not be withdrawn from God’s people.
Jesus made an offer of an earthly Kingdom that is defined nationally/ethnically to Israel. Since Israel rejected it, it is postponed till a future time when God will remove the Church from the world, and then God will reinstitute OT Israel via a Great Tribulation for seven years, and then Christ will return. At which time, God will send glorified OT saints to join living Jews on the earth to have national dominion over the world for 1000 years. Then Christ will judge the living and dead, destroy creation and make a new earth and bring a golden heaven down to sit upon it.	Jesus’ Kingdom is not defined nationally/ethnically but morally and spiritually. That Kingdom was rejected by national Israel but has been accepted by spiritual Israel who are Jews and Gentiles who believe in Christ (Galatians 3:29). Christ rules and reigns over His kingdom now as King of kings and Lord of lords. His kingdom will be consummated and fully realized at the Second Advent, in which all the unbelievers will be judged and removed from the earth. The curse of the Fall will be removed from the earth resulting in a “new heavens and new earth” of which believers will enjoy as their inheritance for all eternity.
OT believers were not ‘in Christ,’ nor part of the Body or Bride of Christ even now.	Believers in all ages are all ‘in Christ’ and part of the Body and Bride of Christ now.
God’s laws as given in the Old Testament are no longer in effect unless repeated in the New Testament.	God’s moral laws are eternal and are thus in effect forever. OT laws for the government of Israel and temple activity are no longer useful since the inauguration of the New Covenant.
Proponents: Craig Blaising Darrell Bock John Nelson Darby John Feinberg John Hagee Ed Hindson Carl Hock David Hocking Dave Hunt Thomas Ice Harry Ironside Tim LaHaye David Larsen Hal Lindsey John MacArthur Chuck Missler J. Dwight Pentecost Charles Ryrie Robert Saucy C. I. Scofield Henry Thiessen Robert Thomas Jeffrey Townsend Jack Van Impe Michael Vlach John Walvoord Kenneth Wuest	Proponents: Jay Adams Eric Alexander Tom Ascol Augustine* Isaac Backus Greg Bahnsen Richard Barcellos Rolfe Barnard S. M. Baugh Herman Bavinck G. K. Beale Alistair Begg Richard Belcher James Montgomery Boice James P. Boyce John A. Broadus F. F. Bruce B. B. Caldwell John Calvin* William Carey R. Scott Clark Johannes Cocceius Gene Cook, Jr. R. L. Dabney John L. Dagg Mark Dever J. Ligon Duncan, III Jonathan Edwards Sinclair Ferguson John Frame Richard Fuller John Gill Robert Godfrey Robert Hall, Sr. Charles Hodge Anthony A. Hoekema Michael Horton Dennis E. Johnson Benjamin Keach Elias Keach Tim Keller Meredith Kline Abraham Kuyper J. Gresham Machen C. J. Mahaney Fred Malone Basil Manley, Sr. Basil Manley, Jr. Albert Martin Peter Masters Keith Mathison Russell Moore Iain Murray John Murray Tom Nettles Roger Nicole Caspar Olevianus John Owen J. I. Packer A. W. Pink John Piper Kim Riddlebarger Jason E. Robertson O. Palmer Robertson Robert Rollock Ernest Reisinger Robert Reymond Samuel Rutherford Philip Ryken L. R. Shelton, Jr. Richard Sibbs R. C. Sproul Charles Haddon Spurgeon Derek Thomas Cornelius Van Til Carl Trueman Francis Turretin Geerhardus Vos Samuel Waldron B. B. Warfield Hermann Witsius James White *Writings are consistent with CT

Source: PastorRobertson.com

Rafflecopter Launches, Free iPad 2 and Kindle Fire! [Giveaway]

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:33:31 +0000

This is a great way to start the new year! Rafflecopter has announced their recent launch with an awesome giveaway.

For those of you who don’t know, Rafflecopter is an online service that helps you organize and run giveaways on your own site/blog. It collates all the tweets and other shares making giveaways a breeze.

I’m sure you’ll see more Rafflecopter giveaways on this site in the future.

Now, back to the giveaway. In celebration of their recent launch, Rafflecopter is giving away an iPad 2 and a Kindle Fire.

Simply use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hanging Up the Leisure Suit by Tony Morgan

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:56:17 +0000

Tony Morgan is a ministry consultant, speaker, and coach. However, what Morgan wants you to know most about him is that he loves people and he loves telling people about Jesus.

In the latest installment of his Leisure Suit series, Morgan emphasizes the need for churches to get “unstuck.” On his own website, Morgan relays the main principles from the book:

making the necessary changes to get different results
bridging the gap between vision and execution
following God’s blueprint for fulfilling his purposes
avoiding over-reliance on teaching to produce change, and
creating healthy systems in your church

What I like best about Morgan’s approach is that each book in the series is short, to the point, and — most importantly — executable, meaning this series is more than just theory and ideas — it contains real suggestions and plans. In addition, I like that each is easily digestible and takes very little time to read through. Morgan also remains down-to-earth and easy to read.

If you are interested in reading more about this book, or any of Morgan’s other books, then head on over to his website. Oh yeah, and not to mention, these e-books are FREE!

Thank you so much for reading my humble musings and ramblings here at TomJamieson.com. If you like this blog, would you consider sharing it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or your blog? You can also subscribe by email or RSS feed to ensure you stay up-to-date with the newest posts. Thanks again for reading!

Rob Bell and Carlton Cuse to team up on new ABC show “Stronger”

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:43:08 +0000

According to deadline.com, “Lost” executive producer Carlton Cuse and controversial pastor/author Rob Bell have teamed up for a new ABC TV show called “Stronger” that will apparently have spiritual over-tones.

In this blogger’s humble opinion, there is no longer any need to speculate as to why Bell resigned from his mega-church pastorate. Just sayin’.

Although, blogger Jon Acuff is already speculating that there will be innumerable sermon illustrations as a result.

You can read the entire article here.

image credit

The Principle of the Path By Andy Stanley

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:02:23 +0000

In his latest book, Andy Stanley proposes that while there are several paths one can take in life, it is up to each of us to choose the path that will take us from where we are to where we want to be. Stanley discusses at length the fact that, throughout life, we will come to many “forks-in-the-road” and that the choices we make at these crossroads ultimately comprise the fabric of our lives.

In his classic easy-to-read style, Stanley takes each concept and principle and transforms them into understandable bite-size morsels that the reader can easily digest. Without revealing too much, Stanley gracefully weaves his stories, anecdotes, quotes, and life principles with his usual wit, charm, and likability.

While this book is certainly appropriate for all ages, I believe it is especially timely for those in high school and college as they search for their adult beginnings and start their own life journey, as Stanley directly addresses such topics as relationships and finances.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone searching for a better decision-making ability.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

SBC President Appoints Name Change Task Force

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:15:35 +0000

As I’m sure many of you have heard by now, current SBC president, Bryant Wright, has appointed a “task force” to study the legal and financial ramifications of changing the name of the nation’s largest protestant denomination. Unlike many other groups, the Southern Baptist Convention has never had a name change in its 166-year history. Historically, there has been much opposition to such a move by the duly elected messengers.

Does Wright believe that sentiment is changing? If so, why does he believe that?

Well, Wright gives two reasons for this belief:

“First, the convention’s name is so regional,” he said. “With our focus on church planting, it is challenging in many parts of the country to lead churches to want to be part of a convention with such a regional name. Second, a name change could position us to maximize our effectiveness in reaching North America for Jesus Christ in the 21st century.”

Obviously, this is a hot button issue within the convention, and Wright no doubt knows the fire storm this will create. Hopefully, he has prepared for the coming backlash.

One blogger summed it up this way:

According to Baptist Press, some members of the SBC’s Executive Committee expressed concern over the possibility of a new name and of this task force being selected without convention approval. In fact, since the task force is not an official committee of the convention, members have to pay their own expenses.

Should the churches of the convention be concerned over the way this is being handled? I’ll reserve my opinion for another time. What say you?

To read more, you can read the original Baptist Press article here. You can also read some reactions by baptist bloggers here, here, here, and here.

Google adding Gmail Offline in Chrome

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:10:12 +0000

According to the Google Chrome Blog:

Gmail Offline is a Chrome Web Store app that helps you read, respond to, organize and archive email when you don’t have an internet connection.

Google also says they’ll be rolling out Google Calendar and Google Docs offline within the next week.

You can read more about it here.

I like that Google is adding these options as it makes Gmail more user friendly and allows for reading and writing offline.

How does this impact you and your email use? Are you a Gmail user?

The History of Computers: A Chronological Timeline [Infographic]

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:09:34 +0000

I found this rather fascinating. Enjoy!

[HT: TechKing]

January 2011 Update, A Letter to My Readers

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 18:32:24 +0000

As I’m sure you have figured out by now, my blogging and posting frequency has diminished in the last few weeks.

This has been a direct result of several changes that have taken place in my personal life. I’m just sayin’.

I have recently resigned my position as Senior Pastor, taken on a new part-time job doing market research, and my full time schedule with the State of Florida is changing.

These are just a few of the adjustments I am getting used to, plus I still want to transition from this wp.com blog to a self-hosted WordPress blog as soon as possible.

Therefore, I will only be blogging and posting 1-2 times per week for the forseeable future.

Please pray for me as I embark on this new chapter of my life. It’s both exciting and scary at the same time! Yikes!

Thanks for your continued readership and support.

God bless you all in 2011!

Tom

Thank you so much for reading my humble musings and ramblings here at Footsteps of Faith. If you like this blog, would you consider sharing it on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog? You can also subscribe by email or RSS feed to ensure you stay up-to-date with the newest posts. Thanks again for reading!