Dispensationalism and Its Focus Upon Dividing That Which The New Testament Unifies
"Israel is an eternal nation, heir to an eternal land, with an eternal kingdom, on which David rules from an eternal throne so that in eternity, '...never the twain, Israel and church, shall meet." Lewis S. Chafer, Systematic Theology (Dallas, Dallas Seminary Press, 1975), Vol. 4. pp. 315-323..
Lewis S. Chafer said that dispensationalism has "...changed the Bible from being a mass of more or less conflicting
writings into a classified and easily assimilated revelation of both
the earthly and heavenly purposes of God, which reach on into eternity
to come.." Lewis. S. Chafer, ‘Dispensationalism,’ Bibliotheca Sacra, 93 (October 1936), 410, 416, 446-447
Chafer, a founder of dispensationalism. following John Darby and C.I. Scofield, claimed the Bible is a mass or more or less conflicting writings and that dispensationalism or Christian Zionism makes the Bible more easily classified and assimilated, or more easily understood.
In his book, Dispensationalism (1966), Charles Ryrie says "The
essence of Dispensationalism, then, is the distinction between Israel
and the church." (page 3, "Dispensationalism")
J. Dwight Pentecost is another dispensationalist theologian who in his
book Things To Come ( 1965) says "The church
and Israel are two distinct groups with whom God has a divine plan.
The church is a mystery, unrevealed in the Old Testament. (page 193,
J. Dwight Pentecost, Things To Come, Zondervan, 1965).
Nowhere in their statements on the foundations of the Church Theology called dispensationalism do the founders acknowledge that the New Testament teaches that there is a unity, not a division, between Jews who are born again in Christ by faith and Gentiles born again in Christ by faith.
"For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him." Romans 10: 12
"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27.For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28.There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.: Galatians 3: 26-28
Paul is sometimes subtle and this is true in Ephesians 2: 11-13 -
"Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;12. That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:13. But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."
Nigh is an Old English word, from Strong's 1451, ἐγγύς, eggus, near in place or time From: https://biblehub.com/greek/1451.htm
Gentiles who were before far off from the Commonwealth of Israel are made close to Israel by the blood of Christ.
"That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Galatians 3: 14
"Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ 5. Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6. That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:" Ephesians 3: 4-6
There is under the New Covenant a unity between Gentiles of faith and Jews of faith, not a division as dispensationalism seems to put between them.
This fixation on dividing that which the New Testament unifies detracts from the mission of the Gospel of Christ, which is to inspire others to develop faith and be changed by that Gospel into a new Creation.
"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." John 3: 6-8
Romans 12: 2 says "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Transformed is a translation of μεταμορφουσθε, or metamorphosthe - a metamorphosis, "a change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one."
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." II Corinthians 5: 17
Creature is from κτισις, ktisis, Strong's Number 2937, "creation, the act or the product, creation, creature, institution; always of Divine work, an institution, ordinance." From: https://www.biblehub.com/greek/2937.htm
Galatians 6: 15-16 says "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. 16. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God."
Then, Colossians 1: 26-27 tells us "Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 27. To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:"
The hope of glory is to have Jesus Christ in you.
These New Testament scriptures quoted above emphasize spiritual transformation by the Holy Spirit in Christ and him in you.
The object is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ so that it can change those who receive it - there is not in the New Testament a doctrine that supports an emphasis upon a systematic church theology which argues that God now has two different peoples, and two different programs, Old Covenant Israel and the Church. In fact the New Testament above says just the opposite.
"Israel is an eternal nation, heir to an eternal land, with an eternal kingdom, on which David rules from an eternal throne so that in eternity, '...never the twain, Israel and church, shall meet." Lewis S. Chafer, Systematic Theology (Dallas, Dallas Seminary Press, 1975), Vol. 4. pp. 315-323..
Lewis S. Chafer said that dispensationalism has "...changed the Bible from being a mass of more or less conflicting
writings into a classified and easily assimilated revelation of both
the earthly and heavenly purposes of God, which reach on into eternity
to come.." Lewis. S. Chafer, ‘Dispensationalism,’ Bibliotheca Sacra, 93 (October 1936), 410, 416, 446-447
Chafer, a founder of dispensationalism. following John Darby and C.I. Scofield, claimed the Bible is a mass or more or less conflicting writings and that dispensationalism or Christian Zionism makes the Bible more easily classified and assimilated, or more easily understood.
In his book, Dispensationalism (1966), Charles Ryrie says "The
essence of Dispensationalism, then, is the distinction between Israel
and the church." (page 3, "Dispensationalism")
J. Dwight Pentecost is another dispensationalist theologian who in his
book Things To Come ( 1965) says "The church
and Israel are two distinct groups with whom God has a divine plan.
The church is a mystery, unrevealed in the Old Testament. (page 193,
J. Dwight Pentecost, Things To Come, Zondervan, 1965).
Nowhere in their statements on the foundations of the Church Theology called dispensationalism do the founders acknowledge that the New Testament teaches that there is a unity, not a division, between Jews who are born again in Christ by faith and Gentiles born again in Christ by faith.
"For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him." Romans 10: 12
"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27.For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28.There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.: Galatians 3: 26-28
Paul is sometimes subtle and this is true in Ephesians 2: 11-13 -
"Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;12. That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:13. But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."
Nigh is an Old English word, from Strong's 1451, ἐγγύς, eggus, near in place or time From: https://biblehub.com/greek/1451.htm
Gentiles who were before far off from the Commonwealth of Israel are made close to Israel by the blood of Christ.
"That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Galatians 3: 14
"Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ 5. Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6. That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:" Ephesians 3: 4-6
There is under the New Covenant a unity between Gentiles of faith and Jews of faith, not a division as dispensationalism seems to put between them.
This fixation on dividing that which the New Testament unifies detracts from the mission of the Gospel of Christ, which is to inspire others to develop faith and be changed by that Gospel into a new Creation.
"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." John 3: 6-8
Romans 12: 2 says "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Transformed is a translation of μεταμορφουσθε, or metamorphosthe - a metamorphosis, "a change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one."
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." II Corinthians 5: 17
Creature is from κτισις, ktisis, Strong's Number 2937, "creation, the act or the product, creation, creature, institution; always of Divine work, an institution, ordinance." From: https://www.biblehub.com/greek/2937.htm
Galatians 6: 15-16 says "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. 16. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God."
Then, Colossians 1: 26-27 tells us "Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 27. To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:"
The hope of glory is to have Jesus Christ in you.
These New Testament scriptures quoted above emphasize spiritual transformation by the Holy Spirit in Christ and him in you.
The object is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ so that it can change those who receive it - there is not in the New Testament a doctrine that supports an emphasis upon a systematic church theology which argues that God now has two different peoples, and two different programs, Old Covenant Israel and the Church. In fact the New Testament above says just the opposite.
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