Dispensationalism is a method of Scripture interpretation that has found it's way into many of our fundamentalist and Baptist churches. Much of it is grossly unbiblical. The basic doctrine of Dispensationalism is this: History is divided into sections of time (called "dispensations"), within God deals with people a certain way. A dispensational table I have defines a dispensation as "A discernible period of time in which God gives man a certain responsibility, and holds him accountable to it." If a man keeps his responsibility, he will be saved. If not, he will be damned. For example, the responsibility for the "Church Age" dispensation is believing on Christ, and for the "law" period is obeying the law. Their are seven dispensations, and the "Church Age" is the only one that has salvation by faith. The others are some sort of works salvation. Dispensationalist believe that the Old Testament sacrifices and rituals actually save a person when Heb 10:4 says that it is IMPOSSIBLE for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin. The Bible says that salvation is the same through all time. The OT believers believed in the Messiah that would come, we believe in the Messiah that has come. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. “
For I am the LORD, I change not” (Mal 3:6). The way of salvation has never changed. Abraham was saved by faith (Gal 3:6)
Dispensationalism and the Scriptures
Dispensationalists view the scriptures through a different lens then the rest of us. They interpret every scripture according to the dispensational system. So when you ever try to reason with them from the scriptures, they will probably gloss over at you and not believe you, then go back to their church to be reinforced in their dispensationalism.
If you show them reasonable proof from the Scriptures that their system has errors, they will tend to not believe you, and I will show you why. Dispensationalists will tell you that the Epistle to the Hebrews and parts or all of the gospel according to Matthew are for Jewish Christians ONLY. This despite the fact that
Jews and Gentiles have been made equal in Christ. Don't believe me? I have first hand experience with this. I was quoting something from Matthew Ch. 24 to a dispensationalist relative that attends a Plymouth Brethren church(all PB churches are dispensational). She said "wait a minute," opened her Bible to Matt Chapter 24 and said "Some learned men of God have determined that Matthew 24 is for the Jewish believers only." Above Matt 24 in her Bible she had written "For the Jews only." If I ever find one of these "learned" "men of God," I will tell them “
Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, IT HATH PERVERTED THEE” (Isa 47:10).
Why do they really tell you not to read those books? Is it really because it is only for the Jews? In my article
Jews and Gentiles are Made Equal in Christ I show that there is no difference between a Jew and Gentile in God's eyes. God is no racist. The only thing that makes a difference is whether or not you have accepted Jesus Christ. So why are they really told not to read Matthew and Hebrews? I was in an email debate with a dispensationalist once, and most of the Scripture I used to counter what he said came from, guess where? The Book of Hebrews!!! Dispensationalists teach their own that Hebrews is only for the Jews BECAUSE IT SHOWS DISPENSATIONALISM TO BE AN ABOMINIBAL LIE!!! If you are a dispensationalist, I beg you to read the Epistle to the Hebrews with an open mind. It is not just for the Jews.
Dispensationalism and Ultra-Separatism
Dispensationalists will tell you that you are not rightly dividing the word if you disagree with their doctrine. Statements of faith of many dispensational churches will include something like "We believe a natural, literal interpretation of the Bible reveals divinely determined dispensations or rules of life which define man's responsibilities in successive ages." Therefore, if you do not believe in dispensationalism, you are not interpreting the Bible literally and therefore are not a Bible believer. Dispensational churches, especially Plymouth Brethren, tend to stick to themselves and not interact with believers from other churches and denominations. In this day of unbiblical ecumenicalism and unity, it is good to know who you are having fellowship with. But dispensationalists tend to not even recognize other fundamentalist - type believers. (I know this is true with the Plymouth Brethren, I don't know about the others.) I have been told for most of my life that the PB churches go all the way back to the apostles, were never a part of the Roman Catholic Church, and have the doctrine that is the closest to the apostles. Now I know that this is wrong. Dispensationalism has only existed for 200 years.
I will end with a quote about John Darby, one of the first dispensational teachers. This is from "The Pilgrim Church" by E.H. Broadbent. (1999 Ed. Gospel Folio Press). This is a book about the history of the Plymouth Brethren and is favorable to them. I received it from the same relative who told me not to read Matt 24. The Bethesda Chapel church at Bristol, England had been excommunicated by Darby because they were supposedly going after the heresies of John Newman, who was an Anglican who was pushing for a return to the Catholic church. But Broadbent admits the real reason:
Thus the church at Bethesda was excommunicated and all who might have fellowship with it. The ostensible ground was that of false doctrine, but this doctrine was never held by any at Bethesda. The real reason was that, while the church at Bethesda continued to do what Darby himself had done at the first, that is, to maintain the independence of each congregation and its right to receive any individual whom it had reason to believe was born again and sound in faith and conduct, Darby had shifted from that ground and adopted the "catholic" position of an organized body of churches, excluding all outside their own circle, and subject to one central authority, in this case himself and the meeting in London with which he was associated. Fellowship ceased to be based on life, rejection of Bethesda was also obligatory. No faith or godliness could atone for refusal to condemn Bethesda.
(pp 392. 393, emphasis mine)
If you are a dispensationalist, I sincerely ask you to read Matthew and Hebrews for yourself. Take off your dispensational lenses and read the Bible for what it says. Rightly dividing the truth means including the WHOLE counsel of God, and that includes Hebrews and Matthew. I plan on doing a write up on this dispensational table soon, because some of the stuff it says doesn't line up with the Scriptures.
