Dispensationalism

Taught by David James

May 2013, Chattanooga, TN

© Copyright 2013 by The Alliance for Biblical Integrity and School of Prophets

All biblical quotes taken from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted

Course outline based on Dispensationalism, by Charles C. Ryrie

I. Dispensationalism—Help or Heresy

1A.	Introduction

2A.	Opposition to Dispensationalism

3A.	The Help Given by Dispensationalism

1B.	It Answers the Need of Biblical Distinctions

2B.	It Answers the Need of a Philosophy of History

3B.	It Provides Consistent Hermeneutics

4A.	Summary

II. What is a Dispensation?

1A.	Introduction

2A.	The Etymology of the Word "Dispensation"

3A.	Scriptural Use of the Word "Dispensation"

1B.	Usage of the Word

2B.	The Features Displayed

3B.	Definitions

4B.	Relation of the Dispensations to the Progressive of Revelation

4A.	Characteristics of a Dispensation

1B.	Primary Characteristics

2B.	Secondary Characteristics

3B.	Objections

5A.	The Sine Qua Non of Dispensationalism

III. What are the Dispensations?

1A.	The Number of Dispensations

1B.	The Importance of the Question

2B.	Some Answers to the Question

2A.	Some (further) Questions

1B.	The Noahic Economy

2B.	The Eternal State

3B.	The Mosaic Law

4B.	The Tribulation

3A.	The Names and Characteristics of the Dispensations

1B.	Innocency

2B.	Conscience

3B.	Government

4B.	Promise (or Patriarchs)

5B.	Mosaic Law

6B.	Church (or Grace)

7B.	Day of the Lord (or Millennium)

4A.	The Matter of "Carryovers"

IV. The Origins of Dispensationalism

1A.	Introduction

2A.	The Charge of Recency

1B.	Straw Men

2B.	Early Dispensational-like Concepts

3B.	Developing Dispensationalism, or the Period Before Darby

4B.	Systematized Dispensationalism, or Darby to the 1980s

5B.	Recent Neodispensationalism

6B.	The Progress of Dogma

3A.	The Charge of Divisiveness

V. The Hermeneutics of Dispensationalism

1A.	Introduction

2A.	Some Recent Developments

3A.	The Different Viewpoints

1B.	The Dispensational Position

2B.	The Nondispensational Position

3B.	The Progressive Dispensational Position

4A.	The Results of Literal Interpretation

5A.	The Unifying Principle of the Bible

6A.	Addendum: The Sermon on the Mount

1B.	Introduction

2B.	Various Viewpoints

1C.	It is a Message of Salvation

2C.	It is for the Church

3C.	It is Related to the Kingdom

3B.	Conclusion

VI. Salvation in Dispensationalism

1A.	The Charge

1B.	The Statement of the Charge

2B.	Reasons for the Charge

2A.	The Reply

3A.	The Doctrine of Grace

1B.	The Relation of Law and Grace

2B.	The Display of Grace Under Law

4A.	The Doctrine of Salvation

1B.	The Covenant Position

2B.	The Dispensational Position

3B.	The Purpose of the Sacrifices

5A.	Summary and Conclusion

VII. The Church in Dispensationalism

1A.	Introduction

2A.	The Distinctiveness of the Church

1B.	The Church has a Distinct Character

2B.	The Church has a Distinct Time

3B.	The Church Is Distinct from Israel

4B.	The Teaching of Covenant Theology on the Distinctiveness of the Church

5B.	The Teaching of Reconstructed/Modified/Progressive Dispensationalism on the Distinctiveness of the Church

3A.	The Relationships of the Church

1B.	The Relation of the Church to the Kingdom

2B.	The Relation of the Church to Saints of Other Ages

3B.	The Relation of the Church to the Seed of Abraham

4B.	The Relation of the Church to Apostasy

4A.	Summary and Conclusion

VIII. Dispensational Eschatology

1A.	Introduction

2A.	The Features of Dispensational Eschatology

1B.	The Hermeneutical Principle

2B.	Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecies

3B.	A Clear and Consistent Distinction Between Israel and the Church

4B.	Pretribulation Rapture

5B.	The Millennial Kingdom

3A.	Is the Cross Minimized?

1B.	The Charge

2B.	The Reply

3B.	Turning the Tables

4A.	Is the Kingdom Despiritualized?

1B.	The Charge

2B.	The Basis for the Charge

3B.	Dispensational Teaching Concerning the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God

4B.	Dispensational Teaching Concerning the Spiritual Character of the Millennial Kingdom

5A.	Summary

IX. Progressive Dispensationalism

1A.	Introduction

2A.	Origin of the Movement

3A.	Descriptive Definitions of Progressive Dispensationalism

4A.	Basic Tenets of Progressive Dispensationalism

5A.	Elaboration and Evaluation of These Tenets

1B.	The Kingdom

2B.	The Dispensations

3B.	The Davidic Reign

4B.	The New Covenant

5B.	The Distinctiveness of the Church

6B.	A Complementary Hermeneutic

7B.	Holistic Redemption

6A.	Some Significant Matters Slighted or Omitted

X. Covenant Theology

1A.	Introduction

2A.	Definition of Covenant Theology

3A.	History of Covenant Theology

4A.	Biblical Basis for Covenant Theology

5A.	The Hermeneutics of Covenant Theology

6A.	Two Ways of Salvation

7A.	Summary

XI. Ultradispensationalism

1A.	Introduction

2A.	The Origin of Ultradispensationalism

3A.	The Types of Ultradispensationalism

1B.	The Extreme Type

2B.	The Moderate Type

3B.	Comparison of the Two Types

4A.	The Definition of Ultradispensationalism

5A.	The Beginning of the Church in Ultradispensationalism

6A.	Errors of Ultradispensationalism

1B.	Erroneous Concept of a Dispensation

2B.	Erroneous Exposition of Key Passages

3B.	Other Passages Concerning the Revelation of the Mystery

4B.	Baptism "In" the Spirit

7A.	Conclusion

XII. Conclusion: A Plea