Different Systems of Dispensationalism (5/5)

Part One

INTRODUCTION: 1 PROLOGUE

A DISPENSATIONAL THEOLOGY

By Charles F Baker

The Scofield scheme has also come to be known as Acts 2 dispensationalism, because it beings the present dispensation at the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. It is of much greater importance for us to be correctly informed about our present dispensation than about past ones; hence the importance of knowing when our dispensation began, and hence the reason for classifying dispensational views on this basis. There are many dispensationalists who believe that while Pentecost was a most important day in God’s dealings with the nation of Israel, it was assuredly not the casting away of Israel and the beginning of the new and unprophesied dispensation of the mystery with its hitherto unheard of Church, the Body of Christ. These latter are divided into two groups, one believing that the new dispensation began with either the conversion or the ministry of the Apostle Paul to whom this new revelation was made, at either Acts 9 or 13, and the Other group believing that it began with Paul after Acts 28. Since there is little practical difference between the Acts 9 and the Acts 13 views, these positions are usually considered in general as one. Those who hold the Acts 2 position like to refer to those who hold the Acts 13 or Acts 28 views as extreme or ultra-dispensationalists. Ryrie, who holds the Acts 2 position, refers to those of the Acts 13 persuasion as Moderate Ultradispensationalists, and those who hold the Acts 28 position as Extreme Ultradispensationalists,¹³ although he admits that his own view is considered to be ultradispensational by antidispensationalists.¹⁴ There are thus four major groups of dispensationalists, Covenant theologians who recognize only two basic dispensations and who oppose dispensationalism as a principle of biblical interpretation, and the three groups who do recognize this principle but being the new dispensation of the mystery at either Acts 2, Acts 3, or Acts 28.

13          Ryrie, op. cit. pp. 194, 195.

14          Ibid., p. 193.

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