AN INTRODUCTION TO DISPENSATIONAL THEOLOGY
by Dr. Renald E. Showers
Dispensational
Theology can be defined very simply as a system of theology which attempts to
develop the Bible's philosophy of history on the basis of the sovereign rule of
God. It represents the whole of
Scripture and history as being covered by several dispensations of God's rule.
Dispensational
Theology did not exist as a developed system of thought in the early Church,
although early Church leaders did recognize some of the biblical principles
which are basic to Dispensational Theology.[1] For example, Clement of Alexandria (150-220
A.D.) recognized four dispensations of God's rule.[2] Augustine (354-430 A.D.) noted the fact that
God has employed several distinct ways of working in the world as He executes
His plan for history. Augustine used
the term dispensation when referring to these different ways.[3] It must be said, however, that these Church
leaders did not develop these recognized principles into a system of
thought. They were not Dispensational
Theologians.
The
first person on record to develop a genuine dispensational scheme in a
systematic fashion was the French philosopher Pierre Poiret (1646-1719). In his work entitled The Divine Economy: or An Universal System
of the Works and Purposes of God Towards Men Demonstrated, Poiret developed a scheme of seven
dispensations covering the scope of Scriptures and history. This work was
published in Holland in 1687.[4]
In 1699 John Edwards (1639-1716)
published a well- developed dispensational scheme in his book entitled A
Compleat History or Survey of All the Dispensations.[5] Isaac Watts (1674-1748 A.D.), the famous
hymn writer and theologian, presented a system of six dispensations in an essay
named "The Harmony of all the Religions which God ever Prescribed to Men
and all his Dispensations towards them."[6]
During the 19th
century the Plymouth Brethren, including one of their key leaders, John Nelson
Darby (1800-1882), played a very significant role in developing, systematizing,
and spreading Dispensational Theology.
Dispensationalism has been developed
and promoted even further during the 20th century through the Scofield Reference
Bible. This work, which was
published originally in 1909, was primarily the work of Congregationalist
pastor and Bible teacher C. I. Scofield.
Scofield had been taught the Scriptures and Dispensationalism initially
by the famous Presbyterian pastor and Bible teacher, Dr. James H. Brookes.[7] He produced the reference notes for the
Bible after years of personal Bible study and months of intensive work in the
libraries of the leading universities of Europe.[8] The impact of the Scofield Reference Bible
is indicated by two facts. It was
the first publication of Oxford University Press of New York to attain a sale
of one million copies.[9] In addition, in recognition of this work,
Scofield was elected to membership in the Societe Academique d'Histoire
Internationale, the most influential of European literary societies.[10]
The rise of Bible and prophecy
conferences and the Bible school movement since the late 1800s has also been a
great aid to the spread of Dispensational Theology. Most Bible colleges and institutes, such as
Philadelphia College of Bible, have consistently been dispensational in their
teaching. On the seminary level the
same has been true of Dallas Theological Seminary.
A
very significant treatment of Dispensational Theology in the latter half of the
20th century is the book entitled Dispensationalism Today by Charles C.
Ryrie.
The Meaning Of The Word Dispensation
The
word which is translated dispensation in the New Testament is oikonomia,
from which the English word economy is derived. The New Testament word is a combination of
two words – oikos, which means house, and nemo, which
means to dispense, manage, or hold sway.[11] Thus, the word literally means house
dispensing or house managing.
It
"relates primarily to household administration."[12]
The
English word dispensation sometimes refers to "the system by which
things are administered" and "the divine administration or conduct of
the world." Theologically it is
"A religious order or system, conceived as divinely instituted, or as a
stage in a progressive revelation, expressly adapted to the needs of a
particular nation or period of time."[13]
The
English word economy in its theological usage refers to "The method
of the divine government of the world, or of a specific department or portion
of that government."[14]
The Usage Of The Word For Dispensation In The New Testament
The
word oikonomia appears nine times in the New Testament. In six of these
appearances (Lk. 16:2-4; 1 Cor. 9:17; Eph. 3:2; Col. 1:25) it is translated stewardship
or dispensation and refers to a responsible office or ministry
entrusted to one's care by a higher authority. In the other three appearances
(Eph. 1:10; 3:9; 1 Tim. 1:4) it is translated dispensation, fellowship, and
edifying in the King James Version and administration in the New
American Standard Bible. In these three passages it refers to a particular way
of God's administering His rule over the world. Ephesians 1:10 is of special interest, for it appears to refer to
the particular way that God will administer His rule in the coming Millennium
(the Millennial Dispensation).
Ephesians 3:9 and 1 Timothy 1:4 refer to the particular way that God
administers His rule now (the present dispensation).
Definition Of The Term Dispensation As
It Relates To Dispensational Theology
In
light of the usage of the word for dispensation in the New Testament, the term dispensation
as it relates to Dispensational Theology could be defined as a
particular way of God's administering His rule over the world as He progressively
works out His purpose for world history.
In
order for each dispensation to be distinct from all other dispensations,
it must have three essential characteristics. First, it must have a particular
way of God's administering His rule.
Each dispensation is characterized by a unique ruling factor or
combination of ruling factors. Second,
it must involve a particular responsibility for man. Each dispensation makes man responsible to obey God in accordance
with its unique ruling factor or combination of factors. Third, it must be characterized by divine
revelation which had not been given before. In order for man to know God's new
way of ruling and his new responsibility, he must have these things revealed to
him. Each new dispensation requires new
revelation from God.[15] For example, Paul indicated that the present
dispensation is definitely related to new revelation which God gave to the
apostles and New Testament prophets (Eph. 3:2-10).
The
fact that each new dispensation involves a newly revealed responsibility
for man indicates that each dispensation also has three secondary
characteristics. First each
dispensation applies a test to man. The
nature of the test is whether or not man will perfectly obey God's rule by
fulfilling the responsibility which is characteristic of that dispensation.
Second, each dispensation demonstrates the failure of man to obey the
particular rule of God which characterizes that dispensation. Third, each
dispensation involves divine judgment because of man's failure.[16]
In
order to understand the approach of Dispensational Theology to the Bible's
philosophy of history, several important points of clarification must be taken
into consideration. First, the
different dispensations are different ways of God's administering His rule over
the world. They are not different ways
of salvation. Throughout history God
has employed several dispensations but only one way of salvation. Salvation has always been by the grace of
God through faith in the Word of God, and God has based salvation on the work
of Jesus Christ.
Second,
a dispensation is not an age of history, even though a dispensation may cover
the same time period as an age. A
dispensation is a particular way of God's administering His rule, but an age is
a particular period of time.
Third, a dispensation may involve a
particular way of God's administering His rule over all of mankind or over only
one segment of mankind. For example,
the Dispensation of Human Government was over all of mankind, but the
Dispensation of the Mosaic Law was over only the nation of Israel.
Fourth, a new dispensation may continue
or discontinue some ruling factors of previous dispensations, but it will have
at least one new ruling factor never introduced before. Dispensational Theologians normally name
each new dispensation after the new ruling factor or factors.
Fifth, each new dispensation demands
new revelation. God must reveal His new
way of ruling and man's new responsibility near the beginning of each
dispensation. Since Dispensational
Theology recognizes several successive dispensations, it has a strong concept
of progressive revelation.
Numerous things in
the Bible indicate that God has employed different dispensations or ways of
administering His rule throughout history.
For example, before the Noahic Flood God did not institute capital
punishment for murderers (Gen. 4:9-15), but He did institute it after the flood
(Gen. 9:5-6). Between the giving of the
Mosaic Law and the death of Christ, God commanded that adulterers in Israel be
put to death (Lev. 20:10; Dt. 22:22; Jn. 8:5), but since the death of Christ
God does not so command (1 Cor. 6:9-11).
While the Mosaic Law was in effect, God required Jews to worship on
Saturday (Ex. 20:8-11), but since the death of Christ God does not so require
(Rom. 14:4-9; Col. 2:13-17). God's
people today do not offer animal sacrifices for sins, but people before
Christ's death were required to do so. g
Taken from There
Really Is A Difference by Renald E. Showers, (The Friends of Israel Gospel
Ministry, Inc., Bellmawr, NJ, 1990).
Used by permission. Renald E.
Showers is a graduate of Philadelphia College of Bible and holds degrees from
Wheaton College, Dallas Theological Seminary, and Grace Theological
Seminary. He presently is on the staff
of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Inc. and serves on the faculty of the
Institute of Biblical Studies. He has
been a guest Bible Conference teacher at the Duluth Bible Church.
[1] For an
excellent demonstration of this, see the two-part series “Rudiments of
Dispensationalism in the Ante-Nicene Period” by Larry V. Crutchfield in the
July-September and October-December 1987 issues of Bibliotheca Sacra.
[2] A. C. Coxe
(ed.), The Ante-Nicene Fathers, II, 476.
[3] Augustine, To
Marcellinus, CXXXVIII, 5, 7.
[4] Charles C.
Ryrie, Dispensationalism Today (Chicago: Moody Press, 1965), p. 71.
[5] Ibid., p.
72.
[6] Ibid., p.
73.
[7] William A.
BeVier, “A Biographical Sketch of C.I. Scofield” unpublished Master’s Thesis
(Southern Methodist University, Dallas, 1960), p. 25.
[8] Ibid., p.
72.
[9] Ibid., p.
95.
[10] Ibid., p.
90-91.
[11] Liddell and
Scott, An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (Oxford: The Clarendon
Press), p. 528.
[12] Otto
Michel, “Oikonomia,” Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Vol.
V., ed. By Gerhard Friedrich, trans. and ed. By Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Grand
Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), p. 151.
[13] The Oxford
English Dictionary (Oxford University Press, 1933), III, p. 481.
[14] Ibid., III,
p. 35.
[15] Ryrie,
Dispensational Today, pp. 37-38.
[16] Ibid., pp. 38-39.