Covenant Theology Vs Dispensationalism

 INTRODUCTION :- The Topic  EXPLANATION :- Why  EXPLORATION :- What is taught  CLARIFICATION :- Where we stand  APPLICATION :- What we do  INFORMATION :- Further Study

INTRODUCTION  COVENANT THEOLOGY Historical Reformed Teaching. Early Church Fathers Calvin, Reformers and Puritans. SOVERIGN GRACE :-God’s eternal plan of salvation. (Presbyterians)  DISPENSATIONALISM A new view of God’s plan of salvation which surfaced mid 19 th century (Plymouth Brethren et al)

EXPLANATION :-WHY?  We will meet others with conflicting views  They also will refer to scripture texts  These will be fellow believers who share our faith  They may be sincere and may have arrived at these views prayerfully  They may be dogmatic in their views  We must treat them (fellow believers) with courtesy when in discussion

Jesus said “Abraham rejoiced to see my day” John 8 v 56

History of Church From Pentecost

3 Competing Views Emerge  CAVINISM (Presbyterians etc.) 1600s  ARMINIANISM (Methodists etc.) 1700s  DESPENSATIONALISM (Brethren etc) 1800s

EXPLORATION DISPENSATIONALISTS believe that God’s plan of salvation went through seven different time periods or dispensations. Father Ribera 1591 AD (RC Jesuit priest) Emmanuel Lacunza (Jesuit priest from Chile) Edward Irving 1792 – 1834 (Charismatic Scottish minister)

Margaret McDonald 1830 (15 year old Scottish girl vision of the rapture) John Nelson Darby (Anglo/Irish Evangelist) Cyrus Scofield 1843 – 1921 (American evangelist and Scofield Reference Bible)

1. 7 DISPENSATIONS:- 1. INNOCENCE (From creation to the fall of man) 2. CONSCIENCE (From the fall of man until the flood) 3. HUMAN GOVERNMENT (From the flood until the call of Abraham)

4. PROMISE ( From the call of Abraham until the Mosaic Law) 5. MOSIAC LAW ( From the Mosaic Law until Christ was crucified) 6. GRACE ( From Christ was crucified until the rapture of the church) 7. MILLINNIUM (From the rapture of the church until Satan is released from the abyss)

Covenant Theology teaches that God had only one plan for man’s salvation from all eternity

Covenant Theology recognises only 2 Covenants in the Bible 1. Covenant of Works(obedience) made with Adam and his posterity 2. Covenant of Grace made with men upon condition of accepting Christ by faith. God had no plan ‘B’. The plan of redemption through Christ was in place from all eternity

Dispensationalists see the church believers and Israel as two different sets of believers with two different purposes and two different destinations in eternity

ONE WAY CALVARY In faith through shadows, By Faith alone types & ordinances etc OT Believers N T Believers

God’s Plan :- being revealed by the sacrifice of a lamb For an Individual For a Family

For a Nation For the World

The Believer and the Law There are 3 types of law in the CIVIL LAW CEREMONIAL LAW CANON LAW YES !

APPLICATION Avoid Remember Be

Know & Always

CONCLUSION READ & RESEARCH “Study to show thyself approved unto God” (2Tim2v15)