Among those who confess belief in an inerrant and authoritative Bible are two principle schools of thought, sometimes expressed as Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology.
According to the latter, the Bible is a progressive covenant God has made with mankind, focusing on the Old Testament revelation to the Israelites and developing into New Testament truth. Covenant promises made to Israel in ancient times are then spiritualized into blessings of grace for New Testament believers, prophecy then to be interpreted allegorically or figuratively.
Dispensationalists on the other hand hold to a literalist hermeneutic, that is, that the Old Testament, though replete with figures of speech and poetic expressions, is nevertheless historically and prophetically related to God’s earthly chosen people. However, “whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4). Of course, eternal principles of righteousness, justice, and holiness are applicable to all peoples and in all ages.
What is a Dispensation?
The Greek word for dispensation, oiknonomia, is sometimes translated “stewardship” (Luke 16:2-4), which has to do with household management. Hence, the dispensations are periods characterized by different “managements” or “administrative dealings” with the human race in general and God’s earthly or heavenly chosen people in particular.
Other writers see the dispensation in a similar vein. Paul Nevin states that “a Dispensation is God’s distinctive method of governing mankind or a group of men during a period of time in human history, marked by a crucial event, test, failure and judgment. From the divine standpoint, it is a stewardship (economy), a rule of life, or a responsibility for managing God’s affairs in His house. From the historical standpoint, it is a stage in the progress of revelation.”
Likewise, Charles Ryrie says “a dispensation is a distinguishable economy in the outworking of God’s purpose.” James Sewell avers, “A biblical term for ‘Dispensation’ is age or aeon, as in the Greek text in many places, meaning a period of time.”
Numerous passages of Scripture strongly suggest the idea of a dispensation: “That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth … ” (Ephesians.1:10)
“For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery … that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body, and partakers in Christ by the gospel…” (Eph. 3:1-3, 6).
American Dispensational Thought
Among the foremost writers and theologians on this subject was the oft-neglected James R. Graves, whose ministry spanned most of the 19th century and whose major work was entitled The Work of Christ in Seven Dispensations. This tome was published in 1883, at the culmination of his 50-year ministry. Graves was a “Landmark Baptist” (and a member of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1845 until his death at the turn of the century). He was a major Baptist editor and author whose material is still in print and published by the Bogard Press in Arkansas.
Among Presbyterians, prophecy conferences were held in the early 1820s. Lutheran biblical scholar Joseph Seiss made a major contribution to prophetic and dispensational thought with the publication of The Apocalypse in 18·70. Another Lutheran scholar, George N.H. Peter, published a massive, major three-volume work entitled The Theocratic Kingdom, during the mid-1800s.
Dispensational theology was taught in practically all Bible colleges in the first half of this century, and today Dispensationalism continues to be advanced in many Bible colleges and institutes.
Lewis Chafer, founder of Dallas Theological Seminary, completed a major systematic theology, spanning eight volumes, in 1948, in which he set forth a solid dispensationalism.
Among Baptists, James R Graves influenced millions, as did C. I. Scofield (though not a Baptist), even though their respective systems differed slightly. Actually, the early Dispensationalists saw Genesis as a pre-Sinai history. Even if skeptics discount making these early time demarcations in Genesis, it is difficult to deny a “Mosaic Dispensation” for the people of lsrael, a “Christian Dispensation” for the church age, and the “Kingdom Dispensation” for the future glorious and prophesied millennium.
It boils down to believing that God means what He says and says what He means, regardless of figures of speech and poetic language. One’s system of interpretation is the bottom-line issue.
Dispensationalists believe that the Scriptures are to be interpreted for what they say, particularly as it relates to Israel in history and prophecy, to the New Testament saints, and to the major distinction between the Old and New Testaments. Dispensationalism is a systematic and logical system that differentiates between the “times past,” the present age, and the age to come.
Note: Originally published in the Baptist Bible Tribune in December 1991.
