Sunday, 28 November 2021 // God's Story: New Testament
Dispensa-what?
Yep, “Dispensationalism” is a big word that most of us don’t really understand. But stay with us and we will show you why this Wait… What? topic is still important for you to explore!
The Bible is God’s Word written for God’s people to know God’s plan for their redemption. This means we have to pay CAREFUL attention to the way we interpret the Bible; otherwise, we end up putting (wrong) words into God’s mouth and misunderstanding Him.
Getting the Bible wrong has serious consequences – it will affect how we understand salvation, how we evangelise, how we treat the church, and truthfully every aspect of life. In the worst case scenario, it could even lead us away from the faith and into fanciful man-made beliefs, or even heresy.
Dispensationalism is a belief about how God plans to redeem His people. It splits the biblical story into 7 stages, or “dispensations”, and states that God instituted different systems to redeem humanity in each dispensation.
As a result, dispensationalists also believe that Israel (the nation) is completely separate from the church, effectively creating two “peoples of God” – one saved by the law, and the other by grace.
Is this really God’s grand plan for His people all along?
Recommended books :
New Dictionary Biblical Theology: 2000
Commentary on the New Testament use of Old Testament: 2007
Kingdom through Covenant (2nd ed): 2018
Every Promise; Our Song From Age To Age; The Gospel Was Promised
