Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Reformed Dispensationalism


What??? You are likely familiar with Progressive Dispensationalism, but are you aware of Reformed Dispensationalism?

Progressive Dispensationalism teaches that the Church partially fulfills the New Covenant now and that Israel will completely fulfill the New Covenant in the future. This is how Robert Saucy (professor at Talbot School of Theology) describes the two dispensations of the New Covenant...

"The present operation of the new covenant in saving Jews and Gentiles in the church is not the complete fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy. The return of Christ will bring further fulfillment. Because the New Testament clearly envisions a future for historical Israel, it seems reasonable to expect the coming of Christ to bring about the fulfillment of the salvation provisions of the new covenant that related particularly to that people." source

Reformed Dispensationalism teaches that the Visible Church partially fulfills the New Covenant now and that the Invisible Church will completely fulfill the New Covenant in the future. This is how Richard Pratt (president of Third Millennium Ministries) describes the two dispensations of the New Covenant...

"Once Christ returns it will not be possible to break the new covenant and thereby to enter into another exile. Before that time, however, participants in the new covenant can break the new covenant." source

I do not agree with either form of Dispensationalism and will elaborate on another post.

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