DISPENSATIONAL THEOLOGY
(Lewis S. Chafer, John Walvoord, Tim LaHaye, John Nelson Darby, C.I. Scofield)
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COVENANT THEOLOGY
(Charles Hodge, Loraine Boettner, Louis Berkhof, John Murray, B.B. Warfield)
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1. May be Arminian or modified Calvinist. Almost never 5-point Calvinist.
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1.Always Calvinist. Usually 5-point.
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2.Stresses rigidly ‘literal’ interpretation of the Bible.
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2.Accepts ‘normal’ interpretation of the Bible text (allows both literal and figurative)
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3. Usually does not accept the idea of the ‘Analogy of Faith.’
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3. Almost always accepts the idea of The “Analogy of
Faith.”
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4. ‘Israel’ always means only the literal, physical descendants of Jacob.
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4. “Israel” may mean either literal, physical descendants of Jacob or the figurative, spiritual Israel, depending on context.
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5. ‘Israel of God’ in Gal 6:16 means physical Israel alone.
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5. “Israel of God” in Gal. 6:16 means spiritual Israel, parallel to Gal. 3:29; Rom. 2:28-29; Phil. 3:3.
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6. God has 2 peoples with 2 separate destinies: Israel
(earthly) and the Church (heavenly).
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6. God has always had only 1 people, the Church gradually developed.
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7. The Church was born at Pentecost.
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7. The Church began in O.T. Acts 7:38 and reached fulfillment in the N.T.
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8. The Church was not prophesied as such in the O.T. but was a hidden mystery until the N.T.
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8. There are many O.T. prophecies of the N.T. Church.
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9. All O.T. prophecies for ‘Israel’ are for literal Israel, not the Church.
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9. Some O.T. prophecies are for the literal nation of Israel, others are for spiritual Israel.
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10. God’s main purpose in history is literal Israel.
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10. God’s main purpose in history is Christ and secondarily the Church.
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11. The Church is a parenthesis in God’s program for the ages.
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11. The Church is the culmination of God’s saving purpose for the ages.
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12. The main heir to Abraham’s covenant was Isaac and literal Israel.
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12. The main heir to Abraham’s covenant was Christ and spiritual Israel.
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13. There was no eternal Covenant of Redemption within the Trinity.
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13. The eternal Covenant of Redemption was within the Trinity to effect election.
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14. There was no Covenant of Works with Adam in the Garden of Eden.
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14. God made a conditional Covenant of Works* with Adam as representative for
all his posterity.
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15. There was no Covenant of Grace concerning Adam.
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15. God made a Covenant of Grace with Christ and His people, including Adam.
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16. Israel was rash to accept the Covenant at Mt. Sinai.
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16. Israel was right to accept the Covenant Mt. Sinai.
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17. The ‘New Covenant’ of Jer. 31:31- 34 is only for literal Israel and is not the New Covenant of Lk.22:20.
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17. The “New Covenant” of Jer. 31 is the same as in Lk. 22; both are for spiritual Israel according to Heb. 8.
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18. God’s program in history is mainly through separate dispensations.
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18. God’s program in history is mainly through related covenants.
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19. Some Dispensationalists have said that O.T. sinners were saved by works.
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19. No man has ever been saved by works, but only by grace.
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20. Most Dispensationalists teach that men in the O.T. were saved by faith in a revelation peculiar to their dispensation, but this did not include faith in the Messiah as their sin-bearer.
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20. All men who have ever been saved have been saved by faith in Christ as their sin-bearer, which has been progressively revealed in every age.
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21. The O.T. sacrifices were not recognized as the Gospel or types of the Messiah as sin-bearer, but only seen as such in retrospect.
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21. O.T. believers believed in the Gospel of Messiah as sin-bearer mainly by the sacrifices as types and prophecies.
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22. The Holy Spirit indwells only believers in the dispensation of Grace, not O.T. and not after the Rapture.
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22. The Holy Spirit has indwelt believers in all ages, especially in the present N.T. era, and will not be withdrawn.
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23. Jesus.made an offer of the literal Kingdom to Israel; since Israel rejected it, it is postponed.
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23. Jesus made only an offer of the spiritual Kingdom, which was rejected by literal Israel but has gradually been accepted by spiritual Israel.
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24. O.T. believers were not in Christ, not part of the Body or Bride of Christ.
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24. Believers in all ages are all “in Christ” and part of the Body and Bride of Christ.
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25. The Law has been abolished.
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25. The Law has 3 uses: to restrain sin in society, to lead to Christ, and to instruct Christians in godliness. The ceremonial Laws have been abolished; the civil laws have been abolished except for their general equity; the moral laws continue.
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26. O.T. laws are no longer in effect unless repeated in the N.T.
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26. O.T. laws are still in effect unless abrogated in the N.T.
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27. The Millennium is the Kingdom of God. Dispensationalists are always Pre-Millennial and usually Pre-Tribulational.
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27. The Church is the Kingdom of God. Covenanters are usually AMillennial, sometimes Pre-Millennial or Post-Millennial, rarely Pre-Tribulational.
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28. The O.T. animal sacrifices will be restored in the Millennium.
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28. The O.T. sacrifices were fulfilled and forever abolished in Christ.
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29. The Millennium will fulfill the Covenant to Abraham. Israel has a future.
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29. Christ fulfilled the Covenant to Abraham. Some Covenanters believe in a future for literal Israel, most don’t.
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30. David will sit on the Millennial throne in Jerusalem.
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30. Christ alone sits on the throne. Saints rule under Him.
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