Reform vs Dispensationalism

A short overview of church history

Church doctrine is an important component of the church. It determines how we behave. Throughout church history there have been men that shaped the way we interpret the bible. Saint Augustine (354-430) was the first to put in order most of the teachings we observe today. His doctrine was challenged by Pelagius (354-418) who was condemned at the Synod of Jerusalem in 415. Semi-Pelagianism followed within 10 years as an attempt to soften Augustine’s doctrine. The Council of Orange condemned Semi-Pelagianism in 529. The Catholic Church became the authority over doctrine until the Reformation. Martin Luther (1483-1546) restored the doctrine of Justification by Faith. John Calvin (1509-1564) restored the doctrines of Augustine. These were challenged by Arminius (1560-1609) in the same areas as Pelagius (concerning the question of free will and God’s sovereignty). Arminius’ position was condemned at the Synod of Dort in 1619. [You can read about them in the Calvinism vs. Arminianism article on the site]

Lately, a new challenger has arisen. John Darby (1800-1882) developed a theology that claims God has two plans. One for the children of Israel and a different plan for the church. This teaching claims that God’s “Chosen People” are now and always will be the literal offspring of Jacob. They have a unique beginning, a path and a destiny. Separate and apart from them, “The Church” (yes, of Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah!) had a distinct beginning, its own different path, and a destiny not shared with God’s special family. It is known as Dispensationalism. Around one third of American churches teach this heresy. (In fairness, most church goers don’t know that’s what they’re being taught). It can be identified by its four heavily emphasized doctrines; 1. Strong emphasis on modern day Israel. 2. The rapture theory. 3. Belief in a future 7 year tribulation, and 4. A literal reign of Jesus during a future millennium. Any of these four teachings can easily be debunked by a bible reader, but because the whole theology collapses if any of the four fails, they fiercely defend each point. In opposition to this false gospel, is our friend, Reformed Theology.

From the Apostles Creed to the Nicene Creed to the Athanasian Creed to the Belgic Confession to the Westminster Confession and beyond, The Church has been in good hands.

Dispensationalism vs. The Bible

Dispensationalism says God is separating. The Bible says God is gathering

• Eph.1:10 “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ Jesus, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; in Him.
• Eph.2:12 At that time you were without Christ aliens from the commonwealth of Israel…but now in Christ Jesus ye…are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
• Eph.2:14-16, 18-22 He is our peace who hath made both one, and hath broken down the wall of partition between us. Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself one new man so making peace; and that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby…For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself the chief cornerstone; in whom all the building fitly framed together growth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
• John 12:32 And if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto Me
• John 14:6 …no man comes to the Father but by Me.
• Eph.3:6 That the gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel.
• Eph.4:4-6 There is one body. And one Spirit…one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
• Gal.3:7-8,14 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen by faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, “In thee shall all nations be blessed”…That the blessings of Abraham might come on the gentiles through Jesus Christ. Romans 11:16-18 states “If the root is holy then so are the branches”. The unbelieving natural children of Israel were broken off and believing gentiles were grafted in. One root and one tree not two separate roots or trees.

Dispensationalism says there are two roads. The Bible says there is one

From the beginning of Genesis there was one promise of deliverance and one seed to fulfill that promise. Gen.3:15 “I will put enmity between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shall bruise His heel”. Through Seth, Noah, Shem, Eber and Abram the seed continued. God established a covenant with Abram and changed his name.

• Gen.17:7 “I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy seed”. The seed promise continues on to David (2Sam.22:51 and 1Kings 2:33). Jesus is called the “Son of David” 17 times in the New Testament. Hebrews 2:16 states that Jesus “took on Him the seed of Abraham”. Gal.3:15 “The promises were to Abraham and his seed, and that seed was Christ. Jesus said “I didn’t come to destroy the law, I came to fulfill it” (Matt.5:17). Hebrews 8:13 “A new covenant made the first old, decaying and ready to vanish. Where are the two roads? Can the Old Covenant and the New Covenant be in effect right now? The New Testament says No! dispensationalism says yes.

Dispensationalism says Israel is God’s chosen. The Bible says the church is

• John 15:16 You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you
• John 15:19 I have chosen you out of the world.
• Eph.1:4 According as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world.
• 2Thess.2:13 God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation…
• 1Pet.2:9 Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood a holy nation…
• John 6:44 No man can come to me unless the Father which sent me draw him. And I will raise him up at the last day.
• Rev.21:2-3 I saw the holy city prepared as a bride…and God will dwell with them and they shall be His people and God will be their God. If God is with us, whose with them?

Dispensationalism says the church is a parenthesis. The Bible says Israel is

• Gal.3:24-25 The law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
• Luke 16:16 The law and the prophets were unto John: Since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presses into it.
• Hebrews 7:19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did.
• Hebrews 10:4,9 It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins…Therefore He takes away the first to establish the second.

Dispensationalism is a poorly conceived and terribly distorted theology. In most cases, directly opposed to the plain teaching of the New Testament and yet, it has many adherents and backers ready to condemn any saints who disagree with its message.

Dispensationalism says Israel and the church are separate. The Bible says they are one (we only say we are what the Bible says we are)

God calls Israel	God calls Church
A kingdom of priests	A royal priesthood
A special prized people	A people for His own possession
Yahweh is their Husband	Christ is their Husband
Israel is Son of Yahweh	Church are Sons of God in Christ

To both He says: “I will be their God” and “I will dwell with them”

The Bible calls both Israel and the church; a Holy Nation, Beloved, Chosen, God’s Congregation, Abraham’s Seed, The Circumcision, Jews, The Redeemed, His Sheep, His People, His House, Israel, His Bride and His Wife. [20 things] Not a complete list, but you get the idea.

Dispensationalism is a 200 year old cancer plaguing the church. It began with the heretical concept of helping the Jews fulfill all the Old Testament prophecies that weren’t literally fulfilled before Jesus appeared. Began by John Darby in the 1830’s, his idea is the Jews have their origin, their unique path and a future destiny (as God’s chosen people); And the church is a ‘parenthesis’ and has a separate origin, an unrelated path and a different destiny (not as prestigious as Israel). This concept is completely foreign to the bible. Anyone who has read the bible knows how insane this sounds.

A “gospel” of Jesus Christ that leaves out a nation is a false gospel!

Dispensationalists are proud to call themselves dispensationalists! This is a false gospel, A cursed gospel! The foundational ideas are not based on scripture. This is a doctrine built on sand. We discussed this at length in Bible College. We put this bad doctrine to death in the 70’s! And yet, here it is thriving in 2025.

Again, it stands (or falls) on 4 pillars (they need all four, so if you challenge one, prepare for an energetic response), And none of them are true.

1. A very literal and still ongoing interpretation of all Old Testament prophecies concerning natural Israel.

2. The need for a coming of Jesus prior to the 2nd coming (“rapture”) to get the Christians out of the way so God can return to dealing with His “chosen people” (the Jews).

3. The need for a future great tribulation (to tie the book of Revelation to a future 7 year tribulation).

4. The need to make the 1,000 year millennium (Rev.20) literal (to provide all the time God needs to fulfill all the old testament prophecies that weren’t literally fulfilled before Christ came).

Incredibly, many 21st century American churches adhere to this fantasy. As you know, most churches are constantly pointing to Israel as the timeclock of God and the apple of His eye. They’re awaiting the next “prophet” to give them the latest updates on Ezekiel 38 or other “prophetic fulfillments” about a country that is not Christian or Jewish.

This is the very definition of “trodding under foot the Son of God and counting the blood of the covenant an unholy thing and doing despite unto the Spirit of grace” (Heb.10:29).

The other pillars are easy to dismantle (I gave them separate sections in Eschatology).

Reformed Theology Response:

The correct way to interpret the bible is the way it has always been done.

Jesus is the subject of the bible not the Jews. In Christianity, the Main Point of Theology must be The Gospel; “Justification by Faith”. This gospel is central to all other beliefs (doctrines). This is the House built on a solid rock. When storms come, it will stand. If this isn’t the heart of your theology, nothing else will be right. We interpret the Old Testament scripture in light of the New Testament. Anyone who disputes this doesn’t understand Divine Inspiration. One author, one eternal plan, to one end. We didn’t replace Israel, we ARE Israel!

Jesus said “I haven’t come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. Literal Israel was the parenthesis (not the church). Abraham was “The father of many nations”

Moses told them “A Prophet like me is coming; If you reject Him, you will die” (Deu.18:18). Peter declared that prophet was “the one whom you crucified” Jesus Christ, the Son of God in Acts 3:22-23.

Everyone knows there were no unconditional promises made to Abraham or anyone else concerning land or Abraham’s offspring. All the promises of the Old Testament prophets were conditional.

Joshua stated that all God’s promises were fulfilled in Josh.21:43,45. "So, the Lord gave to Israel all the land that He swore to give their fathers, and they took possession of it and they settled there…There failed not one of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel; All came to pass". So what promises are dispensationalists referring to?

When Jesus appeared, He preached the Kingdom to the Jews. The majority of them rejected the message. God’s heart (goal) was the world, not Palestine. Jesus atoned for the sins of the world (Rom.5:11). Jesus ushered in the New Covenant; and in doing that, He made the old one obsolete (Heb.8:13). At the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow in heaven on earth and under the earth Php.2:10. I believe every knee means every knee!

False Teaching:

1. The Jews will have their special revival after the “rapture” (which gives everyone 7 years to change their minds).
2. “The great tribulation” is a 7 year period where Jews will be punished (not sure why) but repent (even though Jesus said there would only be one great tribulation, they’re calling for two).
3. The entire land of Canaan will be returned to Israel so they can return to animal sacrifices? Presumably while Jesus, the actual “Lamb for sinners slain” is reigning on a throne in the same town!?!
4. Because there are separate destinies for Jews and Christians, there are two brides?
5. The Church’s gift is Glorious Jesus; The Jews gift is Old Covenant promises and natural rewards?
6. But if you quote the bible and argue that all these teachings are unscriptural, you’re called a “replacement theory” adherent and antisemitic!

Check out the articles on the Olivet Discourse, The 70 Weeks, The Rapture and the Israel of God in the Eschatology section.