INTRODUCTION :- The Topic EXPLANATION :- Why EXPLORATION :- What is taught CLARIFICATION :- Where we stand APPLICATION :- What we do INFORMATION :- Further Study
INTRODUCTIONCOVENANT THEOLOGY Historical Reformed Teaching. Early Church Fathers
Calvin, Reformers and Puritans. SOVERIGN GRACE :-God’s eternal plan of salvation.(Presbyterians)
DISPENSATIONALISM A new view of God’s plan of salvation which
surfaced mid 19th century (Plymouth Brethren et al)
EXPLANATION :-WHY?We will meet others with conflicting viewsThey also will refer to scripture textsThese will be fellow believers who share our
faithThey may be sincere and may have arrived at
these views prayerfullyThey may be dogmatic in their viewsWe must treat them (fellow believers) with
courtesy when in discussion
3 Competing Views Emerge
CAVINISM (Presbyterians etc.) 1600s
ARMINIANISM (Methodists etc.) 1700s
DESPENSATIONALISM (Brethren etc) 1800s
EXPLORATION DISPENSATIONALISTS believe that God’s plan of salvation went
through seven different time periods or dispensations.
Father Ribera 1591 AD (RC Jesuit priest) Emmanuel Lacunza 1731 -1801 (Jesuit priest from Chile)
Edward Irving 1792 – 1834 (Charismatic Scottish minister)
• Margaret McDonald 1830• (15 year old Scottish girl vision of the rapture)
• John Nelson Darby 1800 -1882• (Anglo/Irish Evangelist)
• Cyrus Scofield 1843 – 1921• (American evangelist and • Scofield Reference Bible)
1.
7 DISPENSATIONS:-
1. INNOCENCE (From creation to the fall of man)
2. CONSCIENCE (From the fall of man until the flood)
3. HUMAN GOVERNMENT (From the flood until the call of Abraham)
4. PROMISE ( From the call of Abraham until the Mosaic Law)
5. MOSIAC LAW ( From the Mosaic Law until Christ was crucified)
6. GRACE ( From Christ was crucified until the rapture of the church)
7. MILLINNIUM (From the rapture of the church until Satan is released from the abyss)
• Covenant Theology recognises only 2 Covenants in the Bible
• 1. Covenant of Works(obedience) made with Adam and his posterity
• 2. Covenant of Grace made with men upon condition of accepting Christ by faith.
• God had no plan ‘B’ . The plan of redemption through Christ was in place from all eternity
Dispensationalists see the church believers and Israel as two different sets of believers with two different purposes and two different destinations in eternity
ONE WAY
CALVARY
• In faith through shadows, By Faith alone• types & ordinances etc
OT Believers N T Believers
God’s Plan :- being revealedGod’s Plan :- being revealedby the sacrifice of a lambby the sacrifice of a lamb
For an Individual
For a Family