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The Violated
Gospel
The Gospel is the good news that Christ has come and finished the work of
redemption.
Dispensationalism is in direct contradiction of the
good news of Christ.
Now let me prove my point, if you will.
The heart of dispensationalism involves two peoples of God, one is the
Church, the other is the Jewish race.
There are some variations of this thought within dispensationalism.
Jesus said the following.-
Matt 3:9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our
father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up
children unto Abraham. 10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the
trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down,
and cast into the fire. (KJV)
1. Why did Jesus say that God could turn stones into the children of
Abraham? What was the Jews of his day into that provoked him to say this? Just
what were the trees here representative of? Only the good trees were going to
survive?
2. Did Paul teach us that it was only the child of promise through whom the
world would be blessed?
Did he not teach that it is only those who are of faith that God recognizes
as being his Israel, or a child of Abraham?
3. Does the NT teach us that the middle wall of partition was torn down so
that from that time forward there would no longer be any racial connotations in
the gospel?
God gave Abraham the following promise. -
Gen 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee,
and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them
that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all
families of the earth be blessed. (KJV)
Paul said the following concerning those who were truly of Abraham. -
Rom 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the
righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he
might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not
circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 12 And the
father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who
also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being
yet uncircumcised. 13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the
world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the
righteousness of faith. 14 For if they which are of the law be heirs,
faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: (KJV)
4. In light of these two texts how can we justify making a nation of
unbelieving Jews the recipients of God's favor?
5. If the Israel of our day was rebuilt on the basis of OT scripture or the
law, then on what basis is it that they are now considered to be God's favored
people though they live in unbelief?
Paul also said. -
Gal 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the
heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham,
saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be of
faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. 3:28 There is neither
Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male
nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be
Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
(KJV)
6. With these NT principles in mind how can we deny that dispensationalism
is a violation of the gospel?
7. How can we justify speaking of two peoples of God, one of the flesh and
one spiritual, when Paul says, in this last verse, that we are all one in
Christ?
8. If we are a believing Christian we are to receive the same promises as
was given to Abraham? If so, where do unbelieving Jews fit in this picture?
I do not see them, other then being in unbelief and need of conversion, like
all of the others who do not believe.
9. Where do all of these principles find their fulfillment in
dispensationalism?
It appears obvious to me that they are openly violated by the doctrine of
dispensationalism.
Yes, Paul seemed to have tied the unsaved Jews into his view of the future,
however, he may well have only been speaking from the point of his own desires
for his people. He said he had continual sorrow for his kinsmen in the flesh. In
another sense he also may have only been speaking of those who would eventually
follow Christ, the people of the promise that he spoke of above. In any
case he did not necessarily contradict the doctrine as he taught in the
scriptures above. Dispensationalism does.
Paul and Barnabus and James speak of the house of David being rebuilt and
how that all who were of faith would be a part of it.
Acts 15:8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving
them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; 9 And put no difference between
us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
15:12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas
and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the
Gentiles by them. 13 And after they had held their peace, James answered,
saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: 14 Simeon hath declared how God at
the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
15 And to
this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
16 After
this I will return, and will build
again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build
again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: 17
That the
residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my
name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these
things. (KJV)
James quotes the OT and in that passage it teaches us that after the Tabernacle of
David was rebuilt then the Gentiles would come in along with Israel.
Please note the term "after." According to
these apostles the Tabernacle of David had, past tense,
been rebuilt through the ministry of Christ and they were seeing the end
result. The Gentiles were coming in to it through faith.
It is a violation of the Gospel to put this off in the future, for it is for
all who will accept it, and not a racial thing. It is contradictory of the
message of the Gospel to deny that it is now "whosoever will." We are
now, present tense, the "temple of God."
V. M.
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