| |
Dispensationalism |
Covenant Theology |
| 1 |
Either
Pelagian, Semi Pelagian, Arminian, Evangelical Arminian, rarely a
modified Calvinism and even less rarely a five point Calvinist |
Augustinian
and Calvinistic, Reformed and Presbyterian embraces five points,
Lutheran a modified version as well as Anglicans |
| 2 |
Stresses a
'literal' interpretation of the Bible |
Accepts both
literal and figurative interpretation |
| 3 |
Usually does
not accept the idea of “Analogy of Faith” |
Almost always
accepts the idea of “Analogy of Faith” |
| 4 |
“Israel”
always means only the literal, physical descendants of Jacob |
“Israel” may
be literal, physical descendants of Jacob or figurative,
spiritual Israel, based on context |
| 5 |
“Israel of God'
in Galatians 6:16 is physical Israel alone |
“Israel of
God” in Galatians 6:16 is spiritual Israel, cf Galatians 3:29, Romans
2:28-29, 9:6; Philippians 3:3 |
| 6 |
God has two
peoples with two separate destinies: Israel (earthly) and the Church
(heavenly) |
God always
had only one people, which developed from Abraham to the Church |
| 7 |
The Church was
born at Pentecost |
The Church
began in the Old Testament (Acts 7:38) and reached fulfillment in the
New |
| 8 |
The Church
was not prophesied as such in the Old Testament but was a hidden
mystery until the New |
The Old
Testament contains many prophecies of the New Testament Church |
| 9 |
All Old
Testament prophecies for Israel are for literal Israel, not the church
|
Some Old
Testament prophecies were for literal Israel, others are for spiritual
Israel |
| 10 |
God's main
purpose in history is literal Israel |
God's main
purpose is Christ and secondly the Church. |
| 11 |
The church is
a parenthesis in God's program for the ages. |
The church is
the culmination of God's saving purpose for the ages |
| 12 |
The main heir
to Abraham's covenant was Isaac and literal Israel |
The main heir
to Abraham's covenant was Christ and spiritual Israel |
| 13 |
There was no
eternal “Covenant of Redemption” within the Trinity |
The eternal
“Covenant of Redemption” was within the Trinity to effect election
|
| 14 |
There was no
“Covenant of Works” with Adam in the Garden of Eden |
God made a
conditional “Covenant of Works” with Adam as representative for all
his posterity |
| 15 |
There was no
“Covenant of Grace” concerning Adam |
God made a
“Covenant of Grace” with Christ and His people, including Adam |
| 16 |
Israel was
rash to accept the Covenant at Mount Sinai |
Israel was
right to accept the Covenant Mount Sinai |
| 17 |
The “New
Covenant” of Jeremiah 31:31-34 is only for literal Israel and is not
the New Covenant of Luke 22:20 |
The “New
Covenant” of Jeremiah 31 is the same as in Luke 22; Hebrews 8, says
both are for spiritual Israel |
| 18 |
God's program
in history is mainly through separate dispensations |
God's program
in history is mainly through related covenants |
| 19 |
Some
Dispensationalists have said that Old Testament sinners were saved by
works |
No one was ever
saved by works, but by grace alone |
| 20 |
Most
Dispensationalists teach that men in the Old Testament, were saved by
faith in a revelation peculiar to their dispensation, but this did not
include faith in the Messiah as their sin-bearer. |
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. |
| 21 |
The Old
Testament sacrifices were not recognized as the Gospel or types of the
Messiah as sin-bearer, but only seen as such in retrospect |
Old Testament
believers believed in the Gospel of Messiah as sin-bearer mainly by
the sacrifices as types and prophecies |
