Hyperdispensationalism
Encyclopedia
Hyper-dispensationalism (or ultra-dispensationalism or more rarely "Bullingerism") is a niche Protestant
doctrine that views the teachings of the Apostle Paul
both as unique from earlier apostles and as foundational for the church, a perspective sometimes characterized by proponents as the "Pauline Distinctive"
. E. W. Bullinger
(1837–1913), an Anglican clergyman and scholar, is the best known early expositor of hyper-dispensationalism, although the ideas trace back further to John Nelson Darby
(1800–1882).
Hyper-dispensationalism is rejected by mainstream dispensationalism
, which holds that the Church began at Pentecost
long prior to Paul's conversion to Christianity as described early in the New Testament
book entitled "Acts of the Apostles
". Popular dispensationalist Harry A. Ironside
(1876–1951) declared Bullingerism an "absolutely Satanic perversion of the truth"
. Anti-dispensationalists simultaneously admire hyper-dispensationalism as a "consistent Dispensationalism" and condemn it as much like a "cult or sect"
. Evangelicals
eject adherents as "divisive"
. The clearest scholarly references to hyper-dispensationalism are made by Charles C. Ryrie and Charles F. Baker.
Advocates of hyper-dispensationalism accept the term "dispensationalism", but reject the prefix "hyper" or "ultra" as pejorative. Within the United States, advocates often refer to themselves as members of the "Grace Movement", and affiliate with the Grace Gospel Fellowship denomination
and its Grace Bible College
in Grand Rapids, Michigan
.
. The four truths are (in order of loss)
The truths, advocates say, were gradually recovered in reverse order starting during the Protestant Reformation
Hyper-dispensationalists reject water baptism
, which divides them from mainstream dispensationalists who are often Baptists, like W. A. Criswell
, or in earlier times Presbyterians like James H. Brookes
.
Hyper-dispensationalists themselves are divided on the Lord's Supper
.
for the church. They differentiate among themselves by terminology reflecting when the normative portion of Paul's ministry began in the book of Acts. The most obvious result of this internal differentiation is whether the Lord's Supper
is accepted in their church.
Bullinger held that Paul's authoritative teaching began at the conclusion of the book of Acts, a viewpoint now characterized as "Acts 28" dispensationalism (chapter 28 being the concluding chapter of the book), a position he solidified in cooperation with Charles H. Welch
. Other writers holding this position include Sir Robert Anderson, Oscar M. Baker, and Otis Q. Sellers. Acts 28 Dispensationalists distinguish themselves with their belief that today’s Church, is exclusively revealed in Paul’s later writings, in the so-called "Prison Epistles."
Acts 28 Dispensationalists tend to reject all ordinances including the Lord’s Supper
.
The so-called "mid-Acts" position was developed later by Cornelius R. Stam, Charles F. Baker, among others, and reflects their position that Paul's normative ministry began in either the ninth or thirteenth chapter. The mid-Acts position accepts the Lord's Supper
.
John Nelson Darby
, sometimes called the father of dispensationism, held views similar to the mid-Acts position. Darby writes:
Mainstream dispensationalists are referred to holding the "Acts 2" position in the spectrum, because that chapter describes the events at Pentecost
.
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
doctrine that views the teachings of the Apostle Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
both as unique from earlier apostles and as foundational for the church, a perspective sometimes characterized by proponents as the "Pauline Distinctive"
. E. W. Bullinger
E. W. Bullinger
Ethelbert William Bullinger AKC was an Anglican clergyman, Biblical scholar, and ultradispensationalist theologian.-Life and work:...
(1837–1913), an Anglican clergyman and scholar, is the best known early expositor of hyper-dispensationalism, although the ideas trace back further to John Nelson Darby
John Nelson Darby
John Nelson Darby was an Anglo-Irish evangelist, and an influential figure among the original Plymouth Brethren. He is considered to be the father of modern Dispensationalism. He produced a translation of the Bible based on the Hebrew and Greek texts called The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation...
(1800–1882).
Hyper-dispensationalism is rejected by mainstream dispensationalism
Dispensationalism
Dispensationalism is a nineteenth-century evangelical development based on a futurist biblical hermeneutic that sees a series of chronologically successive "dispensations" or periods in history in which God relates to human beings in different ways under different Biblical covenants.As a system,...
, which holds that the Church began at Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
long prior to Paul's conversion to Christianity as described early in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
book entitled "Acts of the Apostles
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles , usually referred to simply as Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament; Acts outlines the history of the Apostolic Age...
". Popular dispensationalist Harry A. Ironside
Harry A. Ironside
Henry Allen "Harry" Ironside was a Canadian-American Bible teacher, preacher, theologian, pastor, and author.-Biography:...
(1876–1951) declared Bullingerism an "absolutely Satanic perversion of the truth"
. Anti-dispensationalists simultaneously admire hyper-dispensationalism as a "consistent Dispensationalism" and condemn it as much like a "cult or sect"
. Evangelicals
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
eject adherents as "divisive"
. The clearest scholarly references to hyper-dispensationalism are made by Charles C. Ryrie and Charles F. Baker.
Advocates of hyper-dispensationalism accept the term "dispensationalism", but reject the prefix "hyper" or "ultra" as pejorative. Within the United States, advocates often refer to themselves as members of the "Grace Movement", and affiliate with the Grace Gospel Fellowship denomination
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
and its Grace Bible College
Grace Bible College
Grace Bible College is a fundamentalist Christian college in the premillennial, dispensational tradition located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The school is regionally accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and the Association for Biblical Higher Education to award...
in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
.
General views
Hyper-dispensationalism holds that the early Christian Church lost “four basic truths” starting near the end of the Apostle Paul’s ministry. The four truths are (in order of loss)
-
- The Distinctive Message and Ministry of the Apostle Paul
- The Pre-Tribulational RaptureRaptureThe rapture is a reference to the "being caught up" referred to in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, when the "dead in Christ" and "we who are alive and remain" will be caught up in the clouds to meet "the Lord"....
of the Church, the Body of Christ - The Difference between Israel and the Church, the Body of Christ
- Justification by Faith Alone, in Christ Alone.
The truths, advocates say, were gradually recovered in reverse order starting during the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
- for example, Martin LutherMartin LutherMartin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
is credited with recovery of "justification by faith" and John Nelson DarbyJohn Nelson DarbyJohn Nelson Darby was an Anglo-Irish evangelist, and an influential figure among the original Plymouth Brethren. He is considered to be the father of modern Dispensationalism. He produced a translation of the Bible based on the Hebrew and Greek texts called The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation...
with "Church Truth"
Hyper-dispensationalists reject water baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
, which divides them from mainstream dispensationalists who are often Baptists, like W. A. Criswell
W. A. Criswell
Wallie Amos Criswell, Ph.D. , was an American pastor, author, and a two-term elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1968 to 1970...
, or in earlier times Presbyterians like James H. Brookes
James H. Brookes
James H. Brookes, D. D. , American religious writer, was pastor of Walnut Street Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, Missouri.The was named in his honor . Dr. Brookes was a prolific writer, having authored more than 200 booklets and tracts...
.
Hyper-dispensationalists themselves are divided on the Lord's Supper
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
.
Divisions
Hyper-dispensationalists disagree among themselves as to whether the apostle Paul's early ministry was transitional or normativeNormative
Normative has specialized contextual meanings in several academic disciplines. Generically, it means relating to an ideal standard or model. In practice, it has strong connotations of relating to a typical standard or model ....
for the church. They differentiate among themselves by terminology reflecting when the normative portion of Paul's ministry began in the book of Acts. The most obvious result of this internal differentiation is whether the Lord's Supper
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
is accepted in their church.
Bullinger held that Paul's authoritative teaching began at the conclusion of the book of Acts, a viewpoint now characterized as "Acts 28" dispensationalism (chapter 28 being the concluding chapter of the book), a position he solidified in cooperation with Charles H. Welch
Charles Henry Welch
Charles Henry Welch was a Christian dispensational theologian, writer and speaker.During his lifetime he produced over 60 books, booklets and pamphlets, and more than 500 audio recordings. His most significant works are 56 bound volumes of the Berean Expositor, a Bible study magazine edited by Mr...
. Other writers holding this position include Sir Robert Anderson, Oscar M. Baker, and Otis Q. Sellers. Acts 28 Dispensationalists distinguish themselves with their belief that today’s Church, is exclusively revealed in Paul’s later writings, in the so-called "Prison Epistles."
Acts 28 Dispensationalists tend to reject all ordinances including the Lord’s Supper
.
The so-called "mid-Acts" position was developed later by Cornelius R. Stam, Charles F. Baker, among others, and reflects their position that Paul's normative ministry began in either the ninth or thirteenth chapter. The mid-Acts position accepts the Lord's Supper
.
John Nelson Darby
John Nelson Darby
John Nelson Darby was an Anglo-Irish evangelist, and an influential figure among the original Plymouth Brethren. He is considered to be the father of modern Dispensationalism. He produced a translation of the Bible based on the Hebrew and Greek texts called The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation...
, sometimes called the father of dispensationism, held views similar to the mid-Acts position. Darby writes:
Mainstream dispensationalists are referred to holding the "Acts 2" position in the spectrum, because that chapter describes the events at Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
.
See also
- DispensationalismDispensationalismDispensationalism is a nineteenth-century evangelical development based on a futurist biblical hermeneutic that sees a series of chronologically successive "dispensations" or periods in history in which God relates to human beings in different ways under different Biblical covenants.As a system,...
- E. W. BullingerE. W. BullingerEthelbert William Bullinger AKC was an Anglican clergyman, Biblical scholar, and ultradispensationalist theologian.-Life and work:...
-- describes some of the basic theology, especially the Acts 28 doctrine - Grace Bible CollegeGrace Bible CollegeGrace Bible College is a fundamentalist Christian college in the premillennial, dispensational tradition located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The school is regionally accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and the Association for Biblical Higher Education to award...
-- first president of the college was Charles F. Baker; in the mid-1960s, the College experienced a break with one of its early supporters, Cornelius R. Stam - Pauline ChristianityPauline ChristianityPauline Christianity is a term used to refer to the Christianity associated with the beliefs and doctrines espoused by Paul of Tarsus through his writings. Most of orthodox Christianity relies heavily on these teachings and considers them to be amplifications and explanations of the teachings of...
External links
- Writings and recordings of Acts 28 dispensationalist Charles H. Welch
- Acts 28 dispensationalist Oscar M. Baker's writings
- GraceImpact.org by Richard Jordan
- Ultra-dispensationalism from Elwell Evangelical Dictionary
- 85 Pages in the Bible Comprehensive survey of the divisions of Scripture from the Post-Acts dispensational perspective
- Berean Bible Society History of the Grace Movement
- God's Invitation to the World A clear presentation of the Dispensational Approach to Scripture.
- Grace Gospel Fellowship
- Magnified Word site maintained by a former "mid-Acts" hyperdispensationalist adherent