Dispensationalism vs. Scripture: Part I

Does Christ want to be a literal king on earth?
“My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18: 36).
“When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone” (John 6: 15).

Aren’t the OT promises about “Abraham’s seed” meant for Jews only?
No. “For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children…That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed” (Romans 9: 6-8). Christ was the promise. His children aren’t determined by blood type or race.

But what about when God promised a lot of territory to the “seed” of Abraham?
“He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ” (Gal. 3: 16). God intends for Christ--not the current nation-state of Israel—to have dominion on earth.

Are you saying there aren’t two distinct peoples of God?
“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus…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” (Gal. 3: 26, 28).

So were OT saints saved by grace through faith in the Messiah, just like everyone else?
“By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward” (Hebrews 11: 24-26). Moses believed in Christ. Acts 2: 29-31 tells us that David believed in Christ and His resurrection. Even Adam and Eve heard the promise of the coming Christ (Gen 3: 15).

OT saints were saved the same as NT saints—by grace through faith in Christ. They had ordinances that foreshadowed Christ (sacrifices, the Passover feast, etc.); we have ordinances that remember Christ (the Lord’s supper, baptism). They were looking forward to the cross; we are looking back at it. The blood of the cross ran down both sides of the hill, offering “one sacrifice for sins forever” (Hebrews 10: 12).

Which means—and this is a radical thought for some people--the Bible is all one story. We don’t need to chop it up. We don’t need to guess which parts are written for Christians and which parts are written for Jews. It’s all one story about one master plan.

To be continued…