Our 6th emphatic belief states "that dispensational teaching, though containing much truth, fails to fully mesh significant doctrines of Scripture, particularly viewing some Old Testament Prophecies as unfulfilled". What is dispensationalism, and why is it incorrect?
Dispensationalism divides redemptive history into distinct epochs, breaking up the unity of the covenant of grace. It holds that there are two parallel people of God (Israel, the church), with necessity of faith in Christ diminished for the Jews. Many of the early dispensationalists (Scofield, for example) were Presbyterian, and Presbyterians as recent as James Montgomery Boice held to dispensational characteristics, such as prophecies fulfilled in the nation of Israel in 1948. Scofield's KJV Reference Bible affected Presbyterians and Baptists alike. Scofield clearly disagreed with the Westminster Confession on the covenant of works and grace. Consider this comment from his reference Bible out of John 1:17 (as cited from puritanboard.com):
"As a dispensation, grace begins with the death and resurrection of Christ, Rom. 3:24-26 4:24,25. The point of testing is no longer legal obedience as the condition of salvation, but acceptance or rejection of Christ, with good works as a fruit of salvation, Jn 1:12,13; 3:36; Mt 21:37; 22:24; Jn 15:22,25; Heb 1:2; 1 Jn 5:10-12. The immediate result of this testing was the rejection of Christ by the Jews, and His crucifixion by Jew and Gentile, Acts 4:27. The predicted end of the testing of man under grace is the apostasy of the professing church °".
Dispensationalism teaches God has a different plan of salvation for each dispensation. Though verses are cited, this is wrongly dividing the word of truth. Compare this with the WCF VII. 5-6 (back page).
And what of Israel and the alleged unfulfilled land promises? Joshua wrote the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which He sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. And the Lord gave them rest round about, according to all that He sware unto their fathers: ° There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass (Josh 21:43-45; cp Neh 9:7-8). Yet, there remains a Jewish remnant according to the election of grace.
