Mid Acts Dispensationalism

[Andrea]

I have recently come across a group of believers that believe in something call Mid Acts Dispensationalism. Are any of you familiar with this doctrine?

From what I can gather, they believe the church for the Gentiles started with Paul. They believe that the Gospels were written for the Jewish people and really have no bearing on us today. They believe that the epistles of Paul are what we as the church today are to live by. They don't believe any of the other books of the NT, like Hebrews, I & II Peter, I, II, & III John are not for us either. .. They say that there is no need for baptism nor the Lord's Supper. Of course I know that baptism is not needed for salvation, but I have always been taught that it is the first step in obedience to the Lord once we are saved.

I would be very interested in any comments concerning this as this is really the first time I've heard this. I am reading Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth by H.A. Ironside. Have any of you read that book?

Thanks so much.

[Brother Ben]

Sister Andrea,
if any one is "Wrongly Dividing the Word of God" it is this group you have mentioned. There is some dispensational truth, but this group is what you call an "ultradispensationalis." They have, what the old timers say, have gone to seed with this stuff. I only have this to say for their newly discovered theology:

2Ti 3:16 All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Mat 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

If you take out the Gospels, Hebrews, I and II Peter and I, II, and III John, you have a pretty mushy Christianity, i.e., no back bone. This is counterfeit Christianity.

Ben

[brobob]

I have to agree with Bro. Ben on this. They don't sound much different than the Arian heresy that the early church fought which believed in only one of the 4 Gospels and selected epistles as being the only "true" Scripture.

[7schmicks]

I looked at the website and found the dispensational teaching very interesting, since we are dispensationalists (probably what he would call the Traditional type.) It is clear to see that God has had different ways of working with people throughout the history of the world. Things are not the same now as they were in the Garden of Eden, or as they were before the giving of the law, for example.

The man who wrote the site believes that Paul was the first member of the body of Christ. My husband and I both agreed that it was not right to totally discount what went on during the first half of the book of Acts. It says clearly that God added to the church such as should be saved, so even though Paul may have been the first one actually commissioned to be sent to the Gentiles, he wasn't the first to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and see people saved and added to the Church. There were Gentiles saved even before Paul started preaching, I believe, too. Philip baptised the Ethiopian eunich before then.

Sister Brenda

[Andrea]

Thank you all for your comments. I have been trying to study out what these people teach and I find it all rather confusing. So, I'm standing by the verse that says God is not the author of confusion and moving on from this.

Thanks again for your comments.

[molly]

They sound like they "dispensed" with common sense when it comes to the Bible.

[Andrea]

That was funny, Molly!! And so true!!

[Brother Ben]

There are some things in the New Testament that have to be carefully discerned, for example, the Book of Hebrews. Many use this book to prove a theological point that may not be there. When using the Book of Hebrews we must start with it's name: Hebrews. This book of the N.T. is written to those of Hewbrew descent who have not yet embraced the Christian faith. The writer of Hebrews (who I think is Paul, MHO,) speaks again and again of "us" and "we" who have the common lineage of those who God lead out of Egypt and proved for 40 years. He tells those who are living in his time, do not sin as they sinned with an evil heart of unbelief unless you too perish through faithlessness. He goes on to explain the priesthood and offerings and their replacement with Christ and that if you turn back there remain no other sacrifice for sins. The book transcends in chapter 11 (the faith chapter) and we see that faith makes one united with God and pleasing to Him.