Doctrinal Problems of Acts 2 Theology/ INTRODUCTION

DOCTRINAL PROBLEMS OF ACTS 2 DISPENSATIONALISM

by Robert C. Brock

The purpose of this study is to examine what this system of Dispensationalism teaches about the Church, the Body of Christ. It is in this area of Bible teaching where the Acts 2 position is very weak. It needs to be dramatically improved.

However, I do not want to give the impression that the Acts 2 viewpoint of the Bible is all bad. It is not all bad. They have contributed much to our understanding of Biblical truth through scholarly books and journals. Most of the books in my library have been written by Acts 2 Dispensational scholars.

But, there are 28 teachings involving the Church and its ministry that need to be reviewed and revised in their system. The Pauline Dispensationalism is the only one who can do this.

When believers study the Word of God, they need to realize that the Pauline approach to the Scriptures is the most satisfying way to study God's Word and also to please our Father God. Paul received many revelations from the risen Christ (2 Cor. 12:1,7), and when we follow Paul in his theology we are following the theology of our risen Lord, Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 11:1).

Acts, chapter 13, records Paul's message at Antioch in a synagogue. At the end of that sermon, he stated that the risen Lord commanded him to be a LIGHT of the GENTILES, in order for them to find salvation (Acts 13:47). This not only refers to his preaching and teaching ministry but also to his written ministry, the 13 letters to the Body of Christ and the book of Hebrews. This 'light' through the ministry of the Holy Spirit sheds much truth on the workings of God in the Bible.

This is how we are going to approach the many problems (or errors) of Acts 2 Dispensationalism. The branches of theology that contain these problems in the Acts 2 system are Ecclesiology (the Church), Soteriology (Salvation), Christology (the Work of Christ), and Eschatology (prophecy). Most of the time will be spent studying the doctrines of Ecclesiology, which is the weakest link in the Acts 2 system of teaching.

Only some verses related to the Rapture will be dealt with in the area of prophecy, because Acts 2 Dispensationalism and Pauline Dispensationalism teach basically the same thing. Not much time will be spent on Christology and Soteriology, either.

Another area of truth where Acts 2 Dispensationalism is weak has to do with the Nation of Israel. They are shaky in their understanding of Israel and its teachings. Actually, the Nation of Israel and what God has done with His earthly chosen people is at the center of this controversy which has plagued the Church for many centuries. If one can accept what the Bible teaches about Israel, then the truth about the Church and Prophecy will be taken care of automatically.

This sounds so simple, but it has become a very complex Bible study that Bible students with good intentions have messed up in a terrible way.

We can say then, that this study will deal with Israel and Judaism, and the main viewpoints that are being taught in Christendom by Dispensationalists. The many contrasts will be between Judaism and Christianity as it was revealed to the Apostle Paul.

Some doctrines in the Bible will not be very involved with this discussion. Bible truth such as Divine Inspiration, the Deity of Christ, the Fall of Adam, sin, and other common doctrines are taken for granted. There would be no need to go into these truths because of common agreement on them.

This study will not deal with hermeneutics either, because of the common -usage of the main principle of interpretation found in 2 Timothy 2:15, 'rightly dividing the word of truth,' and taking the Bible in a literal sense, which includes the historical-grammatical approach to Scripture.

There are two main schools of Dispensationalism - the Acts 2 viewpoint and the Pauline viewpoint. Differences between dispensationalists are chiefly in the area of Ecclesiology, the doctrine of the Church. This is the battle ground between Acts 2 believers and Pauline believers.

The Acts 2 position is much weaker than the Pauline position. This is because the Acts 2 position has much in common with Reformed Theology when it comes to an understanding of the truth about the Church. Acts 2 Dispensationalists are VERY INCONSISTENT in their separation of what belongs to Israel and what belongs to the Church, as we are going to learn. This inconsistency is what causes the problems in this system of theology. Both systems claim to rightly divide the Word of truth, but the Acts 2 position does not go far enough in its application of this Divine principle. Pauline Dispensationalists have accepted the light thrown on the doctrine of the Church by the Holy Spirit because of being consistent in using 2 Timothy 2:15.

Each section dealing with a problem will be presented in two parts - (1) the Acts 2 position, and (2) The Truth from the Pauline perspective. The Acts 2 position will be summarized from their teachings on the subject, and some names mentioned with their books.

All of the many problems that will be examined are inter-related. Hence, there will be a certain amount of repetition as we look for the truth.

With that in mind, let us briefly inspect the doctrinal problems of Acts 2 Dispensationalism.