Ultradispensalationism is a minority
Christian doctrine regarding the relationship between
God, the
Christian church and human beings. As the name implies, it is an extreme form of
dispensationalism.
The clearest scholarly references to
Ultradispensationalism (sometimes known as "Extreme Ultradispensationalism" or "Bullingerism") are made by
Charles C. Ryrie [1] and Charles F. Baker.
[2]
Ultradispensationalism is a niche doctrine of Christian belief that
believes that the Christian Church began with Paul’s statement made to
the Jewish leaders at Rome near the end of the
Book of Acts
with Acts 28:28 stating: "Be it known therefore unto you, that the
salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it"
being the foundational Scripture of belief of the doctrine of
Ultradispensationalism.
[3]
Ultradispensationalists distinguish themselves with their belief that
today’s Church is exclusively revealed in Paul’s later writings, in the
so-called
Prison Epistles. The Prison Epistles contain Paul’s presentation of “the
mystery
... Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it
is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets” (Eph. 3:3-6). This
mystery is identified as the Church, a mystery then unrevealed when he
wrote his Acts-period epistles.
By contrast, Acts and Paul’s early epistles are deemed to cover the
Jewish Church
that concluded Israel’s prophesied history (Bullinger, 1972, p. 195).
One rationale for this view is that Paul’s epistles written during the
period of Acts only proclaim those things which the prophets and Moses
said would come, as Paul himself stated in Acts 26:22. The Acts-period
epistles are 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians,
and Romans. Some add Hebrews to this list, believing it to also be
written by Paul.
Within the United States, advocates often refer to themselves as members of the "Grace Movement,"
[4] and affiliate with the Grace Gospel Fellowship, a church association, and its
Grace Bible College in
Grand Rapids, Michigan, or the more conservative Berean Bible Fellowship.
Most notable proponents
The most notable proponent of Ultradispensationalism doctrine was
E. W. Bullinger (1837–1913). Other writers holding this position include
Charles H. Welch, Oscar M. Baker, and Otis Q. Sellers.
Early Ultradispensationalism
Early Ultradispensationalism, such as that promoted by Sir Robert
Anderson and E.W. Bullinger in his early years, emphasized a
dispensational boundary line at Acts 28:28, but did not apply this
boundary line to the Epistles of Paul, viewing them as a whole whether
or not they were written before or after Acts 28:28. When the young
Charles Welch
pointed out the inherent contradiction in this to E.W. Bullinger,
Bullinger changed his views, and incorporated the dividing line into his
teachings on the
Epistles of Paul
that were written from that point forward and which became universally
known as Ultradispensationalism. Since the majority of his work was
written before this point, however, many of his writings view Paul’s
Epistles as an unbroken whole. Later adherents of Ultradispensationalism
writers, such as Stuart Allen, Oscar Baker, and Otis Sellers, all
followed the example of
Charles Welch
and E.W. Bullinger’s later work in applying the division to Paul’s
books as well as the book of Acts in the true spirit of
Ultradispensationalism.
Post Acts Dispensationalism
There is also a division of Ultradispensationalism called “Post-Acts
Dispensationalism”, whereby the adherents do not believe that the church
began after the Book of Acts chapter 9 nor do they identify the body of
Christ as
the mystery of Ephesians 3 and Colossians 1. This central belief disqualifies them from the doctrine of
Hyperdispensationalism which is almost universally recognised as a post-Acts chapter 9 to Acts chapter 15 system of
theology.
Post-Acts Dispensationalism holds that only the
mystery of Ephesians and Colossians is the grace dispensation, which effectively dispensed with
"the law of commandments...the ordinances that were against us"(Eph.
2:15; Col. 2:14), in order to bring those saved into the body during
Paul's Later Acts ministry, with those like the Ephesians and
Colossians, into one fellowship,
"the one new man...the fellowship of the mystery."(Eph.2:16;3:9) In this new unified body, all the practices ordained for the Acts church, which was decidedly
Jewish/
Covenantal, were abolished with the “revelation of the mystery” (Romans 16:25) of Ephesians and Colossians.
[5]
It is this central belief of a subtle form of Acts 28 doctrine that
qualifies Post Acts Dispensationalism as a doctrine to be added into the
category of Ultradispensationalism.
Ultradispensationalism and personal living
Ultradispensationalism tends to emphasize personal Bible study, a
one-on-one relationship with God, and living a Godly life over religious
activities.
Water Baptism regarded as Ordinance
As such, most of the adherents to Ultradispensationalism reject all
sacraments, including
baptism with water.
[6]
References
- ^ "Dispensationalism Today by Charles C. Ryrie, pages 194-195, Chicago, Moody Press, 1965]
- ^ "Dispensational Theology" by Charles F. Baker, page 16, Grace Publications, 1971]
- ^ http://www.gotquestions.org/ultra-dispensationalism.html "What is ultra-dispensationalism?"
- ^ http://www.biblicaladvancedbasics.com/pdf/Grace.pdf[self-published source?]
- ^ 85 Pages in the Bible - About this book
- ^ "Dispensationalism by Charles C. Ryrie, page 199, Chicago, Moody Press, 1995]
External links
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