Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
All systems of theology fail us. Obviously there are both dispensations and covenants in scripture which are true, and which will be fulfilled. Personally, I do not embrace “systems” but rather the scriptures.
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Progressive dispensationalism could have flaws but I think it's much less flawed than the two other competing systems because it allows for a more literal reading of scripture.
For example covenant theologians and preterists need to force end times teachings in scripture to match their theology. When they see references to the millennial kingdom they have to allegorize it because it doesn't fit their system.
Traditional dispensationalists also often force problem passages to match their understanding by declaring that those passages apply to different audiences, which is convenient because then if they aren't in that audience, they don't have to obey.
Pretrib dispensationalists will say that the Olivet discourse in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 applies to unbelieving Israel and gentiles who miss the rapture when the audience is clearly Jesus' followers.
Extreme free grace dispensationalists will also often use this system to declare that passages like Ezekiel 18 apply to "those under the law":
Ezekiel 18:24
But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die.
Yet both Jesus and the apostles often preached that one had to turn away from sins or perish in the New Testament. And when extreme free grace dispensationalists see these same quotes, they will apply it to a different audience such as "the nations", when the clear context of the audience is Jesus' followers who are the church. This is quite dangerous because it won't allow the word of God to enter their heart so that they can obey.
Acts 3:19 (NLT)
Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.
Acts 3:26 (NLT)
When God raised up his servant, Jesus, he sent him first to you people of Israel, to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways.
Luke 13:2-3 (NLT)
Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.
Under progressive dispensationalism, there's no get out of jail free card for passages that are hard to obey. In this sense the salvation theology of progressive dispensationalists will be more similar to covenant theology which teaches that the same covenant of grace extends throughout the Old and New Testament starting with Moses and that the OT saints were saved by faith in God just as the NT saints were (Hebrews 11) though the sacraments differed.
Progressive dispensationalists will acknowledge we are under the New Testament age of grace but will take the entire scripture into account to interpret this dispensation and not throw out the "problem passages" using Jesus as their guide to determine what is carried over to the New Covenant from the Old.