07600
 
 

ULTRADISPENSATIONALISM
 
 

I would like to include a short study on what is termed ultradispensationalism. It is the dispensational system taken a few steps further.
 
 

Among these people there are a number of variations. The variety comes from the fact that they place the beginning of the Church at different places in time. This will automatically determine how they view the Lord's table, Baptism and their use of Biblical books.
 
 

The positions:
 
 

Some view the church as beginning at Acts nine, the conversion and commission of Paul. (Mr. C.R. Stam, "THINGS THAT DIFFER"; Chicago: Berean Bible Society, 1959/ He also wrote, "THE FUNDAMENTALS OF DISPENSATIONALISM")
 
 

Some view the church as beginning at Acts thirteen, when Paul and Barnabus were sent out on their first missionary journey. (Mr. O'Hair)
 
 

Others see the church beginning as late as Acts 28, as the ministry of Paul closes out. (Mr. Knoch)
 
 

Though I have not run across anyone holding to this position, I suspect there may be some that view the Church beginning with Acts ten when the gentiles were allowed into the picture. (The conversion of Cornelius and his house.)
 
 

Among their beliefs are the following: Some reject the Lord's table, some reject baptism, some reject both, some reject the ordinances and hold only to Paul's epistles, and some go even further and reject all of the New Testament except Paul's prison epistles.
 
 

Mr. Knoch believes there are four dispensations between Christ and Paul's prison ministry.
 
 

Most of these men view the Great Commission as to the Jews only and not incumbent upon the Church.
 
 

Another variation is the thought of Mr. C.F. Baker. He believes that one church began at Pentecost, but that Paul was sent and was writing to another, separate, church body. (Baker, C.F., "DISPENSATIONAL THEOLOGY"; Grand Rapids: Grace Bible College Publ., 1971)
 
 

I THINK that all of these men would be pretrib/premill men and that they would hold to a literal Millennium. Some of them are very straight doctrinally. Indeed, IFCA, at one time, accepted a hyperdispensational man into their fellowship. This would require proper belief in many areas of doctrine.