A Comparison of Historic Covenant and
Historic Dispensational Theology
ISSUE | COVENANT POSITION | DISPENSATIONAL POSITION |
PATTERN OF HISTORY | Covenant of Works with Adam; Covenant of Grace with Christ on behalf of elect (some distinguish between Covenant of Redemption with Christ and Covenant of Grace with the elect). | Divided into dispensations (usually seven); e.g., Innocence (pre-Fall), Conscience (Adam), Human Government (Noah), Promise (Abraham), Law (Moses), Grace (Christ's First Coming), Kingdom (Christ's Second Coming). |
VIEW OF HISTORY | Optimistic: God is extending His kingdom. | Pessimistic: the Last Days are marked by increasingly worse wickedness in the world and by apostasy in the church. |
GOD'S PURPOSE IN HISTORY | There is a unified redemptive purpose. | There are two distinct purposes, one earthly (Israel), one heavenly (church). |
VIEW OF THE BIBLICAL COVENANTS | They are different administrations of the, Covenant of Grace. | They mark off periods of time during which God's specific demands of man differ. |
RELATIONSHIP OF OLD TESTAMENT TO NEW TESTAMENT | Acceptance of Old Testament teaching required unless specifically abrogated by New Testament. | Old Testament prescriptions are not binding unless reaffirmed in New Testament. |
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE CHURCH | The church is spiritual Israel, in continuity with true Israel of Old Testament. | The church is the spiritual people of God, distinct from Israel, the physical people of God. |
OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY | Refers to God's people, the church. | Refers to ethnic Israel. |
CHURCH AGE | God's redemptive purpose continued to unfold. | There is a parenthesis between past and future manifestations of the kingdom. |
ROLE OF HOLY SPIRIT | The Holy Spirit indwells God's people throughout history. | The Holy Spirit indwells God's people only from Pentecost to the Rapture. |
BAPTISM | Unified covenant generally used to support infant baptism. | Israel/church distinction often (but not always) used to support believers' baptism. |
SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS | Emphasizes "cultural mandate." | The only way to save the world is to save individuals; therefore evangelism takes precedence over "social action." |
ESCHATOLOGY | Usually amillennial; rarely postmillennial; occasionally premillennial. | Premillennial, usually pretribulational. |
MILLENNIUM | Symbolic, often identified with present age. | Literal, earthly 1000-year reign after Second Coming. |
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