"Every heresy is a truth taught out of proportion."


- G. K. Chesterton

In which we discover "hyper-dispensationalism." 

From that blog whose name we dare not utter, lest we summon its proprietor in a cloud of sulfurous smoke:

[Pastor Joel] Finck is one of the leading defenders of the particular (and popular) version of Hyper-Dispensationalism espoused by Cornelius R. Stam and the Berean Bible Society (bereanbiblesociety.org). Stam wrote one of the clearest (and most theologically and hermeneutically absurd) defenses of the theology in the book Things That Differ: The Fundamentals of Dispensationalism (1951). Stam's ultimate purpose in his writings was to argue that his theology (along with Charles Baker) was the true version of Dispensationalism that all the previous Dispensational thinkers had missed, and in doing so, mainline evangelicalism had missed the "true theology boat" altogether.


As you might have guessed, this kind of situation is going to produce some bad theology. As I pointed out almost a year ago (here), Finck and the BBS believe the following:

1. The Bible is divided up into absolute dispensations.[1] Therefore…

2. Paul introduces a completely new gospel (the “mystery” was revealed to him only) with the inauguration of the Dispensation of Grace.[2] Therefore…

2A.There are “two gospels” in the New Testament that are not compatible with each other[3]; Peter, Jesus, and all those prior to Paul believed in works-righteous salvation while Paul taught a gospel of grace.[4] Therefore…

2B. Only Paul’s epistles are the basis for doctrine today,[5] and people are not saved by the teachings of Jesus or Peter, but exclusively by the gospel of Paul.[6]

3.There is no “Great Commission” in Matthew’s gospel.[7]

4. Water baptism is no longer a church ordinance. In fact, it’s “dangerous.”[8]

All very logical, but doesn't it sort of miss the point about Jesus and all that?
All one can say is "Chesterton was right."