Salvation in the Old Testament - Online Christian Library

John S. Feinberg, “Salvation in the Old Testament” Tradition and Testament. Essays in Honor of Charles LeeFeinberg. Chicago: Moody Press, 1981. Hbk. ISBN: 0802425445. pp.39-77.over the issue. Many non-dispensational writers (such as Hodge and Payne, quoted above), whohold to one method of salvation, have accused dispensationalists of teaching multiple ways ofsalvation. They assume that since the dispensationalist consistently differentiates between God’sprogram for Israel and His program for the church, since he emphasizes that God institutesdifferent economies with men at various times, and especially since the dispensationalist claimsthere are significant differences between the dispensation called law and the dispensation calledgrace (even the labels of the dispensations supposedly tip us off to different methods ofsalvation), the dispensationalist must hold that Scripture teaches multiple ways of salvation. Forexample, Daniel Fuller, after quoting the old Scofield Reference Bible, concludes:[p.42]Hence Dispensationalism, as expounded by one of its foremost systematizers, teaches twoways of salvation: that during the era of law,obedience to it was a condition of salvation, whereas during the age of grace, salvation comessimply through faith in Christ. 4Payne does not put the matter quite so bluntly as Fuller, but as he reasserts the unity of God’sredemptive plan throughout Scripture, the message in regard to dispensationalism is the same asFuller’s. Payne writes:More serious, however, than its misapplication of particular prophecies, is what amounts todispensationalism’s repudiation of the whole, unified redemptive plan of God in humanhistory. Indeed, the normative truthfulness of the older testament of the past is dependentupon its essential identity with, and fulfillment in, the newer testament of the present and thefuture. Correspondingly, the blessing for the modern Church, as this is contained in the OldTestament, can be appropriated by today’s saints only when they accept their own equation, asthe Israel of God, with that ancient Israel to whom God extended His testamental promises. Itthus becomes apparent that a comprehensive understanding of God’s gracious purpose-whichhas been one and the same from Genesis 3:15, right on through to the closing chapters ofRevelation-lies contingent upon the Christian’s recognition of one cross, one testament, onefaith, and one Church throughout all history. 5These citations level devastating attacks at dispensationalism, especially if dispensationalists infact hold multiple methods of salvation, whereas Scripture teaches one method. As a matter offact, dispensationalists (older and contemporary) do hold that Scripture teaches only one way ofsalvation. In all honesty, however, it must be admitted that statements made by certaindispensationalists in the past appeared to teach multiple ways of salvation. That such carelessstatements did not reflect the full thinking of those theologians (as can be seen from otherstatements they made) seems to have escaped many critics of dispensationalism. One suchunguarded statement, however, appeared in the old Scofield Reference Bible:As a dispensation, grace begins with the death and resurrection of Christ (Rom. 3:24-26; 4:24,25). The point of testing is no longer legal obedience as the condition of salvation, butacceptance or rejection of Christ, with good works as a fruit of salvation. 6