[mfblume]

Originally Posted by BobDylan

From what I understand, they are very conservative with regard to biblical linguistics and textual criticism.... BTW, what's wrong with dispensationalism? Do you have any other suggestions?

Covenant Theology is far more biblical. Dispensationalism is much too presumptuous, and, in my opinion, takes thoughts such as Israel getting its own "age" again in a millennium when the bible makes no plain statements at all about it. Romans 11, for example, states All Israel shall be saved, but it does not say it is outside the church age. Romans 9 states that God's regard of who "Israel" is pertains solely to the children of promise and "not all Israel is Israel."

The seminary is simply fanatical about dispensationalism.

The Covenant of Grace became the basis for all future covenants that God made with mankind such as with Noah (Gen 6, 9), with Abraham (Gen 12, 15, 17), with Moses (Ex 19-24), with David (2 Sam 7), and finally in the New Covenant fulfilled and founded in Christ. These individual covenants are called the "biblical covenants" because they are explicitly described in the Bible. Under the Covenantal overview of the Bible, submission to God's rule and living in accordance with his moral law (expressed concisely in the Ten Commandments) is a response to grace - never something which can earn God's acceptance (legalism). Even in his giving of the Ten Commandments, God introduces his law by reminding the Israelites that he is the one who brought them out of slavery in Egypt (grace).

As a framework for biblical interpretation, Covenant Theology stands in direct contrast to Dispensationalism in regard to the relationship between the Old Covenant with national Israel and the New Covenant in Christ's blood. Regarding the theological status of modern day Jewish people Covenantalism is often referred to by its detractors as "Supersessionism" or "Replacement theology" due to the perception that it teaches that God has abandoned the promises made to the Jews and has replaced the Jews with Christians as His Chosen People in the earth. Defenders of Covenant Theology deny that God has abandoned his promises to Israel, but see the fulfillment of the promises to Israel in the person and the work of the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, who established the church in organic continuity with Israel, not a separate replacement entity.