Term
Traditional/Revised Dispensationalism
A view maintaining an eternal distinction between ethnic Israel and the international church, each having different promises and responsibilities despite the same means of salvation.
Filed underHistorical TheologyBiblical Theology
Definition
A variation of dispensationalism that reemphasizes the Israel/church distinction: 'Israel' as an ethnic, national people tied to the covenants of the Old Testament and the 'church' as a distinct international community. People can belong to either group but not both at the same time, each group is structured differently with different promises and responsibilities. This view maintains that salvation for each group is the same but maintains an eternal distinction between groups.
Connections
Follow this entry through the Lexicon.
- Narrower than
- Contrasted with
Sources
- 1.Peter J. Gentry and Stephen J. Wellum Kingdom through Covenant: A Biblical-Theological Understanding of the Covenants. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012). 61Original citation: Gentry and Wellum, Kingdom through Covenant, 61.
Last revised August 14, 2026