What Scriptural Evidence Is There for a Mid-Acts or Post-Acts Dispensation?: Books by Kenneth P. Lenz

By Kenneth P. Lenz

This brief book is intended to clarify the recent teachings of what has been called "mid-Acts" and "post-Acts" dispensationalism.  Our focus, however, will be on what the Word of God teaches and how those Scriptures relate to the Church today. It is my prayer that God will guide us in understanding His Word and His Church.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Agape Book Ministries
• Release date: Nov 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223082941

Book preview

1.  Introduction

This brief book is intended to clarify the recent teachings of what has been called mid-Acts and post-Acts dispensationalism.  Our focus, however, will be on what the Word of God teaches and how those Scriptures relate to the Church today.  The Scripture verses quoted will be from the King James Version, with italicized emphases, quotation marks, and bracketed words sometimes added for clarification.  (Many mid-Acts and post-Acts dispensationalists view the King James Version as the most authoritative version; therefore, we will have this as our source.)  It is my prayer that God will guide us in understanding His Word and His Church.

At the outset, I would like to express that I believe there are several fundamental agreements that other Evangelicals would hold to that are similar to the mid-Acts and post-Acts dispensational viewpoints, such as the following five:

1.  Salvation is offered by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.  The disagreement is in regard to what time in history that this gracious gospel was established (such as in Acts 2, 9, 13, or 28, etc.).

2.  Prior to His death, Christ ministered to the Jewish people based on them being under the Old Covenant Mosaic Law—including the sacrificial system to cover sins.  The disagreement is in terms of what event(s) caused that centuries-old dispensation to give way to a new dispensation (such as a dispensation of grace).

3.  Acts is a transition book as the Church, founded by Christ, was established and then grew to include Gentiles (i.e., non-Jews).  The disagreement is in whether such transitions took place within a new dispensation or while phasing out (or even cutting off) the old dispensation(s).

4.  The Apostle Paul was called of God to be an Apostle more particularly for the Gentiles to come to faith.  The disagreement is in whether or not the Gentiles formed a separate church from that of the Jewish believers, and what books in the New Testament are for believers to apply today.

5.  The baptism in the Spirit that Paul emphasized is more important than water baptism, and this spiritual baptism is what brings salvation to one’s soul.  The disagreement is over which dispensation(s) water baptism is (or was) a part of.

I might add that my study of the mid-Acts and post-Acts dispensationalism resulted from my earlier study of baptism, which led to a doctoral dissertation and a 390-page book published through Xlibris, titled Water Baptism and Spirit Baptism: As Taught in the Scriptures (plus a 550-page "Expanded Edition" available as an e-book).

It could also be noted that the mid-Acts dispensational position is also known by the name hyper-dispensationalism; however, I will not use that term since the prefix hyper tends to have a negative connotation.  The post-Acts (or Acts 28) position is often referred to as ultra-dispensationalism, which I believe to be an accurate (and even helpful) designation, though proponents might prefer Pauline Dispensationalism.  Also, I would ask that readers forgive me if any of the five points above seem to have slight inconsistencies, as I was intending to be brief and not address various distinctions and clarifications—which we will look into as we continue.

A few colleges, denominations, and church groups that hold to the mid-Acts dispensation (also known as The Grace Movement) include the Berean Bible Society, Grace Ambassadors, Grace Now, Grace Gospel Fellowship, Grace Bible College, and Grace Christian University (in Michigan), among other independent churches and schools.  Those who hold to the post-Acts dispensation are fewer in number.  This book will address the teachings of both of these positions together but we will not focus on individual teachers or churches.  For readers who are interested in a more condensed presentation, the final chapter offers Conclusions (Chapter 12).

A sequel e-book is also now available at no charge, with the title Is Water Baptism for Today?  That book goes more into depth on a particular related belief and practice (or actually a non-practice) and the Introduction in that book explains more of how the writer came to research and write on these topics, including those considered in this book.  (And, yes, the final chapter in that book also offers Conclusions.

In addition to the two complimentary e-books in this series (which can also be printed on demand at a modest cost), I have also edited two books written by the late H. A. Ironside, which relate to these topics and are also being made available as e-books at no cost.  These two books are titled, Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth: Ultra-Dispensationalism Examined in the Light of Holy Scripture (third edition published in 1938), and Baptism: What Saith the Scripture? (written in 1901).

One of the features of this book is that we will look into the Scripture verses that are used in support of the mid-Acts and post-Acts dispensational positions; however, it is most proper that we begin with a study of Acts from the broader perspective of what God’s Word teaches, beginning with Acts 1 and 2.  Before we consider these initial chapters in Acts, we will attempt to clarify what a dispensation is and how the mid-Acts dispensation differs from the post-Acts dispensation position.  Chapters are intended to follow in a logical sequence, and the writer is devoted to humbly applying––with God’s illuminating help––the ABC’s of interpretation: being accurate, biblical, and consistent.  To God be the glory.

––––––––

Editorial Note:  My writings follow The Chicago Manual of Style; however, I apologize for the fact that in the process of converting my manuscripts into e-book formatting, the Draft2Digital conversion process did not maintain many of my paragraph indentations and non-indentations of first lines (such as when a paragraph continues following a block quotation).  Yet I trust this book and my other books will be easy to read and the paragraphs quite understandable.  Thank you and may God bless you as you read.

2.  What Are Mid-Acts and Post-Acts Dispensations?

The word dispensation is defined as a general state or order of things and in a theological sense it is considered a distinctive arrangement or period in history that forms the framework through which God relates to mankind.  Most conservative theologians see at least several consecutive dispensations that God had established throughout human history, as revealed in Scripture.  Among those who hold to a more literal interpretation of Scripture, seven (7) dispensations have generally been identified, including the following:

Innocence  (Genesis 1:1–3:7)

Conscience  (Genesis 3:8–8:22)

Human Government  (Genesis 9:1–11:32)

Promise  (Genesis 12:1–Exodus 19:25)

Law  (Exodus 20:1–Acts 2:4)

Grace  (Acts 2:4–Revelation 20:3)

Millennial Kingdom  (Revelation 20:4–6)

Even with those who do not distinguish between all seven of the dispensations identified above, we can at least agree that the flood in Noah’s day brought about a separate dispensation in the way that God related to mankind (Gen. 8–9).  Later, the calling of Abraham established a dispensation (Gen. 12) and this led to his descendants, the Israelites, becoming the chosen people of God under the Mosaic Law (Exod. 20; cf. Deut. 7:5–6).  After Christ’s death and resurrection, an age of grace was established.

However, over the past century or so, a few dispensational viewpoints have developed in proposing that the period of the Old Covenant Mosaic Law continued to be in force for a period of time after Christ’s sacrificial death and beyond the events recorded in Acts 2.  These dispensational positions strongly hold to a doctrinal position that sees the Apostle Paul as establishing the Age of Grace either when he was saved (as seen in Acts 9) or when he began his first missionary journey (seen in Acts 13), thus referred to as a mid-Acts dispensation; or even established after his missionary journeys (in Acts 28)—referred to as the post-Acts dispensation, also known as ultra-dispensationalism.  The prefix ultra means to go beyond what is ordinary or proper.  It is an extreme position, and therefore, that prefix (or word) can be properly used in regard to any theological position that dogmatically asserts that some years after the events of Acts 2, the Apostle Paul revealed a new dispensation that was not active following the Day of Pentecost.  Such positions are based on an understanding of progressive revelation from God, which we will consider, and they also lead to very significant differences (even among those churches themselves)—such as what New Testament books and ordinances are intended for the Church to observe today.

H. A. Ironside’s book titled Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth: Ultra-Dispensationalism Examined in the Light of Holy Scripture (now offered as a complimentary e-book), includes the following significant point in Chapter 1, titled What is Ultra-Dispensationalism?:

Moreover, there may be degrees of revelation in one dispensation; all, however, having to do with a fuller unfolding of the will of God for that particular age.  This was very definitely true in the dispensation of law, from Moses to Christ.  We have the various revelations:

Reviews for What Scriptural Evidence Is There for a Mid-Acts or Post-Acts Dispensation?

[agape.book.ministries · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Most Helpful on this Topic
While the topic of this book is for a very limited audience, it is biblically grounded and most helpful.