Charles Ryrie on Dispensationalism

You all are probably familiar with Charles Ryrie. He graduated from Haverford College (B.A.), Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M., Th.D.) and the University of Edinburgh, Scotland (Ph.D.). For many years he served as professor of systematic theology and dean of doctoral studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. He is premillennial and dispensational in his theology, though irenic in his approach. He is an Evangelical writer and speaker. He is best known for the Ryrie Study Bible and his position on Dispensationalism. Though he is in his early eighties, he is still speaking on many subjects, including Dispensationalism.

Ryrie spoke on dispensationalism last month. Here it is.

Charles Ryrie - Dispensationalism: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1263)

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12 Responses to “Charles Ryrie on Dispensationalism”

Daniel Eaton on 03 Jan 2008 at 8:32 am #

I had Ryrie’s study Bible at one time (after I wore out my Scoffield). I’m going to enjoy listening to his. Thanks for posting it. Now if I can just find a MP3 of C. I. Scoffield defending the Gap Theory….
JohnT3 on 03 Jan 2008 at 11:28 am #

I enjoyed listening to this lecture. I do have to respectfully disagree with him (and other dispensationalists like him) that Reform Theology and Covenant Theology are one and the same.

I myself hold to Reform Theology and Dispensationalism. And to show that this is not some isolated thing John MacArthur, Phil Johnson and Richard Mayhew also hold to both.
Carrie Hunter on 03 Jan 2008 at 10:31 pm #

I haven’t had a chance to listen to the MP3, but JohnT3 I did want to chime in here.

I too am dispensational, yet reformed in my soteriology.

Often it is assumed that if one is reformed in soteriology then it would follow they are covenental in their ecclessiology and eschatology.

Not the case!

Just chiming in….

Carrie
Aaron Ronetski on 03 Jan 2008 at 10:49 pm #

And why are we putting up lectures from Ryrie? He and Scoffield, and I’ll throw in Lewis Sperry Chafer, have done more harm than good to the modern evangelical church.

Unless you were posting this for apologetic reasons, like “this is what the dispensationalists say” so that they may be biblically refuted. Then I stand corrected.
Daniel Eaton on 03 Jan 2008 at 10:55 pm #

Aaron’s comment brought a hearty laugh. I think this is just part of the series prompted by the debate on the dating of Revelation. Agree with it or not, dispensational theology/eschatology is a fact. If nothing else, studying Ryrie and Scoffield shows, from a historic perspective, how popular theology changes in the church. In 50 or 75 years, people will be saying the same thing about some of our popular theology today.
C Michael Patton on 03 Jan 2008 at 10:58 pm #

Aaron, it sounds like you have been reading Mark Noll!

I don’t think anyone can blame dispensationalism as a doctrine for all the problems in evangelicalism. There are many very well respected dispensationalist. Ryrie is still one of them. He represented a movement within dispensationalism that advanced the understanding of Scoffield and Chafer.

Would you have a problem with me posting something from Darrel Bock or Dan Wallace on dispensationalism? They are both still within this tradition, as am I (although of the more progressive variety).

Dispensationalism stands on its own. Like the Charismatic movement, while there are abuses and dynamic in each, this should not define the movement or the truth that it represents.

What is it about Ryrie’s dispensationalism is it that you have a problem with?

Hope that makes sense.
C Michael Patton on 03 Jan 2008 at 11:49 pm #

Here is a good series on the current state of dispensationalism done by Ed Komoszewski of this blog.
Aaron Ronetski on 05 Jan 2008 at 11:46 pm #

Daniel,

I wasn’t going for a laugh, but I thought this comment was interesting:

“Agree with it or not, dispensational theology/eschatology is a fact.”

Well, that settles it. Why bother debate the issue any longer?

You were partly correct, eschatology is a fact.
Aaron Ronetski on 06 Jan 2008 at 12:01 am #

Michael,

I didn’t say dispensationalism was responsible for all the problems in evangelicalism. I said that Chafer, Ryrie, and Scoffield have done more harm than good to the modern evangelical church, pervasively so. It is common that an evangelical church will not care much about your soteriology, as long as you’re on board with their eschatology (which is typically pre-millenial dispensationalism of the Hal Lindsey variety).

Bock is not famous for his position on the end times, Ryrie, et al are primarily known for it. Good men may disagree on the issue, but I wouldn’t put my stamp of approval on the works of these men without qualification.

But that’s just me. I’m not dispensational…
Daniel Eaton on 06 Jan 2008 at 12:29 am #

Aaron, I was not trying to say that it was the *correct* interpretation, just that it was a popular one that did exist and, as such, needs to be understood so that it can be defended or answered to. Any conversation about its validity should really take place on the forum.
dac on 13 Jan 2008 at 1:33 pm #

Thanks for the link to Dr. Ryrie’s sermon. When I was a new believer I enjoyed my gf Rryrie bible greatly. It was a treat to hear him preach on dispensationalism
Michael Matkin on 15 Jan 2008 at 8:53 am #

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http://www.defendingthetruth.org

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