Progressive Dispensationalism (Ch 1-5) by Craig A. Blaising & Darrell L. Bock

 Progressive Dispensationalism (Ch 1-5)

By Craig A. Blaising and Darrell L. Bock

Progressive Dispensationalism is written by Craig A. Blaising & Darrel L. Bock. This book explains a significant change presently taking place in dispensational interpretations of Scripture. This change affects the way dispensationalists understand key biblical themes such as the kingdom of God, the church in God’s redemptive program, the interrelationship of the biblical covenants, the historical and prophetic fulfillment of those covenants, and the role of Christ in that fulfillment.

This book helped me grasp the core differences between classical, revised, and progressive dispensationalism. Classical dispensationalism emphasizes a strong dualism, i.e., God has two separate redemptive plans: one for Israel (earthly) and one for the church (heavenly). The covenants, including the New Covenant, were seen as primarily for Israel, with only spiritual application to the church. Revised dispensationalism retains this framework but sees more continuity between Israel and the church. Though literal fulfillment for Israel in the future, revised dispensationalists (like Ryrie and Walvoord) recognized that the church now partakes in the spiritual blessings of Israel’s New Covenant. Progressive dispensationalism takes this further, viewing the Abrahamic covenant as foundational and the New Covenant as already partially fulfilled in the church. It presents a unified redemptive plan where current spiritual blessings are real and expanding, pointing to full covenant fulfillment at Christ’s return. Having read the three views, I am grateful for scholars like Darby, Scofield, Ryrie, and Walvoord, yet I lean toward progressive dispensationalism. As the authors pointed out, Paul links the current “dispensation of the mystery” (Eph. 3:4–10) to the covenants of promise (Eph. 2:12), showing that Gentiles now share in the blessings once given to Israel. He affirms in Galatians 3 that Gentile believers are heirs of Abraham’s promise. Ephesians 2:14–15 shows the end of the Mosaic covenant and the uniting of Jews and Gentiles in Christ through the new covenant, marked by the Spirit (Eph. 1:13; Isa. 59:21; Ezek. 36:27). Christ, as David’s promised Son, is building a new spiritual temple (Eph. 2:14–22), fulfilling both Davidic and new covenant promises in this dispensation.

 

Classical dispensationalism, led by C.I. Scofield, distinguished sharply between the kingdom of God (spiritual, moral rule) and the kingdom of heaven (earthly, Davidic rule), viewing the latter in three phases: offered and rejected by Israel, now existing in mystery form (Christendom), and fully realized in the Millennium. Revised dispensationalists (like McClain, Toussaint, and Ryrie) dropped the strict kingdom terminology but still upheld a future Davidic kingdom and introduced views like the universal (eternal) and mediatorial (earthly) kingdoms. Ryrie added a spiritual kingdom (Christ ruling believers today), though inconsistently. In contrast, progressive dispensationalism presents the kingdom as one unified eschatological reality with both spiritual and political dimensions unfolding through Christ. It sees no separation between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven and Christ’s current reign over the church as a present expression and guarantee of the kingdom’s future fulfillment. Having read three views, while I appreciate those classical and revised dispensationalists, I firmly believe in progressive dispensationalism. The reason is that, as authors pointed out, Colossians 1:13 calls it “the kingdom of His beloved Son,” linking Jesus’ identity as the “Beloved Son” to the Davidic covenant promises. This title recalls God’s words at Jesus’ baptism (Luke 3:22) and the prophecy in Luke 1:32–33 about His eternal throne. This supports the view that Jesus, now exalted at God's right hand (Eph. 1:20–22), is actively fulfilling Davidic covenant promises in the current dispensation. This passage highlights how the kingdom of God is directly tied to Jesus’ ascension and the shift from the old to the new dispensation. In Ephesians, this transition marks the beginning of the eschatological kingdom, where some promised features like Christ’s reign and unity between Jews and Gentiles are already present. However, this current dispensation is only the beginning, a foretaste or down payment (Eph. 1:13–14) of the full kingdom to come. While believers have already entered the kingdom (Col. 1:13), its complete manifestation awaits Christ’s return (Col. 3:4; 1 Cor. 15:23–28).

 

In Chapter 2, "Interpreting the Bible—How We Read Texts," the authors discuss how biblical interpretation is shaped by the dynamic relationship between the author, text, reader, and worldview. I was especially struck by their point on how our presuppositions and preunderstandings influence interpretation. I realize that I often lean heavily on my own assumptions, which can affect how I preach and teach. This chapter challenged me to approach Scripture with greater humility and openness to correction, especially regarding secondary and tertiary doctrines. However, such correction must come through deep, prayerful meditation on Scripture, not merely outside opinions.

Some years ago, I read an article claiming that dispensationalism is a recent idea, mainly promoted by Dallas Theological Seminary, and that only a few Christians support it. However, as I read Chapter 4 of this book, I was impressed by how the authors carefully explained the historical roots of dispensational thinking. They showed that throughout church history, many theologians have used the concept of "dispensations" to describe how God relates to humanity over time. For example, Irenaeus in the second century spoke of the Mosaic Law and the new covenant through Christ as distinct dispensations. He also divided history based on covenants made with Adam, Noah, Moses, and Christ. Likewise, Augustine used dispensational ideas to organize biblical history into periods like Adam to Noah, Noah to Abraham, and so on, highlighting God's unfolding plan of redemption. From the Reformation through the 19th century, many theologians continued to use dispensations as a framework for understanding Scripture. I found this not only historically convincing but also biblically sound. Paul himself speaks of three dispensations in his letters: the dispensation of the Law, the dispensation of the mystery, and the dispensation of the fullness of times (Paul specifically did not differentiate, but we can see how he stuck to them). This helped me see that dispensationalism is both rooted in Scripture and supported by the broader history of the church.

After carefully studying Progressive Dispensationalism (Ch 1-5) and comparing the three major dispensational views, I find the progressive approach very compelling, and I expect to read and learn more from the upcoming chapters, too. It offers a cohesive redemptive framework, affirming both present spiritual realities and future fulfillments while maintaining biblical continuity. The historical and exegetical support for dispensational thinking, rooted in Scripture and church history, strengthens its credibility. This journey has deepened my appreciation for God’s unified plan, centered in Christ, and challenged me to interpret Scripture with greater humility. Additionally, to me, as I read the book, progressive dispensationalism aligns best with the Bible’s unfolding story of covenant fulfillment. However, I have a deep appreciation for those classical and revised dispensationalists because I was shaped and molded through reading their books and through professors who hold their views; mostly, they are revised dispensationalists.