Dispensationalism can be a simple theological understanding of God’s word, one that is easily apprehended by any Christian believer possessing the Spirit of God. Its teachings began from fundamentally and biblically sound beginnings in England during the mid-1800’s.  Unfortunately, the contemporary teachings of this system have been bloated by human wisdom and reasoning, so much so that the original teachings have been discarded or at best, barely recognizable. The original Spirit-taught understandings of dispensationalism, ones based solely on the Spirit-guided comprehension of God’s word, have mostly been replaced by humanly-promoted ideas. This book is an effort to return to the simplicity of the original teachings of this theological system, and by this provide to any believer in Jesus Christ an easy way of rightly dividing the word of truth.

When I speak of the original teachings of dispensationalism, I am referring to the writings of John Nelson Darby (1800-’82) and William Kelly (1821-1906). Darby is considered by many as the founder of dispensational theology. Kelly, a contemporary of Darby and the editor of his writings, was a notable Bible teacher as well. Together, their teachings serve as the real beginnings of dispensational understandings forming a recognizable system. Although neither one desired to officially organize a system of theology, with hard work one can find, analyze, and organize the teachings of dispensationalism dispersed throughout the multitude of Darby’s and Kelly’s works. This we have attempted to accomplish in this book. It is my prayer that the following chapters are themselves just as Spirit-taught as the original teachings were of these two great men of faith.

J. L. Reintgen

Cary, North Carolina