HARRY AND BULLINGERISM
(Compiled by Herb Evans)
Harry Ironside was a strong dispensationalist and an interdenominationalist, who hardly can be charged with being a staunch Baptist. His 1938 booklet therefore serves as an objective witness against the ultra-dispensationalism of his day and the neo-ultradispensationalism of today. He identifies the main principles and obvious characteristics of this extra-scriptural doctrine. The following quotes are taken from Harry Ironside's booklet, Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth, which is published by Loizeaux Bros. of Neptune, N.J.
" . . . Some have ignored dispensational truth altogether. Others have swung to an ultradispensationalism, which is most pernicious in its effects upon one's soul and upon testimony for God generally. Of these ultra-dispensational systems, one in particular has come into prominence of late years, which, for want of a better name, is generally called 'Bullingerism.'" --Ibid. page 8
" . . . Bullingerism . . . has lifted up its votaries in intellectual and spiritual pride to an appalling extent, so that they look with supreme contempt upon Christians who do not accept their peculiar views . . ." Ibid. page 11
"One would think that this (1 Tim. 6:3-5) was a direct command to Timothy to beware of Bullingerism . . . We know how marked the symptom (doting about questions and strifes of words) is in those who have entered upon a state of physical and intellectual senility. Spiritual dotage may be discerned the same way. A constant dwelling on certain expressions as though these were all-important to the ignoring of the great body of truth, is an outstanding symptom." Ibid. page 19
How Were People Saved in the Old Testament?
Of course, Harry was too much a gentleman to say, “I calls 'em the way I sees them." Harry took on Cornelius Stam his contemporary, who lived into his nineties to be a contemporary of ours. The Berean movement is his legacy. How many point Bullingerite are you, since this book was written over 60 years ago? The following story is told of Harry:Dr. Harry Ironside, for 18 years pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago, told of visiting a Sunday school class while on vacation. The teacher asked, "How were people saved in Old Testament times?"
After a pause, one man replied, 'By keeping the Law." "that’s right," said the teacher.
But Dr. Ironside interrupted: "My Bible says that by the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified."
The teacher was a bit embarrassed, so he said, "Well, does somebody else have an idea?" Another student replied, "They were saved by bringing sacrifices to God." "Yes, that is right!” the teacher said, and tried to go on with the lesson.
But Dr. Ironside interrupted, "My Bible says that the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin." By this time the unprepared teacher was sure the visitor knew more about the Bible than he did, so he said, "Well, you tell us how people were saved in the Old Testament!"
And Dr. Ironside explained that they were saved by faith the same way people are saved today! Twenty-one times in Hebrews 11 will you find the same words "by” faith. The Word of Faith. --copied
Harry Ironside – Strong Dispensationalist BUT . . .
. . . “One needs to remember that a number are teaching these ultra-dispensational things who declare that they are not familiar with the writings of Dr. Bullinger, and repudiate with indignation the name of 'Bullingerism.' There are perhaps six outstanding positions taken by these teachers:
1. . . . it is insisted that the Four Gospels are entirely Jewish and have no real message for the church
2. . . . it is maintained that . . . in the Book of Acts . . . the word ‘ekklesia’ (church, or assembly), as used in that book, refers to a different church altogether to that of Paul's prison epistles . . .
3. . . . it is contended that . . . All of the other epistles of Paul, save those written during his imprisonment and the general epistles are relegated to an earlier dispensation of the Book of Acts, and have no permanent value for us, but were for the instruction of the so called Jewish church of that time.
6. . . . The Christian ordinances . . . having no real connection with the present economy . . . and are relegated to the past, and may again have a place in the future Great Tribulation.”
Note 1: Number six has been modified by the newer breed of Bullingerites in that they reject the baptisms of the Gospels and Acts 2:38 deeming them as meritorious salvation. They somehow have no problem with pre-crucifixion Lord's Supper as an ordinance for today. --Ibid. pages 9 and 10 – Herb Evans
7. “People who have never investigated Bullingerism and its kindred systems will hardly believe me when I say that even the great commission upon which the church has acted for 1900 years, and which is still our authority for world wide missions, is, according to these teachers, a commission with which we have nothing whatsoever to do, that has no reference to the church at all, and that the work predicated will not begin until taken up by the remnant of Israel in the days of the Great Tribulation . . . According to the Bullingeristic interpretation of this passage (Matt. 28:16-20), we should have to paraphrase it somewhat as follows:
'Then the eleven disciples went away to Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they had saw Him, they worshipped Him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, two entire dispensations have rolled by, I command that the remnant of Israel shall be living two thousand or more years later, shall go out and teach the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, teaching them in that day to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, but from which I absolve all believers between the present hour and that coming age, and lo, I will be with that remnant until the close of Daniel's seventieth week.'" Ibid. pages 17, 18
". . . ignoring again the entire connection, they (ultras) insist that the commission given in verse fifteen and eighteen (of Mark 16) could only apply during the days of the Book of Acts, inasmuch as certain signs were to follow them that believe." Ibid. page 19
Note 2: These comments in the book were assigned point #7 by me. -- Herb Evans
8.Dr. Ironside gives an eighth distinguishing feature on page 58 of his booklet, although like 7, he does not enumerate it as such. " . . . Ultradispensationalists . . . by a process of sophistical reasoning, try to prove that baptism belonged to an earlier dispensation and was in some sense meritorious as though it had in itself saving virtue . . . The difficulty with many who reason as these Bullingerites do, is that they cannot seem to understand the difference between the loving loyal obedience of a devoted heart, and a legal obedience which is offered to God as though it were in itself meritorious . . . the publicans and sinners 'justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.' There was no merit in baptism." Ibid. page 58
There are modern ultradisps that observe baptism, but are still captive to the same reasoning. They understand the baptisms of the Four Gospels and Acts 2:38 as legal and meritorious. Harry Ironside experienced what will be experienced today if you attempt to refute Bullingerism. – Herb Evans
Harry says,"Since these papers began running serially, I have received abusive letters . . . one such writes that he is neither a Bullingerite nor an ultra-dispensationalist, and resents being so designated. Each one must draw his own conclusions as to whether he holds the views I have endeavored to refute." Ibid. page 66
-- Herb Evans