1. E. W. Bullinger (1837–1913)
Anglican clergyman and Bible scholar.
One of the earliest voices promoting ultradispensationalism.
Placed the beginning of the church not at Pentecost, but later (often Acts 28).
Emphasized extreme separation between Israel’s program and the church.
Denied water baptism and the Lord’s Supper as applicable for today.
2. J. C. O’Hair (1876–1958)
Radio preacher and pastor from Chicago.
Popularized hyperdispensationalism in America.
Argued that the church began with the Apostle Paul, not at Pentecost.
Rejected water baptism for this dispensation.
Spread ultradispensational teachings widely through radio and print.
3. Cornelius R. Stam (1908–2003)
Founder of the Berean Bible Society.
One of the most influential hyperdispensational teachers in the 20th century.
Wrote Things That Differ, a key hyperdispensationalist book.
Advocated that the Body of Christ began with Paul’s conversion (Acts 9) or his later ministry.
Strongly opposed water baptism for today.
4. Charles F. Baker (1905–1994)
President of Grace Bible College (formerly Milwaukee Bible Institute).
Leading theologian among Acts 9 hyperdispensationalists.
Wrote A Dispensational Theology, a systematic theology from the hyperdispensational perspective.
Stressed that Spirit baptism replaces water baptism.
5. Other Promoters and Groups
Oscar M. Baker – teacher associated with Grace Movement churches.
Worldwide Grace Testimony (now Grace Gospel Fellowship) – early organized hyperdispensational fellowship.
Berean Bible Society – continues to promote Stam’s teachings.
Grace Bible College – historically a center of hyperdispensational theology.
⚖️ Summary
Bullinger → “Acts 28 position.”
O’Hair → early radio spread of hyperdispensationalism.
Stam & Baker → codified the theology (Acts 9 position).
Modern hyperdispensational churches and schools still trace their roots to these leaders.
TIMELINE:
📜 Timeline of Hyperdispensationalism
1800s – Early Roots
1837–1913 – E. W. Bullinger
Anglican scholar.
Developed the Acts 28 position → church begins after Acts 28, when Paul is in Rome.
Denied water baptism & Lord’s Supper for today.
His writings (The Companion Bible, etc.) inspired later ultradispensationalists.
Early 1900s – American Rise
1876–1958 – J. C. O’Hair
Radio preacher, Chicago pastor.
Spread hyperdispensational views in the U.S.
Shifted from Bullinger’s Acts 28 stance → argued church began with Paul (earlier than Acts 28).
Rejected water baptism.
Gained a large following through radio and conferences.
Mid 1900s – Systematization
1905–1994 – Charles F. Baker
Cofounder & President of Milwaukee Bible Institute (later Grace Bible College).
Wrote A Dispensational Theology – a systematic theology for hyperdispensationalism.
Promoted the Acts 9 position (church begins at Paul’s conversion).
1908–2003 – Cornelius R. Stam
Founder of Berean Bible Society (1940).
Author of Things That Differ.
Promoted the Acts 9 position.
Very influential in shaping the “Grace Movement.”
Late 1900s – Organized Movement
Worldwide Grace Testimony (1939) → later renamed Grace Gospel Fellowship.
Organized fellowship of hyperdispensational churches.
Promoted Stam and Baker’s teachings.
Bible schools & churches aligned with the Grace Movement spread mainly in the U.S. and some parts of the world.
2000s – Present
Berean Bible Society continues Stam’s work.
Grace Gospel Fellowship remains a network of hyperdispensational churches.
Grace School of the Bible (Chicago, under Richard Jordan) trains pastors in ultradispensational teachings.
The movement remains small but active, especially in American independent circles.
⚖️ Simplified Timeline
Bullinger (1837–1913) → Acts 28 position.
O’Hair (1876–1958) → popularized Acts 9/13 position in America.
Baker (1905–1994) & Stam (1908–2003) → systematized Acts 9 hyperdispensationalism.
Grace Movement (1939–present) → organized fellowships, schools, and churches.
CTTO
DOCTRINAL CONTRAST
🔎 Baptism & Salvation: Hyperdispensationalism vs. Original Baptist Biblical Stance
1. Hyperdispensationalism
Water Baptism
❌ Rejected as not for today. They say it belonged to Israel under the Kingdom gospel.
❌ Claim Paul set aside baptism for the Body of Christ.
Spirit Baptism
✅ They redefine Spirit baptism as the individual believer’s placement into an invisible “universal Body of Christ” at salvation (1 Cor. 12:13).
❌ They deny its connection to Pentecost or to church perpetuity.
❌ It replaces water baptism and makes ordinances unnecessary.
Indwelling & Filling
🔄 Blurred together as part of salvation blessings, not clearly distinguished.
Salvation
✅ By grace through faith in Christ alone.
❌ Baptism (water or Spirit) has no continuing role in the believer’s obedience or church life.
Ordinances
❌ Many reject both water baptism and the Lord’s Supper for today.
2. Original Baptist Biblical Stance
Water Baptism
✅ Commanded by Christ (Matt. 28:19–20).
✅ Administered by immersion to believers only, after salvation.
✅ A testimony of salvation, an act of obedience, and entrance into local church fellowship (Acts 2:41).
Spirit Baptism
✅ A once-for-all event at Pentecost, where the Holy Spirit baptized the church as a body to empower it for worldwide ministry (Acts 1:5, 8; Acts 2:1–4).
✅ Spirit baptism was corporate, not individual — it was the baptism of the church, not each believer separately.
✅ By church perpetuity, every true church today is connected to that original Spirit-baptized church in Acts 2. To be part of Christ’s mission, you must be added to the church (through salvation and water baptism), which traces its authority back to Pentecost.
✅ Spirit baptism is distinct from:
Indwelling → every believer receives the Spirit at salvation (Rom. 8:9).
Filling → repeated empowerment for holy living and ministry (Eph. 5:18).
Salvation
✅ By grace through faith alone in Christ’s finished work (Eph. 2:8–9).
✅ Baptism does not save, but baptism follows salvation in obedience (Acts 8:36–38).
Ordinances
✅ Two ordinances given by Christ to His church: Baptism & the Lord’s Supper.
✅ Both symbolic, not saving. Baptism pictures Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:3–4).
⚖️ Key Doctrinal Difference
Hyperdispensationalists: Spirit baptism = individual placement into an invisible Body of Christ at salvation. No water baptism, no ordinances, no church perpetuity.
Original Baptists: Spirit baptism = historical baptism of the church at Pentecost for empowerment. By perpetuity, every true New Testament church descends from that Spirit-baptized body. Believers today are indwelt and filled by the Spirit, and they join the church through salvation and water baptism.
CTTO
