Question: Are there two different presentations of the gospel of salvation?
Wed, 28 Jun 2000 16:29
Crusaders
I just finished reading your article "Security". Let's see if I understand this correctly. There are two different presentations of the gospel of salvation?
A. The dispensation of law circumcision (Jesus, Peter)
B. The dispensation of grace uncircumcision (Paul)
Thanks,
Clint Akine
Answer: (click here to view the answer)
Clint,
Actually, there are two different gospels, not just two presentations of the gospel. You have picked up on this idea because of my “Security” article. That’s good, because what is more important to a person than his salvation and security? Nothing! Then, why is there so much confusion in the Christian world about this subject? The confusion comes from mixing together the method of salvation from the two gospels you mentioned which are from two different dispensations. Instead of mixing them, we must learn to contrast the messages.
It was different in the dispensations which were associated with the gospel of the kingdom which is also called the gospel of the circumcision, that given to Peter. Let’s read Gal 2:7. “But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision had been committed to me, as the gospel of the circumcision was to Peter.” Under the circumcision gospel, they had to believe and be baptized to be saved, Mk 16:15,16 “Christ said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.’” Peter commanded the same on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” He later wrote a similar statement in 1 Pe 3:21,22. “There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.”
Another doctrine associated with the gospel of the circumcision or the gospel of the kingdom, was endurance. They had to endure to be saved. One example of that is John 15:1-6. “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” Another example of their need to endure is found in Mat 24:13,14. “But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
One of the most confusing was the requirement to do the works of the law. Notice what Mat 19:16-22 says. “Now behold, one came and said to Him, Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? 17 So He said to him, Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments. 18 He said to Him, Which ones? Jesus said, You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and your mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 20 The young man said to Him, All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack? 21 Jesus said to him, If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” These principles for salvation were repeated much later by James when he was writing to the Jewish dispersion in Jam 1:22-2:24. We will only read a few verses from this passage Clint, but please, read the whole passage in context. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty [The Mosaic law.] and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. 8 If you really fulfill the royal law [The Mosaic law.] according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; 9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, [The Mosaic law.] and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For He who said, [in the Mosaic law.]“Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder. ” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law [The Mosaic law.]. 12 So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty [The Mosaic law.]. 13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. 14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? [after he was circumcised and the covenant of circumcision was made with him by God.] 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which said [before he was given the covenant of circumcision], “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. ” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
In contrast, in the dispensation of Grace which was given to Paul according to Eph 3:1-3, “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles—2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery.” In this dispensation we have to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved (Acts 16:31). That’s all!
Now, when you mix these two gospels together, you cause a short circuit and the sparks of confusion fly. But, how do we divide these two gospels? What is the answer? We find repeatedly in Acts 9:15, 13:46, 18:6, 22:17-21, 26:17,18, 28:28, Romans, Galatians 1:11-2:10, Ephesians 3:1-9, and Colossians, that Paul was the Apostle of the Gentiles – the uncircumcision. Not only did he preach a new gospel, the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24), but as you’ve seen, he showed that God had a new spiritual blessing for this dispensation, which we call eternal security.
Let’s look at the best portion which describes this doctrine for this dispensation, Eph 1:3-14.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,” Notice, we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing because we are in Christ. 4 just as” – This “just as” opens a section where he explains that spiritual blessing we’ve been discussing, of verse 3. This spiritual blessing is unique to the dispensation of grace. We are the only ones who have this eternal security. This blessing may be special to us because this is the dispensation in which God is not showing signs and miracles to His saints.
“He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,” Notice two things, we were not chosen to salvation, we were chosen to be holy and blameless. Also, once we believe in Christ as our Savior, we are baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ (1 Co 12:13). Then we find out that the body of Christ was chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blame. Because we were baptized into Christ, we now have this security. We will be holy and blameless before God because we are in Christ. This is an absolute. We can’t lose it because God predestined anyone who is in the body of Christ to be holy and blameless.
5 “having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,” The benefit of the adoption we now have and will experience at the rapture, (Rom 8:23) is predestined. We can’t lose it. Our holiness and blamelessness is secure once we trust Christ as our Savior.
6 “to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.” Once we believe, He makes us accepted in Christ because of His grace. We don’t have to endure to be saved, He keeps us.
7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,” We are in Christ. The Holy Spirit seals us in Christ (Eph 1:13; 4:30). Because of this, we have redemption. We are accepted. All of our sins – past, present, and future – are forgiven. All of this is according to His abundant grace. But it is only because we are in Christ.
9 “having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.” We see from this that He has made known to us His purpose for this present dispensation. He wants to fill up the church which is the body of Christ in this dispensation. Christ accomplished the act of propitiation by dying on the cross. We become part of His fullness when we believe.
11 “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance,” It’s not that we will obtain the inheritance; we have it right now. But we only have it because we are “in Him.”
“being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things [Not everything, but a specific all things – the all things which is the body of Christ.] according to the counsel of His will,” Again, the basis for our inheritance is God’s predestination. This predestination is not to salvation, but our security once we are in the body of Christ. Further, this predestination is according to God’s purpose. He wants us to be holy and blameless. Again, we are the all things He is working, we, the members of the body (ta panta, the all things of Eph 1:23).
12 “that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.” “That” shows us the purpose for those who trust in Christ. He makes it absolutely sure that we will “be to the praise of His glory.”
13 “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,” Because you are saved, Clint, after you trusted Christ as your savior, we find that you were sealed by the Holy Spirit. How long were you sealed? Until you sinned? Until you fell away? No! It says in Ephesians 4:30 that you were sealed until the day of redemption. After the day of redemption, we’ll be home in glory. We won’t need to be sealed any more.
14 “who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” We have a guarantee. We know we have an inheritance in the heavenlies because the Holy Spirit is our guarantee. We have this guarantee until the redemption of our bodies which takes place at the rapture.
Question: Why would Jesus preach something that would change a few years down the road?
Wed, 28 Jun 2000 16:29
Crusaders
I'm confused to why Jesus would preach something that would change a few years down the road? What significance does this have? Does it have something to do with the different audiences (Israel, Gentiles)?
Answer: (click here to view the answer)
Clint,
When Jesus Christ was on earth, He was limited in what He knew. He was a man and had to experience life as much as He could, as a man so He could be tempted like we are, yet without sin. Heb 4:15 “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” When I say He was limited in His knowledge, I believe when He emptied Himself of some of His God attributes and took the form of a man, He indeed emptied Himself of His omniscience. That’s why He could say in Mk 13:32, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
When He preached that the kingdom for Israel was near, it was. If they had accepted Him as Messiah, God would have sent Him back to establish the kingdom. Acts 3:19-21 “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.
If Israel believed in the resurrected Christ, God would send Christ back. This was up to Israel. Therefore, neither God the Father nor the Son knew whether all Israel would accept Jesus as the Messiah. They didn’t. So God raised up the Apostle Paul with a new gospel and a new program/dispensation.
In Christ,
Bob
Question: To become fellow heirs of the same body presupposes there was already a body.
Sheila
Wilkinson
Ephesians
3:6 has us problems also. The verse makes it sound as though the body
existed before the Gentiles became part.
To become fellow heirs of the same body presupposes that there
were members of an already present group of which the Gentiles became a
part. This question has
been the hardest for me to address for her.
Answer: (click here to view the answer)
The
answer to your question is the head-ship of Christ over a totally new
entity, the body of Christ. This wonderful new creation resonates praise
to God’s glory. In Eph 1:7-12 God begins to tell us about this
wonderful new thing. “In [Christ] we have redemption through His
blood, the forgiveness of sins transgressions, according to the
riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom
and prudence, 9 having made known to us the
mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He
purposed in Himself, 10 that for in the
dispensation of the fullness of the times He might [to] gather
together in one [the] all things in Christ, both which are [the
all things] in [the] heaven[lies] and [the all things] which are
on earth — in Him. 11 In Him [whom] also we have obtained an
inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works
[energizes the] all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that
we who first trusted [hoped] in Christ should be to the praise of
His glory.
This “mystery” of the 9th verse sounds mysterious.
But most Bible teachers explain that it means secret. But, what, is this
secret God had for us which was hidden from everyone for ages and
generations, until it was revealed to the Apostle Paul? According to Eph
3:1-3,6,8,9 “I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles; 2
if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which
was given to me for you, 3 that by revelation He made known to me the
mystery 6 that the Gentiles should
be heirs together, of the same body, and partakers together of His
promise in Christ through the gospel
8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was
given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches
of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the dispensation of the
mystery, which has been hidden from of the ages in God who created all
things through Jesus Christ.”
This is based on the information Paul gave in the second chapter:
Eph 2:11-22 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the
flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision
made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without
Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from
the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought
near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has
made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15
having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of
commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one
new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might
reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby
putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you
who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both
have access by one Spirit to the Father. 19 Now, therefore, you are no
longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and
members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief
cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows
into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built
together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Further, unlike others, notice what God wanted Paul to do with
this secret. At this time, He wanted this secret to be made known to
all, because the purpose of this secret was not to add to something that
was already in existence, but to form a new man, the body of
Christ.
Eph
1:9,10 having made known to us the
secret of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed
in Him, 10 for the dispensation of the fullness of the times to gather
together in one the all things
in Christ, the all things in
the heavenlies and the all things
on earth — in Him. What is the
all things? It’s the body of Christ, the fullness of Eph 1:23,
which is His body, the fullness of Him who is filling the
all things in every way.
This produced the most radical change imaginable to a Jew, since
the second purpose was to do away with the law for believers. That is,
for believers in the new body of Christ. Let’s look carefully at
Paul’s explanation in Eph 2:11-17 “Therefore remember that you, once
Gentiles in the flesh – who are called Uncircumcision by what is
called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands – 12 that at that
time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of
Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and
without God in the world. [They (we) were far away from God.] 13 But now
in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the
blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made the
both one [Who are the both? From the context we can see they are the
Jews and the Gentiles.], and has broken down the middle wall of
separation, 15 the enmity, in His flesh, having abolished
the law of commandments in ordinances, that He might create the
two in Himself into one new man
[This is not something that was in existence before.], making peace, 16
and that He might reconcile the
both [The Jews and the Gentiles.] in one body to God through the
cross, having put to death the enmity in it. 17 And He came and preached
peace to you who were afar off
and to those who were near.
This is further shown in Col 1:18-22 “And He is the head of the
body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things He Himself may have preeminence. 19 For He [God] was
pleased to have all the fullness dwell in Him, 20 and by Him to
reconcile the all things [The
body of Christ, which is made up of Jews and Gentiles.] to Him,
having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him, whether the
things on earth or the things in heavenlies, 21 even you, who once were
alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, but now He has
reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you
holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight--
The result of this new body is shown in Col 2:2, “that their
hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love,
and [attaining] to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to
the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of
Christ.” Then, after giving a further explanation about the body of
Christ, He wrote in Col 2:13b,14 “He has forgiven you all trespasses,
14 having wiped out [like a palimpsest] the handwriting of ordinances
[certificate of debt] that was against us, which was contrary to us. And
He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”
Then, he wrote the practical application for the whole body of
Christ. Col 2:16-23 “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or
regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of
things to come, but the [body] substance is of Christ. 18 Let no
one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in [false] humility . . .
vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the
Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and
ligaments, grows with the growth that is from God. 20 If you died with
Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in
the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations -- 21 “Do not
touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which
perish with the using -- according to the commandments and doctrines of
men? 23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed
religion, false humility, and severe treatment of the body, but are of
no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
Now, when we look at Eph 3:6, “that
the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of
His promise in Christ through the gospel”, we can see this is a
totally new body. The context of Ephesians 2&3 and Col 1 show that the body did was a
new thing where there was no difference between Jew and Gentile. The
Holy Spirit baptizes Jews and Gentiles into this new man and in the body
there is no distinction. Now we can say with Paul in 2 Co 5:17, “Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old
things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
I hope this helps.
Bob
The question is the whole issue of whether the book of John can be used today to present the gospel. Is it possible to take John in light of Paul's revelation and make an accurate presentation of the gospel of grace? John 3:16 seems to speak volumes to people who do this in a way that is understandable to the unsaved. In looking at some of my commentaries, I realize that even some dispensational writers have done this (George Williams and C.F.Baker for two). Is this not what Philip did with the Ethiopian Eunuch when he covered Isaiah 53 in Acts?
Answer: (click here to view the answer)
As you pointed out, even dispensational writers have done it. However, just because that is true, I'm sure you would agree, that doesn't mean it is right. I believe we can present the gospel from John 3:16, but it is interesting, that, when we do, we must interpret it in the light of Paul's message of grace to make it meaningful. Remember, when Christ was saying the words of John 3, He had not died and been resurrected. So someone could ask, "Why would He say that when He hadn't died at that time. Also, John 3 has the 5th verse, which is usually interpreted as water baptism by a majority of "Christian" people. I, personally, would not use John because it is confusing. But, it is not wrong.
In Christ,
Bob
Question: Did God send Paul and Barnabas as a light to the Gentiles according to prophecy?
Mon, 19 Jun 2000 16:30
"Jeremy Clark"
Bob,
Is Acts 13:47 mispunctuated in the NKJV and other versions? It would seem to make more sense to place a period after "For so the Lord has commanded us:" instead of a semicolon. If construed with a period, then the command would refer back to "we turn to the Gentiles." The way it is written in the NKJV suggests that God has sent Paul and Barnabas as a light to the Gentiles which is serious misinterpretation of the prophecy and subjects Paul's ministry to prophecy instead of the mystery. If the "us" in the prophecy is Paul speaking as a Jew then the same problem of attributing Paul's work to the prophecy still exists.
Jeremy Clark
Answer: (click here to view the answer)
Jeremy,
This is a Messianic statement from Is 49:6,7 “Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’” 7 Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, their Holy One, to Him whom man despises, to Him whom the nation abhors, to the Servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel; And He has chosen You.” When Paul and Barnabas said this, they were not talking about the mystery aspect of the presentation of the gospel, they were showing these Jews and proselytes that the OT spoke of the presentation of the Messiah to the whole earth. Paul took that as an argument to placate the Jews. But in the OT, it would be in the context of the Mosaic Law and the rituals of Israel. When Paul writes in Col 1:27 of the mystery aspect of the gospel being preached among the Gentiles without asking them to proselyte to Judaism, he calls it a mystery: “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ among you (en tois ethnesin. En with a plural object normally is translated among.), the hope of glory.”
Acts 13:46,47 Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. 47 “For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
Paul uses OT material rabbinically. For example, he did the same thing in Acts 26:19-23 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. 21 For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come— 23 hat the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”
In Christ,
Bob
Question: Does the end of the great tribulation coincide with the end of Daniel’s 70th Week?
Sat, 17 Jun 2000 21:53
JERRY SHUGART Dear Mr. Hill,
Does the end of the "great tribulation" coincide with the end of Daniel’s 70th Week ?
Answer: (click here to view the answer)
The 70th week is the tribulation. Therefore, I believe the end of the 70th week of Daniel is approximately the end of the tribulation of Revelation and Matthew 24.
Question: Is the Mystery the preaching of the cross?
Sat, 17 Jun 2000 21:53
JERRY SHUGART
Dear Mr. Hill,
Pastor Jeff Bowman was kind
enough to give your name as an expert who could answer my questions.
First, concerning the mystery of 1 Cor.2:7. Paul says that "the
preaching of the cross is "the power of God" and "the
wisdom of God" (1 Co 1:18,24). He then tells us explicitly that
"we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery". Therefore, it would
appear that the mystery here must be "the preaching of the
cross", the gospel of reconciliation which declares that we are
saved by grace through the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ.
The words of Paul to the Ephesians seem to bear this out: "Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, THE MYSTERY..."(Eph.3:2,
NIV ).
This seems to contradict your teaching. Am I missing something?
Answer: (click here to view the answer)
Dear Jerry,
First we must look at the whole quote. (This is the NKJV with my modifications from the Greek MT as noted.) 1 Co 2:6-11 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
Paul’s point here is the wisdom of God for our glory. It is the
wisdom of God in a secret, something that had not been revealed before.
That doesn’t mean it is the dispensation of the mystery. The
dispensation of the mystery is found in Eph 3:2-11 and Col
1:19-28. Eph 3:2-11 if indeed you have heard of the
dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how
that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly
written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my
knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages
(generations) was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been
revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the
Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers
(together) of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I
became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me
by the effective working of His power. 8 To me, who am less than the
least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should
preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to
make all see what is the fellowship (dispensation) of the
mystery, which has been hidden from the ages in God who created all
things through Jesus Christ; 10 that now the manifold wisdom of God may
be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the
heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose (of the
ages) which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Here we see in the sixth verse that the mystery is “that the
Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers
(together) of His promise in Christ”. This mystery was revealed in
Ephesians two where it showed that the middle wall of partition had been
broken down and the Jew and Gentile were now one new man.
Col 1:19-28 For it pleased the Father that in
Him all the fullness (The fullness is the body of Christ in Eph 1:23.)
should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things (This is the all
things, also used of the body of Christ in Eph 1:23.) to Himself, by
Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace
through the blood of His cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and
enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in
the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless,
and above reproach in His sight— 23 if indeed you continue in the
faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of
the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under
heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. 24 I now rejoice in my
sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the
afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, 25
of which I became a minister according to the stewardship
(dispensation of) from God which was given to me for you, to
fulfill the word of God, 26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages
and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To
them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this
mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in (among) you, the
hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every
man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ
Jesus.
This mystery caused a profound change in God’s program with man. God brought a new method of salvation. In Acts 16:31, they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” Before, the kingdom promised to David was their hope, now there was a new hope. Eph 2:4-6 “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
In the OT and the gospels they did not have security in their salvation. Now there was a new security. Eph 1:13 shows us: “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” Eph 4:30 shows we are sealed “until the day of redemption.” But amazingly, God didn’t have a new purpose, instead it was the same old purpose. The charge may have been related to the mystery, but the purpose was to love God. 1 Ti 1:1-5 “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment (ejpitaghVn) of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope, 2 To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. 3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia -- remain in Ephesus that you may charge (paraggeivlh/") some that they teach no other doctrine, 4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. 5 Now the purpose of the commandment (tov dev tevlo" th'" paraggeliva") is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith.” For the ancient Jewish world, this was stupendous news. For our divided world, it’s still stupendous. We are one in Christ!
How is the purpose of the mystery worked out? First, remember, we are members of one another. Rom 12:4-5 “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” Since this is true, God gave the body of Christ (that’s us) an abundance of instructions that we tend to ignore.
The first and foremost is to love one another. Rom 13:8 “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.” Not that we should have a fulfillment of the law as our goal. But if we love from the heart, our actions will fulfill the precepts of the law. Gal 5:13-14 “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Do you really love as God wants? I have found that no one does. I have found, that love is unnatural, and the sooner we recognize it and turn to God for help, the sooner we will be more loving. Every effort to love seems to stumble on the obstacle of fleshly self-centered thoughts. God wants us to love. That should be the product of the mystery. Eph 4:1-3 “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
I hope this answers your question.
In Christ,
Bob
Question: Was Jesus referring to people remaining in Him as being a part of the Body of Christ?
Mon, 12 Jun 2000 20:27
"Michael Simmons"
Mr Hill,
I have a question. I would imagine most expositors don’t refer to the “True Vine” that Jesus was referring to in John 15 as the church. But it seems like there is a comparison here with Romans 11. And the “grafting of branches”. Was Jesus referring to people “remaining in Him” as being a part of the Body of Christ? Because if so it would seem to contradict Acts 9 Dispensationalism. Just curious about this.
Answer: (click here to view the answer)
Michael,
We don’t have to guess who the vine was. It tells us: John 15:1-14 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. 9 As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” At this time, in John 15, Christ is only talking to the eleven. Judas had already left in 13:30. Therefore, they could lose their salvation if they didn’t abide in Him.
I don’t think there is any similarity between the vine and the olive metaphors. The vine had to do with salvation. the olive tree had to do with the opportunity to go directly to the root, Christ, for salvation.
At one time, Israel was the only nation blessed with the oracles of God. The message of God’s grace was written in the sky, His handiwork, and the hearts of all humans, but Israel was His people. If people knew of Israel and her relationship with God, they could proselyte to Jehovah’s true religion. They were favored because God had to choose someone to bring His redemption to mankind. Mankind had turned totally away from God, and God had to make special provision. He chose Abram/Abraham. That’s why Israel had the law, the covenants, the adoption, the glory, and the promises.
By the time we get to the NT, the NT shows us that He cut them
off. He cut off all of Israel from the special opportunity they had with
God. But notice, in the metaphor of the olive
tree, God only cut out those in v. 20 who “Because of unbelief they
were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.”
They were no longer the favored nation. Now, they had to believe in
Jesus Christ as their Savior just like the Gentiles now could. But now,
in vss. 21,22, He warns the Gentiles who have been grafted into the
opportunity to believe directly rather than proselyte to Judaism. 21
“For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you
either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those
who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His
goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.” Israel fell out of her
special privileged relationship with God. But only those who did not
believe were in this category.
We must be careful to read the 11th chapter in its context of Rom 9-11. In Rom 9:30, we see that the Israelites who were cut off were unbelievers trying to establish their own righteousness rather than submitting to God’s righteousness, Rom 9:30-10:4 “What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. 33 As it is written: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’ 10:1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” The ones cut off were never saved. They fell from the special opportunity that Israel had. Any Jew could believe after the body of Christ started, but now their opportunity was not special like it was. God is going to make the opportunity special again after the rapture. Then Israel will be purged in the tribulation. When God is through with the Gentiles in this dispensation, all the believers will be raptured, all the unbelieving Gentiles will be cut off, and everyone will be under the circumcision gospel rules of the tribulation. Eternal security or lack of it, is not the question in Rom 11.
Rom 11:11-31 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! 13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. 15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? 25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; 27 For this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” 28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy.
Notice the whole purpose of this section. It is summarized for us in Rom 11:32 “For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.”
Question: Are there two gospels in the Bible?
Name: chester van orden
is there two gospels in the bible? gal.2-7 but contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto peter.
Answer: (click here to view the answer)
Chester,
Yes, there are two gospels in the Bible.
God’s program for us today is different from all His previous programs and future programs. We see how unique God’s program for us is when we read about Paul’s commission in Eph 3:1-9 “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles– 2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs (sugklaronoma), of the same body (susswma), and partakers (summetoca) of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gracious gift of God given to me by the effective working of His power. 8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the untraceable riches of Christ, 9 and make all see what is the dispensation (oikonomia) of the mystery, which has been hidden from the ages in God who created all things through Jesus Christ.”
Paul repeated this explanation in Col 1:25-27 [The church] of which I became a minister according to the dispensation of God which was given to me for you, to fulfill [to complete, make full, fill] the word of God, 26 the mystery which has been hidden from the ages and from the generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To whom God willed to make known what are the glorious riches of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ among you, the hope of glory.
This means that prophecies made before Paul was saved, from Genesis to Acts nine, have nothing to do with this dispensation. Chester, it’s important for us to ask, “Why?” And this is where your question about the two gospels comes in. Because, nothing was known about the church which is the body of Christ before it was revealed to the Apostle Paul. Again, why? Because it is a mystery, as Ephesians and Colossians showed us. Therefore, what God tells us starting from Acts 9 until today, never had been revealed before. That’s what a mystery, a secret, is.
Things changed drastically when the dispensation of grace/mystery started. I want to show you some of the big differences we have in this dispensation from those before, and those which will be after we are raptured.
The most important since it is the gospel, has to do with
salvation. We are justified by faith. Rom
3:28 Therefore we
conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the
law.
They were justified by faith plus works. Jam
2:11,12,14,20,21,24,25
For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not
murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you
have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so do as those
who will be judged by the law of liberty. 14 What does it profit, my
brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can
faith save him? 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith
without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified
by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 24 You see then
that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise,
was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the
messengers and sent them out another way?
Next is the security of the believer. We are sealed and secure. Eph 1:13
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed by the Holy
Spirit of promise. Eph 4:30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for
the day of redemption.
They have to endure. Mat 24:9-14 Then they will
deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all
nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will
betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false
prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will
abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the
end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached
in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will
come. John 15:1-12 I am the
true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that
does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch
that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are
already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in
Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it
abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the
vine, you are the branches. He
who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can
do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch
and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 10 If you keep My
commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My
Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
We don’t have to be baptized to be saved. Acts
16:30,31 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be
saved, you and your household.” 1
Co 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the
gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be
made of no effect.
They had to be baptized. Acts 2:38 Then Peter said
to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift
of the Holy Spirit.” 1 Pe
3:19-21 [Christ] went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who
formerly were disobedient,
when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the
ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved
through water. 21 There is also an antitype which now saves us–baptism
(not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good
conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The purpose of the mystery is love. 1 Ti 1:3-5 As I urged you
when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge (paraggeilas)
some that they teach no other doctrine, 4 nor give heed to fables and
endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification
which is in faith. 5 Now the purpose of the commandment charge (paraggelias)
is love from a pure heart, from
a good conscience, and from
sincere faith. 1 Ti 1:18 This charge (paraggelian)
I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously
made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare. 2
Ti 1:12-14 I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is
able to keep my deposit (tan parathakan mou fulaxai) until that Day. 13 Hold fast the
pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.14 Keep That good
thing which was committed to you the good deposit (tan kalan
parathakan
fulaxon), keep by the
Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
The purpose of the whole Bible is love. So
there is no difference there, except, we have the indwelling and sealing
Holy Spirit.
The big difference between these two gospels is life changing. Check some of our questions and answers. You may also be interested in my book, The Big Difference. It tells the whole story about these two gospels and where they came from.
In Christ,
Bob Hill
Question: Translation of I Timothy 1:16
02
May 2000 14:33
Name:
Matthew Yeseta
Bob,
I
am observing questions by others concerning when believers are part of
the Body of Christ, of which Paul clearly talks about in Ephesians 3:3-6
and 5:30-32. I am a
Mid-Acts dispensational believer. I
am interested to know if the original language can be helpful in
describing I Timothy 1:16. I know that the translations of the Greek
tenses are difficult at best, and we English (et. al.) readers cannot
fully appreciate a more fuller meaning from the translations.
In
I Timothy 1:16 Paul writes, [NKJ] "However, for this reason I
obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all
longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for
everlasting life"
Question
concerning the a few greek words: The
word "first" (Gk. prwto" [Translit. protos] and prwtw
[Translit. proto]). What
greek tense does this word have? Is
it aorist? Is "first" describing something that was perfected
in the past? And does the
word "pattern" (Gk. upotupwsin [Translit. upotuposin])
describe something that was completed in the past, but continues to the
present? The word
"going to believe" (Gk. mellontwn [Translit. mellonton]).
The word is translated with a future tense in mind. Therefore, those whom believe after Paul are those who are
baptized into Christ, the Body of Christ.
Answer: (click here to view the answer)
Matthew,
The first two words, which mean first, are adjectives. Paul is
describing the fact that he was the first one saved into the body of
Christ. The word mellontwn
means, in general, “about to”. So, he is saying that he
would be a pattern of all those who would believe following him
In
Christ,
Bob
Question: Does dispensational theology violate 2 Tim 3:16?
Name:
Josh Hall
A general criticism I have
received about my dispensational theology is that it violates 2 Tim
3:16. Do you have a
response to this critique?
Answer: (click here to view the answer)
Josh,
How could dispensational theology violate 2 Tim 3:16? 2
Ti 3:16 says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness." We use the whole Bible all
the time. My book, The Big Difference, uses much more Scripture
by far than Pauline material. We could not even have a dispensational
theology without the whole Bible. We believe that verse. We use all the
Bible. We know it is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
Whoever said that, doesn't have the slightest idea of what we
believe. Thanks for asking that question so I could respond to it.
In His matchless love,
Bob
Question: What is a dispensationalist?
29
Apr 2000 21:58
Name:
Henry Young
Question:
What is a dispensationalist?
Bob:
What is meant by "Dispensationalist"?
What is meant by Progressive Dispensationalist?
Into which label do you and Bob Enyart belong?
Answer: (click here to view the answer)
Henry,
A dispensationalist is a Bible student who seeks to follow 2 Ti
2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who
does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” We
understand “rightly dividing the word of truth” to mean dividing the
Scriptures according to the dispensation that God has established and
given to the different stewards He has chosen. For instance, Paul was
given the dispensation of grace. Here are the passages which name this
dispensation by its different names:
1
Co 9:16,17 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for
necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!
17 For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will,
I have been entrusted with a stewardship (dispensation).
Eph
1:9-14 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His
good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation
of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one the all
things (The body of Christ.) in Christ, both which are in heaven and
which are on earth—in Him. 11 In whom also we have obtained an
inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works
the all things (The body of Christ.) according to the counsel of His
will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of
His glory. 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of
truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you
were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of
our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the
praise of His glory.
Eph
3:1-9 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you
Gentiles— 2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the
grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation
He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written
already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge
in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known
to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His
holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow
heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ
through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift
of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. 8
To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was
given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable
riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the dispensation
of the mystery, which has been hidden from the ages in God
who created all things through Jesus Christ.
Col
1:24-27 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh
what is lacking in the afflictions for Christ, for the sake of His body,
which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the
dispensation of God which was given to me for you, to fulfill
the word of God, 26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages
and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To
them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this
mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ among you, the hope of
glory.
I happen to believe there are 12 dispensations. I’ve attached a
chart at the end of this document. Progressive dispensationalists do not
make as strong distinction between Israel and the church. Bob Enyart and
I are both Acts 9 Strong Dispensationalists. If you have any other
questions, let me know.
In
Christ,
Bob
|
Gen
1:28-2:17 |
Gen
3:16-24 |
Gen
9:1-17 |
Gen
12:1-3 |
Gen
17:7-21 |
Deu
5&6 |
2
Sam 7:1-17 |
Mark
1:1 |
Acts
2 |
Ephesians
3 |
Mat
24:13,14 |
Dan
7:27 |
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Acts
7:8 |
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Luke
1:32-77 |
Acts
3:19-25 |
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Luke
16:16 |
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Edenic Covenant |
Adamic Covenant |
Noahic Covenant |
Covenant of
Promise |
THE COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION |
Dispensation of
Grace
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Covenant of Circumcision |
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Innocence |
Conscience |
Human Government |
Promise |
Circumcision |
Law |
Kingdom Promised |
Kingdom Proclaimed |
Kingdom Offered |
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Tribulation |
Kingdom Established |
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