The vast majority of Christendom has strayed far from Paul’s gospel. The
Bible reveals Paul’s message as being distinctly different from the rest of the
Bible, different from any God/man relationship that existed before.
The hermeneutic errors preached today lead to this confusion of Biblical
interpretation. The false idea of “one gospel” or a “Pentecost gospel” not only
leavens “the gospel of the grace of
God,” but also this mistaken approach to Scripture makes the written word of
God to become confusing and contradictory. It then pushes preachers to twist and
mishandle the word to “make things fit” as they suppose it ought to be.
It is undeniable that each dispensation through the ages and times has
differing God-given requirements for man. Some were given to mankind before
Abram was called; and then some were different for Israel.
Paul’s grace message, principally to the
joint-body of Christ, is quite different from The Law given to Israel.
Each dispensation differed; The
Dispensation of Innocence required man not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge
of Good & Evil, The Dispensation
of Conscience required man to live by his conscience, The Dispensation of Human
Government required man to subdue and fill the earth, The Dispensation of
Promise required Abram to dwell in Canaan, The Dispensation of The Law requires
man to obey God fully, and The Dispensation of the Grace of God is for man to
receive the Grace that is in Christ by faith.
One could hardly be under “The Law” and Paul’s “Dispensation of the grace of God,”
at the very same time.
Ephesians 3:1-2
For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus
Christ for you Gentiles,
2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God
which is given me to
you-ward:
Romans 6:14
… for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Those who do not rightly divide the Scriptures (2Tim
2:15) by its dispensations must
admit they have great contradictions to try and to explain. Consider these
examples of contradiction as seen in Paul’s and James’ writings.
- Paul says – salvation is by grace through faith
alone, not of
works. Salvation is
by 100% unmerited favor, acquired by faith alone!
- Rom 11:6 And if by grace, then is it NO more of works
(“0” % works): otherwise
grace is no more grace. But if it
be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
Grace must be
100%.
Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man
should boast.
- James writes …though a man say he hath faith, and have
not works? can faith save
him? James answers his question as follows. Jas 2:14, … faith without works is
dead?” Jas
2:20
How are we to
reconcile this contradiction between Paul and James? We can easily reconcile
these two very different statements of God-inspired Scripture by reading the
Bible and using a normal book reading method of interpretation; that is, we must
note who it is that James is
addressing. James’ epistle, in accord with Jesus’ instruction of
Matt 10:5-6, is not written to Gentile “body of Christ,” but
rather "...to the twelve tribes (of
Israel) which are scattered
abroad…James 1:1b”
Proper hermeneutics requires that we must always note these points. 1)
To whom the writer is writing, 2) concerning what, 3) concerning who, and 4)
concerning what time frame.
Studying the Bible in this way of rightly dividing helps discern key dispensational differences, leading
us to know our Bible in its fulness.
Peter, the Apostle to “the circumcision” (Jews) eventually
saw the truth’s of Paul’s unique gospel
for the Gentiles. Peter supported Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles in the
Acts 15 meeting in Jerusalem with the Jewish Messianic church
leaders. Peter wrote to the Jews “scattered abroad” (1Pet 1:1). In his 2nd
epistle he offers a sober warning to the Jews concerning the twisting of Paul’s
epistles, which have wisdom from God.
2 Peter 3:15-16
And account that the longsuffering of our Lord
is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto
him hath written unto you (in the epistle to the Hebrews); 16 As also in all his (Paul’s) epistles,
speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be
understood, which they that are
unlearned and unstable wrest (Gk. Strebloo, pervert, twist, distort and
misinterpret), as they do also the other scriptures, unto their
own destruction.