SESSION
4 –
The
HOW of Dispensational Bible Study
Let
the Word of God be our Guide in… “How to Study God’s Word.”
Since God, through
Paul, tells us to “study…(by)
rightly DIVIDING the
Word of God” (2Tim 2:15), it certainly would be
appropriate to allow God, through Paul, to tell us how this should be
done. So let’s now look to Paul’s divinely inspired
understanding of just how God’s eternal purpose is being accomplished
through the ages.
Three-Fold
Division of the Word of God (See also the Timeline Grace-Chart)
1) Time
Past:
Ephesians
2:11-12 Wherefore
remember, that ye being
in TIME
PAST Gentiles
in the flesh, who are called
Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision
in the flesh made by hands; 12 That
at that time ye 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:
2) But Now:
Ephesians
2:13 BUT
NOW in Christ
Jesus ye (Gentiles in the flesh) who sometimes were
far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
3) The
Ages to Come:
Ephesians
2:7 That IN
THE AGES TO COME
he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his
kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
·
As you study the
Bible, it is crucial to know where you are in God’s program.
·
Keeping the right
Scriptures for the right time is essential…pertaining to past,
present, or future.
1) TIME PAST
(see Eph 2:11-12 above)
- BASIC
CHARACTERISTIC – DISTINCTION
between
Israel
(the Circumcision) and
all others – called Gentiles
(the Uncircumcision)
Deut
14:2 (
Israel
) art an holy people
unto the LORD thy God, and the
LORD hath chosen thee to be a PECULIAR PEOPLE unto himself, ABOVE
ALL THE NATIONS …upon the earth.
(Exo 19:6)
- AGENCY
–”the
commonwealth
of
Israel
” – “salvation is of the Jews” (Jn 4:22)
- SPHERE
– The Land of
Israel
on concerns the earth
- OPERATING
SYSTEM – “the
Law,” “covenants” & “promise”
- HOPE
– the hope
of
Israel
(Acts 28:20) “thy kingdom
come… on earth” (Mark 6:10)
- SCRIPTURE
– Genesis through early Acts applies only to
Israel
.
2) BUT
NOW (see Eph 2:13 above)
- BASIC
CHARACTERISTIC – NO
DISTINCTION or preferred people IN CHRIST-
“all
are one in Christ Jesus”
(Gal 3:28),”make in Himself
of twain (of Jew &
Gentile) one new man”
(Eph 2:15)
- AGENCY
– “the
body of Christ” – “the Uncircumcision”
(
Israel
has fallen, Rom 11:11-12)
- SPHERE
– concerns “heavenly
places in Christ” (Eph 1:3; our home, Philippians 3:20)
- Operating
System – “grace
through faith, not of works,
but unto good works (Eph
2:8-10)
- Hope
– “the hope
of glory” (
Col
1:27), Rapture (1Thes 4:17)
Titus
2:13 Looking for that
blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our
Saviour Jesus Christ;
- SCRIPTURE
– Paul’s thirteen Epistles to “the
body of Christ.” – Romans to Philemon.
3)
THE AGES TO COME (see Eph 2:7 above)
- BASIC
CHARACTERISTIC – Jew & Gentile ARE ONE IN HIM with separate
eternal callings.
Eph
1:10 That in
the DISPENSATION OF THE FULNESS OF TIMES he might gather
together IN ONE all things in Christ, BOTH
which are (HIS BODY) IN
HEAVEN, and (the Believers of ISRAEL) WHICH ARE ON
EARTH; even IN
HIM:
- AGENCY
– The
Body of Christ AND
Israel
in their respective spheres.
- SPHERE
– Israel co-reigning with Christ over the whole
EARTH and the
"body of Christ" co-reigning with Christ in "
HEAVENLY PLACES"
- OPERATING
SYSTEM - “grace
through faith, unto good works”
- HOPE
– then to be fulfilled “in fullness of times…he
might gather
together IN ONE all things in Christ” (Eph 1:10)
Scripture
– All Scripture.