You are here: Home / Archives for dispensations

WHO’S ON FIRST? THE CHURCH?

by

WHEN DID THE CHURCH BEGIN?

The ChurchBy Ken Blue

“Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.” Romans 16:7.

One’s view of when the Church, the body of Christ, and the dispensation of grace started will determine how the verses in the above context are interpreted. A few examples of the differing views of when the church began will clarify that point. However, the fact that there are many views on the birth of the church is another issue altogether.

There are those who hold that the church has existed from the time of Adam. They argue that all the people who follow God are the people of God and constitute the church. Thus the church of today is simply a continuation of a long line of believers.

Some believe the church began in Matthew 4 when John the Baptist called his first disciples. Others view Matthew 10, Matthew 16, Acts 2, Acts 9 and after Acts 28! So, there is little wonder as to the confusion about this matter. The position one takes will of necessity determine how all other scripture will be interpreted.

Those who question that the church started with Paul, site the above verse to show that there were those “in Christ” prior to Paul’s conversions. Thus, they choose an earlier date for the birth of the church. However, the above verse does not say anything about anyone being in the church; it speaks of being in Christ. One could have been in Christ, redemptively; without being in the Church which was a mystery; but one cannot be in the Church, which is His body without being in Christ.

If we accept the idea that being in Christ was synonymous with the Church, then we must concede that one can be cut off and loose his salvation. John 15 is clear that Christ is the vine and certain believers are the branches. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” John 15:1-8.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The Church revealed to Paul was a mystery from before the foundation of the world and was revealed to him.[/perfectpullquote]

If being in Christ is the same as being in the Church, which is His body, then the brethren must do some Biblical gymnastics with the above verses to maintain an eternal security view. Now, don’t pretend that the above verses do not say He was in them, and they in Him. It won’t work.

The Church revealed to Paul was a mystery from before the foundation of the world and was revealed to him. “If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:  How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,  Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;  That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:  Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.  Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:” Ephesians 3:2-9. Note the bolded words.

Finally, we ask, why Paul? If the Church which was the mystery was prior to Paul, and the commission was given to the Twelve to take this gospel into the entire world and to every creature, why was Paul saved, commissioned, given the gospel by divine revelation, and used to write the Church epistles? Why not use the Twelve who were given the great commission in Matthew, Mark and Luke, and Acts 1:8? In addition, they had over three years of personal training by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Believers, prior to Paul were in Christ by identification with Him in John 15. After His death, believers were in Him by redemption of His blood. But, none were in the Church which was kept a secret until it started with the Apostle Paul. The church, which is the body of Christ, is made up of Jews and Gentiles who lose their distinction in the one body. Paul was both a Jew and a Gentile, and no doubt, the first in the Body of Christ. It seems evident to me that the dispensation of Grace and the Church, which is the One New Man and a New Creation, begin with Paul. This in no way nullifies the practice of water baptism.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A COVENANT AND A TESTAMENT

by

By Ken Blue

“Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;” Romans 9:4.

There is much disagreement and misunderstanding among Christians concerning a covenant and a testament. There need not be the confusion, and much will disappear when we have a clear understanding of the two words and how they are used in the Bible.

First, we will consider the word, “covenant.” It is used throughout the Old Testament, and our text in Romans states that pertained to Israel; seeing that most of the Old Testament Scriptures are about them.

The first use of the word is with Noah. “But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee”. Genesis 6:18. (See Gen. 9:9,11,12,13,15,16,17).

The next use of the word covenant concerns Abraham and the Promised Land. “In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:” Genesis 15:18. The covenant promises of the land to Israel are too numerous for us to list them here.

At Mount Sinai, God gave the Law to Israel and it was there they entered into a contract with God that they would obey His laws. These were written in a book, which was called the covenant. “And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.” Exodus 24:7-8. God’s future dealings with Israel were based upon their agreement to keep this covenant. He told them clearly what the results of obedience or disobedience would be. (See Lev. 26).

We find covenants made between men and men, between men and women, and between tribes and nations. These are promises and agreements made with others to fulfill their word. God made a covenant with Himself concerning Abraham. (See Heb. 6:13).

The Covenant made to Moses and Israel concerned the Law and was testified to by the shedding of the blood of animals. “And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.” Exodus 24:7-8.

Keep in mind that the covenant was the agreement between God and Israel, whereas, the blood was the testimony of their agreement. This is why it is called the testament. It testified to the solemnity of the agreement.

God promised Israel that in the latter days He would establish a New Covenant with THEM. “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:31-34.

The Christian should read and reread those verses until it becomes clear that the covenant is made with ISRAEL and not with his Gentile church. Since Israel rejected Christ at His first coming, most Christians have ignorantly spiritualized the New Covenant and stolen it for themselves. This New Covenant still awaits fulfillment at the Second Advent! The only thing that has been accomplished concerning it is that the BLOOD THAT RATIFIES IT HAS BEEN SHED AS A TESTAMENT! We will say more about that later.

Most covenants in Scripture and in secular life do not require blood. Therefore, it is important to remember that the two; a covenant and a testament, are not the same.

What is a Testament? No doubt you already see the difference; however, I have gone to the original Oxford English Dictionary for some uses and definitions.

“1880 Muirhead Ulpian xx. §1 A testament is the testification of our will, in the form prescribed by law, made solemnly, on purpose that it may be effectual after our death.”
” Ibid. §27 Where an executor named by the deceased is authorized by the Judge, it is called the confirmation of a testament-testamentary; and when the Judge confers the office of executor upon a person of his own nomination, it is styled the confirmation of a testament-dative. 1838 in W. Bell Dict. Law Scot.”
“In Christian Latin use of testQmentum. Orig. a misuse of the word, arising from the fact that Gr. diah–jg, ‘disposition, arrangement’, was applied both to a covenant (pactum, fœdus) between parties, and to a testament or will (testamentum). Prob. largely due to the use of diah–jg (in the sense ‘covenant’) in the account of the Last Supper immediately before Christ’s death, and its consequent association with the notion of a last will or testament.”
“1766 Blackstone Comm. II. xxiii. 376 That all devises of lands and tenements shall not only be in writing, but signed by the testator.
“Hence te”statorship, the position or office of a testator; “testatory a., pertaining to or of the nature of evidence.”
“To bear witness, to testify, to attest.”

Now, here is where the confusion comes in. When Jesus was in the room with His disciples, He was introducing to them the promised New Covenant. He was preparing them for the shedding of His blood, which would be the testament, witness, evidence or signature to the New Covenant God had promised. Since Jesus is God, He not only gave the covenant promise to Israel, He ratified it with His OWN BLOOD!

He would be returning to heaven for an unspecified period of time. In His absence, they were to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom and observe the Lords Supper till He returned. At His return, the New Covenant aspect would be implemented.
The church today gets the benefits of the TESTAMENT, or His blood. It paid for our sins, but the New Covenant promise was to Israel only.

Thus, a covenant is an agreement between two parties and does not require blood. The testament was a testification of a will, in the form prescribed by law, made solemnly, on purpose that it may be effectual after ones death. It assures that all devises of lands and tenements shall not only be in writing, but signed by the testator. A testament is to bear witness, to testify, and to attest. Thus, Jesus signed, as a testament, the promise of the NEW COVENANT to Israel, with His own blood. “The covenant must be made by sacrifice (Psalm 50:5), because, since man has sinned, and forfeited his Creator’s favor, there can be no fellowship by covenant till there be first friendship and atonement by sacrifice.” (Matthew Henry Commentary).

TOPICS FOR THOSE WHO CAN’T PREACH THE BIBLE

by

PREACHING TOPICS THAT DEFY RIGHT DIVISION

By Ken Blue

Many pastors are searching for sermon topics to preach. Since some completely ignore the dispensation they are in, or they are ignorant of it, we will supply a few topics for them. These subjects will not help your people understand right divisions, but they will give them spiritual discernment of other.

  1. Preach against women wearing anything resembling pants. It is easy to make the Bible teach anything you want; so pay no attention to where the text comes from. Just grab some verses and run with them.
  2. Preach against men with long hair. Just don’t let your congregation know that many of the songs they sing, and the writers you quote had long hair. If you don’t know that, it just shows how ignorant you are of the subject and text. If you need PROOF, read the chapter on long hair in my book, Standards and The Standard.
  3. Preach against men wearing tight jeans that expose their privates. That will be novel and win you lots of friends.
  4. Preach against television. You must be up to date on all the Hollywood actors and actresses, and it is your duty to warn your members about what they should not be watching.
  5. Preach against all music except what you like. Everyone will conclude that you know what music God approves.
  6. Preach against Powerpoint and multimedia in church. You don’t want people to think your church is a movie theater.
  7. Preach against eating in church. You don’t want people to think you have turned your church into a restaurant, do you?
  8. Preach against blacks. We all know that Ham was cursed, and we don’t want cursed people, of another race, (Hamites) in our churches.
  9. Preach against background music. God couldn’t be in it. Just don’t forget to sell your sermons and songs on CD after the service. That’s different.
  10. Preach against political leaders, that’s what Paul tells you to do. (Romans 13; I Timothy 2.)
  11. Preach against those not in the Baptist Bride; all others are in harlot churches. Just don’t let your members know they are singing songs written by those in harlot churches, and that most of your books are by non-briders.
  12. Preach that those you don’t agree with are of the devil, are antichrist, immoral, and approve homosexuality. Surely this will turn people against them, and endear your listeners to you.
  13. Preach that those who believe soul winning, discipleship, and service for Christ are shallow and have selfish motives. Pastors should be whipping the same hobbyhorse you are riding.

These ought to be enough to get one started. Once you get the hang of it, the rest will come naturally. If you need additional help on other such subjects, you can always find newsletters and websites to assist you.

HOW TO RIGHTLY DIVIDE THE BIBLE

by

A NOTE ON RIGHT DIVISION

right division

By Ken Blue

“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 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. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 11 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: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:7-13

There is a difference between an age, a dispensation, seasons, and times. Finis Dake’s Bible notes say there are five ages within time. The ages to come are two; one is the kingdom age; this begins at the Second Advent of Christ and lasts 1000 years. The final is the eternal age which begins with the new heaven and new earth.

The “times past” refer to those times prior to the church of this dispensation of grace. “The times past” reach back to Abraham, or perhaps to Adam. They continued up to the birth of the church in Acts.

The statement, “But now” suggest the third division in God’s economy. It began with the birth of the church and will continue until its rapture to heaven. Within each of these divisions are different dealings by God.

It is important that the believer understands these three divisions and the teaching that belongs to each one. Failing that, there will be great confusion and mishandling of God’s Word.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Failing to divide the Bible rightly can cause great confusion and mishandling of God’s Word.[/perfectpullquote]

Paul said. “Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:” 1 Corinthians 10:32. We see that the Scripture not only divides into past, present, and future; they also divide into various groups, to whom they are written.

If a Christian brings a teaching from one section into another, or if that which is addressed to the Jews is forced on the church, all kinds of confusion and false teaching will result. “Right division” is imperative to correct doctrine.

Romans through Philemon are church epistles for the “but now” period and contain church doctrine. Genesis, through the Gospels and early Acts, is for Israel and their Kingdom and fit the “times past” period. Hebrew through Revelation is Jewish and will assist them through the Tribulation and the Kingdom when God jumpstarts His program again with them. This is the “ages to come.”

Most of the confusion and division in Christianity is due to the failure of right division, and the forcing of a text from one dispensation into a place never intended. The Baptist are notorious for this. It ought to be obvious; you can make the Bible teach anything you like if you disregard proper divisions.

OH YEAH? WHAT PROMISE?

by

PROMISES POSTPONED

promiseBy Ken Blue

“If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” John 14:14

Many, in this present dispensation, are confused and puzzled when reading these prayer promises and discovering that they don’t work for them. They are left with a few options. One, they doubt their own faith. Did not the Lord say, “All things are possible to him that believeth.”? Failure to see God answer prayer has led some to doubt the truthfulness of the Scriptures.  Some assume their answer will come, sometime in the distant future.  None of these approaches to the promise are correct.

The problem lies with the readers’ failure to understand the purpose of the Lord’s ministry while He was on earth. There is no thought here of a promise to a body of Jews and Gentiles, comprising the church. The first thing we must realize is that the Lord’s ministry was not about the church of this dispensation of grace. His ministry was to Israel, and it was under the dispensation of the Law.

Another truth one must recognize is that Jesus was speaking to and about His disciples. They were assured assigned places of leadership as judges under the new covenant in the kingdom. “That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Luke 22:30.

Since the kingdom was rejected by the nation along with its miracles, wonders and prayer promises have been postponed until God jump starts His program again with Israel. The twelve disciples will be resurrected and given special places of governorship over the nation. Working together as a body, they are assured of His presence, power, and provision. At that time, they will confer with each other in decision making. Like the choosing of Matthias to replace Judas, they will pray and ask for God’s will to be done, and it will be granted to them. They will ask and they will receive. This is not a prayer promise to the church of this dispensation of Grace.