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Chapter 1 - The Importance of the understanding Dispensational Theology
In Christendom today there is an unstable approach to scripture which leads to error and many times causes confusion. I hope and pray that those who personally study dispensational truths will have an accurate understanding in their scriptural approach to doctrine, prophecy and theology. The correct expounding of the truth with accuracy in ones teachings and writings is a great need in today’s world. The whole of Scripture is to live life correctly and for our learning, there are numerous examples and eternal principles given for us throughout the Bible. Living correctly includes a correct dispensational approach to Scripture, 2 Timothy 3:16, Romans 15:4, 2 Timothy 2:15.
As you study this subject the Charts enclosed will help you comprehend the symmetry of God's Word and prayerfully God will open your eyes, experiencing a excitement of God's Word you have never new! Finding, the answers you have been looking for and how to make sense out of Scripture is the goal. This study is written for laymen as well as professional Theologians and Pastors to provide spiritual growth and understanding, Ephesians 4:11-25, 2 Timothy 2:2, 2 Timothy 3:14-16, 2 Timothy 2:14-16. There will be scripture to validate a dispensational understanding, seeking what the inspiration of the Holy Spirit has recorded not man, 2 Peter 1:19-21.
Man’s Personal Relationship to God
In the study on dispensations, God always provided the means for man’s salvation in the dispensations, revealing His working and the need for men to appropriate God's provision by faith with obedience.
An example for this is taken from the first and second dispensations of God: Adam and Eve could eat of the Tree of Life freely which God provided, but they chose to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. We read that after they sinned they covered their own nakedness with leaves which were not of blood and non-sufficient to change their sinful circumstances; afterwards God covered them by a blood sacrifice which He alone provided. They accepted His covering of animal skins (faith) where the blood was shed for them, putting aside their own covering of leaves that they had made (their works and no blood) they accepted God's provision which was sufficient for a sin offering which they needed, Genesis 3.
Adam and Eve did not deserve His forgiveness and no man ever does or will. The only way for forgiveness is by God providing it and He did this through the Lord Jesus Christ, 1 John 5:9 -14, Romans 10:9-13, Act 4:10-12, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. Those who accept responsibility for their sin and sin nature receiving Jesus Christ by faith as their needed provision personally, become a child of His redemption, Titus 3:5, Ephesians 2:5-9, Hebrews 11:6. Today without Jesus one can not provide the means for forgiveness or receive forgiveness for themselves. Mankind perishes due to their own refusal and by efforts of their own way instead of God's way, John 3:16-21.
Salvation is found in each dispensation and how these truths were at work throughout the history of the dispensations, (see chapter on salvation). Remember, redemption started with God before the foundation of the earth and goes through the history of mankind, Ephesians 1:1-6,1 Peter 1:20. Today if this has happened in your life - you need to be living the abundant life that God wants you to experience through your discovery of Him, His word and His creation which a dispensational understanding will help to achieve. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.
God's perfect love should drive the lost and redeemed to want to know all there is about eternal salvation and His workings, 2 Corinthians 5:14. In God’s foreknowledge He has predestined (predetermined) us by calling and justifying us by the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, with our response to Him, He glorifies us in our position now and forever, Romans 8:12, 29-30, John 17, 1 John 4. And as the redeemed we are to live as one set apart from the world's ungodliness but not isolating ourselves from the world but give testimony in actions with words of godliness, sharing the truths of God, (be sanctified), 2 Timothy 2:15, Hebrews 11:6, James 4:8, Romans 12:1,2, 1 Corinthians 5:9-11, 2 Corinthians 5:13-22. God blesses those who get to know Him. In getting to know Him personally, one needs to study the source of His revelation, His words found in the Bible.
As a child of God we are commissioned to know how to discover the truths found in the Scriptures and the history which goes beyond salvation giving clarity in our deportment in our studying, teaching and the preaching of God's works on His behalf, Hebrews 5:11- 6:1-2, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Romans 15:4. That is why Dispensational Theology is important along with Practical Theology and the other studies of Systematic Theology. The word Theology is not a complex word, it means the study or teachings of God.
Today’s Confusions in Understanding Scriptures
The understanding of the dispensations of God for today’s believer is not an option, dispensational understanding gives a clear systematic understanding of the workings of God from the beginning of time. Dispensational study gives the understanding of the framework around God's total workings. Accuracy is very important in Biblical studies not only for word studies, but also for understanding the paramount view of God’s working throughout the history of mankind from the beginning of creation to the end of all things found in the Bible. Every individual administration (dispensation) must be viewed together and as an individual in the Bible in order to have an accurate understanding of Scriptural symmetry. Dispensational truth results in proportions of balance in harmony and beauty!
We should never be content or obstinate when it comes to knowing the word of God and discovering the truth found in the Scriptures. We need to examine God’s word when someone points us to a truth we may have missed or have been misinformed about.
It is a lack of good judgment for one to disagree with another’s view of Scripture or dismiss it without having a full understanding of the view. Remember that the Bible is God’s infallible word, inspired by the Holy Spirit. God in his transcendent nature and holiness has revealed the truth of His workings to mankind, 2 Peter 1:19-21. Dispensational teaching is the revelation of His entering into the world, involving an orderly leadership to bring about His glory ('administrations'), Ephesians 3. God is outside the material universe and not limited but in love He enters world affaires, Romans 5:5-9, John 3:16 1 John 5:9-14, John 1:1,14, Philippians 1:5-11. Oh how awesome and beautiful is God's working love to mankind.
Therefore, in this study of dispensations let's seek to be accurate and fair in the understanding as we approaching the scriptures. Endeavoring to be understanding of brothers and sisters in the Lord with respect to their scriptural position before considering them to be in error.
Many today have not discovered the beauty and harmony that dispensational truths give to understanding the Bible. This is because of a ‘milk toast’ approach or a ‘pick and choose’ interpretation of Scripture producing confusion due to pre-conceived ideas.
The 'milk toast' approach to scripture will never get one beyond salvation also, it has causes many people to be caught up with feeling in the present situation; they never do a deep study in the Word of God that gives the foundation of Biblical truth, they cater to feelings over fact. Practical Christian living and feeling are important but they should never take the place exclusively to knowing God's word better. Believers are subject to Satan and the cults if they are not rooted in their knowledge or mature in the Scripture, 2 Corinthians 4:3-5, 1 John 4:1, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15. The 'milk toast' approach leaves one open for immature and wrong teachings of men and traditions, Hebrews 5:11-16, 6:1-3, Ephesians 4:14.
Many believers have not followed good exegeses in their discovery of God’s administrations (dispensations) through history. Some causes of much confusion and error hold, to a Covenant Theological point of view (seeking to unify the Bible on covenants only and the Covenant of Redemption) or mixing their view with a wrong Dispensational view (making a covenant a dispensation) of Scripture. Many focus on the Scripture as having only one dispensation instead of seeing the multiple unique programs that God has worked throughout Scripture. And on the other hand Dispensationalists have mixed their dispensational view with Covenant Theology instead of keeping the two disciplines distinct in their teaching and understanding. Some dispensationalist have no consistent guiding principles or guidelines. This study will show how to understand and change ones errors in approaching dispensational mistakes and the covenant theological mistakes of interpretation.
A dispensation is not a covenant and covenant is not dispensation; but both have a place in understanding the total of God's working. There are guiding principles which make a dispensation just as there are principles which make a covenant and as we continue the differences will be pointed out.
Other reasons for opposition are the threat to 'what they have always believed' (a flesh problem). At times it will be a direct attack by the enemy Satan, who is trying to keep one in confusion. Let us hope and pray as Paul did for the people of Ephesus that their eyes would be opened, Ephesians 1:15-16. The challenge is to study the scripture to see if these facts are there. One who studies God’s Word will find new strength and understanding to their personal life with a greater ability to apply Scripture.
This symmetrical approach gives the understanding of events of the past, the present events, and the future events of God. However, knowing about dispensations does not save anyone from their sin or give eternal life but it gives a clear understanding of God's desire that “whosoever will may be saved.” Dispensations show how God brought redemption to earth in each period of the history of the dispensation. And, how man was to express faith and obedience to the rules He ordained.
The definition, of dispensation and the use in Translation and Theology
In the next chapters a clearer understanding of how all these keys or guiding principles relate to dispensations. But first the definition of the term dispensation is important. It is a Biblical term used a number of times in Scripture and should be part of the discipline of Systematic Theology:
The Biblical definition of dispensation is the dispensing of the household rules
of God.
Dispensation
1. NT: 3622 oikonomia (oy-kon-om-ee'-ah); from NT: 3623; administration (of a household or estate); specifically, a (religious) "economy" KJV - dispensation, stewardship.
2. NT: 3623 oikonomos (oy-kon-om'-os); from NT: 3624 and the base of NT: 3551; a house-distributor (i.e. manager), or overseer, i.e. an employee in that capacity; by extension, a fiscal agent (treasurer); figuratively, a preacher (of the Gospel): KJV - chamberlain, governor, steward.
3. NT: 3624 oikos (oy'-kos); of uncertain affinity; a dwelling (more or less extensive, literal or figurative); by implication a family (more or less related, literal or figuratively): KJV - home, house (-hold), temple.
4. NT: 3551 nomos (nom'-os); from a primary nemo (to parcel out, especially food or grazing to animals); law (through the idea of prescriptive usage), genitive case (regulation), specifically (of Moses [including the volume]; also of the Gospel), or figuratively (a principle): KJV - law.
1,2,3,4 (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
The word is a scriptural term used a number of times in scripture and translated:
Greek - oikonomian - oikonomia - oikonomias (KJV - King James Translation, NIV - New International Version)
It is disturbing when we see translators violate good translation from the original language because of a prejudice; use of a wrong word choice or the omission of good Biblical words that give the proper meaning to the text. This produces an incorrect or incomplete translation of the original language as can be especially seen in the translation of the word 'dispensation'. We can see that 'dispensation' is a Biblical word which should be translated by one of these words: dispensation, administration, stewardship, manager or household rules which are equivalent words or a combination of words translated into our English language.
Dispensational Study is Not a Movement
Next, there are 7 dispensations. And there are seven guiding principles of the structure for a dispensation to exist. Each of the 7 dispensations is distinct and is not to be mixed by the wrong guiding principles being applied when trying to unify scripture. Studying dispensations is not a movement but a discipline for putting God's progressive workings in their correct order through dispensations, (a good word for today's understand is 'Administrations').
Dispensational teaching should not be considered as a movement but a truth that
is found in scripture, Dispensations clarify God’s dealings with mankind from
the time He designed His plan for man and the implementation of how man was to
carry that administration out. However, if history
repeats itself there will be those who oppose a study of this type. They will
misrepresent it with terms such as ‘Dispensationalism,’ or Ultra
Dispensationalism' trying to make it a movement or something to be rejected.
Why? It is hard to know the intent of every Christian but most times it is
because of ignorance or a refusal to change from what one was taught in some
school or seminary. The understanding and approach takes spiritual growth and
with a correct evaluation of dispensational truth one will see it holds up to
scripture being scriptural.
'In no way is the studying of dispensations
(administrations) to be a movement!'
It would be helpful to understanding that the Bible is not assembled by reflecting the dispensations but by their themes: Plentitude, Historical, Poetry, Major Prophets, Minor Prophets, Gospels, Acts [historical], Paul's Epistles, General Epistles and Revelation.
If they were arranged by dispensation they would reveal the order of God's working through dispensation. Also, some individual books like Acts for example are the teaching of two dispensations - the Dispensation of Promise and the Dispensation of Grace as they are ending or developing in transition; and the book of Genesis cover the life, development and transitions of four dispensations - Dispensation of Innocence, Dispensation of Conscience, Dispensation of Human Government and the beginning in transition into the Dispensation of Promise. You would discover that the majority of the Bible is written about and for the Dispensation of Promise. The majority books of the New testament were written by the Apostle Paul for the Dispensation of Grace. The book of revelation is written about the prophetic future of the punitive judgment of two dispensation covering the transition in the next dispensation and the Kingdom dispensations, the one here on earth and the one Eternal kingdom.
The Books of the Bible order by literature type
Therefore, our Bible, after the divisions of old and new testaments are future divided by their type of literature and not their chronological dispensational order. The word Bible means a collection of books and these books were/are compiled in categories by their following descriptions:
Old Testament:
1. Pentateuch - first five books of the Bible - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy
2. Historical Book - Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah
3. Wisdom books or Poetry - Job, Psalms, Proverbs, the Song of Solomon and Lamentations
4. Major Prophets - Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel an d Daniel, They are called major because of their size.
5. Minor Prophets - Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, The reason they are called the minor is because the size of the book is small which can leave a false impression; they are as important as the major prophets!New Testament:
1. Synoptic Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
2. Book of History - Acts
3. Pauline Epistles - Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, and possibly Hebrews, The Apostle Paul is the Apostle to the Gentiles, the one entrusted with the full revelation of the Mystery dispensation and he wrote the majority books of the New Testament.
4. General Epistles - Hebrews, James 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude
5. Apocalypse - Revelation
It would also be helpful for you to consider the scriptures corresponding to the order of each dispensation when studying.
Before we get fully into the study of dispensations the relationship to Systematic theology is important. In the study of Systematic Theology there should be a category called Dispensational Theology, (Systematic Theology is the study of God and His workings). A dispensational study of scripture should be a sub-category under the disciplines of systematic studies (Dispensation is the study of God's administrations and stewardships throughout Scripture). The following are the categories in Systematic Theology in which dispensation should be included.
(There is a link on each study. The link takes you to the study of these doctrinal teachings.)
Teaching of
God's Administrations (Dispensational Theology)
(Administrology or Dispensationology),
(A new word to describe the teaching
and study of God's administrations in the history of the world)
It is hopeful that God is blessing your study of dispensational teaching, having your understanding enlightened which can give security and hope which will be eternal!
Today's Evangelists, Pastors and teachers need to have a clear understand of dispensational truth in leading their flocks into maturity. The following are some of the reasons to know dispensational truths found in God's Word:
Knowing where a dispensational truth is found will help brothers and sisters in handling their problems by applying the scripture taught correctly.
Correct information is important in our witness to non-believers.
Dispensational teaching gives believers today stability and guidance.
It gives order and understanding to tough questions.
It protects believers from falling into the same errors that others have fallen into.
It keeps one from being deceived by false teaching or teachings spoken in error.
Knowing dispensational truths give freedom to worship with other believers without falling into their same errors that they have embraced due to their lack of a dispensational approach to scripture.
When understanding a dispensational truth, you will be able to identify the error keeping you from confusion not being tossed 'to and fro’ in your faith.
Knowing dispensational truths of God’s Word will give clarity and understanding to why other religions which claim to be Christian are wrong with their religious practices that accompany their man made belief (Ephesians 4:14,16).
Dispensational truths show how God has worked in history since the world began providing redemption to all who will receive His Word.
Dispensations give systematical understanding to the whole Bible, clearing up the confusion which has plagued the church since the first century.
It puts in order the historical and progressive revelation of God’s dealings with man since the beginning of the world and it will show how future events all tie together in symmetry.
Dispensations show the differences between historical events and changes which occurred afterwards and why.
Dispensations give the understanding of – whom and why the passage was written - the purpose for which it was written - and how it all ties together in the workings of God throughout history.
In conclusion, Christians do not have to ‘spiritualize' God’s word or tell 'spiritual lies’ which harm the working of Christ in the world. All the Scripture comes alive in an orderly, progressive, and an understandable way helping us to understand God's creation through real life examples. (2 Timothy 3:15, 16, 2 Peter1:19-21, Romans 15:4)
Now let’s move on to the 7 Dispensations and Guiding principles in the next chapter.
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Completed Edited MAP 8-22-2010