CHARLES H. WELCH
88
In April 1909 under the heading `Dispensational Expositions' a similar article, with a similar heading appears in
Things to Come. With this opening article a series commenced which continued until 1915 when publication
ceased. Two articles had appeared before this one, in March 1909, being signed and entitled `The Unity of the
Spirit' (Eph. 4:3) `What is it?' the other, unsigned appearing in February 1909, entitled `Rightly Dividing the Word
of Truth as to the Lord's Coming'. These two articles were written as a foreword to the more systematic treatment
of the subject that commenced in April 1909. The articles that ran through Things to Come from April to December
1909, bore the following titles:
Acts 28:17-31.
The Dispensational Position before Acts 28.
The Earlier Pauline Epistles.
Pentecost and the Mystery.
1 Corinthians and Hebrews 5 and 6.
The Six-fold Foundation of Hebrews.
Hebrews 6 in the Light of the Epistle as a Whole.
During the same period, the first volume of The Berean Expositor was in course of production, and the same
dispensational studies were prepared for both magazines. Other issues were raised which formed no part of my
witness in Things to Come, and these must be given due consideration, but for the moment we are concerned with
the opening note that was sounded on the front page.
Unless a writer from the very first received his message by inspiration of God, we should expect to discover
occasions when a position once occupied had to be given up, and if, moreover, we add to the handicap that such a
writer was a pioneer, whose path was cluttered with `much rubbish' (Neh. 4:10), whose problems alas were as much
concerning the bread that perisheth as they were concerning the truth of God, and who could only offer the closing
hours of a weary day to the Lord for His use, then perhaps the wonder will be, not that there were occasions when
steps had to be retraced, but that they were on the whole so few and slight. With regard to the dispensational
importance of Acts 28, this was clearly seen at once, seen as a whole, and seen with most of its logical consequences
as they had a bearing upon the hope of the Church, the ordinances, the order of the epistles and the two-fold ministry
of Paul.
The bearing upon the epistles of Paul was, as we have already said, the burden of an interview with Dr.
Bullinger, so graciously and readily admitted by him. Throughout the succeeding years, Acts 28 has been the pole
star that has set the course of all my interpretation. No criticism which we have yet received has touched the
essential truth of the position then adopted, and much important teaching has come to light as a legitimate and
logical outcome of that early vision that but adds confirmation. One of the reasons for the preparation of this series,
is, that it appears wise and necessary after the lapse of years, to indicate for the benefit of any who shall investigate
the grounds of our teaching, that they may have first hand information concerning the position arrived at after the
sifting process of the years has been accomplished. importance
The which I attached to the bearing of Acts 28 was expressed on the first page of The Berean Expositor thus:
`Just as a stick appears bent when standing in the water, so our understanding of Scripture will be distorted
whilst we ignore the differing media. In other words, if we stand in the dispensation of the Mystery, and try to
act as though we were in the dispensation of the Kingdom, we shall in "that day" if not here, be ashamed,
through not rightly dividing the Word of Truth'.
A frontier or a boundary may be of itself an arid, unproductive area, of little value for its own sake, but of
extreme value by reason of what is reserved and marked off from other surrounding territories. Acts 28 assumed its
extreme importance to me when I pondered its bearing upon the doctrine, calling and hopes of the epistles that were
written on either side of that dividing line. This led me to question the teaching given by Dr. Bullinger in his book
The Church Epistles. On page 21 of the second edition is set out the seven epistles to the churches. We reproduce
the arrangement of these epistles for the benefit of any reader who may not have access to Dr. Bullinger's works.