THE FORM
SOUND WORDS
36
OF
One very special `dispensation' claims our attention (and will be treated in fuller detail presently); it is the
dispensation that came into being upon the dismissal of the Jew at Acts 28:28, and the assumption by the apostle
Paul of the title, `The prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles' (Eph. 3:1).
`If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward' (Eph. 3:2).
`Unto me ... is this grace given, that I should ... make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery' (Eph.
3:8, A.V. 9, R.V.).
`His body ... the church: whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to
me for you' (Col. 1:24,25).
Scripture comes to us in three forms; Doctrinal, Dispensational and Practical.
DISPENSATIONAL
DOCTRINAL
PRACTICAL
By
noting
the
What God has
When doctrine has
different callings,
revealed about
passed the
spheres of blessing,
Himself, and what
discrimination of
and unfoldings of
He has done,
the dispensational
the purpose of the
commanded,
test, then, and then
ages, we can answer
promised or
only, can such
the question, `Does
foretold, in Creation,
doctrine become
this particular act or
Law and Grace.
the legitimate
word pertain to my
subject of practice.
particular calling?'
It must now be asked, and, if possible, answered, `What guiding principles have we in this endeavour to decide
whether any particular portion of revelation is, or is not, for us, and about us?' The answer is twofold:
(1) There is such a principle of interpretation, it is known as `Right Division' and the words are taken from
2 Timothy 2:15.
(2) There is a people whose presence or absence is an indication of a change in dispensation.
Let us first take the record of this people. Who or what are they? The answer is Israel. From the call of
Abraham until we reach the last chapter of the Acts of the Apostles `salvation' has been `of the Jews' (John 4:22).
Across the pages of the Old Testament and across the bulk of the New Testament could be written the words, `To
the Jew first'.
When the Son of God commenced His public ministry, He purposely limited it to this one people, saying, `I am
not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel' (Matt. 15:24). This is recognized by the apostle in the epistle
to the Romans when he says:
`Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises
made unto the fathers' (Rom. 15:8),
and Peter, after Pentecost, takes the same line when he says:
`Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you
from his iniquities' (Acts 3:26).
While it may need no proof that the Jew holds first place in the Old Testament, it is the fact that the average
interpretation of the New Testament is that, with the Gospels, Christianity as we know it, had its beginning. A
re-reading of Romans 15:8, together with Matthew 15:24 (already cited) should, however, cause us to pause. During
the period of the Lord's earthly ministry the twelve apostles were likewise limited (Matt. 10:5,6). We must
therefore consider some of the doctrines on the subject that have gained currency, and put them to the test of
Scripture. Among them are the following:
(1) The words of Christ are all sufficient. We do not really need the epistles of Paul. We should rally round the
call, `Back to Jesus'.