Dispensationalism I

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B.       Dispensationalism Rightly Divides the Word of Truth

1.   Dispensationalism distinguishes between things that are different.  It shows how God expected different things from different people at different times.  Other systems, like covenant theology, have a tendency to erase the line between things that are different in scripture.

2.   To be correctly understood, God’s word must be rightly divided

a.    2Timothy 2:15 – Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

b.    Matthew 13:52 – Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

c.     1Corinthians 2:14 – But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

3.   Scriptural truths which must be rightly divided

a.     Jew, Gentile and church

(1)      One of the most important distinctions in the Bible

(2)      1Corinthians 10:32 – Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: 

b.     The two advents of Christ

(1)     Prophecies about Christ refer to two comings

(2)    1Peter 1:11 – Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

c.     The two resurrections

(1)      There is one resurrection for the just and another for the unjust

(2)      John 5:28-29 – Here, there is not mention of a time difference

(3)      Revelation 20:4-6, 12-13 – Here, we see that there are at least 1,000 years between the two

d.     The different judgments

(1)      Non-dispensationalists tend to join all the judgments into one general judgment

(2)      The Bible rightly divided shows there to be several judgments taking place at different times and places

(3)      For instance:

a)         The judgment seat of Christ (2Corinthians 5:9-10)

b)        The judgment of the nations (Matthew 25:31-32)

c)         The great white throne judgment (Revelation 20:11-15)

e.     Law and grace

(1)      One great division in the bible is between the time when men were under the law and the present time when they are under grace

(2)      John 1:17 – For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

(3)      Romans 6:14 – For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

f.      The two natures

(1)      The old nature (Mark 7:21-23; Romans 7:18-19; 8:7-8)

(2)      The new nature (Ephesians 4:24; 2Corinthians 5:17; 2Peter 1:4)

(3)      The Christian’s battle (Romans 7:14-25; Galatians 5:16-17)

g.     The believer’s standing and state

(1)      A believer’s standing refers to his perfect position in Christ.  In Christ, he is pure, sanctified and complete in every way.  (Romans 6:6; 1Corinthians 1:30; Ephesians 1:5-7; 2:4-6; Colossians 2:10; Hebrews 10:10, 14).

(2)      A believer’s state refers to his present relationship with Christ.  Although his state changes continually, his standing in Christ always remains the same.   (Colossians 2:20; 3:1-5; 1Thessalonians 5:5-6; Hebrews 10:10 with 1Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 10:14 with Philippians 3:12)

4.   The dispensations are another examples of rightly dividing the word.  In dispensationalism, we see that God deals with different men at different times in different ways for His own holy purpose.

C.  PROFILE:  Cyrus Ingerson (C. I.) Scofield:  American preacher and writer (1843-1921) who promoted dispensational premillennialism.  He is most famous for the Scofield Reference Bible of 1917.  (Do not confuse this with the New Scofield Reference Bible which changes the notes and alters the text of the King James Bible.)  Scofield’s The Word of Truth Rightly Divided is a tremendous introduction to dispensational distinctions in the Bible and is highly recommended.  For many years, carrying a Scofield Reference Bible was standard practice in many fundamental churches.

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Dispensationalism I Index                         Lesson Five

 

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