THE SIXTH BASIC PRINCIPLE THAT THE LORD HAS ESTABLISHED WHICH GUARANTEES THAT THE HUMAN RACE WILL NO
The sixth basic principle that the Lord has established which guarantees that the human race will not self-destruct: The divine provision of the different dispensations.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
1. Division of languages,
GEN 11:6-8.
2. Nationalism.
3. Client nations to God.
4. Salvation work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
5. The pivot of mature believers.
6. The Divine Provision of the Different Dispensations.
A dispensation is a period of time in human history expressed in terms of divine revelation for that period.
Dispensation = technical theological term used primarily by the apostle Paul in the presentation of the mystery doctrine of this Church-age.
Dispensations are divine categories of human history; therefore, both the divine outline and the divine interpretation of human history.
Dispensations are the vehicle by which believers living at a specific time in history can orient to God’s will, plan, and purpose for their lives.
This is very important to understand because God’s plan is not the same for every dispensation.
Old Testament believers were under the ritual plan of God.
Our Lord Jesus Christ was under the incarnation plan of God.
The Church-age is the dispensation of the mystery plan, and the pre-designed plan of God, for every believer in the Church-age.
A dispensation is defined traditionally as a period of time during which a particular revelation of God’s mind and God’s will is operative, and during which man is tested as to his obedience to that specific manifestation of God’s will, purpose, and plan.
ROM 11:13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles,
ROM 15:16 - Paul said he was a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles,
1TI 2:7 - for this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
"Revelation” indicates in what manner the dispensation of the mystery of the Church-age is to be studied and searched out.
In order not to miss anything essential, we must first lay the foundation of a basic understanding of the dispensation of the mystery, of the Church-age mystery, which will not be fully understood until we get to heaven.
JOH 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books which were written.
2TI 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.
1TI 5:17 Those pastor-teachers who have ruled well with the result that they keep ruling honorably, they must be considered worthy of double honor, most of all those who work hard to the point of exhaustion in the study of the word and the teaching of doctrine.
The dispensation of the mystery of the Church-age as taught in the word of God is something that we all need to grow in on a continual basis through the communication of Bible doctrine.
You have to understand that revelation is a divine manifestation of deity.
We need to comprehend the true basic essentials of the dispensation of the mystery of the Church-age, and then we will have the foundation to achieve even a greater understanding through the progression and unfolding of our desire to seek for God.
HEB 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
DEU 29:29 The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever,
PSA 25:14 The secret of the Lord is for those who respect Him, And He will make them know His covenant.
AMO 3:7 Surely the Lord God does nothing Unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets.
ROM 16:25-26 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith;
We need to comprehend the true basic essentials of the dispensation of the mystery of the Church-age, and then we will have the foundation to achieve even a greater understanding through the progression and unfolding of our desire to seek for God.
This advanced understanding of the dispensation of the mystery of the Church-age is a goal that we must all seek to attain on the basis of the relevant facts that have been made known to us through the epistles of the New Testament, especially Paul’s.
Apokalupsis - “revelation” - no longer refers so much to the uncovering of something previously concealed, but rather to the “opening up” of realities and spiritual truths in even more preciseness and detail, veiled in the word of God which has never and will never fail.
It can only be discovered through dedication and devotion to doctrine from the Poimen-didaskalos to the Mathates - pastor-teacher and the disciple.
GAL 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all equal in Christ Jesus.
2CO 12:1,7 - apokalupsis also denotes the unveiling of heavenly matters which Paul experienced in an ecstatic state.
EPH 3:8-9 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints (God’s consecrated people), this grace (favor, privilege) was granted and graciously entrusted: to proclaim to the Gentiles the unending (boundless, fathomless, incalculable, and exhaustless) riches of Christ [wealth which no human being could have searched out], Also to enlighten all men and make plain to them what is the plan [regarding the Gentiles and providing for the salvation of all men] of the mystery kept hidden through the ages and concealed until now in [the mind of] God Who created all things by Christ Jesus.
EPH 3:10 [The purpose is] that through the church the complicated, many-sided wisdom of God in all its infinite variety and innumerable aspects might now be made known to the angelic rulers and authorities (principalities and powers) in the heavenly sphere.
EPH 3:9 and to make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery which for ages hath been hid in God who created all things;
- ASV
“See” - aor-act-inf - photizo = to illuminate or to bring to light, to make clear; to clarify. It means to teach until something is very clear.
The doctrine of dispensations emphasizes what God wants you to do after salvation and also answers the question, “After salvation, what?”
Active voice - photizo = the apostle Paul produced the action of the verb; however, here it is the pastor who in2TI 2:15, studies to present himself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Infinite - infinitive of purpose = indicates the aim or the objective of the pastor i.e., to communicate the dispensation of the mystery.
In the dispensation of the hypostatic union one individual is emphasized - TLJC.
In the dispensation of the Church-age every believer is emphasized as a part of the body of Christ.
COL 1:27 “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the confidence of the glory.”
The power and the assets which were given to the humanity of Christ are now given to each one of us.
Regardless of their background, color, handicaps, every believer has been given greater assets, power, and blessings than anyone ever before.
Administration - predicate nominative singular - oikonomia = dispensation.
“Mystery” - musterion - mystery dispensation = the Church-age; the true meaning and purpose and definition for your life depends on your understanding the doctrine of dispensational truth.
The sooner you become briefed on how royalty functions, and what your role is in history, the better chance you have to glorify God and be the recipient of the most fantastic blessings ever.
Verse 9 says that - “ALL” are to see what is the dispensation of the mystery which from the beginning of the world has been hidden.
Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
Again verse 9 says that - “ALL” are to see what is the dispensation of the mystery which from the beginning of the world has been hidden.
“Which has been hidden” - per-pass-part - apokrupto = to conceal; to hide; to keep secret.
“You are Peter or Petros, a chip out of the stone or a part of the rock, and upon this rock, Petra, the massive rock, the fact that He is Messiah, or what Peter said in MAT 16:16 ‘Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God,’ I will build My church.”
“Upon this rock I will build my church” - fut-act-ind - oikodomeo [to build] = the church did not exist at the time that the Lord said it; it was future.
Every system of theology which tries to start the church in Abraham’s tent or with Noah or with Moses has an erroneous understanding of the Scripture and does not understand the correct biblical interpretation of history.
The Church-age is the most difficult yet exciting time in history; for God’s plan for the Church is superior in every way to God’s plan for previous and future dispensations.
Never before in human history and never after the Rapture of the Church has so much divine power been available to each believer.