A dispensation is NOT the same as a gospel, which is why it says that Paul has a dispensation OF THE gospel given to him:
1 Corinthians 9:17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.
As I have always stated, people were saved by faith in Christ by what Paul preached before and after Acts 28. Doctrinally, IN THAT SENSE, it is the same...BUT dispensationally all the mechanics based ON that gospel CHANGED even THOUGH GRACE can be found in BOTH dispensations.
The gospel of the grace of GOD is just as active NOW as it ever was during the Acts period. NO DOUBT. BUT the gospel, when it was preached during the acts period, was founded in prophecy. THUS, the Pauline saints themselves were IN PROPHECY with Christ dying for THEIR SINS ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Romans 1:1-2 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
Because of this, they were partakers of the New Covenant/New Testament (both phrases are interchangeable see:Hebrews 9:20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. with Exodus 24:8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.).
2 Corinthians 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
That is why the bereans of the Acts period COULD search the scriptures to know that the New Covenant was for them.
Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Thus, Paul used the scriptures of the prophets to win men to Christ for THEY WERE ALL IN PROPHECY. The New Covenant comes in stages, and not all of it is for Israel either. Part of the New Covenant is that God would be on earth according to the scriptures.
This aspect of the New Covenant is fulfilled PRIOR to the New Heaven and the New Earth:
Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Jeremiah 32:38-40 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.
THIS aspect of the New Covenant is fulfilled DURING the New Heaven and the New Earth:
Ezekiel 37:26-27 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Revelation 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
BUT, one simple aspect of the NEW COVENANT was simply the sacrificial death of Christ.
CHRIST CAN NOT die for MY SINS "according to the scriptures". IF he did, there would be no mystery of Eph. to even speak of.
The dispensation of the grace of GOD, as I see it, IS a different dispensation.
Paul did not get MY dispensation till he was a prisoner:
Ephesians 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.Ephesians 3:1-2 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
FOR MY salvation Christ can NOT say that died for MY sins according to the scriptures. If he did, it would be searchable. I have the UNsearchable riches of Christ.:
Ephesians 3:6-8 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
I have a gospel with Christ dying for my sins apart from the New Covenant, hence, I am NOT grafted into Israel. I am NOT a partaker of her spritual things.(It was HER New Covenant and Gentile nations would get the benefit of a JEWISH salvation.)
Romans 15:26-27 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.
The spiritual things that I am made a partaker of goes back BEFORE there ever was an Israel to take spiritual things FROM:
Ephesians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
NOW, the death of Christ was plan "A" for EVERY dispensation, no doubt...but the MECHANICS around that is what differs. I can't be grafted into Israel since #1 they are Lo-Ammi (Hos.1,3) and because I am blessed IN HEAVENLY PLACES.
Paul said that he wrote about this afore in few words:
Ephesians 3:3-4 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
And here it is:
Ephesians 1:7-10 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Again, I will re-iterate. If I am saved according to the scriptures than I must be a partaker of Israel's spiritual things. I would be a member of the New Covenant and thereby grafted into Israel with her promises. If that is so, then the USsearchable riches of Christ are NOW SEARCHABLE. The love that "passeth knowledge" is not that since people knew of a salvation with Israel in the Old Testament. My salvation could not be "hid in God" since it was hid in the scriptures.
Ephesians 3:1-21 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
In every OTHER mystery that Paul preached prior to Acts 28 (1 Corinthians 4:1-2 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
1 Corinthians 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.)
You WILL FIND, IN CONTEXT, Paul declaring that it is "AS IT IS WRITTEN" in the prophetic writings. But after Acts 28, God gives Paul a dispensation with ONE mystery that CAN NOT be found in the prophetic writings (HENCE, he STOPS saying "as it is written" after Acts 28). Paul's ministry and mystery program ended and he entered a NEW PHASE that is NOT "as it is written".
It was faith in Christ in the Pauline dispensation before Acts 28 and faith in Christ in the Pauline dispensation AFTER Acts 28. Same basic gospel, two different dispensations around them.
Salutations,
Mike
One final thought...
The phrase "as it is written" (and the such like) has always meant that it was in accordance with/in fulfillment of prophecy.
Joshua 8:31 As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.
1 Kings 2:3 And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:
1 Peter 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Romans 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Romans 15:9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.
Romans 15:21 But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.
After Acts 28, Paul COULD NOT use this phrase.
Quoting the Old Testament and getting principles or illustrations is one thing, but "AS" it is written is something else. |
