Bible Studies

The Basics of Grace Teaching

by Christopher Combs
09/21/09
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As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, when we begin to study the word of God, there are two questions we should ask ourselves. (1) Who wrote the particular book in the bible we are currently studying? (2) Who was it written to? If we keep these two questions in mind when we begin to study the bible, it will help to guide us in the right direction.

We must always remember who is speaking and who he is speaking to, who is the author and who is the author writing to. The entire Bible is for us, for our edification, but not all of the Bible is written about us or directly to us.

(2 Timothy 3:16) it states, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" This is why we should study the whole bible to learn the principles that are fixed rules of morality and conduct and apply them in our lives today.

This is why we love brave men and women of different ages in times with strong principles who stand up for what is right no matter what the cost. When we read and study the bible we must always apply this next verse of scripture, written by the same author, to the same person, about the same book, the Holy Bible which is the Word of God.

(2 Timothy 2:15) "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth". The Greek word 'ORTHOTOMEO' is the original language word for 'rightly dividing' which means to cut straight or right. 'ORTHOS' means straight or right, while 'TEMNO' means to cut.

To cut something means to divide it, so the King James translators accurately show it as 'rightly dividing'. God has established divisions or cuts in the bible that separate one part from another, and we must distinguish these parts one from another when studying His word. These divisions become clearer when we understand the dispensations of the bible.

(Ephesians 3:2) it says "If you have heard of the DISPENSATION of the grace of God which is given me to youward:" which is the Apostle Paul speaking to the Gentiles in Ephesus and believers in the Lord Jesus Christ today in this Dispensation of Grace. The word 'dispensation' occurs four times in the bible. (1 Cor.9:17) (Eph.1:10) (Eph. 3:2) (Col. 1:25). A dispensation is a program that God administers or dispenses out to man. It is translated from the Greek, OIKONOMIA, meaning 'to administer or manage a house' such as a steward of a household would administer the affairs of the owner or master. In simple terms, the word 'dispense' means to deal out. The word 'dispensation' means the act of dispensing or dealing out or that which is dispensed or dealt out.

Years ago, there were early pharmacies called medical dispensaries where medicines were dispensed to the poor.

Again the scriptures are written for us, but not all the scriptures are written directly to us. A good example would be, the U.S. Post Office, where tens of thousands of letters pour into their facility every day. There would be mass confusion if they piled all those letters in one corner of the warehouse and began to try and hand out each letter at random to anyone who passed by without 'rightly dividing' the mail. People would receive letters that were not written to them, never intended for them. Thus, the post office has to separate and divide the mail by cities, zip codes, streets, and box numbers, to ensure each letter goes to the proper recipient.

God's programs for men throughout the ages have not always been the same, even though God himself has remained the same. He is immutable, which means He is unchanging, (Heb. 13:8). But the programs God has dispensed out to man have changed throughout history. Take note of the following scriptures and see if they apply to believers in Christ today.

1. (Ex. 31: 15), (Num.15: 36) whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death.

2. (Lev. 4: 27, 31) When a believer sins, they should offer an animal sacrifice to have sin forgiven.

3. (Lev. 11: 7, 8) It is wrong to eat pork.

4. (Lev. 20: 13) If a man commits a homosexual act, he should be put to death.

5. (Lev. 20: 10) if a man commits adultery with another man's wife, they both should be put to death.

6. (Acts 2: 38) The Holy Spirit is received after water baptism.

7. (Mark 16: 18) Believers can drink poison and will not die.

8. (Mark 16: 18) Believers can handle poisonous snakes and will not die.

9. (Mark 16: 18) Believers can lay hands on sick people and heal them.

10. (Acts 2: 44, 45) Believers should sell all their possessions and goods and share that money in a common fund with other believers as they have need.

11. (Matt. 10: 5, 6) Only Jews should have the gospel preached to them.

Most Christians recognize that changes have taken place, that God has administered a different program for us today, and that these verses are not intended for our obedience in this current dispensation. Again, remember that all Scripture was written 'FOR' us but not all Scripture was written 'To' us or even 'ABOUT' us. There are hidden principles and lessons that we can learn from all parts of the bible, but each verse, each book of the bible must be seen in its dispensational setting.

There are seven dispensations found in the Bible:

1. The Dispensation of Innocence

2. The Dispensation of Conscience

3. The Dispensation of Human Government

4. The Dispensation of Promise

5. The Dispensation of Law

6. The Dispensation of Grace

7. The Dispensation of the Kingdom

A 'principle' of God is a settled rule of conduct or morality. A 'dispensation' is not simply a period in time but it is the act of dealing out or that which is dealt out, meaning the program that God dispenses out to man.

Before the fall of man took place Adam and Eve had a perfect relationship with God, living in innocence in the beautiful Garden of Eden, where they were without sin and there was no death (Gen. 2: 8-17). But once they disobeyed God and committed the first sins, all was changed. Sin had caused them to experience a separation from God and Adam and Eve were driven from the Garden. This caused a change in man's responsibility to God and other people. Adam and Eve were no longer in the Dispensation of Innocence. They had to be clothed, Adam had to till the ground and work by the sweat of his brow to earn a living to support his family and Eve had to bring forth children in pain and sorrow. Adam and Eve had fallen and began to live in the Dispensation of Conscience where matters were decided and problems solved by the conscience of men since there was no law at that time and they were no longer in innocence.

But the worst was the fact that sin had entered into the world and death by sin. From thereafter God's dealings with men changed again and again.

Human Government was brought in after the flood, with Noah as the first civil ruler (Gen. 9: 6).

The Dispensation of Promise began with Abram (Gen.12: 1- 3) as the Hebrew nation was born.

The Dispensation of Law was given to Moses (John 1: 17).

Then the Dispensation of Grace came to man and was dispensed by the Apostle Paul, the chief of sinners, saved by grace (Eph. 3: 1-3). While the principles of God never change, His dispensations or His dealings with men have changed throughout history.

Even the terms of acceptance with God change. At first, animal sacrifices with the shedding of blood were required (Gen. 4: 3-5), (Heb. 11: 4). Later circumcision was added (Gen. 17: 14); then obedience to the Mosaic Law was demanded (Ex. 19: 5, 6) (Rom. 10: 5).

Then the 'baptism of repentance' for the remission of sins. (Mark 1: 4) (Acts 2: 38).

Today we are under the Dispensation of Grace "to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly; his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom. 4: 5).

Just as Moses was given the dispensation of the law, it was committed to him to give to the people of Israel, thus the dispensation of the grace of God was committed to the Apostle Paul to give to the Body of Christ.

Notice that while God required works for salvation in other dispensations, today under the Dispensation of Grace, God refuses works for salvation. This was not because works could ever save, but because it was the necessary expression of faith required by God in His dealings with men.