Dispensation of the Mystery . . .

The Seven Ones of the Church

2009-06-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

In the letter to the Ephesians Paul summed up what we know to be the foundational truths of the New Testament Church.

The Sevenfold Unity of the Spirit

There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:4-6

In which we see Christ to be the central element:

One BODY

One SPIRIT

One HOPE

One LORD

One FAITH

One BAPTISM

One GOD AND FATHER

Here we see also the TRINITY portrayed in our midst.

One BODY

One SPIRIT

One HOPE

One LORD

One FAITH

One BAPTISM

One GOD AND FATHER

So many great and truly deep truths to be mined from this letter to the Ephesians. Here it is through Paul that our Lord has given to us The Dispensation of the Mystery.

Letters to Us

2009-04-04T18:06:00.000-07:00

Some truths should be so obvious it is a wonder they are not common knowledge. More than that it is a shame that they are not.

"If there is one part of Holy Writ in which Christian believers should soak their minds and hearts, it is that part which is written exclusively to them and about them, namely the "Christian Church Epistles".(1)

The letters which Paul wrote to the Church are God's teaching for us about our individual relationship with Christ, and how we are to live and relate every day as members of His Body.
Within his letters Paul also describes the provisions for organization, teaching and leadership of the body. Baxter goes on to say,

Similarly, if there is one part to which Christian ministers should revert again and again, it is these four "Pastoral Epistles".

Within the Pastoral Epistle of Timothy we find, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16,17 NASB)

The foundation for the building of the Pauline Paradigm is found in these things.

Baxter, J. Sidlow, The Strategic Grasp of the Bible, p.134

Be Still

2008-07-28T12:27:00.000-07:00

Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

This verse has been widely used as a prooftext for teachings on prayer and meditation. As in all proper Bible study,we must look at the context of a verse, and the original meaning of the words to make sure we are correctly applying it. In the case of Psalm 46, a psalm of only 11 verses, not looking at the context is inexcusable.

What does "Be still" mean in the original language? Does it mean to be quiet? To "center" oneself in preparation for hearing from the LORD (who is apparently unable to speak loud enough to penetrate your normal, noisy, preoccupied state)?

be still: STRONGS H7503 raphah: to slacken, abate, cease, consume, fail, (be) faint, be (wax) feeble, forsake, idle, leave, let alone (go, down), (be) slack, stay, be still, be slothful, (be) weak (-en).

The Keil & Delitsch Commentary tells us:
"Cease, cries He (Psa_46:10) to the nations, from making war upon my people, and know that I am God, the invincible One..." Continuing, they compare it to Psalm 21: 1-12 about which they comment, "A similar inferential admonition closes Psa_2:1-12. With this admonition, which is both warning and threatening at the same time, the nations are dismissed; but the church yet once more boasts that Jehovah Sabaoth is its God and its stronghold."

It is apparent from reading Psalm 46 and from the statements of Keil and Delitsch that "Be Still" has nothing whatsoever to do with some inner condition preparing for spiritual activity. At the conclusion of a psalm describing the vain warring of the nations against the people of God, Jehovah God commands the nations to cease their warring, and to know that He is God. He will be exulted among the heathen and He is with "us," His people. The reality then is that this is not a call to God's people to quiet themselves in order to know that He is God, but it is in fact a command issued to those who are NOT His people to stop waging war against Him and His people.

CONCLUSION
A true interpretation of this verse thus has no relationship to prayer or meditation, but to war. Knowing that, we can move on to other verses which do pertain to prayer to establish a scriptural foundation for building our prayer life. Additionally, we may push back against the incursion of Eastern meditation practices into the church. True Christian meditation has nothing to do with "being still" or "quiet." It is always an active process. It is in fact work.

ORTHOTOMY

2008-05-13T18:43:00.000-07:00

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

Paul writes to the young pastor Timothy and exhorts him to "rightly divide" the word of truth.
From this verse we obtain the concept of Orthotomy.
"Rightly divide" is the translation of a compound Greek word. Its root is orthotomeo, a coumpound of ortho- straight, and tomoteros- from temno- to cut.
Strong's definition succinctly puts it as, "to make a straight cut, that is, (figuratively) to dissect (expound) correctly (the divine message): - rightly divide.
The simple truth is the Bible is addressed to specific peoples. It is God's word to all mankind, however all verses and all promises in those verses are not to all people. This truth is universally understood in the divisions we call the "Old Testament" and the "New Testament." When Paul wrote to Timothy these headings did not exist.
The Dispensation of the Mystery is wholly dependent upon discerning the differences:
-between the covenant of Jehovah with the nation of Israel and the gospel of grace to all nations
-between Israel and the Church
-between Law and Grace
-before the cross and after the Resurrection

Orthotomy is rightly dividing the Bible into the divisions which God has chosen to make in His dealings with men. The Bible calls these divisions Economies (oikonomia) or "Dispensations".
Ephesians 3:1-5 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;

This is the dipsensation of the Church today: the dispensation of the grace of God. Rightly dividing the word of God requires us to understand this truth and apply it to all Scripture as we study and teach.

"MYSTERY"

2007-11-29T10:24:00.000-08:00

The English word "mystery" is a transliteration of the Greek word musterion, which means a sacred secret.

Rather than write a new study on this topic, I will refer you instead to a complete explanation of it. Why repeat what has already been said, and that by a scholar with much greater qualifications and abilities than myself?
I will post more later on The Mystery and its meaning and application to our daily lives.
Read at this link:The Mystery
This is Appendix 193 From The Companion Bible by E. W. Bullinger
- - -
I am greatly delighted that The Watchmen Group now houses the
complete list of appendices to this Study Bible.

The Companion Bible is currently in print, and is also available free online, although its sheer volume makes this latter seem rather impractical to use.
- - -
E. W. Bullinger bio from Wikipedia.

The Pauline Paradigm

2007-11-01T11:47:00.001-07:00

It would be fair to say that what we know as Christianity can be referred to as "Pauline" Christianity. Paul did write the largest part of New Testament, the source of Christian theology.
It is unfortunate that there are those who attempt to demean Pauline Christianity as not being "true" or the Christianity or Gospel that Jesus taught.

That this kind of thinking is wholly unacceptable is readily apparent from the fact that Paul's writing is indeed in the Bible. Its place and value therefore have been established by God.

Confusion has been created by not clearly understanding that the gospels of Jesus and Paul are not the same. The words of scripture are true and absolute, there cannot be any contradiction within them. Error is made in assuming that since the two gospels are different they must conflict or contradict each other.

People have been taught long enough to recognize the "Old" Testament and the "New" Testament as reflecting different covenants or dispensations while remaining without contradiction. The problem is that while acknowledging that difference they have not understood how to correctly distinguish them and their application. They thus confuse and intermix Old Testament and New Testament principles.

The Pauline Paradigm is the model of living resulting from the entirely new construct of life in the indwelling Spirit of Christ as experienced in the community of the Church. This is the "mystery" which was revealed to Paul.

According to 2 Timothy 3:16,17 this paradigm is sufficient to meet every need in living the Christian life.

The great need is to teach this paradigm in its pure form. What we know as Christianity today is a dysfunctional mixture of Judaism, secularism and some of the true life in Christ.

Ephesians 3:9

2007-08-04T14:56:00.000-07:00

and to bring to light what is
the Dispensation of the Mystery
which for ages has been hidden in God
Who created all things;