Looking back over the years of my efforts to walk with Christ, I can see how many of my initial beliefs or conclusions about God and the Bible have changed. Dispensationalism is one. For those who do not understand this term, it is the recognition that throughout time God has “changed the rules for humanity” so to speak. Scholars refer to these changes as dispensations or administrations. A clear example is found in Genesis. Following the flood when Noah exited the Ark, God informed him that he was free to eat all animals. Previously God had told Adam and Eve that the plants of the field would be their food. This change of dietary rules signifies a new dispensation. It denotes a change that God offers or requires.
I was taught that ONLY those scriptures that were written during this present dispensation (often called the age of grace) were relative to me. I became so dedicated to this idea that I ignored anything else contained in the Bible. I devoted myself to learning only the writings relating to the period after the Day of Pentecost. I prioritized the relevance of the scripture as follows; Paul’s writings, the other New Testament authors, the four gospels (which I considered part of the Old Testament), the Old Testament (with Proverbs and Psalms more acceptable) and then Revelation (because it was future and will only be understood when it comes to pass). By doing this, I missed many, many wonderful lessons about the character and nature of God and how He has tirelessly been at work throughout history to rescue humanity and get them back into the garden of delights!
Several scholars have divided the Bible into a varying number of dispensations. Some see as few as three while others see as many as nine or ten. As a signpost or marker along the journey of understanding the Bible narrative, they can be a helpful tool. But as a hard line of division between applicable truth relative to our modern-day life they are not. Please allow me to elaborate.
If the Old Testament (or Hebrew scriptures as I prefer to call them) are irrelevant, then why did Paul quote them numerous times in his epistles to the church? One source I checked stated the following, “In total, Paul quotes from the Torah (first five books of the Old Testament) 45 times, the prophets 53 times (with Isaiah leading at 36 times), and the Psalms 23 times. Other books are cited 10 times.” That is at least 131 times that Paul quotes from the Hebrew scriptures. There are numerous other allusions or partial references to the Hebrew scriptures as well. Furthermore, not all these quotations were comparisons between law and grace. For instance, in I Corinthians 9:9 he quotes a commandment from Deuteronomy about the proper care of livestock (don’t muzzle the ox) as supporting evidence for why the house churches should provide for the material needs of their leadership. Paul APPLIED the Hebrew scriptures to the age of grace. Hmm?
As I have matured in the faith, I have developed a much broader appreciation for understanding the Bible as a narrative story. The Bible isn’t a book of rules or a spiritual encyclopedia explaining the existential nature of our world. It is a story. A story of a God so powerful and filled with love that He created our world and us for Himself. A God who longs for us to know Him as a father. A God who has endured repeated unfaithfulness. Yet, He remains faithful to save.
Now as I read the scriptures, I am less concerned with recognizing the dispensation and more concerned with understanding where I am in the story. I see it like watching a great movie or reading an enthralling novel. If I walk into the theater mid-way through, I’m likely to be a bit confused about who the characters are, what role they are playing and how they relate to one another. The Bible is no different. In the past when I locked my mind to seeking only to understand the church epistles, I missed a lot of important background which makes the story of man’s redemption so remarkable.
Next month (May 19th) we celebrate Pentecost, which is itself a Hebrew festival. Not many Christian believers understand how this festival originated or why it was observed. Yet it was on this day that our father God and the Lord Jesus Christ chose to send forth the gift of holy spirit to humanity. Was that a random act on their behalf or was it deliberate? How can we know? It seems only reasonable to at least study the Hebrew scriptures to learn what this festival signified. Don’t you agree? Instead of confusing us, perhaps it will enlighten us and provide greater depth to our appreciation for our wonderful father Yahweh!
Your Brother and Friend,
Comments
Hi Gary!
I read your article on dispensationalism and am happy to hear you see God’s word as one harmonious revelation. Would you agree that scripture is a progression of revelation with the Old Covenant foreshadowing the coming messiah, etc.? Your article seems to be a correction to those who “ignored” what was written aforetime. I’m just checking in to see that you didn’t throw out the baby with the bath water. You still recognize that we are under a New Covenant with new rules as revealed to the Apostle Paul, yes?
Kathy:
I agree that the Bible must be viewed as one long continuous revelation of how our wonderful Father, YAHWEH is working to rescue humanity from the grip of evil. My objective in writing this was to encourage people to look at the revelation of scripture as that precise storyline. As I’ve heard it said by the guys at The Bible Project, “We believe the Bible is one unified story that leads to Jesus”. That pretty much sums it up. Jesus is THE reason behind everything is recorded in scripture. He is the savior of humanity. Certainly, Paul’s epistles tell us a great deal of what Christ accomplished on our behalf; and without it we are largely ignorant of the beauty of our redemption. Likewise, the Hebrew scriptures show us details about the promised Messiah that are not clearly stated in Paul’s writings. Neither is “truer’ than the other. They simply provide different perspectives and details about the same person … Jesus!