•11:25 AM
Okay, this one may get me in trouble with the brethren, so I'm not posting it for anybody but the kids. :)
I got saved under the teaching of Dr. Ruckman. Ruckman was heavily influenced by Bullinger, and hence, a hyper-dispensationalist. He wouldn't call himself that. He'd even disagree with me, but he was.
The word dispensation is the noun form of the word 'dispensing' (that is, giving). In the Greek, it refers to the way a household is run. For example, under the old dispensation, the LORD gave the rule of Law to Moses. During that time period, people lived according to the ceremonial laws, the moral law, etc. (If they were saved, they were saved by Grace, for there is no other way to be saved than faith in Christ.) In the new dispensation, the Lord gave his Son to all who will receive him by Faith. So the two clearest dispensations are those of Law/Works and Grace/Faith.
We live in a house where Grace is in charge of our daily lives. The Old Testament Jew lived in a house where the Law was in charge of his daily life. The Law told him what to do, when to do it, who to do it with, etc. Grace allows us to live by the rule of love in Christ.
Now, the Lord does tell us to 'rightly divide the word of truth' in 2 Timothy 2. We are to study and rightly apply what we read.
For example: Everything in the Bible is written FOR us, but not everything was written directly TO us. (I Cor. 10:11)
The Bible records God telling Noah to build an ark. That was not said TO us, but to Noah. It is written FOR us, because we can learn a lot about God's mercy and judgment from the Flood story.
Some Bible teachers go farther than God intended in this 'rightly dividing' process. For example, the Great Commission of Matthew 28 says to Go, and Teach, and Baptize, and Teach some more (short version). The hyper-dispensationalist says this is NOT for the church today. They say that Jesus was speaking specifically to the 12 apostles. "You're not an apostle are you? Then it doesn't apply to you." Again they say, "Matthew 28 says to baptize, but Paul says that he was not sent to baptize (see I Corinthians 1:17) but simply to preach; therefore we are not to baptize today, just preach." That is their reasoning.
This is heresy, and we all know it. All of us, but the hyper-dispensationalist that is.
Anyway, that's a short introduction to dispensations, which are biblical, and hyper-dispensationalsim, which is not biblical.
BUT WAIT A MINUTE! Don't we do something just a erroneous?
We have placed the miracles of the Gospels and the book of Acts in a 'separate' dispensation. We have placed them in a cubby hole and then written over them the words "Sorry, not for you."
"That was for the early church, when things were just getting started," we say.
"They needed miracles back then, now we have the full revelation of Scripture," we hear again and again.
Hear what Paul said,"If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself."
When we really understand the Bible, we find that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Foundation Stone of his Church. He is part of it. His life flows through it. He is in it. He is the Head, we are the Body.
Then, why would we expect miracles to stop? Has God changed? No. Has Jesus changed? No.
Think on this for awhile. Jesus was sent by the Father as the only Representative and King of the Kingdom of Heaven. What did he do? He taught, preached, and healed the sick.
After a while, he gathered together the 12. He commissioned them to go out to the nation of Israel. They were to be representatives of the Kingdom of God. They were to teach, preach, and heal the sick.
Some time passed. More people heard the message. Jesus needed more workers.
He gathered together the 70. These, he commissioned to go out to the nation of Israel. They were to be representatives of the Kingdom of God. They were to teach, preach and heal the sick.
More time passed. Jesus died. He's buried. He came back to life.
He addressed the group that was gathered there. He gave them the commission to go into all the world. They were to be representatives of the Kingdom of God. They were to teach, preach and heal the sick (Mark 16).
Do you see a pattern?
Some will say that the gospel which Jesus preached is different than the gospel which we preach. He preached the Kingdom of Heaven, we preach the Kingdom of God.
But the Lord says that the gospel which he preached is the same as the one that is being preached around the world today! "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. " (Matthew 24:14)
We are preaching the same gospel of the kingdom that the 12 were preaching, that the 70 were preaching, and that the 120 were preaching.
Now, here's your homework. Show me the verse that says that this commission has been canceled. Where does it say that we should stop going? Stop teaching? Stop casting out devils? Stop healing?
It's not in there.
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, ...Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. " 2 Timothy 3
I got saved under the teaching of Dr. Ruckman. Ruckman was heavily influenced by Bullinger, and hence, a hyper-dispensationalist. He wouldn't call himself that. He'd even disagree with me, but he was.
The word dispensation is the noun form of the word 'dispensing' (that is, giving). In the Greek, it refers to the way a household is run. For example, under the old dispensation, the LORD gave the rule of Law to Moses. During that time period, people lived according to the ceremonial laws, the moral law, etc. (If they were saved, they were saved by Grace, for there is no other way to be saved than faith in Christ.) In the new dispensation, the Lord gave his Son to all who will receive him by Faith. So the two clearest dispensations are those of Law/Works and Grace/Faith.
We live in a house where Grace is in charge of our daily lives. The Old Testament Jew lived in a house where the Law was in charge of his daily life. The Law told him what to do, when to do it, who to do it with, etc. Grace allows us to live by the rule of love in Christ.
Now, the Lord does tell us to 'rightly divide the word of truth' in 2 Timothy 2. We are to study and rightly apply what we read.
For example: Everything in the Bible is written FOR us, but not everything was written directly TO us. (I Cor. 10:11)
The Bible records God telling Noah to build an ark. That was not said TO us, but to Noah. It is written FOR us, because we can learn a lot about God's mercy and judgment from the Flood story.
Some Bible teachers go farther than God intended in this 'rightly dividing' process. For example, the Great Commission of Matthew 28 says to Go, and Teach, and Baptize, and Teach some more (short version). The hyper-dispensationalist says this is NOT for the church today. They say that Jesus was speaking specifically to the 12 apostles. "You're not an apostle are you? Then it doesn't apply to you." Again they say, "Matthew 28 says to baptize, but Paul says that he was not sent to baptize (see I Corinthians 1:17) but simply to preach; therefore we are not to baptize today, just preach." That is their reasoning.
This is heresy, and we all know it. All of us, but the hyper-dispensationalist that is.
Anyway, that's a short introduction to dispensations, which are biblical, and hyper-dispensationalsim, which is not biblical.
BUT WAIT A MINUTE! Don't we do something just a erroneous?
We have placed the miracles of the Gospels and the book of Acts in a 'separate' dispensation. We have placed them in a cubby hole and then written over them the words "Sorry, not for you."
"That was for the early church, when things were just getting started," we say.
"They needed miracles back then, now we have the full revelation of Scripture," we hear again and again.
Hear what Paul said,"If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself."
When we really understand the Bible, we find that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Foundation Stone of his Church. He is part of it. His life flows through it. He is in it. He is the Head, we are the Body.
Then, why would we expect miracles to stop? Has God changed? No. Has Jesus changed? No.
Think on this for awhile. Jesus was sent by the Father as the only Representative and King of the Kingdom of Heaven. What did he do? He taught, preached, and healed the sick.
After a while, he gathered together the 12. He commissioned them to go out to the nation of Israel. They were to be representatives of the Kingdom of God. They were to teach, preach, and heal the sick.
Some time passed. More people heard the message. Jesus needed more workers.
He gathered together the 70. These, he commissioned to go out to the nation of Israel. They were to be representatives of the Kingdom of God. They were to teach, preach and heal the sick.
More time passed. Jesus died. He's buried. He came back to life.
He addressed the group that was gathered there. He gave them the commission to go into all the world. They were to be representatives of the Kingdom of God. They were to teach, preach and heal the sick (Mark 16).
Do you see a pattern?
Some will say that the gospel which Jesus preached is different than the gospel which we preach. He preached the Kingdom of Heaven, we preach the Kingdom of God.
But the Lord says that the gospel which he preached is the same as the one that is being preached around the world today! "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. " (Matthew 24:14)
We are preaching the same gospel of the kingdom that the 12 were preaching, that the 70 were preaching, and that the 120 were preaching.
Now, here's your homework. Show me the verse that says that this commission has been canceled. Where does it say that we should stop going? Stop teaching? Stop casting out devils? Stop healing?
It's not in there.
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, ...Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. " 2 Timothy 3
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