Week Three of Rightly Dividing the Word was very exciting to me. As you can see in the video at cornerstonebibleclass.com, we now have a full sized 8 feet by 3 feet chart of how to study the Bible. Over the next few weeks we will walk through our Bible using the chart to guide us in our understanding of the dispensations / administrations in the outworking of the purpose and plan of God for man’s redemption.
2 Timothy 2:15 has four parts that we must focus on to be a proper student of God’s Word.
1. Our Duty – Study the Word of God
2. Our Aim – to receive God’s approval
3. Our One Goal – to not be ashamed
4. Our Requirement – to rightly divide the Word of Truth / divide truth from truth
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (2 Peter 1:19-21) teaches us that “all scripture” has four specific benefits, in order of importance.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for:
1. Doctrine – truth – what is right
2. Reproof – conviction – admonition – revealing what is not right in our heart of hearts
3. Correction – exhortation to repent and make those things right that prevent that sweet fellowship with our Lord
4. Instruction in Righteousness – how to keep our fellowship with Christ right, maturing into Christlikeness, being conformed to Christ
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.
Each Dispensation / administration in scripture had a custodian / steward who was given responsibility to fulfill God’s program for man’s obedience concerning God’s grace. The stewards for each dispensation are:
1. Innocence – Adam
2. Conscience – Adam / Seth / Enoch (Jude 14-15) / Noah (Genesis 6:8)
3. Human Government – Noah and his sons, but hijacked by Nimrod, the hunter and enslaver of men into his economic religio-political system. Nimrod was the leader of the first world empire, rejecting God’s command to “be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth.”
4. Promise – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and his 12 sons, the progenitors of the 12 tribes of Israel
5. Law – Moses through the Levitical priesthood and the prophets as the spiritual leaders of Israel
6. Grace – Paul and all individual, saved by grace believers.
7. Kingdom – Messiah King Jesus (Isaiah 9:6-7)
Dear friends, we are the stewards of the grace of God for this “Mystery” period in which we live! The judgment seat of Christ, the Bema / rewards judgement will be all about our stewardship of the mystery of “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:25-29
Ephesians 2:8-10: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
The next few weeks will be an exciting adventure, walking through the Bible together!