Two Main Divisions
DISPENSATIONAL BIBLE STUDY :
2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
THE MOST IMPORTANT DIVISION IN THE BIBLE: PROPHECY AND MYSTERY
THE PROPHETIC PROGRAM: God's purpose to establish a literal, physical, earthly, Davidic, Messianic kingdom, with Jesus Christ as the king of kings, ruling over the twelve apostles, who will rule over the twelve tribes of Israel, who will rule over the nations of this earth.
THE MYSTERY PROGRAM: God's purpose to form a spiritual body of believers called "the Body of Christ", with Christ as the Head. This body will be perfectly "conformed to the image of His Son" and will rule and reign with Christ in the heavenly places.
PROPHETIC PROGRAM
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MYSTERY PROGRAM
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| 1. SPOKEN about since the world
began (Luke 1:68-70; Acts 3:21-24) |
1. Kept SECRET, hidden since
the world began (Romans 16:25; Ephesians 3:5,9; Colossians 1:26) |
| 2. Focus is THE EARTH (Genesis 1:28, 9:1, 13:14-17; Deuteronomy 11:21; Isaiah 11:9; Jeremiah 23:5; Psalms 37:9-11; Matthew 5:5; Matthew 6:10) |
2. Focus is THE HEAVENLY PLACES (Ephesians 1:3, 2:6 Philippians 3:20; Colossians 3:1-4) |
| 3. Jesus Christ is THE KING of Israel
and the whole world (Isaiah 9:6-7; Daniel 7:13-14; Zachariah14:9,16; Matthew 2:2; John 1:49; Luke 1:31-33) |
3. Jesus Christ is THE HEAD of the
church, the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18) |
| 4. ISRAEL is God's chosen nation and will be
given supremacy over all nations (Deuteronomy 7:6, 28:13; Isaiah 6:1-5; Matthew 10:5-10; Romans 9:6) |
4. In the Body of Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile (Romans 10:12, 3:22; Galatians 3:26-28; 1Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 2:16-17) |
| 5. Redeemed Israel to rule and reign with Christ
on the earth (Isaiah 62:1-4; Ezekiel 37:21-28; Exodus 19:4-6; Revelation 5:10) |
5. The Body of Christ to rule and reign
with Christ in the heavenlies (Ephesians 2:6, 14-16, 3:6, Philippians 3:20; 1Corinthians 6:3) |
| 6. Gentiles to be blessed through Israel's RISE
to kingdom glory (Genesis 12:1-3; Isaiah 61:6-9; Zechariah 8:13-23) |
6. Gentiles blessed through THE FALL of
Israel (Romans 11:11,12,15; Acts 28:27-28) |
| 7. The central gospel is the Gospel of the
Kingdom (Matthew 3:2, 4:17,23, 9:35, 24:14) |
7. The central gospel is the gospel of
the Grace of God (Acts 20:24; Romans 1:16-17, 3:23-25) |
| 8. The chief Apostle is Peter (Matthew 16:18-19; Acts 1:15, 2:14) |
8. Paul is the Apostle for this age of
grace (Romans 11:13; Ephesians 3:1; 1Timothy 2:5-7) |
| 9. The number 12 is associated with Israel (Matthew 19:28; Revelation 7:4-8) |
9. ONE is the number for the Body of
Christ (Ephesians 4:3-4) |
| 10. Physical and spiritual baptism (Exodus 29:1-7; Matthew 3:2-7, 28:19-20; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:32; Ezekiel 36:25-27; Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:5,8) |
10. Spiritual baptism only (Romans 6:1-5; Ephesians 4:4; 1Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:26-28) |
| 11. Physical and spiritual circumcision (Genesis 17:9-14; Luke 2:21; Deuteronomy 30:6) |
11. Spiritual circumcision only (Colossians 2:11-13; Romans 6:1-6) |
| 12. Atonement yet FUTURE (Acts 3:19; Matthew 25:31-34; Romans 11:25-27) |
12. Atonement NOW (Romans 5:11; Colossians 2:13-14) |
| 13. The Goal: The God of Heaven to set up the
Kingdom of Heaven on earth, Christ to have preeminence (Deuteronomy 11:21; Daniel 2:44; Matthew 25:34) |
13. The Goal: To form a spiritual body
of believers perfectly conformed to the image of Christ and through whom Christ will have
the preeminence in the heavenly places (Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:16) |
| 14. This has been God's purpose FROM the
foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34) |
14. This has been God's purpose from
BEFORE the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4, 3:11) |
| 15. This program has been temporarily DELAYED (Romans 9-11) |
15. This program is NOW in effect (Ephesians 3:1-11; Colossians 1:24-27) |
| 16. The 12 Apostles called by the Lord while He
was on the earth (Matthew 10:1-4) |
16. Paul called to be an apostle from
the ascended Lord (Acts 9:1ff; 1Corinthians 15:8-10) |
| 17. The apostleship of the 12 was to Israel
alone, and then to Israel first (Matthew 10 ff, Acts 3:25,26) |
17. Paul was commissioned as "the
apostle of the Gentiles" because now the program of God is different (Romans 11:13; Ephesians 3:1-9) |
| 18. The 12 Apostles had the gospel of
circumcision committed unto them to proclaim the "good news" of Israel's
covenanted Kingdom and Blessing (Matthew 10:6-8; Galatians 2:7,8) |
18. Paul had the gospel of
uncircumcision committed to him. The "good news" of God now being longsuffering
towards ALL to accomplish a secret purpose (Galatians 2:7,9) |
| 19. Israel has to be "born again" (John 3:3-7) |
19. In present program those "in
Christ" are made a "new creature" (Ephesians 2:15, 1Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15) |
| 20. The 12 Apostles, under their commission,
sought to bring the nation of Israel to repentance in view of them crucifying their
Christ. They indicted them for the crime but offered them the forgiveness and blessing of
God so they could participate in Israel's "at hand" kingdom (Acts 3:12-26, 5:27-32) |
20. Paul, under his commission,
announced that Israel had fallen and that God has temporarily set Israel's program aside
and Israel's fullness and kingdom won't come until after the fullness of the Gentiles come
in (Romans 11:11-25) |
| 21. The 12 Apostles announced to Israel that her
last days were present. They lived in the says that all the prophets from Samuel and after
had foretold of (Acts 2:16-21, 3:24) |
21. Paul announced that God is now
long-suffering and He had set Israel and the things on her time schedule aside and that
the times and seasons are not being fulfilled now in this dispensation of grace (Romans 11:11-25, 1Thessalonians 5:1-11; 2Thessalonians 2:1-7) |
| 22. The 12 Apostles under their commission
operated on a God established distinction existing between the Jews and Gentiles (Numbers 23:9; Matthew 10:5-7, 15:21-28; Acts 3:25,26) |
22. Paul under his commission declares
that the "time past" distinction is now done away and the middle wall of
partition is broken down, God having made both one. Now there is no difference (2 Corinthians 5:14-19, Ephesians 2:11-14) |
| 23. The 12 apostles operated with the law still
in view along with the rudiments of the world that it employed (Matthew 5:17-19, 23:1-3 James 2:10, Matthew 28:20) |
23. Paul is given to declare to us that
God has not put us under the law, but under grace and that today He is not treating us as
children under the law with the rudiments of the world (Romans 6:14; Galatians 4:1-11; Colossians 2:8-17; Romans 7:4-6) |
| 24. The 12 Apostles warned Israel of the coming
wrath of God on the time schedule and were prepared by the Lord to see and also go through
the tribulation period (Matthew 24:1-35; Acts 2:14-40, 3:19-23) |
24. Paul was given to declare the
long-suffering of God, the coming of the Lord for us to gather us together unto Himself,
delivering us from the wrath (Romans 5:9, 1Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-5:11, 2Peter 3:15,16) |
| 25. The 12 Apostles during the 3 years of the
Lord's earthly ministry never understood or appreciated the meaning or significance of
Jesus Christ's death and resurrection (Matthew 16:21-23; Luke 9:43-45,18:31-34) Following
Christ's resurrection and the 40 day Bible seminar they had from Him they understood the
necessity of Christ's suffering and the benefits received from it, as it pertained to the
establishment of Israel's kingdom glory (Luke 24:25-27, 44-49, Acts 1:1-2, 2:22-36, 3:12-21, 4:8-12) |
25. To Paul God committed the full
meaning and significance of the cross of Christ. He preached the cross and Christ
crucified. The good news about His death, burial and resurrection - proclaiming it in all
its glory as "the power of God and the wisdom of God." Also to Paul was
committed the testimony concerning Christ giving Himself a ransom for all men (1Corinthians 1:18, 23; 1Timothy 2:1-7; 1Corinthians 2:6-8; Ephesians 1:8-10) |
26. The 12 Apostles were
commissioned in their apostleship to bring Israel's rebelliousness to a head and in doing
so vindicate the outpouring of God's wrath upon that generation |
26. Paul was
commissioned to proclaim that God is now longsuffering and is extending mercy and grace to
all in spite of Israel's climactic rebelliousness. |
"..that in all things He might have the preeminence ..". (Colossians 1:18)
It is by means of these two programs that the Lord Jesus Christ will have the preeminence on the earth and in the heavenly places.