MK,
Just curious, but where do you place the beginning of what you call a "Gentile dispensation" and where do you begin the "Mystery or Body dispensation"?
Thanks!
In His grace,
Jerry
Thanks for your question.
First a bit of background information: I'd like to say that I have a great deal of respect for the early “dispensationalists.” Despite the fact that they held errors and inconsistencies (as do we all), it was their initial recognition/identification of Paul’s distinctive gospel that provided a “starting point” for the saints who would follow. And it was their deep, insightful, laborious wrestling with the inspired text—often in the face of focused and contemptuous opposition—that laid the groundwork for ongoing recovery of truth.
Their rejection of a “dispensation”
as a mere period of time—and their insistence that it was rather the God-ordained "administration" or “management” of a particular grouping/segment of mankind—was monumental. Nonetheless, it was incomplete because it failed to note that, although circumstances and/or commandments within a dispensation or “household management” may change, the divine calling to a particular hope does
not change . . . For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Rom. 11:29).
If these “pioneers” in dispensational truth had realized that a dispensation is defined by its unchanging, i.e., its “sure and steadfast,” Hope (Heb. 6:19), then surely C. F. Baker would never have taught that there were twelve dispensations, C. I. Scofield would never have taught that there were seven dispensations, etc.—but they all would have recognized that there are only three dispensations set forth in Scripture . . . the first of which dealt with Gentiles/nations; the second of which dealt with God’s special/chosen nation; and the third of which deals with individuals regardless of their bloodline/nationality, as explained below in brief.
1. The Gentile dispensation includes/pertains to all nations which sprang from Adam, which nations are precisely the seventy bloodline/patriarchal “tribes” named in Gen. 10, with their “subsets”
The Gentile dispensation began with Adam. The first person to be regenerated into the Household of “righteous Gentiles” was Abel (followed by Seth).
The “gestation” (or transition) period of the Gentile dispensation extended from the creation of Adam to the establishment of the Noahic Covenant (Gen. 9:1-17), which covenant was of course applicable/in force on the bloodline nations named in Gen. 10 (and their subsets).
The Gentile commission is (a) to “replenish the earth,” i.e., to fill the earth with righteous offspring/tribes/nations; (b) to “have dominion” in the earth, i.e., to reign over non-human but sentient life, such as fish, fowls, animals (“fauna”); and (c) to subdue the earth, i.e., to maintain and bring man’s natural surroundings/non-sentient life (i.e., plants or “flora”) into subjection and order (Gen. 1:26-28 & 9:1).
The Hope of the “righteous Gentiles” is to dwell in the land allotted to their respective bloodlines/nations, in the eternal kingdom, fulfilling their God-given commission regarding the earth and submitting themselves to Israel, God’s “chosen” nation (Isa. 60:1-3; Amos 9:11-12; Rev. 21:22-26).
2. The Jewish dispensation includes/pertains to Israel, God’s Chosen Nation, which is comprised precisely of the twelve bloodline/patriarchal tribes descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (it also, in the nature of the case, pertains to the non-Jewish Gentiles/nations, which, by divine decree, are subsumed and brought under Jewish jurisdiction/oversight).
The Jewish dispensation began with Abram (whose name was changed to “Abraham”), and he was the first person to be regenerated into the Household of “righteous Jews.”
The gestation (or transition) period of the Jewish dispensation extended from the calling out of Abram (Gen. 12:1-4) to the establishment of the Mosaic Covenant at Sinai, which covenant was applicable/in force on the twelve tribes, as set forth in Numbers 26:4-63 (and their descendants).
The Jewish commission is to function as the chief/supreme nation in the earth and, as such, to instruct, govern, and mediate for the Gentiles (i.e., nations which are not descended from Abraham/Isaac/Jacob), and to function as a channel of blessings to them (Gen. 12:2-3; Heb. 11:8-10; Isa. 60:1-3; Amos 9:11-12; Matt. 28:19; Acts 3:13-26; Rev. 21:1-27).
The Hope of the “righteous Jews” is to dwell in the land promised to Abraham (with headquarters in the New Jerusalem), in the eternal kingdom (which for them, begins with the Millennial phase) and—as a nation of priests and kings (Ex. 19:6; cf. Rev. 1:6 & 5:10), governed by David (Eze. 34:23-24 & 37:24-25), the on-site regent of Jesus Messiah—to instruct, govern, and mediate for the Gentiles/nations around them.
3. The Mystery dispensation includes/pertains to the Body of Christ, which is the “fulness of Christ” in His humanity (Eph. 1:23), and which is comprised precisely of individuals without regard to bloodline/nationality, gender, and/or slave/free status (it also pertains to individuals outside the Body of Christ, i.e., the unbelievers who, by divine decree, will one day stand before the Great White Throne, to be judged according to Paul’s gospel [Rom. 2:16]).
The Body of Christ began with Saul of Tarsus (whose name was changed to “Paul”), and he was the first person to be regenerated into this neither-Jew-nor-Greek, neither-bond-nor-free, neither-male-nor-female Body.
The gestation (or transition) period of the one Body extends from the conversion of Saul of Tarsus in Acts 9, through the public proclamation of the Body in Acts 13, to the final setting aside of Israel in Acts 28:17-28, at which juncture the law codes that pertained under the Gentile and Jewish dispensations were rendered invalid (until the juncture when the Body of Christ leaves the world at the Rapture-Battle, and God again takes up His dealings with Israel and the Gentiles/nations). After Acts 28:17-28, “Pauline Law” (i.e., Paul’s gospel, in all the fulness of its detail-rich message) became applicable/in force over all of mankind.
The Body of Christ’s commission is to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery (Eph. 3:9) by clearly and continuously proclaiming Paul’s gospel and consistently honoring/obeying “Pauline Law” in their doctrine and conduct.
The Body of Christ’s Hope is to dwell eternally in the third heaven with Christ, our one Lord/Head (Eph. 1:20-23), jointly governing the elect angels (I Cor. 6:3), who will be governing Israel (Heb. 1:14; Rev. 22:8-16; Matt. 13:37-50), who will be governing the Gentiles (Rev. 21:9-14).
When the God-given distinctions outlined above are observed, the clarity, accuracy, and uniformity of the Scriptures will be beautifully apparent. When they are blurred or ignored, the Bible will seem to be anecdotal, contradictory, and generally hard to understand. But in such cases, as always, the difficulty is not with God’s Word, which is flawless—but with man, who is flawed.
MK