Dispensations are God-prescribed relationships whereby God deals with mankind differently at different times under different circumstances; e.g., before the fall of Adam, and then after.

You can see from the above example concerning foods you can see how it is that men have found divisions and denominations founded upon false understandings of Scripture. In the above example we could have the "First Vegetarian Church," etc. This is only because many refuse to acknowledge the various dispensations spoken of in the Scripture. Yes, we must say ALL four points above are scriptural... but not all are "dispensational" in their interpretation of Scripture.

This example demonstrates the importance of rightly dividing the Scripture. The sad truth is that Christians have been mostly mistaught and many teachers and preachers play fast and loose with the scripture, incorrectly believing that it all applies directly to them. There are many much more serious matters than the foods we are to eat that are mistaught and serve create apparent conflicts in the word of God, such that no thinking and reasoning person could believe the Bible as they present the Scripture. They make Bible believers a laughing stock by their misuse of the Scripture.

The in reading the Scripture we must be those who rightly divide and discern that which those applies to these three kinds of folks. "…the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, ... the church of God:" (1 Cor. 10:32). These are the three classes of people that are addressed in the Bible, individually, and sometimes in context as a whole. The main concern is that we must divide that which is written to  and concerning "the Jew, the Gentile (heathen), and "the Church of God."

The literal interpretation of the Bible means it is taken literally and that it means what it says. The Bible sometimes includes allegory in order to expand the truth behind what it says. The problem is that when we do not understand or believe the literal Bible words then we try to spiritualize the Bible, where and when it need not be and is not intended to be. Jesus' parables are of a different class; they are always spoken of as such, being given with the interpretation by Jesus.

Some have accepted the Catholic church view that the church today is the new or "spiritual Israel," (see RC Catechism 877), thus supplanting Israel's place in the eternal plan of God. This is patently untrue. God will keep His word literally to Israel in "the fullness of times."

This is the source of great error for most Christians.

Example: When we allegorize the Book of James, considering wrongly that it is written to the Church in this day of grace, we make an error that only leads to apparent serious contradictions. The book of James, speaking of the requirement of "works" for righteousness, is in great conflict with the writings of the Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul, who speaks of "pure (100%) grace" (Rom 11:6).

"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace..." (Romans 11:6)

The contradiction that appears between James and Paul is gone if the believer would simply take the word for what it says – James is writing not to the church, which is Christ's body, but rather to the Diaspora, lost people of Israel.. Note the first verse of James.

James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

Thus the matter is immediately cleared up. James is not writing to the Christian members of the Church, which is His body, as presented by the Apostle Paul in his 14 epistles that make up the core of our Christ8ian faith and understanding of Christ grace work done for us and in us as believers. James was writing to the Diaspora, the dispersed "twelve tribes" of Israel, not to you or me. We cannot say it is to the Church, which is His body, because we know that, according to Paul, there are no more Jews or Gentiles as they makeup the Church, which is the body of Christ. Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.