We are herein speaking of dispensational changes occurring within ‘the Acts period,’ that is before Acts 28:20-28 and the new “dispensation of the grace of God” (Eph. 3:2) that Paul received.

We must have a correct and full understanding of the dispensational change that occurred with Paul’s Acts 28:28 declaration. Paul begins by quoting Isaiah 6:9-1 in Romans 28:26-27 with reference to Israel’s unyieldingness.

²⁶ Saying, Go unto this people [Israel], and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: ²⁷ For the heart of this people [Israel], is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. ²⁸ Be it known therefore unto you [Israel], that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. Acts 28:26-28 (KJV) 

In the early in the Acts period, under the preaching of the Twelve Apostles, salvation was a privilege only offered to the Jews, those set apart by God via “the Mosaic Law” unto their calling and hope of the ‘Kingdom to come on earth.’

In Acts 10, when the Lord sent Peter to the house of the Gentile Roman, Cornelius, it was quite a shock to Peter and the Jews that to the “whosoever” Gentiles was now extended this privilege of salvation unto “everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16). This was a radical dispensational change while the dispensation of “the law” continued up to Acts 28:28. Paul said the purpose of this was only to “provoke them [Israel] to Jealousy” (Rom. 11:11).

 At that time this “salvation” of a Gentile was associated with “the hope of Israel” and its Kingdom to come on earth. Both the believing Gentile and the believing Jew were called to be “saints,” simply meaning to be ‘set apart’ unto that ‘saved calling.’

But then with Acts 28:28, there was another radical dispensational change. With “the fall of Israel,” her hopes were ‘set aside’ per Rom. 11:25, while “the salvation of God” was then offered to all “the nations” (Gk. ethnos, i.e., Gentiles), by grace, for the hope of “everlasting life.”

¹⁰ Let their [Israel’s eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. ¹¹ I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their [Israel’s] fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. ¹² Now if the fall of them [Israel] be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

²⁵ For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery [‘secret’ of God], lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, UNTIL The Fulness Of The Gentiles Be Come In. Romans 11:25 (KJV)

With that change in dispensation, both then and now Today A Jew Can Only Be Saved In Association With The Hope Of The Believing Gentiles. Israel's hope previously was for ‘everlasting life ‘on “the new earth.” Now in this new age from Law to “the dispensation of the grace of God” (Eph. 3:2) all men, both Gentiles and Jews, are ‘the called’ to be “the saints” (set-apart ones) destined to be “the faithful” who will serve “in the heavenly places,” not on earth.

This was a different from the dispensational change that occurred DURING Acts, because, AFTER Acts 28 there was NO ISRAEL In God’s Eyes. Yes, there are still individual Jews who could now be “saved by grace through faith” in Christ alone, totally apart from the Law because the ‘Nation Israel’ and her calling was now ‘set aside’ until His 2^nd coming to earth.

AFTER Acts 28:28 there came the ‘calling out’ of those to be members “the Body of Christ.” God’s special favor is upon to those “saints” who by faith believe and go on in the faith to be found “faithful” to the Pauline “revelation of the mystery [secret]” (Rom. 16:25) that Christ revealed to Paul for all men.

I believe that today’s time of the called-out members of “body of Christ” constitutes a special dispensation offering Greater Grace with a Greater Salvation to an eternal ‘HEAVENLY Purpose,’ which is to make Manifest ‘The Manifold Wisdom Of God To The Principalities And Powers In The Heavenlies’ (Eph. 3:10). This is “according to the eternal purpose of God” (Eph. 3:11).

So, the “faithful” are those called out from among the nominal “saints.” Paul’s final ministerial work was to make ALL “the saints” come to see “the fellowship [dispensation] of the mystery” (Eph. 3:9) concerning “the body of Christ” that is destined to “reign with Him” (2Tim. 2:12) in “the heavenly places.”

• ⁹ And to make all men see what is the fellowship [dispensation] of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: Ephesians 3:9.
• ¹² Even the mystery which Hath Been Hidden From Ages And From Generations But Now Is Made Manifest To His "Saints" (Col 1:26) “.... for the perfecting [completion] of the saints” (Eph 4:12).
• Then Paul writes to Timothy; “And the things that thou hast heard of [from] me among many witnesses, the same commit to thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Tim 2:2).
• ⁴When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in [heaven’s cf. 3:1] glory.” Colossians 3:4 (KJV)

After “the Body of Christ” is complete and made manifested “with [its Head] Christ, in glory” (cf. Col 3:4, above) … God then will resume all His dealings with the Nation Israel and fulfill all the covenants He made with Israel, including the eternal kingdom to come “on earth.”

Now note how the comma ( , ) in Paul’s Ephesians 1:1 (below) separates “the faithful” from “the saints.”

¹ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Ephesians 1:1 (KJV)

Those who are among the “the faithful” were once first “the saints.” They originally were Gentiles saved by grace unto ‘everlasting life’ on the new earth, by Jesus’ Gospel of John 3:16. Note that John 3:16 favors ALL men noted simply as “whosoever.”

¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish [Gk. apollymi, not be destroyed], but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (KJV)

But then, once we heard of “the fellowship [dispensation] of the mystery” of “the Body of Christ,” and we understood and acknowledged it, and we embraced it by now behaving according to our change; we became a ‘faithful saint,’ such that now we can ‘teach others’ (2 Tim 2:2).

We who believe the “the revelation of the mystery [secret]” are among those who were “chosen to be in Christ before the overthrow [katabole] of the world [Gk. kosmos]” (Eph. 1:4), as seen in Genesis 1:2.

NOTE: We were not chosen to believe the mystery, but we became the chosen because we have believed “the mystery,” God foreknew that we would be faithful.

Those who say they ‘believe the mystery’ and then turn back are not among ‘the faithful’ saints.

I trust this helps you to understand some of the different dispensational changes occurring unto this day.

The fact is that most people are being saved today via Jesus’ John 3:16 Gospel, not by a religion or a church. Accordingly, their only hope is “everlasting life,” which is a great hope… until they believe and understand the greater hope of ‘the dispensation of the “great mystery” (Eph. 5:32) of the heaven-bound Gentile “Body of Christ,” which gives them the ‘Greater Calling and hope’ of heaven’s glory.

(Much of this paper is adapted from Alan Naas, being enlarged with emphasis by Arthur J. Licursi.)