The ‘Dispensational’ Approach to the Bible

A 2-Part Study In Recognizing Dispensational Truth

By Arthur J Licursi

Part 1 – What is ‘Dispensational’ Bible Study?

It seems that most people who may have heard of the word ‘Dispensational’ really do not understand what it means. Dispensationalism is simply a hermeneutic, meaning a ‘method of Bible study for proper interpretation.’ It is critical for understanding and discerning the significance of the Biblical history of God’s relationship with His creation. We can particularly note God’s relationship with mankind throughout time, as the ages move toward fulfilling of God’s eternal plan and purpose.

Each Dispensation can also be referred to as a God-given ‘administrative age’ under which it is to operate with its unique rules, expectations, or laws. These can notably change from one Dispensational age to the next.

By example; most Christians should recognize the change from …

• The Dispensational age of “The Law,” when God gave only to the ‘Nation Israel’ specific laws, rituals, and rites; via His messenger, Moses, as seen in Exodus and Leviticus, as compared with;
• Today’s “Dispensation of the grace of God” (Eph. 3:2) as delivered by His messenger, Paul, to all men of all races as “The Apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13), as most clearly seen after the Acts period in his ‘prison epistles.’

The Bible’s truth relative to God’s eternal plan and purpose becomes progressively revealed throughout the passing of the several notable Biblical ages that we call Dispensations.

First, after the original creation and Lucifer’s pre-Adamic the earth age was judged by God’s first worldwide flood noted by Genesis 1:2, we come to the recreation and the first man, Adam. “The Dispensation of Innocence” began when Adam and Eve were created ‘innocent’ but soon fell to sin, being the deceived of the Serpent. They rebelled against God’s One administrative instruction of that age (Gen. 1:3-31). Then all the subsequent Dispensations lead to the consummation of the ages in Revelation. The consummation refers to the completion or fulfillment of God’s divine plan and purposes. This obviously is associated with the end times and establishment of God’s eternal kingdom in “the new heaven and the new earth.” It is the culmination of God’s redemptive work in recovering fallen mankind. Throughout the Dispensations God has allowed for ‘man’s free will’ in choosing union with God’s plan and purpose in the time of the Dispensations in which they lived … or to reject God.

We study the Bible Dispensationally by considering its words in the plain, clear, normal, literal, and literary reading of Scripture. We consider the Bible’s ‘words’ by noting every word according to both its near or present Dispensational context, and then comparing that word may be uses in its remote context seen elsewhere in Scripture. We also take note when a particular word or expression may be absent in other Dispensational ages; this then is a tell-tale indicator of something. Noting context is most critical to the accurate interpretation of Scripture. Ignoring context usually degenerates into a pretext that is commonly from the mind of Satan suggesting unbiblical, manmade religious philosophy or ideas.

We ought also to consider the underlying Greek New Testament, particularly the reliable ‘Textus Receptus’ upon which the King James Version is derived. Consider that any one English word may be derived from any of several different Greek words, each of which may carry a different meaning or emphasis. Sadly, most all the so-called ‘modern Bibles’ are similarly corrupted since they most all use Westcott and Hort’s corrupt underlying ‘Critical Text’ that was accepted only in 1881.

The Dispensational understanding of the Bible simply employs the historical, plain, grammatical reading of Scripture following the natural laws of communication where words mean what they say; i.e., the word ‘land’ means ‘land,’ and ‘Israel’ means ‘the Nation Israel,’ and Jerusalem means the city of Jerusalem located in Israel. We do not ‘spiritualize’ words to be something else, such as the Catholic Catechism and many Protestant denominations do. The Dispensational approach does allow for recognizing metaphors where the Bible obviously uses metaphor, as well as poetic expressions as seen in Proverbs, Psalms, and other Bible books.

Sadly religious ‘tradition’ with its unbiblical denominational laws, rituals, rites, and performance requirements is the enemy of Bible truth. We note this by Jesus’ words below as He spoke to the religious leaders of Israel. Sadly, I expect that Jesus may say the same today of most of Christendom’s many sects, denominations, and divisions.

Mark 7:7-9 Howbeit in vain do they worship me [The Lord], teaching for doctrines the Commandments Of Men. ⁸For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the Tradition Of Men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. ⁹And he said unto them, Full well Ye Reject The Commandment Of God, [so] that ye may Keep Your Own Tradition.

The Apostle Paul’s writings often critique the elevation of human religious traditions over the divinely inspired word of truth, the Bible.

Proper Bible study must recognize the overarching Biblical ‘ages’ [Grk. aions] before and after any particular study topic at hand. We do this in the way that Paul notes them in Ephesians 2 as; ‘time past’ (Eph. 2:2), the ‘but now’ (Eph. 2:13), and ‘the ages to come’ (Eph. 2:7). Paul uses the term ‘but now’ about 20 times, always to signal a notable change or contrast has or is occurring. This is key to recognizing God’s progressive revelation of Bible truth throughout the dispensational ages of the Scriptures.

Scriptural progression is also revealed by a notable event that marks where one Dispensation ends and a subsequent Dispensation begins. Each Dispensational change addresses a clear change in God’s program or relationship with different individuals and/or people groups [i.e., Israel, or the Gentiles] under The Lord’s changing administrations. Acts 28:28 is such an event.

In Bible study it is of utmost importance to follow the admonition of our Apostle Paul who wrote telling us not only to “Study” but also how to “Study … the word of truth.”

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, [by] Rightly Dividing The Word Of Truth.

We must DIVIDE the Scripture if we are to study rightly. We are not dividing error from truth in the Bible. It is all truth, but not all truth of the ages past is for us today. The word ‘dispensation’ is from the Greek, ‘oikonomia,’ meaning ‘to cut straight.’ It implies ‘dividing.’ Whatever we ‘cut straight’ divides, producing 2 differing portions.

• Today, we must DIVIDE OUT that which does NOT apply to our present “Dispensation while paying careful attention to what the Bible says IS Applicable To Our Present Spiritual Gentile Dispensation of The Grace Of God” (Eph. 3:1-2).

Then also we note that certain universal truths cumulatively continue on into the next dispensation, while others do not, such as seen below. Romans 6:14 as most Romans Truths Of The Cross seen in the Acts period continues into today’s Post-Acts Dispensational age of “the Mystery.”

Roman 6:14 “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the [Mosaic] law, but under grace.” This applies to Paul’s epistles written both during the Acts period and also after the Acts 28:28 Dispensational divide.

• Interestingly, every historical Dispensational age that came before the empowerment of Cross of Christ, ended in man’s failure to achieve righteousness of man’s own effort.

Yet, in every age, God’s grace made ‘everlasting life’ available to ‘whosoever’ would believe ‘the words of the Lord’ that were applicable to their specific Dispensational administration;

E.g., Noah was instructed to ‘build the ark’, and it saved his life eternally. But if we build and Ark today it would not be relevant because that instruction did not apply to us, neither do Moses 613 Laws given to Israel. Nor do we heed Jesus’ instruction for Israel or His Twelve Apostles. Jesus had said; “I am come but [only] unto the lost sheep of the House of Israel” (Matt. 15:24) and He sent His 12 Apostle to “go only to the Lost Sheep of the house of Isael.” (Matt. 10:5-6)

The total number of Bible Dispensations is most often considered to be seven or eight while some see more due to recognizing more subdivisions within the ages of Biblical human history.

As we’ve said earlier, the most recent and significant Dispensational dividing line recognized by serious Bible students occurred with “the fall of Israel” in unbelief, when “the salvation of God [was taken from Israel and] sent to the Gentiles” directly, per Acts 28:26-28. By the word “directly” I mean today’s Gentile “dispensation of the grace of God” is totally separate and apart from God’s prophetic program, calling  and laws for Israel.

This occurred in Acts 28:26-28 where Paul began his 2^nd ministry, Post-Acts, now ministering to “All men,” with All believing men being now seen as Gentiles of the Spirtual “church which is His body” (Eph. 1:22b-23a) under today’s unique Gentile “Dispensation Of The Grace Of God.” (cf. Eph. 3:1-2).

A comment perhaps is called for in connection recognizing how two dispensational subdivisions may run together simultaneously for a time. If a dispensation is but another name for an age, it is clear that two “ages” cannot run together, but in any one period of time, there may be more than one stewardship being exercised, as seen below.

Example: Read Galatians 2:7-9 in the KJV, which makes it clear that Paul had his apostleship and a stewardship toward the “UNcircumcision,” i.e., the Gentiles (cf. Rom. 11:13);

while Peter was “the Apostle of the Circumcision [Israel]” during the same time period.

And then we note how Acts 17:25-28 makes it clear that in the same period that “Israel had the law” and the covenants… while Paul in Romans 1:18 to 2:29 says ‘the nations’ (i.e. lost Gentiles) of the earth were under a “dispensation of conscience” with the witness of God’s works seen in the creation as their evidence of God and His power.

The Dispensational approach to the study of the Bible Scriptures provides us the best and most clear explanation of God’s eternal plan unto His eternal purpose. The fact is that God has progressively changed His program for mankind over multiple dispensations, all through time leading to the consummation of the ages. To ignore the dispensational hermeneutic (method of Bible study) usually results in doctrinal confusion, and contradiction, such as we see across Christendom today.

In Part 2 we will see a list the Dispensational ages with brief descriptions of each.