‘Law and Grace’ Is The First Great Dispensational Division.

In the period covered by the outworking of our redemption and it’s Acts period explanation by Paul, the first most important division in “rightly dividing the word of truth” is that which is indicated by comparing the words ‘LAW’ and ‘GRACE.’

The “Law of Moses” that was given to the Nation Israel was in effect all through the Gospels (cf. Matt. 5:18). But we note the dispensational change that Paul preached in Antioch offering justification for all who would believe – not mentioning the Law-keeping. Paul here below preaching in the Antioch’s Jewish synagogue says ‘justification’ is achieved by believing in Christ.

“Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man [Jesus] is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: ³⁹ And by him [Christ] All That Believe Are Justified From All Things, from which ye could NOT be justified by the law of Moses.” Acts 13:38-39 (KJV)

In Romans chapter 1 Paul preaches ‘grace working through faith’ in the resurrected Christ for “All Nations” [that is for both Israel and the Gentiles] calling it “the gospel of God.”

“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, ² (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) ³ Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; ⁴ And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: ⁵ By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among All Nations [including Israel and the Gentile Nations], for his name: Romans 1:1-5 (KJV)

This was a major dispensational change that is most concisely stated here in Paul’s letter to the Romans where he is addressing All Men who believe Jesus Christ is the crucified resurrected Lord.

“…  for ye are not under the law, but Under Grace.” Romans 6:14 (KJV).

But Paul’s ‘grace gospel’ working though faith alone was a stumbling block for Israel’s leaders all during the Acts period. Paul had been sanctioned by the ascended Lord Jesus from heaven (cf. Gal. 1:12) to preach “the Gospel of the Grace of God” (Acts 20:24) during his Acts period ministry from Acts 9-28. He preached grace working by faith in Christ to ALL men in the order of “the Jew First’ and then to the Gentile. If you study Acts you would note how Paul would go first to the synagogue in every city, then being rejected of the Israel’s leaders, only then would he go to the Gentiles.

Ultimately, the Acts period ended with the utter “fall of Israel” as seen via Paul’s words in Acts 28:26-28 as he quoted Isaiah’s prophecy [cf. Rom. 11:1-12, 15, 25].

“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 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, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. Acts 28:26-28 (KJV)

Then after Acts the term “All Men” now meant the Gentile and the Jew are seen as Absolutely EQUAL. This continues unto today’s age called “the DISPENSATION of the grace of God” (cf. Eph. 3:1-2). Thus, all believers today are seen of God as non-Jews (i.e., as Gentiles) since Israel fell and Israel’s program was entirely set aside with Paul’s Acts 28:28 declaration. Thus today God sees all men alike;

“Where There is Neither Greek [i.e., Gentile] Nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in [you] all.” Colossians 3:11 (KJV)

The meaning of the words law and grace may be better appreciated by noting the following paraphrase of John 1:16-17, seeking to introduce the shades of meaning latent within this original text. “And of his [Christ’s] fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the Law Was Given By Moses [to Israel], but Grace and Truth [verity] came by Jesus Christ.” John 1:16-17 (KJV)

Paraphrase: ‘Because out of His fulness have all we received, even the grace of New Testament realities, instead of the Old Testament grace in types and shadows. For the law was given through Moses as God’s channel, but True Grace, the antitypical blessings of the gospel, came into being through Jesus Christ as the Creator’.

It will be seen that by the change of dispensation from ‘Law’ to ‘Grace’ … we pass from the grace that was set forth only in typology to the True Grace In Christ. The epistle to the Hebrews recognizes this position. where we read ‘The law made nothing perfect’ (Heb. 7:19). Israel’s priests were sinners themselves, and they were all subject to death. The OT sacrificial system never actually took away sin, nor touched the sinner’s conscience. God Himself found fault with the Old Covenant (cf. Heb. 8:7). Only Christ’s coming and His cross-work actually paid the penalty of DEATH FOR SIN … setting the sin problem entirely aside. (See Hebrews 7:11, 21-28; 8:1-5,7-13; 9:1-14; 10:1-14.

Yet many religionists and sects of Christendom today cling to aspects of “the Law” and manmade religious tradition as if these can make one counted as being righteous. By contrast, Paul speaks of the law-keepers, clearly saying;

“Christ is become of no effect [of no benefit] unto you, whosoever of [think] you are justified by the law; Ye Are Fallen From GRACE” Galatians 5:4.

The Fundamental Key To Interpretation:

We now reach a conclusion, the recognition of which is of the highest importance in seeking to understand the mind and will of God for us in Christ according to His Word. It becomes obvious that it is not sufficient for us to find chapter and verse for any article of our faith, important as that is; rather We Must Also Be Sure That The Scripture That We Might Stand Upon Is Written Concerning The Dispensation [The God-Ordained Relationship] That Applies To Us TODAY during this age of “the grace of God”.

The Apostle Paul, whose very ministry and apostleship was vitally connected with this fact, has expressed that key principle in the following passage where he not only tells us To Study but also HOW to study, which is to be by “rightly Dividing the Word of Truth.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto god, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed Rightly Dividing The Word Of Truth” (2 Tim. 2:15 KJV).

Note that in “rightly dividing the word of truth” we are not dividing truth from error. Rather, we are to divide that which is for and about other dispensational ages, especially Israel’s under The Law… from that which concerns today’s Gentile “church, which is His body.”

In considering this matter of “rightly dividing the word of truth” let us look at one illustration of this principle from the ministry of the Lord Jesus Himself. Jesus knew and viewed the Scriptures to unfold dispensationally, not only to note what applies to who but also and WHEN it applies.

In Luke 4:16-21 (below), the Lord Jesus is described as reading the opening words of Isaiah 61 in the synagogue of His home town as the words applied to Him that day.

“And he [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. ¹⁷ And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias [Isaiah]. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, ¹⁸ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, ¹⁹ To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. ²⁰ And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down.

And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. ²¹ And he began to say unto them, THIS DAY Is This Scripture Fulfilled In Your Ears.” Luke 4:16-21 (KJV)

Jesus “closed the book [scriptures]” after having spoken the words “To preach the acceptable year of the Lord” (Isa. 61:2a), closing the book He then said “THIS DAY is this Scripture Fulfilled in your ears.”

Note however that Jesus did not go on to read the last half of Isaiah 61:2. If Jesus had read on in Isaiah 61:2 the next words would have been, “² To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and THE DAY OF VENGEANCE Of OUR GOD; to comfort all that mourn;” Isaiah 61:2 (KJV).

The “Day of Vengeance” here is “the wrath of God” that is to be poured out in Vengeance on the Christ-haters at His 2^nd coming at the end of the Tribulation period. Therewith He will save the living believers of Israel and they will live on into the Millennial Kingdom on earth. This is when the believers of Israel will be a blessing to the surviving Gentiles as they become the ‘priests” or mediators of the Lord. So while Isaiah 61:1 was fulfilled “that day”, Isaiah 61:2 was not fulfilled in the days of Christ’s earthly ministry. Verse 2b will ultimately be fulfilled well over 1,900 years after Verse 1 was fulfilled. Yet in our KKJ Bible these verses are divided merely by a ‘comma.’

Before we leave this illustration of Jesus rightly dividing of the word it will be of help to observe one other feature. The three words ‘Jew, Gentile, and Church Of God’ seen in 1Cor 10:32 are omitted in Luke 4 while declaring His ministry on earth, they were not set aside, they were simply reserved for their own proper place, and therefore found later, here in Luke 21:20-22 where Jesus describes the end times “days of Vengeance” when they “may be fulfilled”.

‘For these be the days of VENGEANCE, that ALL Things which are written may be fulfilled’.

(See Luke 4:19, 5 to 20, 21:22 where “The acceptable year of the Lord” is to be fulfilled.)

Today the “day of vengeance of our God” is drawing nearer after an interval of well over 1,900 years.

Note that ‘right division of the Word of Truth’ does recognize and consider ALL Scripture. So, “rightly dividing the word of truth” does not cut out unpopular doctrine; it just allocates all Scripture according to God’s preplanned dispensational timeline and His eternal purpose.

How important therefore is this principle to ‘rightly divide the word of truth,’ lest we become otherwise confused and misunderstand the Scriptures as so many do today. Thus confusion abounds among most of Christendom today. There are many other such Scriptures that may be seen to this effect, requiring right division for their proper interpretation.