Our command to rightly divide: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV)
God's through the Apostle Paul defines three distinct time periods:
Time Past Scripture marks this period: "Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:" (Ephesians 2:11-12 KJV)
But Now The current period identified: "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ" (Ephesians 2:13 KJV)
Ages to Come The future period proclaimed: "That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:7 KJV)
Understanding God's three distinct time periods - Time Past, But Now, and Ages to Come - is fundamental to right division. These time periods explain apparent contradictions in scripture and clarify our instructions for today.
1. Time Past (Prophecy)
Israel's Special Position
God chose Israel alone: "You only have I known of all the families of the earth" (Amos 3:2 KJV)
Israel's unique privileges: "Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants" (Romans 9:4 KJV)
Exclusive revelation to Israel: "He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel" (Psalm 147:19 KJV)
Salvation Requirements
Water baptism required: "John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins" (Mark 1:4 KJV)
Physical baptism for remission: "The baptism of repentance for the remission of sins" (Mark 1:4 KJV)
Maintained faith required: "He that endureth to the end shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13 KJV)
Works necessary: "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:20 KJV)
Kingdom Preparation
Common property required: "And all that believed were together, and had all things common" (Acts 2:44 KJV)
Selling possessions required: "And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men" (Acts 2:45 KJV)
Judgment for disobedience: "But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession" (Acts 5:1 KJV)
Preparation for tribulation: "And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark" (Revelation 13:17 KJV)
Prophetic Revelation
Prophecy was openly declared: "Which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began" (Acts 3:21 KJV)
Continuous prophetic message: "Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after... have likewise foretold of these days" (Acts 3:24 KJV)
Mystery Revealed
Truth hidden until Paul: "According to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began" (Romans 16:25 KJV)
Previously unknown message: "Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations" (Colossians 1:26 KJV)
Special revelation to Paul: "How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery" (Ephesians 3:3 KJV)
One Spiritual Baptism
Spirit baptism only: "One Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Ephesians 4:5 KJV)
Into Body of Christ: "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body" (1 Corinthians 12:13 KJV)
No water baptism: "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel" (1 Corinthians 1:17 KJV)
Grace Operation
Faith alone: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8 KJV)
Free justification: "Being justified freely by his grace" (Romans 3:24 KJV)
No works required: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done" (Titus 3:5 KJV)
Grace Giving
Cheerful giving: "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7 KJV)
Personal choice: "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7 KJV)
According to ability: "For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not" (2 Corinthians 8:12 KJV)
Prophecy Completion
Israel's future salvation: "And so all Israel shall be saved" (Romans 11:26 KJV)
Kingdom restoration promised: "After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David" (Acts 15:16 KJV)
Mystery's completion: "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery... until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in" (Romans 11:25 KJV)
Return to Kingdom Requirements
Faith maintenance required: "Be thou faithful unto death" (Revelation 2:10 KJV)
Works evidence salvation: "I will give unto every one of you according to your works" (Revelation 2:23 KJV)
Endurance necessary: "But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13 KJV)
Israel's Fall
Gentile salvation through Israel's fall: "Through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles" (Romans 11:11 KJV)
World reconciliation: "For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world" (Romans 11:15 KJV)
Temporary blindness: "Blindness in part is happened to Israel" (Romans 11:25 KJV)
Mystery Revealed to Paul
Paul's unique apostleship: "For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles" (Romans 11:13 KJV)
Special revelation given: "By revelation he made known unto me the mystery" (Ephesians 3:3 KJV)
Ministry to Gentiles: "For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles" (Ephesians 3:1 KJV)
Mystery Time Period Completion
Time limit defined: "Until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in" (Romans 11:25 KJV)
Body of Christ removed: The catching away described: "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:17 KJV)
Prophecy resumes
Stand in Grace
Our access to grace: "By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand" (Romans 5:2 KJV)
Standing in liberty: "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free" (Galatians 5:1 KJV)
Follow Paul's Pattern
Following Paul's example: "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1 KJV)
Holding sound doctrine: "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me" (2 Timothy 1:13 KJV)
Walk in Grace
Walking worthy: "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing" (Colossians 1:10 KJV)
Showing grace to others: "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another" (Ephesians 4:32 KJV)
Focus on Ministry
Our role today: "We are ambassadors for Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:20 KJV)
Our message today: "The ministry of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:18 KJV)
Understanding these three time periods:
Clarifies Bible study
Resolves apparent contradictions
Provides clear instructions for today
Shows God's complete plan
Current doctrine comes from Paul's epistles
Prophecy is currently suspended
We live in the Mystery time period
Grace truth guides our walk today
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