God's Program: An Analysis of the Dispensations

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For good Bible study on God's plan of salvation on the way to a new creation, knowledge of the dispensations is indispensable. Unfortunately, that knowledge often appears to be extremely limited or even nil. However, the Bible cannot be studied if we do not know of which dispensation a particular Scripture speaks. If you try anyway, as, for example, the covenant theology, you must systematically weave the old and new covenant, law and grace. Law when it seems appropriate, and grace when it seems appropriate. All this to make the theological system right. The covenant theology sees God's actions with creation as one continuous line from Adam until the Last Day. Thus, every bit of Scripture is applied to every human being throughout all ages, without distinction, often ignoring the primary, literal meaning of Biblical statements.

Dispensationalism, on the other hand, teaches that there are different phases in God's total plan, each with specific features. The Lord can set a regime, like that of the law, but also terminate it again. At times, He began new parts of His plan next to, or parallel to, existing principles. The doctrine of the dispensations is not explained in the Bible in a straightforward manner. Nevertheless, there are good Biblical grounds for dispensationalism: in the New Testament, at least two dispensations are mentioned in particular. This Bible study aims to clarify the principles and key features of the dispensations set by God. This will provide the reader with a solid foundation for Bible study.