2 Timothy 2:15 states, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
Although the above verse says to rightly divide the word, most in Christendom wrongly mix the word. Most of the confusion among "Christian Denominations" comes from wrongly mixing the word and attempting to apply doctrine from another dispensation to the dispensation of grace. Conservative believers correctly take Genesis through Revelation as the divinely inspired and inerrant word of God. Since this is true, many make the wrong assumption that since all the Bible is true then it all must be instruction for today and thus mix all doctrine and practice from Genesis to Revelation. There are some that understand a change takes place with the New Testament, and these will make a division between Malachi and Matthew. The problem with this division is the New Testament does not begin until the end of the four Gospels, not the beginning (Heb 9:16-17). Although there is a difference between the Old and New Testaments, they are not entirely independent of each other. The New Testament actually builds on the revelation given in the Old Testament. The Old Testament actually prophecies of the New Covenant that God would make with Israel (Jeremiah 31:31). Many make the mistake of equating the New Testament with the hidden mystery revealed to Paul (Eph 3:9). This verse states, "And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ." This mystery was not prophesied in the Old Testament, like the New Covenant, but it was hidden until God revealed it to Paul. This brings up the point of the correct division in the Bible is separating the Prophecy Program from the Mystery Program.
Acts 3:20-22 describes the Prophecy Program: "And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you." Note that the Prophecy Program was in operation since the world began.
Romans 16:25-26 describes the Mystery Program: "Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith." Note the the Mystery Program was kept secret since the world began. Since the mystery was revealed to Paul, then the earliest anybody could have known about the mystery was Acts 9 (this is the chapter that records Paul's salvation). This mystery concerns the gospel of the grace of God and the acceptance of this gospel putting the believing Gentile or Jew in one body of Christ. Both the Prophecy Program and Mystery Program are in operation in the book of Acts. One gradually phases out (the Prophecy Program) and one is gradually phased in (the Mystery Program). From my study of Acts it appears both programs operate simultaneously through Acts 28. I do not see a place to draw a straight line of demarcation of the two programs in the book of Acts, so in light of that I do not call myself Acts 2, Mid Acts or an Acts 28 Dispensationalist. At Acts 28 Israel has one final opportunity of receiving Jesus as Messiah. If Israel had repented, the Body of Christ of the mystery program would have been caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and sometime thereafter Israel would have gone through the 70th week of Daniel. Instead Israel refused to repent at Acts 28, so God temporarily shut down the Prophecy Program and the only program God is operating now is the mystery program.
Back to 2 Timothy 2:15, the word is to be rightly divided. The main division in the Bible is prophecy and mystery doctrine. As believers read and study the Bible the question that should always be asked is, "Am I reading doctrine and instruction for the prophecy program or the mystery program?" The Prophecy Program is found exclusively in Genesis through Acts 8. Acts 9-28 will contain both programs, so the believer will have to study carefully these chapters to determine if the information concerns the prophecy program or the mystery program. Some of the brethren make a blanket statement that all of Paul's writings (Romans through Philemon) are mystery doctrine for the body of Christ. I think this is an over simplification. The reason being some of Paul's epistles were written before the end of Acts, thus they were written when the prophecy program was still in operation. The epistles of Paul written before the end of Acts (Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, and 1 and 2 Thessalonians) will contain both prophecy and mystery details. For example 1 Corinthians addresses the issue of the gift of tongues. Tongues, according to Paul concerns the prophecy program of the Old Testament, "In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord (1 Cor 14:21). Tongues during the Acts period were for a sign not for the mystery body of Christ but for Israel (1 Cor 1:22). In light of this, Paul's epistles, especially the ones written before Acts 28, must be rightly divided as to prophecy or mystery. Most content of the post Acts 28 epistles of Paul (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon) will be mystery doctrine. Lastly Hebrews through Revelation concerns the Prophecy Program. This is determined by the content of these books in comparison to what Paul wrote about the mystery program.
How does understanding the division of the Prophecy Program and Mystery Program help the believer today. One quick example is the subject of forgiveness. Under the Prophecy Program receiving forgiveness was dependent on forgiving others (Matt 6:14-15), "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." I do not know how many people I have heard struggling with forgiveness and doubting their salvation because of Matt 6:14-15. The instruction about forgiveness under the Mystery Program is found in Col 2:13, "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses." Note the Prophecy Program is law (forgive and be forgiven) whereas the Mystery Program is grace (forgive because you are already forgiven). When a believer under grace struggles with forgiveness it does not mean he/she is not forgiven. It simply means he/she is having trouble with forgiving someone that wronged them. Grace is not an excuse to refuse forgiving others, but it is a comfort to know that struggling with forgiveness is not an issue of being saved or lost.
Mixing the Prophecy Program and the Mystery Program simply creates doubt and confusion. Stop mixing the word and start rightly dividing it.
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