Understanding The Bible
We Must Learn The Three Divisions of Truth Contained in Scripture
The revelation given in the Scriptures comes to us in three forms:
1. Foundational Truth
2. Dispensational Truth
3. Practical Truth
What do we mean by Foundational or Doctrinal Truth?
Foundational Truth embraces all that has been revealed concerning the Being and Attributes of God and all that God has done, commanded, promised, or foretold in Creation, Law, and Grace. 'All have sinned' is true under whatever dispensation we may be called. 'God is Just' is as true under grace as it was under the law. 'To the Jew first’ was true during the period covered by the Acts but cannot be put into practice since the dismissal of the Jews in Acts 28:27-28. This latter statement, therefore, comes rather under the next heading.
What do we mean by Dispensational Truth?
Dispensational Truth takes note of the purpose of the ages, the changes that have been introduced since Creation, such as may be denominated the Dispensation of Innocence, Law, Kingdom, Grace, Church, Mystery, etc., and the office of Dispensational Truth is to decide whether any particular doctrine - be it command, promise, calling, or prophecy - does or does not pertain to any particular individual.
Dispensational Truth would lead the believer to distinguish between the blessing which says, ‘The meek shall inherit the earth,' and those blessings which are described as 'all spiritual' and to be enjoyed 'in heavenly places.'
What do we mean by Practical Truth?
Not until doctrine has passed the mesh of Dispensational Truth can Practical Truth be put in its claim. It is obvious that the people of Israel called to be a royal priesthood and a holy nation with its sphere of influence on the earth, could not be called upon to put into practice the injunctions of Ephesians Chapters 4 to 6. In like manner, The Church of the One Body has no guarantee that obedience to the special truth of that calling will result in blessing in 'basket and in store.' Those who are under the law must have a very different form of practice from those who are under grace.
Only by loyally preaching and teaching The Truth of God as related to these three aspects can we hope to become workmen who 'need not to be ashamed,' for only by so doing shall we 'rightly divide' the Word of Truth.
To all who discern 'things that differ' (Phil. 1:10 marg.) and who seek to obey the injunction 'to rightly divide' The word of Truth (2 Tim. 2:15), we very warmly commend our prayers that your studies lead you by The Holy Spirit into the All Truth of God's Perfect Word.
