WHAT WE BELIEVE AND WHY, PT 3

“Bible Study You Can Understand”

II Timothy 2:15

  Review

  This journey into what we believe and why began with four main points of doctrine upon which this entire study is

  based. The four points of doctrine are:

·A Gospel You Can Believe

·A Life You Can Live

·Bible Study You Can Understand

·A Book (Bible) You Can Trust

  Introduction

·“Study;” other Bibles change this word

·“Divide;” cut into parts

·“Rightly;” a correct way to divide

  Identify starting and stopping points; where to “draw the line.” Three main divisions:

·Old Testament/Covenant

·New Testament/Covenant

·Dispensation of the Grace of God

  I. The Old Testament/Covenant

A. Division of “Old and New Testaments”

1. Most “common” and well know division

2. Did the Old Covenant begin in Genesis 1:1? No; the covenant din’t exist then.

3. The Old Testament is not just a group of books; Genesis – Malachi.

B. With whom?

1. Hebrews 8:7-9, (vs. 8)

2. New made with Israel and Judah; as was the old.

C. Content of the covenant

1. Hebrews 9:1, 10

2. Things of the law

D. Timing

1. Exodus 19:4-6

2. Covenant = law/conditional

3. Covenant means terms to keep

4. Not Gentiles or all mankind

5. We cannot apply this to us

   II. The New Testament/Covenant

A. “New;” with the same people as the “Old”

1. Jeremiah 31:31-32

2. Hebrews 8:13

B. What was wrong with the Old?

1. Hebrews 8:7-8

2. Israel could not keep the Old Covenant.

C. The “New” is based on better promises.

1. Hebrews 8:6

2. Better blood

a. Hebrews 10:4

b. Hebrews 9:14-16

c. Matthew 26:28

3. New Covenant based on the blood of Christ; did not begin in Matthew 1:1.

4. It couldn’t begin until Jesus Christ shed His blood and died.

D. Peter introduced the New Covenant on the Day of Pentecost

1. Acts 2:22a; “men of Israel”

2. These are New Covenant events that occurred on the day Pentecost.

3. Ezekiel 36:24-27

4. Acts 2:5, 37-38, 44-46

E. Beginning of the New on Pentecost

1. Was made only with Israel

2. Not just the group of books which come after Malachi.

3. An agreement between God and Israel, which began on the Day of Pentecost.

  III. The Dispensation of the Grace of God

A. Where do the Old and New Covenants leave the Gentiles?

1. Only Paul gives us the information about the Church, the Body of Christ/Gentiles.

2. Key element; “lack of distinction”

a. Galatians 3:27-28

b. Ephesians 2:16-18

3. A new means of access to God; not another covenant.

B. Paul brought this revelation

1. Romans 11:13, 25

2. Ephesians 2:11-16

3. The Church, the Body of Christ began with Paul and his ministry – and his epistles – Romans through

  Philemon – contain God’s instructions for the Body of Christ today.

C. No covenant today; only Grace

1. Ephesians 3:2

2. God blesses today only by His grace and mercy, not because of any agreement with any specific group

                  of people.

3. We cannot live under the terms of the Old or New Covenant. They were not given to us.

4. Allow the Scripture to say wht it says – and to whom it says it.

  Conclusion:

·The Old Covenant – the law with blessings and cursings conditioned on obedience was intended specifically           for Israel; not us.

·The New Covenant – complete with signs and miracles is also intended specifically for Israel.

·Paul alone received the revelation for the dispensation of Grace. His epistles are written specifically to us.