The church today has many divisions that strive and fight over their ‘church’s faith,’ usually built upon their often confusing unfounded doctrines and traditions. Why is there so much confusion? Paul uses the simple term “the faith”; what is “the faith” that he refers to? It’s important to clarify what Paul calls “the faith” because it consists of core fundamental doctrines, teachings, and beliefs that make up “the gospel of the grace of God” that Paul received directly from the ascended Lord for the members of “the body of Christ.”

“But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. ¹²For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of (from) Jesus Christ.” (Gal 1:11-12)

Sadly, many of the sects and denominations within Christendom today have abandoned what the Apostle Paul calls “the gospel” and its elements of “the faith” that he received from Christ for us today.

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from THE FAITH, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1Timothy 4:1)

“the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” (2Timothy 4:3)

“The faith” refers that vital core of Christian beliefs that make up what Paul calls “sound doctrine.”

“Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” (Titus 1:9)

These doctrines are very basis of our salvation that is received “by grace through faith… not of works” (Eph 2:8-9). There are no works requirements for the forgiveness of all our sins, and the blessed hope of our Rapture to heaven. These doctrines apply to all those who believe under the terms of “the dispensation of the grace of God” (Eph 3:2). Paul warns the believers of those departing from the “sound doctrine” of “the faith” in “the latter times,” saying “from such (people) turn away” (2Tim 3:5). We live in those “latter times.”

“… In The Last Days Perilous Times Shall Come. ² For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ Without natural affection (homosexuality, read Rom 1:24-28), trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, ⁴ Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; ⁵ Having A FORM (the religious appearance) of GODLINESS, but DENYING THE POWER THEREOF (of God): From Such Turn Away. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

The church-at-large today has already and will yet come to breed even more narcissistic, self-loving, and self-serving “Christian pretenders,” who actually “deny (reject) the (sovereign) power of God.”

The blessings of these four Pauline truths have largely been lost to the church-at-large today.

1. Many today have lost the blessings of eternal security and stability that are found only under Paul’s pure “gospel of the GRACE of God” (Act 20:24) under “the dispensation of the GRACE of God.” God’s salvation and favor have already come to every believers by GRACE ALONE, through FAITH ALONE, IN CHRIST ALONE (cf. Eph 2:8-9, 1:3-4). The church today has largely fallen away from the ‘pure grace,’ largely favor Israel’s O.T. Law plus manmade laws, traditions, rituals, rites, and programs in an effort to ‘try’ to be saved, and in ‘trying’ to gain the ‘favor’ of God that is only available “by faith.”
2. The church has largely abandoned Paul’s mystery gospel of the “revelation of the mystery” (Rom 16:25), which “is CHRIST IN YOU,” as the believer’s total sufficiency for salvation and daily living. Most believers today have not heard that “Christ in you” is the key to successful Christian living.

“To whom (the believers) God would make known what is the riches of the glory of THIS MYSTERY (heretofore secret) among the Gentiles; which is CHRIST IN YOU, the hope of glory: (Col 1:27).

Salvation includes not only the forgiveness of sins, but also the Believer’s Organic Life Union With Christ’s Very Own Resurrection Life (cf. 1Cor 6:17). Christ literally indwells each believing member of “the body of Christ” as their new “life” (Gal 2:20). Christ’s indwelling life is the all-sufficient, sustaining, inner reality to the believer. Sadly, this reality has been mostly lost in favor of the externalities of religion’s precepts (laws), works, liturgy, ritualistic ceremony, and tradition. Religion’s externalities aren’t at all needed today (cf. Col 2:14, 16-17). Every believer today has the “law (indwelling regulating power) of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:2a) within his human spirit as his new spontaneous inner life and guide.

3. The church today is confused, mainly because it has lost knowledge of the distinction between “Israel” and “the body of Christ.” Mingling Israel’s law-keeping “gospel of the kingdom” … with Paul’s “gospel of the grace of God” (Act 20:24) is THE GREAT ERROR that causes contradiction, confusing today’s church-at-large. The Law was given to Israel only, through Moses (Jn 1:17a). Keeping “the Law” actually nullifies God’s free “gift of righteousness” received only by the “GRACE of God” (Gal 5:4).

“If (salvation is) by grace, then is it NO more of WORKS… (Rom 11:6a).

“TO WHOM (Israel) PERTAINS the adoption, the glory, the covenants, THE giving of THE LAW, the service of God and the promises…” (Rom. 9:4-5).

Contrariwise, Paul writes these words concerning the mainly Gentile “church, which is His body.”

“… YE (as Gentiles) ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW, but UNDER GRACE.” (Romans 6:14)

“you… hath he quickened (made alive) having (now) forgiven you all trespasses; ¹⁴ BLOTTING OUT THE HANDWRITING OF ORDINANCES (the Law) that was AGAINST US, which WAS CONTRARY TO US, and TOOK IT OUT OF THE WAY, NAILING IT TO HIS CROSS;” (Col 2:13-14)

4. Most Bible teachers then also misapply the Bible’s prophesied “future events” concerning “Israel”… misapplying them to “the body of Christ.” This has led to confusion about the Pre-Trib Rapture of the “the body of Christ.” Paul is the ONLY God-inspired Bible writer who tells us about the Rapture of “the body of Christ.” Not seeing the distinction between that which applies to the nation “Israel” and that of “the body of Christ,” most today then misapply the prophecies concerning Christ’s 2^nd coming (i.e., Matt 24-25, Luke 21)… to the Rapture of the church.

The misconceptions noted above result in the contradiction and confusion that prompts many to fall away from the “blessed HOPE (Gk. elpis, confident expectation)” of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture for “the Church, which is His Body.” Paul clearly says the “body of Christ” is “NOT appointed to (God’s) wrath” (1 Thes 5:9). Actually, the Rapture marks the conclusion of the church age of grace for “His body.” Simultaneously… God will resume His presently interrupted prophetic program for Israel… unto its fulfillment.

So we’ve answered the question; Why have so many sincere people been led astray with false Bible teachings? Why do we see so many heresies and false teachings springing up – while all claim to be based upon the Bible?

Being Biblical alone is NOT the answer; after all most cults use the Bible. But to see the Bible dispensationally is much more accurate. That is, we must note what in the Bible applies to whom. We must note what applies to Israel alone, versus, that which applies to the Gentile “body of Christ.” Most often both teachers and followers have failed to heed this important instruction Paul gave just prior to his declaration that “ALL Scripture is inspired of God and profitable.” Paul wrote;   

“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH” (2 Tim. 2:15 KJV). We must divide the Bible dispensationally.

Through the centuries God has altered His dealings with mankind, we call these periods “dispensations.” These are; 1) the dispensation of Innocence in the Garden of Eden; then 2) the dispensation of Human Government in Noah’s day; 3) the dispensation of Promise to Abraham and his seed; 4) the dispensation of the Law for Israel; and now 5) Paul’s “the dispensation of the Grace of God” for the Gentiles (Eph 3:1-2).

Consider the paradox; many religious rites that were commanded by God in Old Testament are positively forbidden in this present ‘dispensation of grace.’ Under the Old Testament animal sacrifices were REQUIRED for acceptance with God; then from John the Baptist through Pentecost water baptism WAS REQUIRED for cleansing from sin and for salvation (Lev. 17:11; Mark. 1:4; Acts 2:38).

BUT NOW, on the contrary, AFTER the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and then Stephen’s stoning, Paul was saved and sent by the ascended Lord with “the preaching of the cross” (1Cor 1:18)  as totally sufficient for salvation by grace through faith alone, not of works at all. Paul declared;

“We have REDEMPTION through His blood, the Forgiveness of Sins according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7); “(we are) Justified Freely by Grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24).

Thus Paul says we need to divide the Bible, dispensationally; noting the differing dispensational differences in the relationship between God and man over time. Only then can we clearly see the Lord’s eternal plan and intent in the Rapture for “the body of Christ” as distinguished from… Christ’s 2^nd coming to earth for Israel to establish His Millennial and eternal Kingdom on earth. So we must heed Paul’s method for Bible interpretation, “rightly dividing the Word of truth,” for the simple reason that if we do not ‘rightly divide’ the word we likely will pervert the truth and come to harmful corrupting error.

We must study the Bible in its near and remote context by comparing Scripture with Scripture. Paul’s Epistle to the Roman’s touches almost every Bible issue, of which John Calvin wrote; “If a man understands (Romans), he has a sure road opened for him to the understanding of the whole Scripture.” Romans brings together and sets out in systematic relation all the great themes of the Bible - the sin nature, acts of sin, the law, judgment, faith, grace versus works, forgiveness of ALL sins, justification, sanctification, election, the plan of salvation, the work of Christ, the work of the Spirit, the believer’s identity in Christ, the Christian hope, the nature and life of the Church, the place of Jew and Gentile in the purposes of God, the fulness of times, the heaven and the earth, the meaning and message of the Old Testament. From the Romans vantage point the whole landscape of the Bible open to view, and the broad relation of all the parts to the whole become plain.

The study of Romans is the best starting-point for Bible interpretation and theology. Miles Coverdale (1488-1569), the great Bible translator, offered basic tenets for proper Biblical interpretation (hermeneutics). He produced the first complete printed translation of the Bible in English. Most people normally employ Coverdale’s simple tenets of context and literalism when interpreting any secular book secular. I often wonder why Christian scholars, Pastors and Bible students ignore these common sense, reasonable, Bible interpretation principles that Miles Coverdale wrote as seen here in the Old English style.

“It shall greatly help ye to understand the Scripture if thou mark not only what is spoken or written, but

also; Of whom (who is speaking) and To whom, (e.g., Israel, the Gentiles, the “body of Christ,” or all

mankind?) what words, (quotes, or direct statements?), at what time, (in the immediate, or long

term?). Where, (before all men, or only in the church?). To what intent, (to stir, build up, cheer up, or

warn?). With what circumstances, (e.g., what context; under the law or… under grace?).

Considering what goeth before and what followeth after (considering its context).”

We should use the aforementioned keys to proper Bible interpretation as we study the whole Word of God.

The “consistently literal or plain interpretation is indicative of the dispensational approach to the interpretation of the Scriptures,” declared the great theologian Charles Ryrie. And it is this very consistency that is the strength of dispensational Bible interpretation. A “consistently literal interpretation” was listed by Ryrie as a most important ingredient of dispensationalism, which forms the foundation for the most important defining Bible element - THE DISTINCTION between ISRAEL and THE CHURCH (the body of Christ).”

The non-dispensationalist prefers to ‘spiritualize’ the Bible, then making it say whatever he wants. Origen and Augustine of Hippo (3^rd & 5^th centuries) ‘spiritualized’ the Bible, refusing to accept what the Bible plainly says about Israel. And here is why… not seeing Israel in “the Land” in their day and since 70AD, they wrongly assumed that the church today must be ‘spiritual Israel.’ Hence, under Augustine’s influence, Romanism adopted its Israel-like priesthood, temples, holy days, and ritual ceremonies, and the law that pertains to Israel, even though Paul says these externalities have been done away “in Christ” (Col 2:17).

“…YOU HAVE DIED WITH CHRIST to material ways of looking at things and have escaped from THE WORLD’S CRUDE and ELEMENTAL NOTIONS and (religious) teachings of EXTERNALISM… [Why do you submit to rules and regulations?—such as] ²¹ Do not handle [this], Do not taste [that], Do not even touch [them], ²² … TO DO THIS IS to follow HUMAN PRECEPTS and DOCTRINES. (Col. 2:20-22 (AMP)