Soap Box 38- DON'T BE A DISPENSATIONAL DUMB BUNNY!

Those who desire to share the truths found in the ministry of the Apostle Paul, should always be on the alert, to be vigilant and using wise insight. We must focus our presentation clearly.

Someone has said that many in the world have made a decision to reject our message of Christ. The reason for this may be a poor presentation as to who Jesus Christ really is. In other words, they may NOT have rejected Christ; they have really rejected a poor dispensational presentation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Say it isn't so, but may be it is true? If it might be true, what needs to be changed? How do we refocus? Let's discuss a few considerations that might be of value in witnessing.

As we deal with truth for today, never make an issue sound as if a choice must be made between Jesus versus Paul. This is a loser. There is a story about a minister who was attempting to show how Paul's ministry fits into the Bible as part of God's progressive revelation. His mistake was to appeal to those listening, that they must make a decision between the teachings of Jesus and the later, progressively unfolded truth that Paul was given to bring to light. A believer in the audience took his family and left the church.

Most people will do the same. But, what could have been done to change the final decision from rejection to reception?

There needs to be a proper perspective. Who is Paul, anyhow? Is he an apostle? Yes!

But let us remember what kind of an apostle Paul claimed to be. He represented Jesus Christ. He was an apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul was a servant. But he was a servant of Jesus Christ.

Here we begin to focus in on the real issue. In explaining Dispensational truth, we want to present the Lord Jesus Christ as the mover, maker and shaker of all that happens in this world today. Let's illustrate.

Remember when Jesus first sent his disciples on a preaching mission? Cf. Matthew 10:1-15 and Luke 9:1-6 They are told where to go, with what message and what preparation and/or provisions are needed. They were to have a tough faith. They were told to leave most everything behind. They were to leave with an empty wallet. There was to be no suitcases. There was to be no change of clothes. This almost sounds like the wilderness journey out of Egypt. God will provide.

But at the end of our Lord's ministry, he changes all those former guidelines. Cf. Luke 22: 35-38. He asked them if they had lacked anything when he had sent them out before.

They had lacked nothing. But now he charges them to carry the wallet (with something in it) a bag, shoes, a garment and a sword (not to be used to kill). The point to be made is that the Lord made the changes.

Consider this: There are many publishers of Bibles, who make a point of stating that certain Bibles are Red Letter Editions. We are all familiar with this emphasis. They are referring to the words of the Lord Jesus as being in red print for easy identification. These red-letter words are found in the four Gospels, Acts and Revelation. But, there is also a false emphasis not recognized by most undiscerning buyers. That false emphasis is that these words in red are much more important than any other part of the Bible.

We are dealing with sincere efforts by publishers to do a service to purchasers. But it acts as a boomerang, rather than a good buy. Why? There are several reasons. With a perception that these red letters are more valuable than all the black letters, the Bible is now read on a tilt. This is not a normal method for reading and studying the Bible. There is more harm than help given. Readers and students become color prejudiced.

There are many places in the Gospel records where Jesus speaks. John 3:34 says that the one God sent speaketh the words of God. The emphasis of the Lord Jesus as found primarily in John's Gospel portrays all of His words as coming from the Father.

"My doctrine (word, teaching) is not mine, but his that sent me" 7:17

"He that is of God heareth God's words…" 8:47

"He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him:

the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I

have not spoken of myself: but the Father, who sent me, he gave me a com-

mandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. ……………………

whatsoever I speak, therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak".

John 12:48-50

"He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings; and the word which ye hear

is not mine, but the Father's, who sent me." 14:24

"For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me;….." 17:8

The Lord states also that his work and the will he performed were not his, but the Father's. cf. John 4:34; 5:30; 5:36, 38-39; 9:3-4; 10:32, 37

What we have here are the statements of the Lord, that his will, work and words are in a real sense NOT HIS, but are the Father's. Our conclusion : All the words of the Lord Jesus as found in the Gospels should not be in red, but black.

Furthermore, all the words of Paul in his epistles should be the ones in red. Why ? Because Paul states that his message is second hand. They are really not his. He was given everything he taught from the Lord Jesus. Cf. Gal. 1:11-12; I Tim. 6:3; I Thess. 4:15; I Cor. 11:23; I Cor. 15:3.

Our approach, then, to teaching the truth, rightly handling the word of God is to keep a balanced presentation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our emphasis is on the Lord Jesus Christ and what he is doing today. It is not so much as to what Paul teaches, preaches and proclaims as it is what the Lord Jesus Christ is teaching, preaching and proclaiming through His loyal Apostle, slave and minister, PAUL.

The words are the same. The message is the same. But the method is not to contrast Jesus and Paul. There is a contrast, but it is between the words and teaching of the Lord Jesus when he was on earth and the teachings of the same Lord Jesus who gives further truth and revelation from his place in glory, after the cross, after his resurrection and after his ascension.

Return to Index of Jerry's Writings

e-mail Jerry Sterchi