a. If you’ re spiritually dead, you will never be able to understand the Bible without the help of a human instrument, who should first bring you to salvation, as Phillip did the eunuch (Rom. 8:9, Acts 8:30-31).

b. To the degree you are spiritual, you qualify yourself to be able to understand a spiritual Book, which is the Holy Scriptures (Rom. 8:1-3, in principle).

a. After salvation, there is a key that opens the door of knowledge and understanding to the Bible: Faith – simply believing that the Bible says what it means and means what it says – Luke 11:52

i. The lawyers of Jesus’ day (DDs, ThDs, etc) were hard, skeptical and unbelieving; and like many lawyers today, they used the Law as a tool or a means to accomplish their own agendas.

1. Most were users, but not believers. You can usually spot a “ user, but not a believer” by some of their little catch phrases:

a. “ This is the best Bible we have today but… ”
b. “ This is the only Bible I ever preach from, but… ”
c. “ What this really means in the Greek or Hebrew is… ”
d. “ This is an unfortunate rendering or translation here… ”
e. “ In the originals… ”

2. The acid test is not to ask what Bible they use, or even if the Bible is the Word of God, but ask, “ Where can I find a copy of the Holy Scriptures? ”

a. The only acceptable answer is, “ In the King James Bible.”

3. This practice is called the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy (they feared what men thought of them more than what God thought of them) – Luke 12:1-3

ii. And like many of the lawyers of today (Senators, Congressmen, DDs, ThDs), if they don’ t like what the Law says, they revise it or re-write it.

1. The current bible-of-the-month-club trend started back in the 1880s with Westcott and Hort, and kicked off the Laodicean church age of Revelation 3.

iii. Their hard hearts of unbelief not only hinders (and damns) them, but others also. Through unbelief, they become the final authority; they become little gods.

b. But… a little child is in awe and wonder of their father – an attitude of awe.

i. Are you in awe of God’ s words?
ii. How do you regard God’ s words?
iii. God magnifies His words above His own Name – Psa. 138:2

c. A little child believes anything and everything their father tells them.

i. Do you believe EVERY WORD of your King James Bible? (Psa. 12:6-7, Matt. 4:4, Luke 4:4)

d. Little children are like sponges; they soak in as much as they can hold.

i. Are you soaking-in the words of the Father?

a. Meditate & Muse – Josh. 1:8, Psa. 1:2, Psa. 119:15, Psa. 119:23, Psa. 119:48, Psa. 119:78, Psa. 119:148, Psa. 39:3, Psa. 143:5
b. Memorize (Scriptures with their references, and the [cross] references alone) – Psa. 119:11
c. Remember so that you can compare spiritual things with spiritual (comparing Scripture against Scripture – 1Cor. 2:13) – Psa. 30:4, Psa. 77:6, Psa. 97:12, Isa. 26:8, Isa. 43:26, Lam. 3:20, Mark 11:21, Luke 22:19

i. God had David write some of the Psalms just so he would remember – Psa. 38:1, Psa. 70:1
ii. We’ re commanded to observe the Lord ’ s Supper so that we remember:

1. The broken body of our Lord Jesus Christ – 1Cor. 11:24
2. The shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ – 1Cor. 11:25
3. The imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ – 1Cor. 11:26

iii. We’ re to rely on the Holy Spirit to bring things to remembrance – John 14:26
iv. We’ re to help put the brethren in remembrance – 1Cor. 4:17, 1Tim. 4:6, 2Tim. 1:3-5, 2Tim. 2:14, compare to Heb. 10:25, Jude 1:5
v. We’ re to bring things to remembrance often, so they’ ll remain there – 2Pet. 1:12-14, Jude 1:5
vi. We’ re to stir up our remembrance – 2Pet. 3:1

d. Develop a much more extensive cross-reference system than your “ retail” reference Bible, which are almost always published by unbelieving DD and ThD “ users” anyway (use your margins to make notes).

i. Ezekiel 18, 33 & Luke 15

1. The parable of the Prodigal Son (actually all of Luke 15) is the explanation of Ezekiel 18 & 33; note how in both cases, someone thought the father wasn’ t fair or just to take the prodigal back again – Eze. 18:25, Eze. 33:17, Luke 15:1-3, 28-30
2. Both were sons the whole time (corporate Israel – Ex. 4:22-23), but one son lost salvation while away, and got it back again when he repented and returned – Luke 15:24, Luke 15:32.
3. Sons (corporate Israel) can lose salvation, “ … children of the kingdom cast into outer darkness… ” (Matt. 8:12)
4. There’ s dual application (Jew and gentile – Luke), as by adoption, we’ re also sons of God, so Gal. 6:1-2 might have some additional relevance here.
5. However, all of Luke 15 is about something lost, then found, so make spiritual application of the entire chapter against Gal. 6:1-2.

a. The Church should search for what wanders away until they find it – a sheep
b. And diligently search for what falls away until they find it – a single piece of silver (redemption) out of ten (gentiles)
c. But shouldn’ t search for what rebels away; wait until he comes to himself – a prodigal

ii. Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28, Job 41, Isaiah 27, Revelation 13

1. Satan had a throne – Isaiah 14
2. Satan was a king and is a cherub (not an angel) – Ezekiel 28
3. Satan is a leviathan and lives in a sea – Job 41
4. Satan is a piercing serpent – Isaiah 27
5. Satan is a dragon – Revelation 13

iii. Exodus 12 & 1 Corinthians 11

1. The Passover was not an atonement for sin, except in type
2. Both are meals of memorial – to remind of the deliverance out of bondage (Egypt)

a. To him that hath, shall more be given = open, receptive, and believing: God will continue giving you more and more knowledge and understanding of His words.
b. Him that seemeth to have = closed, biased, hard and unbelieving: God will use His two-edged sword to cut them asunder.
c. You must make a conscious effort to continue hearing correctly; when you stop, God stops.
d. I wonder if the Lord still weeps over the brethren today who’ ve stopped regarding the time of God’ s visitation (through the Holy Scriptures each day), so now He hides His things (Truths) from their eyes? (Luke 19:41-43)

a. A part of the Holy Spirit’ s ministry to us is to guide us into all truth – John 16:13

i. Are you walking in the Spirit? (Rom. 8:1-3, Gal. 5:16, Gal. 5:25)

b. The Holy Spirit also desires to teach us – Luke 12:12, John 14:26

i. Are you yielded to the Holy Spirit of God? (Rom. 6:13-15)
ii. Are you filled with the Holy Spirit? (Eph. 5:17-18

c. When we spend intimate time, communing with the Lord Jesus Christ, He becomes willing to open the Scriptures and our understanding of them – Luke 24:31-32, 45

i. How intimate are you with the Lord Jesus Christ? (Luke 10:39-41, John 13:23-25)
ii. Here’ s a little test: to the degree you’ re an intimate friend to the Lord Jesus Christ is the degree that you’ re dead to yourself (laying down your life -- ego, reputation and acceptance among the brethren, being esteemed as scholarly, etc); the more intimate and identified you are with the Saviour, the farther outside the camp (Heb. 13:13) you will become. (John 15:13-14)

a. We should serve God.
b. We should care about serving God and want (and encourage) others to serve God also. (Heb. 10:25)
c. Sometimes serving God will be a trouble to us, and we should be troubled that others don’ t serve God.
d. But as important as it is to serve God, there is another “ good part” that is needful.
e. Job understood this when he esteemed God’ s words more important than his necessary food. (Job 23:12)
f. The Scriptures are likened to food (Matt. 4:4, Luke 4:4):

i. Honey – Psa. 19:10, Psa. 119:103, Rev. 10:9-10
ii. Milk – 1Cor. 3:2, Heb. 5:12-13, Rev. 10:9-10
iii. Meat – Luke 8:55, Acts 27:33-34, 1Cor. 3:2, Heb. 5:12-14

g. I don’ t know for sure if Mary understood this or not, but she did make a choice… so did Martha… so do you.
h. Both are important (serving God and hearing His words), so there must be a balance: P / PC (production to production capability)… you must continually sharpen the saw, or fuel the engine.
i. Since we’ re not to live by physical bread alone, are you ever spiritually hungry? Do you feed your spirit as regularly as you feed your body? (Matt. 4:4, Luke 4:4)
j. What would you look like physically if God blessed you according to 3John 1:2?

a. Not to Theologians
b. Not to commentaries
c. Not to Bible teachers or preachers
d. Not to Bible institutes, colleges or seminaries
e. Not to Greek or Hebrew scholars
f. Not “ historic positions” or “ the fundamentals” or “ creeds” or “ distinctives”
g. Not to denominations, even Independent Fundamental Baptists
h. Not even to the pastor
i. Also, not even necessarily to Apostolic example

i. Paul had to rebuke Peter for causing dissimulation in the church in Galatians 2.
ii. Paul was the 13th Apostle (not counting Judas), and an Apostle to the gentiles for a reason.

1. The early church disobeyed the Lord by not going to the gentiles.

iii. In Acts 18 Paul takes a Jewish vow, but says in Colossians 2 that the Law (handwriting of ordinances) was nailed to the cross.
iv. Paul was told three times in Acts 21 not to go to Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit telling him also, but he went anyway. It appears that he, too, like the church in Jerusalem, was also affected by his Jewish heritage, at least in some measure (Rom. 10:1-2).
v. Paul addresses this problem of the frailty of human leadership, when he qualifies how we’ re to follow spiritual human leadership: as they follow God (1Cor. 11:1); when they stop following God, we’ re to stop following them.

j. If there’ s a conflict between what the Bible says and what any of these say (above), the Bible is the Final Authority in all matters of faith and practice and in interpretation of itself.

i. “ … Jesus taught as one having authority… ” (Matt. 7:29, Mark 1:22) You have Authority!
ii. The Scriptures are the highest power (Authority). If a lower power and the highest power are in conflict, be subject unto the highest power. (Rom. 13:1)
iii. “ Sola Scriptura” (The Scriptures alone: Scripture interprets Scripture – 1Cor. 2:13)

k. If there appears to be a conflict between what the Bible says in one place versus what it says in another… Study! !! “ Prove all things… ” (1Thes. 5:21) Neither God nor His Holy Scriptures contradicts themselves; your Theology is the problem. The Bible is not a Book for lazy people.

i. Abraham’ s & Rahab’ s justification – by works, or not by works?

1. Romans 4 says that Abraham wasn’ t justified by works. (of the Law – Rom. 4:13-15)
2. James 2 says that Abraham and Rahab were justified by works.
3. Galatians 2 says that no flesh can be justified in God’ s sight by the works of the law.
4. How do these passages reconcile? Will you be ashamed? You don’ t need to be.

a. Are works of righteousness and the works of the Law the same?
b. They appear to be different; no one can be justified in God’ s sight by the works of the Law, but Abraham was justified by works in God’ s sight (“ … now I know that thou fearest God… ” – Gen. 22:12), prior to the giving of the Law.
c. And Rahab, a gentile who was never under the Law, but under conscience, was also justified in the sight of God by works, after the giving of the Law.

ii. Salvation – lose it, or not lose it?

1. Ezekiel says you can lose salvation, but then you could get it back again – Ezekiel 18 & 33
2. Jesus says no, you can never lose salvation; no man can pluck us out of His hand or the Father’ s hand – John 10:28-29
3. Paul says you can lose salvation, and that you can never get it back again – Hebrews 2, 6, 10
4. How do these passages reconcile? Will you be ashamed? You don’ t need to be.

a. These passages are addressed later in this study.

iii. Divorce & Remarriage – committing adultery, or not committing adultery?

1. Moses said a man was permitted to divorce for almost any cause (“ some uncleanness in her” ), and that both parties were permitted to remarry another after the divorce: the former marriage union (covenant – Mal. 2:14) was ended. (Deuteronomy 24)
2. God said through the prophet Malachi, that He hated putting away and that those who were doing so were dealing treacherously against the wives of their youths. (Mal. 2:14-16)
3. God calls Joseph a just man, even though he was mindful to put away Mary. (Matt. 1:19)
4. Jesus said divorce would be allowed only in the case of fornication; otherwise, both partners would be guilty of committing adultery. (Matthew 5, 19)
5. Jesus met a woman who had five previous husbands, but no present husband. (John 4)
6. Paul said that if you’ re loosed (divorced), seek not to be bound, but if you do (re)marry, you’ ve not sinned. (1 Corinthians 7)
7. Paul told Timothy and Titus that a part of the qualifications to become a NT Pastor was that a man had to be the husband of one wife. (1 Timothy 3, Titus 1)
8. How do these passages reconcile? Will you be ashamed? You don’ t need to be.

a. If God hates putting away, did He deal treacherously against Israel when He gave her a bill of divorcement and put her away? (Jeremiah 3)

i. No, Israel had been an adulterous nation and God complied by His own Law for divorce as found in Deuteronomy 24.

b. Did Judah and Benjamin deal treacherously or sin against their strange wives when they put them away? (Ezra 10)

i. No, their wives were gentiles, who were not bound by the Law of the Jews, so did not need a bill of divorcement (to dissolve the marriage union) that a Jewish woman did.

c. If a divorced person remarries, do they become married to two people?

i. Romans 7 implies that a woman could actually be married to two men at the same time, but would be committing adultery if she did so.
ii. However, OT men regularly practiced taking multiple wives (Jacob, Elkanah, David, Solomon, etc), but weren’ t guilty of adultery, though the husbands of more than one wife at the same time.
iii. Why didn’ t Jesus tell the woman at the well to go get her husbands, though she had five prior to their meeting? (John 4)

1. Because she had been properly divorced from each of them (or else she was an incredibly unlikely five-time widow, who decided to start “ shacking-up, ” rather than to marry again), and thereby was no longer the wife of any of her prior husbands as per Deuteronomy 24 (the marriage union is always a present-tense state).

iv. Did Jesus confirm that she had spoken correctly when she said that she didn’ t have any husband, though she had five prior to their meeting?

1. Yes, the marriage union is always a present-tense state; either you are married or you’ re not married: either you are a wife or you’ re not a wife; either you are an husband or you’ re not an husband – if you’ re not married, you’ re not an husband or a wife.
2. However, it appears that she was living in fornication at this time, as the man with whom she was living wasn’ t her husband.

v. Wouldn’ t this also be the case for the man (i.e. a man who is properly or legally divorced has no wife)?

1. Yes. Both of the partners who’ ve been properly divorced are no longer married; the marriage union is always a present-tense state. Therefore, when a divorced man remarries, he is the husband of one wife, as long as he doesn’ t take more than one wife at the same time.

vi. Does “ shacking-up” mean you’ re married? (John 4:18 & Mal. 2:14)

1. No. God seems to imply that there’ s a covenant involved in the marriage union, otherwise it’ s living in fornication if the woman is single (as above), or living in adultery if the woman is still legally married to another man (as with Herod – Matt. 14:3-4).

d. If a divorced person remarries, are they committing adultery?

i. No; see above. Regarding what the Lord said in Matthew 5 and 19, He stated and restated, respectively, a part of the Constitution of His (coming) Kingdom (“ his doctrine” – Matt. 7:28), which now will not be put into effect until after the 2nd Advent, wherein many OT Laws will become much more restrictive. However, divorce will still be allowed, but only in the case of fornication (adultery would still carry the death penalty, thus ending the marriage union for the offended partner – Lev. 20:10, Romans 7), and men will no longer have the authority to grant divorces (“ let not man put asunder” – Matt. 19:6); all divorce decrees will come from the Lord out of Jerusalem.

e. Is divorce and putting away the same? (Deuteronomy 24 versus Matthew 19)

i. No, they don’ t appear to be. Putting away is a part of the divorce process as found in Deut. 24:1, but in and of itself, it is not a legal divorcement, but merely a marital separation:

1. “ … she find no favor in his eyes… ” (The hardness of heart)
2. “ … write her a bill of divorcement… ” (The government’ s role)
3. “ … give it in her hand… ” (The legal notice of the dissolving or severing of their marriage union)
4. “ … send her out of his house… ” (The putting away – otherwise they would be shacking-up and living in fornication)

ii. In Matthew 19, the Pharisees were asking the Lord a trick question, trying to entrap Him (“ tempting him” ), so their question was, whether it was legal to put away a wife (without a bill of divorcement) for any cause? (God already said he hated this practice [putting away] in Mal. 2:16, and they knew Moses said a legal divorce could be for almost any cause – Deuteronomy 24.)
iii. Therefore, the answer is no, because it doesn’ t allow the wife who’ s been put away to move on with her life, as she’ s still married (bound under the law to her husband by the marriage union – Romans 7), though separated from her husband because he has put her out (away).
iv. Joseph was able to put away Mary, as they were still only betrothed, she was not pregnant by him, and they were not yet legally married.

f. If the qualifications for a pastor as given to Timothy and Titus means married one time only (as the present-day Pharisee’ s tradition maintains); are widowers disqualified?

i. The passages do not say married only one time, they say (in agreement), “ the husband of one wife.” The marriage union is always a present-tense state of being. Bigamy and polygamy (as many OT Jews practiced) would disqualify a man from the office of Pastor, but not divorce and remarriage (to one woman).

g. With all of the other qualifications for the office of pastor, why is this one (divorce and remarriage) the continual biggest hang-up, and seemingly, at least in current practice, the only real disqualifier? (1 Timothy 3, Titus 1)

i. Jesus said it was because of the hardness of hearts – Matt. 19:8

h. So let’ s try to put this whole matter in order doctrinally, without any contradictions:

i. The restrictions on divorce and remarriage that the Lord Jesus spoke in the Gospels (as part of the Constitution for His Kingdom) are not yet active, since the Kingdom of Heaven was rejected by the Jews, but they will become active immediately after the 2nd Advent. (See above)

ii. Therefore, a proper or legal divorce still severs a marriage union and frees each of the former partners to remarry, as per the restrictions in Deuteronomy 24. The other way to sever a marriage union is through death, as per Romans 7, which also frees the surviving spouse to remarry.
iii. However, Paul instructs the Church not to seek a divorce (1Cor. 7:27, the type of the Church through the marriage union of Christians is important to God), but if we end up becoming divorced (for righteous grounds [continued adultery or abuse, etc. – there are some just causes for divorce] or our mate divorces us), and then later remarry, we’ ve not sinned (1Cor. 7:27-28, & in harmony with Deuteronomy 24), because it would be better to marry than to burn (1Cor. 7:9).

a. Doctrine.

i. Doctrine tells us what is right (in any given dispensation).
ii. Doctrine first of all

1. In speaking – Titus 2:1
2. In preaching – 2Tim. 4:2
3. In laboring in – 1Tim. 5:17
4. In adorning it (wearing it) – Titus 2:10
5. In defending against heresy – Rom. 16:17, 1Tim. 1:3, Titus 1:9
6. To make Christians mature – Eph. 4:11-13
7. Attending to and continuing in – 1Tim. 4:13-15
8. Not blaspheming it – 1Tim. 6:1

iii. Doctrine, not dogma or tradition – Matt. 15:6, Mark 7:13
iv. Without the Holy Scriptures, you cannot even have doctrine; so to be able to have doctrine we must have the Holy Scriptures – 1Tim. 3:15-16

1. The chief priests and elders didn’ t have the “ originals, ” but they must have had the Scriptures, because Jesus asked them if they had ever read Psalms 118 from them. (Matt. 21:42)
2. The Sadducees also didn’ t have the “ originals, ” but also must have had the Scriptures, because Jesus told them that they erred, not knowing the Scriptures. (Matt. 22:29)
3. And while all the “ originals” were not still in tact in Jesus’ day, the Scriptures had to have been, because He expounded all the Scriptures of the things concerning Himself. (Luke 24:27)
4. The Jews also must have had the Scriptures, though not the “ originals, ” because Jesus told them to search them. (John 5:39)
5. No one would possibly believe that an Ethiopian proselyte would have been in possession of an “ original” scroll of Isaiah, yet he had the Scriptures of Isaiah. (Acts 8:28)
6. A synagogue in Thessalonica couldn’ t have had the “ originals” before Jerusalem would have, but I find that Paul reasoned with them out of the Scriptures. (Acts 17:1-2)
7. And how many of the “ originals” do you suppose those pesky Bereans had, as they searched the Scriptures daily to see if Paul’ s message was correct? (Acts 17:10-11)
8. You don’ t suppose that because Apollos was such an eloquent speaker that he’ d been using the “ originals, ” for we read that he was mighty in the Scriptures? (Acts 18:24-26)
9. Finally, there was young Timothy, who may have had some access to some “ originals” from infancy, but maybe not, nonetheless from a child he knew the Holy Scriptures. (2Tim. 3:15)
10. Whether or not any “ originals” still existed in the days of the Lord and the early church is doubtful, but the Lord tells us that the Holy Scriptures existed, and was never critical of them.

v. Doctrine can change, depending on to whom it applies and when: note Matt. 7:28 (“ his doctrine” versus Moses’ doctrine – Jesus’ doctrine was different than Moses’ doctrine).
vi. Therefore, the most important or profitable aspect of the Scriptures is rightly dividing doctrine.
vii. Is all Biblical doctrine for this age or for the church?

1. Keeping the Sabbath Day? (Ex. 31:13)
2. Planting two different kinds of seed in the same field? (Lev. 19:19, Deut. 22:9)
3. Wearing a garment of two different kinds of fabric? (Lev. 19:19)
4. Observing the release of the Jubilee? (Lev. 25:9-11)
5. Don’ t eat pork or other “ unclean beasts” ? (Leviticus 11)
6. Long hair (no hair cuts) and long beards on men? (Rounding the head is a short hair style that allows the head to appear rounded at the top and bottom from the rear view – Lev. 19:27)

a. Jesus was a Jew and under the Law. (Gal. 4:4)
b. Jesus couldn’ t cut His hair short and wore a full beard, as the true Orthodox Jews in Israel still do today. (Wouldn’ t that go over like a lead balloon in the average Independent Fundamental Baptist church of today? )

b. Reproof.

i. Reproof tells us what is wrong.

c. Correction.

i. Correction tells us how to get right.

d. Instruction in righteousness.

i. Instruction in righteousness tells us how to stay right.
ii. So while some of the Bible is not to be applied doctrinally to this age or to the NT Church, the whole Bible is profitable for instruction in righteousness… gaining the mind of God in order to learn His preferences, so we can obey His commands and yield to His preferences – Rom. 15:4
iii. Watch out for the pseudo-legalistic Pharisees who keep trying to put the mainly gentile Church under the solely Jewish Law (the Pentateuch [the Law of Moses] is the Book of the Covenant [with Israel] – 2Kings 23:2, 2Chron. 34:30)

1. Deut. 22:5, Ex. 20:26, Ex. 28:42 versus 1Tim. 2:9 (Distinction of gender and modesty to the Jews versus modesty-only to the Church)
2. Deut. 14:22-24, Mal. 3:8-10 versus 2Cor. 8:9-11, 2Cor. 9:5-7 (Tithes and offerings to the Jews versus grace-giving to the Church)

a. “ Tithe” is never mentioned in any Pauline epistle to the Church (Romans – Philemon); the tithe is not Church doctrine.
b. The tithe is mentioned in the book of Hebrews, which is a book that doctrinally, is directed at the Jews. (See later in lesson)
c. The grace-giving (“ abound in this grace also” – 2Cor. 8:7) the Church is instructed to do is not to be grudgingly or of necessity; it’ s not at all tied to the Law (tithes and offerings), which was of necessity (compulsory – if a Jew didn’ t pay tithes he brought a curse upon himself), and could be done grudgingly, as long as he obeyed the Law. (2Cor. 9:7, Mal. 3:9)
d. While Jesus mentions and validates the tithe in His discourse with the Pharisees, He’ s dealing with the Jews who were under the Law, and at that time they were still in the OT economy, the NT started at the resurrection (the death of the testator had not yet occurred – Heb. 9:16-17)
e. The tithe was a part of the Law Covenant God made with Israel – the tithe is Jewish doctrine. (Deut. 14:22-24)
f. The curse of Mal. 3:9 is because Israel brought the cursings of their covenant upon themselves through disobedience. (Josh. 8:34)
g. Abraham also gave tithes – to Melchizedek and prior to the Law – though this appears to be a one-time event in Abraham’ s life, and he was not mandated by the Law to do so, so this would be a type of NT Church grace-giving. (Gen. 14:18-20)
h. Jacob also mentions the tithe in a vow he made in Bethel, but there’ s no record of whether or not he ever actually paid tithes to God. (Gen. 28:18-20)

a. Because God’ s counsel is immutable and true, it’ s an “ anchor of the soul” – Heb. 6:17-19
b. The Lord preserved the things He wrote aforetime for our (Psa. 12:6-7, Rom. 15:4):

i. Learning – We’ re to learn from those who’ ve gone before us: both the blessings of well doing and the cursings of departing from the ways of the Lord.
ii. Patience – So that with Job, we’ ll know not to charge God foolishly in our trials (Job 1:22), but to endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ (2Tim. 2:3) and run with patience the race set before us (Heb. 12:1)
iii. Comfort – Knowing the ultimate end from the beginning allows for incredible peace and comfort (Job 42, Revelation 21-22), and also allows us to comfort others with that same comfort (2Cor. 1:4).
iv. Hope – In the God of all grace, patience and mercy; in His unchanging words; and not a sorrowful hope as the world, which has no real hope (1Thes. 4:13)

c. It was the Lord’ s practice to expound all the Scriptures – Luke 24:25-27, 44
d. It was Paul’ s practice to declare all the counsel of God – Acts 20:27, Acts 28:23
e. Aquilla and Priscilla expounded the way of God more perfectly to Apollos – Acts 18:26 & Psa. 119:14-15
f. When you reject any of the counsel of God, you do harm against yourself – Luke 7:30, Mark 7:7-9

a. Reading versus Studying

i. Both are necessary.
ii. Read that you might learn – Deut. 17:18-19, Deut. 31:10-12, Rom. 15:4
iii. Study that you might understand and rightly divide – 2Tim. 2:15
iv. Acquaintance with God’ s words versus knowledge and understanding of God’ s words
v. Gaining a good overview of the Bible versus how it all fits and works together

b. That you won’ t be ashamed.

i. You may not convert a Jehovah's Witness, Mormon, or a water dog (Church of Christ), but at least you should know how to rightly divide your Bible so that you can show them from the Scriptures why their doctrine is wrong. Don’ t let them shame you by knowing their heretical doctrine better than you know the doctrine of Truth.

c. Note the Divisions

i. If God tells us to divide the Scriptures, then the Scriptures must have divisions, and we’ re to learn and under-stand what those divisions are and how they affect or apply to us – Luke 4:16-18 & Isa. 61:1-2a (where Jesus divides a verse and two different dispensations which are two thousand years apart at a comma)

d. Examine the Divisions

i. These divisions fall mainly along dispensational lines (i.e. rules of an householder or a dispensing of rules). In each of the divisions I’ ve listed below, there are subtle to glaring differences in how God deals with each respective group or individuals of that division (dispensation). A failure to understand the distinctions in God’ s dealings through the dispensations will cause the Scriptures to contradict themselves as you try to stuff God into your cookie-cutter paradigm and wrest the Scriptures unto your own destruction (2Pet. 3:16). I realize that the distinctions I make below are a slight departure from Larkin, et al, but please give me a bit of latitude as I attempt to show that there are indeed differences in God’ s dealings through the ages.

i. Eternity Past

1. Before the incarnation, Jesus was the Word (John 1:1); God was all in all (1Cor. 15:24-26,