by K. R. Blades

We, today, live in “the dispensation of the grace of God” to us Gentiles. This dispensation, or program, which God is now conducting is a new program and it is different from His program with the nation of Israel. In this present dispensation, God’s program with Israel is set aside and remains temporarily in abeyance, and the “time past” status of Israel being “nigh” to God and the Gentiles being “far off”, no longer exists. (Romans 11:11 25; Ephesians 2:11 22)

“For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God…” (II Corinthians 2:17)

For over 350 years the Authorized Version, commonly known as the King James Bible, was used by the Body of Christ at large and confidently believed to be the Word of God. In the last 3 or 4 decades all this has changed.

Now we are faced with a variable Babel of confusion over the various Bible versions

The other day I listened to a radio preacher talk about how one obtains eternal life. He used Mark 10:17-21 as an example of Biblical repentance to obtain eternal life. In this passage, when the rich man asked Jesus,“Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” Jesus’ reply was “… sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up thy cross, and follow me.”(KJV)

Many Bible students assume that the word “gospel” refers to the same message each time it is used throughout the Bible. If that is so, why would the Bible use so many different titles for the same message? For instance:

Gospel of the Kingdom (Matt 4:23 KJV)
Gospel of the Grace of God (Eph 2:8-9 KJV)
Everlasting Gospel (Rev. 14:6 KJV)

The other day while visiting with neighbors, I overheard a friend tell about an upsetting incident that had happened earlier that day. While shopping at a local grocer, she had been falsely accused of shoplifting. Her story gave us a chuckle since we all know her as the quintessential, cookie-baking, next-door neighbor lady. No one could imagine her committing such a crime.

When one is confronted with the law of God, or the Ten Commandments, conviction of sin is the natural response. Who could claim they have never lied, envied, or disobeyed their parents? The Scriptures teach,
“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 KJV)

All Christians have questions about the Bible and its role in today’s life. For example, why are there so many books, programs and seminars to teach Christians what to believe about the Bible? Does the Bible really need to be interpreted by scholars before it is understood? Is the Bible sufficient in itself to teach us all we need to know about God and His will for our lives? And how do we know for sure that we can trust the Bible fully? These critical questions are answered by the Bible itself.