Have you ever felt confused when reading different parts of the Bible? Perhaps you’ve noticed seeming contradictions or struggled to reconcile various teachings. The key to unlocking these mysteries lies in understanding how God has worked throughout history, revealing His plan progressively through different dispensations.
At the heart of this understanding is a pivotal shift that occurred in the Book of Acts. To grasp its significance, we must compare two sermons recorded in Acts—one by Peter in Acts 2 and another by Paul in Acts 13.
Both messages cover similar ground, recounting Israel’s history and speaking of King David and the resurrection of Jesus. However, their conclusions are strikingly different. Peter, addressing the Jews in Jerusalem, holds them responsible for crucifying their Messiah and calls them to repent (Acts 2:22-28). Paul, on the other hand, proclaims justification through faith in Christ apart from the law of Moses (Acts 13:16-39).
This stark contrast highlights a fundamental change in God’s dealings with humanity. While Peter’s message aligns with the Old Testament prophecies and covenants made specifically with Israel, Paul introduces a new revelation – what he calls “the mystery” hidden in God until it was revealed to Paul (Ephesians 3:1-11).
To appreciate this shift, we must understand the concept of dispensations – distinct periods in which God relates to mankind in particular ways. The Bible speaks of “time past” when Gentiles were “strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). During this time, Israel held a privileged position as God’s chosen people.
However, with Israel’s rejection of their Messiah, culminating in the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7), a new era dawned. Paul, formerly a persecutor of the Jewish kingdom church, was dramatically converted and commissioned as the “apostle to the Gentiles” (Acts 26:16-18; Romans 11:13). Through him, God revealed the mystery of the church – that now both Jews and Gentiles could be reconciled to God in one body through faith in Christ, apart from the law.
This new dispensation, which Paul calls “the dispensation of the grace of God” (Ephesians 3:2), marks a radical departure from previous ways God had dealt with humanity. No longer was salvation limited to Israel or contingent upon identification with Israel. Instead, it was freely offered to all through faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross.
Paul’s ministry, as recorded in Acts and his epistles, demonstrates this new paradigm in action. In city after city, he would first preach in the synagogues, offering salvation to the Jews. When they rejected his message, he would turn to the Gentiles, establishing churches composed of both Jewish and Gentile believers united in Christ.
This pattern fulfilled what Paul described in Romans 11:11: “. . . through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.” God’s plan was not to cast Israel aside permanently, but to use their temporary setting aside as a means of extending salvation to the whole world.
Understanding this dispensational framework helps resolve many apparent contradictions in Scripture. For instance, it explains why Paul’s gospel differs so markedly from the kingdom message preached by Jesus and the twelve apostles during His earthly ministry. It clarifies why certain practices (like speaking in tongues or water baptism) were prevalent in the early chapters of Acts but seem to fade in importance in Paul’s later writings.
Moreover, it highlights the unique nature of the church in this present dispensation. We are not simply a continuation of Israel or subject to the promises made specifically to them. Instead, we are a new creature in Christ, with a heavenly calling and destiny distinct from God’s earthly promises to Israel.
This perspective should fill us with awe at God’s wisdom and grace. As Paul exclaims in Romans 11:33, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out!”
It should also instill in us a deep appreciation for the privileged position we occupy in God’s plan. We live in an unprecedented era of grace, where the barrier between Jew and Gentile has been broken down, and all can freely approach God through faith in Christ.
Finally, this understanding should motivate us to study God’s Word diligently, “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). By recognizing the distinctive nature of Paul’s apostleship and message, we can better grasp our identity in Christ and our role in God’s eternal purpose.
As we delve deeper into these truths, may we echo Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians, “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe.” (Ephesians 1:17-19).
Let us rejoice in the mystery now revealed, and live in light of the glorious grace that has been lavished upon us in Christ Jesus.
Pastor Bryan Ross
Grace Life Bible Church
Grand Rapids, MI
January 17, 2025