[Diligent]

Brother Tim (and I take the Brother part very seriously! ),

Originally Posted by Brother Tim

As always, we should never take any passage of the Scriptures and isolate it away from the rest, for the Book is one and speaks as one.

Why are we commanded to divide it?

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Yes, there are passages that must be understood in context and not necessarily applied literally.

The problem is, the passages you do not want to apply literally did apply literally to someone else (or will). There are spiritual truths for me in Mosaic law, but those laws literally applied to Israel.

Now, Chette, with respect to borrowing/loaning in Matthew not applying to us. It appears to me that the early church in Jerusalem understood Jesus' words to apply to them:

Exactly -- Acts is transitional, from the Kingdom Gospel to Paul's Gospel. Paul hadn't yet been revealed the Mystery (which nobody knew about before Paul, Eph 3). Prior to Stephen's stoning, the Kingdom was still "at hand." Jesus was literally standing at the right hand of God (Ac 7:55), still ready to claim David's throne at that time. Acts 4 was still "kingdom readiness."

The ultimate "proof" of dispensational study to me, aside from the command to divide the word, is that Jesus' very own disciples did not expect the crucifixion of Christ and were yet "not lost." Peter even rebuked the Lord concerning his crucifixion (Mark 8:32) and even after he rose disbelieved it (Luke 24:11) -- hardly someone who was "looking ahead" to Christ's sacrifice! (Looking ahead? He wouldn't even look back at it!)

The New Testament shows Christ's own disciples, over and over again, having the Gospel we believe "hidden" from them. Since they were "not lost" (John 17:12), and since Paul says anyone who has the Gospel hidden from them is lost (2Cor 4:3), we are either left with a glaring contradiction, or have to face the fact that there is some dividing to do.