The “Right Division” Charts above are a wonderful tool to use when studying the bible.  In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth. 

 

God’s plan for earth involves Israel and Prophecy and points to the second coming of Christ.  God dispensed this "Dispensation of the Law" through Moses to the Jews. 

 

God’s plan for Heaven involves the Body of Christ and “the Mystery” and points to the Rapture.  God dispensed this "Dispensation of Grace" through the Apostle Paul to the Gentiles.

 

The prophecy program was known since the world began.  (Acts 3:21).

 

The mystery program was kept secret since the world began and only revealed to the Apostle Paul.  (Rom 16:25-26).

 

God interrupted His “Prophecy” program with the “Mystery” program as seen in the (parenthetical) yellow in the middle of the chart.  We are presently living in the “But Now” section of the chart, not the past or the future.

 

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth” (2Tim 2:15)

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2Tim 3:16-17  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 

 

In Ephesians 2, the Apostle Paul sets forth the basic three-fold division in God’s dealings with mankind. 

  

Time Past, (Eph 2:11-12)

But Now, (Eph 2:13)

Ages to Come, (Eph 2:7)

 

When we study the bible in light of this three-fold division, a divinely inspired design, we easily get an overview of not only what we are reading, but when and to whom it was written.  Thus the Word of God, itself, provides us with the key to its own proper understanding and right division. 

 

This chart demonstrates the importance of the secret revealed to only the Apostle Paul.  (Eph 3:1-9).

 

Without the "But Now" section of the chart, you would go directly from "Time Past" to "the Ages to Come" and see the perfect continuity of that “which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began”  (Acts 3:21)  Israel rejected God the Father, (1Sam 8:7), Israel rejected God the Son, (Matt 12:22-32), and finally Israel rejected God the Holy Spirit, (Acts 7):  But when Stephen was almost stoned to death and saw the Lord Jesus standing in Heaven, God was ready to send his wrath and tribulation at that very moment: (Acts 7:55-56)   But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God). 

 

At this point, after Stephen was stoned to death, God Almighty interrupted His prophetic program and instead of bringing on His wrath and Seven-year tribulation, as prophesied, God ushered in the Dispensation of Grace, the "mystery" program, a secret hid in God since before the foundation of the earth and revealed only to the Apostle Paul. 

 

The Pauline Epistles, Romans through Philemon were written directly to us, the Body of Christ.  See the yellow (parenthesis) part of the chart to reveal the “mystery” program and you will be able to see how the prophetic program has been temporarily interrupted by “the revelation of the mystery” which was kept secret since the world began, “but now” is made manifest.  (Rom 16:25-26)  

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This present Dispensation of Grace is “the mystery” which was “HID” in God (Eph 3:1-9; Col 1:24-26; Rom 16:25-26; 1Tim 2:4-7; Titus 1:2-3).  Thus in Paul’s writings alone, we find the doctrine, position, walk and destiny of the Body of Christ.  Even the Rapture is only found in Paul’s epistles and is part of the “Mystery” program.

 

Time Past:  (Eph 2:11-12) indicates that in the “Time Past” portion of the bible, God sets forth the basic issue of the division between the Circumcision and the Uncircumcision, between the Nation of Israel and the Gentiles.  When you see this "Middle Wall of Partition" (Eph 2:14), this separation of Jews and Gentiles, this "God being sent only to" the "Lost Sheep of the House of Israel" (Matt 15:24), this "Ransom for Many" (1Tim 2:6) concerning the way God was working with mankind, you know you are in “Time Past”.  This covers the old testament.  (See Gen 17:9-14; Deut 4:5-8; Num 23:9) as well as Matthew through John (See Rom 15:8; Matt 10:5-6, 15:24; John 4:22) and the early Acts period (see Luke 24:47; Acts 1:6,8; 2:14, 22, 36; 5:32; 11:19).

 

But Now:  (Eph 2:13) indicates that in the “But Now” portion of the bible, God shows us that Gentiles are no longer “far off” but rather the “middle wall of partition” between Israel and the Gentiles, has been “broken down” (Eph 2:13,14) and Gentiles are now made nigh by the blood of Christ, (Eph 2:13)  We now see that Christ gave himself a "Ransom for ALL" (1Tim 2:6) and that we have a heavenly calling, that one day soon we will be "caught up" to meet the Lord in the air, (1Thes 4:17), that God has made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (Eph 2:6), and that we have a home eternal in the Heavens, (2Cor 5:1) where we will reign with the Lord Jesus Christ forever as joint-heirs (Rom 8:17) and even judge the angels.  (1Cor 6:3).  Romans through Philemon was written to the Gentiles, the church the Body of Christ for this dispensation of grace.  (Rom 11:13; 15:16; 16:25; 1Cor 14:37; Eph 3:1-9).

 

Ages to Come:  (Eph 2:7)  In the “Ages to Come”  God will bring His purpose to fruition.  The books of Hebrews through Revelation focus on prophecy and the wrath and tribulation period, the Second Coming of Christ to the earth and His Thousand-year reign on the earth with the twelve Apostles sitting on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel on the earth.

 

The key to understanding the bible is to remember that all of the bible is "FOR" us, but only Romans through Philemon is "TO" us.