Dispensational Truth, like all other aspects of truth, can be supported,

illustrated and enforced by comparison, by study and by every legitimate

means, but it is an occasion for thanksgiving to have seen that its discovery

does not depend upon the Wit of man, but stands solidly and unassailably upon

the Witness of God.  From the days of John the Baptist until the end of time,

each and every dispensational change could be heralded with the words

employed by Paul:

`A testimony in its own peculiar season'.

Comparing spiritual ... with spiritual (1 Cor. 2:13)

For over fifty years, the first principle of interpretation that has

decided our course has been Right Division (2 Tim. 2:15), and the recognition

of this principle has proved to be a key, which under grace, has opened up

the treasures of the High Calling of God, enabled us to distinguish the

different dispensations that make up the purpose of the ages, unlocked the

fetters that an indiscriminate application of any and every Scripture imposes

(Gal. 5:1 -5; Col. 2:14-17, etc.) and gives emphasis to the pre -eminence of

Christ as Head over all (Col. 1:16 -19; 3:11).  We remind ourselves that

`Right Division' of itself is fruitless, everything depends upon What Is

Divided, and 2 Timothy 2:15 and 3:15 -17 makes it clear that what we are

dividing is The Inspired Word of Truth.

Having seen, in some degree of completeness, the great spheres in which

the redeemed at last will enter into their predestined blessings, namely `The

earth' (Matt. 5:5), `The Heavenly Jerusalem' (Gal. 4:26; Heb. 11:10 -16;

12:22 -24) and `Heavenly Places', `far above all', `where Christ sitteth on

the right hand of God' (Eph. 1:21 -23; 2:6; Col. 3:1 -4), we now would give

attention to another great principle of interpretation, namely, not a

principle of `division' but a principle of `comparison', always remembering

when comparing one passage of Scripture with another, not to transgress the

boundaries already established so far as Dispensational Truth is concerned,

and remembering that some doctrines ignore all such boundaries, as for

example Sin and Redemption, which are found in every sphere and in every

calling within the purpose of the ages.  This second principle of comparison,

like Right Division, is only operative and fruitful if applied to the Word of

Truth, for it is vain and misleading to attempt to discover truth by

comparing an inspired passage with a faulty saying of fallible man.  The

principle now under consideration is found in 1 Corinthians.

`Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom

teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things

with spiritual' (1 Cor. 2:13).

Like the principle of Right Division, this principle of interpretation

arises naturally out of the context.  It is not announced academically but as

a testimony of the apostle himself as to his personal attitude to the

Scriptures, and to his attitude to the Corinthians, as we see in 1

Corinthians 2:1 -5.  The right division of 2 Timothy 2:15 is related to the

wrong division exposed in 2 Timothy 2:16 -18, where some taught that `the

resurrection was past already', a wrong division as to time which could prove

disastrous to faith.  So, in 1 Corinthians, the apostle deals with the wisdom

of the Greek and of the world (1 Cor. 1:20 -23), especially in relation to