B.--When God gave the law of Sinai to Israel, that nation were under the dispensation of

law. The nations of the earth were under the dispensation of conscience and creation;

that is another illustration of the same principle. See Rom. 1: 18 - 2: 29; Acts 17: 25-

28; 14: 17.

A.--If I admit the possibility of two dispensations running together, I shall have to

reconsider another item about which I have expressed myself rather strongly.

B.--What is that, if I may ask?

A.--It is a question of the membership of the church of the one body, but I think I will

leave that for another time.

B.--By all means, only let your love for truth outweigh any feeling you may have in the

matter. Better to confess error a thousand times than through foolish pride entertain

untruth to one's own spiritual hurt.

A.--Thanks for your help. The greatest difficulty we seem to have is the necessity to

unlearn.

A.--I believe you teach that the Church of the One Body did not come into being until

after Acts 28:?

B.--To be exact, I believe that the Church of the One Body did not come into being until

after the all-day conference recorded in Acts 28: 23-28, and during the two whole

years of Paul's detention at Rome, when the three "In prison epistles" were written.

A.--Does that mean that membership of the One Body depends upon Paul's

imprisonment? or upon the acceptance of some particular truth? If that is what you teach

I certainly cannot bring myself to believe it.

B.--If you turn to the opening chapter of Ephesians you will find that every single

member of the One Body is an elected person, having been "chosen in Christ before the

foundation (or preferably `overthrow') of the world". So that in the first instance,

membership of the One Body depends neither upon Paul's imprisonment nor upon the

acceptance of the truth, but solely upon the purpose and will of God. Further, I think you

must make a distinction between salvation and position.

A.--Just what do you mean by that?