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THE THREEFOLD DIVISION OF ALL TRUTH
The revelation given in the Scriptures comes to us in three forms. (1) Doctrinal Truth,
(2) Dispensational Truth, (3) Practical Truth.
What do we mean by Doctrinal Truth?--Doctrinal truth embraces all that has been
revealed concerning the Being and Attributes of God, and all that God has done,
commanded, promised or foretold in Creation, Law and Grace. "All have sinned" is true
under whatever dispensation we may be called. "God is just" is as true under grace as it
was under law. "To the Jew first" was true during the period covered by the Acts, but
cannot be put into practice since the dismissal of the Jew in Acts 28: This latter
statement therefore comes rather under the next heading.
What do we mean by Dispensational Truth?--Dispensational truth takes note of the
purpose of the ages, the changes that have been introduced since Creation, such as may
be denominated the dispensations of Innocence, Law, Kingdom, Grace, Church, Mystery,
&100:, and the office of Dispensational truth is to decide whether any particular doctrine--
be it command, promise, calling or prophecy--does or does not pertain to any particular
individual. Dispensational truth would lead the believer to distinguish between the
blessing which says, "The meek shall inherit the earth", and those blessings which are
described as "all spiritual" and to be enjoyed "in heavenly places".
What do we mean by Practical Truth?--Not until Doctrine has passed the mesh of
Dispensational truth, can Practical truth put in its claim. It is obvious that the people of
Israel, called to be a royal priesthood and a holy nation, with its sphere of influence in the
earth, could not be called upon to put into practice the injunctions of Eph. 4:-6: In like
manner, the Church of the One Body has no guarantee that obedience to the special truth
attaching to that calling will result in blessing in "basket and store". Those who are
under the law, must have a very different form of practice from those who are under
grace.
Only by loyally preaching and teaching the truth of God as related to these three
aspects can we hope to become workmen who need not to be ashamed, for only by so
doing shall we "rightly divide" the Word of truth.
As all our teaching, whether Doctrinal, Dispensational or Practical is based squarely
upon the actual wording of the Scriptures, a word concerning the Scriptures themselves
may not come amiss in this opening article.
How were the Scriptures written? How did they come? Paul supplies an answer to
the first question, and Peter to the second:
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (II Tim. 3: 16).
"Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (II Pet. 1: 21).
HOW WAS SCRIPTURE GIVEN?--"By inspiration of God."
HOW DID SCRIPTURE COME?--"Holy men were moved by the Holy Ghost."