Volume 2 	            Lawrence, Kansas            	January 1962	  	       Number 1

In II Timothy 2:15 we have this command: "but study to show thyself disproved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

It is important that we understand what is meant by "dividing" the word of truth and in this article we will give some illustrations that will make clear the meaning of Paul's command to Timothy. In geography we learn that the world is divided into hemispheres, continents, nations and states, all making the one world upon which we live. In the study of grammar we are told to "parse a sentence." which means to divide it into the different parts of speech such as nouns, pronouns, verbs, conjunctions, prepositions and such like, and to learn the relationship of each part to the others. The same is true of the Bible: while it is one book, yet it is composed of 66 small books which make up the entire volume.

The first great division to be found in the Bible is the natural division into the Old and New Testament. Thirty-nine books compose the Old Testament, while twenty-seven compose the New. Moses wrote the first five books of the Old Testament some 1500 years before the time of Christ. The apostle John wrote the last book of the Bible, Revelations, about the year of 96 A.D. Thus there was about 1600 years between the beginning and the ending of this sacred book.

The Old Testament is divided into law, history and prophecy. The first book, Genesis, which means the beginning, records the creation of the world and all things found therein, together with the origin of sin and of the various nations and races. Of special interest is God's call to Abraham, and the promise of universal blessings that would come to the whole world through Abraham's seed (Genesis 12:3 and Galatians 3:16). This promise like a golden thread, runs through the entire Old Testament until it reaches Christ the promised seed.

Leaving Genesis, we come to Exodus where we learn that the seed of Abraham, the Jews, had grown into a mighty race, who are called out of Egyptian bondage and are led into the Wilderness of Sinai where they are organized into a nation by being given a law to unify, guide and control them according to God's divine purposes. Numbers, Leviticus and Deuteronomy give us in great detail all the features of that law, and the history of Israel's wanderings in the wilderness for forty years. The book of Joshua tells us of Israel's entrance into the promised land and of their conquest of the nations dwelling therein. Judges covers some 450 years of Israel's history under the rulership of men who were called Judges. Ruth, 1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings, and 1st and 2nd Chronicles record Israel's history under the numerous kings until Israel was destroyed as a nation and carried far away into Babylonian captivity where they remained for seventy years. Ezra and Nehemiah tell of Israel's return to their home-land, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem and its temple. The book of Esther is a dramatic story of a Jewish girl who became the queen of Persia, and of how she saved her people from destruction, while captives in that land. Job, Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes and the Songs of Solomon constitute a varied collection of books that may be classed as devotional. Beginning with Isaiah and
ending with Malachi we find 17 books of prophecy foretelling future events, but particularly pointing forward to Christ as the world's Saviour and Redeemer.

Coming to the New Testament we first have Matthew, Mark, Luke and John giving us an inspired record of the life of Christ, written that "ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and that believing, ye might have life through his name." - John 20:30. The book of Acts gives us a partial record of the activities of some of the apostles when they went into the world preaching the gospel: of many thousands of conversions, revealing the means by which one becomes a Christian. Then beginning with Romans and ending with Jude we find 21 letters written to different churches and individuals teaching them the duties of Christians, and of the responsibilities of the church which Christ established. Finally, we come to the last book of the Bible, Revelation, which is a book of prophesy written in symbols, giving a history of the church down through the centuries, and on to the end of the world.

Thus we find in the Bible every fact we must believe, every command we must obey and every hope that we can cherish. It is the one and only book that is able to make one "wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." - II Timothy 3:15. Truly it is the only book that can throw light into the darkness of the grave, and lead man from the darkness of sin into the glorious light of a Father's love and forgiveness. It is the pilgrim's map, the sailor's compass showing the one and only way to heaven.

In religious gatherings, people often sing, "No book is like the Bible, for children, youth and age: Our duty plain and simple, we find on every page." It is certainly true that no book is like the Bible, which reveals to all classes of people the way back to God; but it is not accurate to state that "our duty plain and simple, we find on every page."

Parts of the Bible are ancient history, and other parts are prophecy dealing with future events, while some parts of this great book were written for people living under laws differing greatly from the laws that are binding on us today. What many people forget is that the Bible reveals three separate, distinct systems of religion, or dispensations of time. We now wish to explain in detail the three different systems.

First: The Patriarchal Age: This age began with the fall of man in Eden and ended 2500 years later as far as the descendents of Abraham were concerned. This was a family religion in which the head of each family could officiate as a priest in the offering of animal sacrifices on altars that could be erected in any
place. Abel, Noah, Abraham and Jacob can be cited as examples of those who approached God and were accepted by him through this form of religion. Sin brings the penalty of death (Romans 3:23) and in order that sinful man might be saved, the death of an innocent victim was required. Thus upon various altars were offered the bodies of various animals, generally a lamb, as an atonement to God. This could be called an individual or family religion, because there was no general gathering of the people for a religious service. Inasmuch as Abel offered his sacrifice by faith (Hebrews 11:4) and as faith comes by hearing God's law (Romans 10:17) we know that these sacrifices were ordained of God for the spiritual benefit of man until something better could be provided.

Second: The Jewish Age: God sent Moses to Egypt to deliver the enslaved seed of Abraham. In due time those freed slaves were brought to Mt. Sinai, and God called Moses to the top of the mount to receive a new law. The moral features of that law were embodied in the Ten Commandments written with the finger of God on the two tables of stone. However, the ceremonial features of that law made a great change in man's approach to God. A holy sanctuary called a tabernacle, was built according to a divine pattern shown to Moses on Mt. Sinai. This tabernacle represented the spiritual presence of God on earth. Upon an altar situated just outside this tabernacle all sacrifices were offered except the sin offerings of the Atonement, which were burned without the camp. No sacrifice could be acceptable to God unless it was offered by the legally ordained priests upon this one altar. This was a national religion, confined to the Jews exclusively, and was never made binding on the Gentiles. This age lasted for approximately 1500 years, and all of the Old Testament, except the book of Genesis, reveals God's dealings with the Jews under that law.

Third: The Gospel Age: In John 1:17 it is declared, "The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." That statement makes it plain that there is a vast difference between the religion of Christ and the one inaugurated by Moses at Mt. Sinai. The law of Moses was temporary and typified the perfect law that was to come through Christ. The law of Moses was never intended by the Lord as a permanent means of reconciling men unto God. Paul teaches us that "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." - Romans 10:4.

Furthermore, he taught that Christ took that law out of the way, "nailing it to the cross." - Colossians 2:14. A repealed law is not binding on anyone, and there can be no virtue in keeping such a law. Paul taught that "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law, ye are fallen from grace." - Galatians 5:4.

The new law was revealed to the apostles. Christ said to the Father, "I have given them the words that thou gavest me" -John 17:8, and they received the Holy Spirit to accurately guide them into all truth-John 16:13. The Spirit came upon the apostles at Pentecost, and "they spake as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:4. The apostles were the mouthpiece by which Christ's revelation was given. That which the Spirit revealed unto them, they wrote down as a stenographer takes dictation, and that is what we have in the New Testament, the perfect law of liberty-(James 1:25) in Christ. Only the new law of the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:10, 11) is binding on God's people now.