Dispensation Six ~ The Dispensation Of Gospel

Dispensations are periods of time where God shows how man develops and maintains a fellowship with Him. Each of the seven Biblical Dispensations are built on the previous dispensations. Each Dispensation demonstrates how to be in fellowship with God and why Man has failed his responsibility.

Dispensation One, Innocence, shows simple obedience to God. Dispensation Two, Conscience, shows man cannot trust his own mind to have fellowship with God. Dispensation Three, Human Government, shows fellowship with God is not found in nations or groups. Dispensation Four, Law, shows that man cannot have fellowship with God by laws without Jesus. Dispensation Five, Grace, shows that when Jesus is active in the world there is no condemnation. Dispensation Six, Gospel shows how man can have fellowship with God by the preached word.

In the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John no person is condemned, not even the woman caught in the very act of adultery, a death penalty offense.

Jesus, God on earth has the power to forgive sins in any manner He chooses and he does. The paralytic let through the roof, the woman who washed His feet, or example, He simply says "Your sins are forgiven."

The Gospel Dispensation begins shortly after Jesus, who had no sin debt of His own has paid the penalty of sin for whoever wants clemency from the punishment for their sins.

The Gospel Dispensation begins with Jesus' last recorded words just before He ascends back into heaven after His resurrection from the dead in Mark 16:15-16...

15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:15-16)

For the first time since the creation of the world, Jesus, God on earth, sets a cut and dried manner of redemption from the wages of death - believing and obeying the preached gospel. Not believing leaves one still under condemnation for their sins.

What is that gospel that Jesus said to preach?

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

Notice the words "by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain." Can you see Mark 16:15-16 in that passage? The gospel must be believed to be saved, if it isn't believed one is not saved. Both Mark 16:15-16 and I Corinthians 15:1-4 mirror each other. He that "believeth and is baptized shall be saved" becomes the standard for forgiveness from God's wrath from that moment, everything before is done away with.

Another passage that backs up both Mark 16:15-16 and I Corinthians 15:1-4 is II Thessalonians 1:8...

7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8)

How does one literally obey the gospel, the death, burial and resurrection of Christ according to the scriptures, of I Corinthians 15:1-4 in II Thessalonians 1:7-8? One can die on the cross, one can be buried, but one will not rise from the dead three days later. Yet II Thessalonians 1:7-8 says one MUST OBEY the gospel, not "can," not "should," not "may," "MUST!"

In Romans we read the following passage...

3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. (Roman 6:3-7)

There we have the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, the gospel and its obedience in keeping with Mark 16:15-16, I Corinthians 15:1-4, II Thessalonians 1:7-8, as well the "newness of life," the "born again," of John 3:3 and John 3:5.

Acts two, where Peter delivers the first gospel sermon contains a clear vivid example of gospel obedience. He tells the Pentecost participants that the Messiah they and their ancestors had prayed for centuries had come.

In his gospel sermon Peter boldly pronounces them guilty of the worst sin they could possibly commit, the murder of the very Messiah they and their ancestors had long hoped for.

36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36)

Those who believed the gospel wanted to know...

37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37)

Peter's answer follows Mark 16:15-16, I Corinthians 15:1-4, II Thessalonians 1:7-8 and Romans 6:3-7. He tells them...

38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)

Peter pleads with the hearers to respond to the gospel, and many do...

40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. (Acts 2:40-41)

The Bible says those who were being saved were added to the church daily...

47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

That day the church grew from a little more over one hundred to over three thousand souls in one city. Such an event could not have gone unnoticed. The church grew and grew.

27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!” (Acts 5:27-28)

The Dispensation Of The Gospel covers the preaching of the gospel and the result, the growth of the church, the kingdom of Christ.

I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 1:9)

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, (Colossians 1:13)

Marv Walker
706 816-7190