shdemidemi:

I must acknowledge your submission to scripture here. It is a rare occurrence on nairaland. Respect.

I pray you too revere scriptures

Back to the matter.. It is not my imagination but a principle common to anyone God used for His work. It was never a rosy path for anyone, it was a service that required pain to the flesh and a subsequent growth to the spirit.

Most but a few Christians today abhor pain to their flesh so the prosperity, health and wealth gospel sounds better and palatable to them. The true word of God isn't so pleasant so it is rejected by many who love self.

Serving God like any other vocation is no bliss. That's a fact.
What you are denying or ignoring is that PAIN and MISERY is not the ONLY way God reveals Himself to us. Joy too, pleasure as well. Jesus never called any of his apostles out of any personal tragedies. If you can only relate to God out of crisis, you have a long way to go. Ask yourself if it ONLY takes an accident and being confined to a wheelchair for life like Jodi to mold your character

If it helps, those words were spoken LONG before we had New Testament. Following your argument,, believers ought to have rejected Revelation since God spoke to John after He said that He had spoken through Jesus

Like Wallace so succinctly surmised, on one extreme we have continuists who demand that God MUST and on the other, cessationists who swear that God CAN'T

shdemidemi:



We must understand God isn't a reactive God today. The bible never promised me God will speak to me outside His word. I think anyone who hear audible voices must check what they are hearing properly. It just might not be God talking.

Hebrews 1 King James Version (KJV)

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,

Hebrews 1 Amplified Bible (AMP)
1 In many separate revelations [[a]each of which set forth a portion of the Truth] and in different ways God spoke of old to [our] forefathers in and by the prophets,
2 [But] in [b]the last of these days He has spoken to us in [the person of a] Son,


God spoke, the bible never said He will speak. Many feel the Word isn't enough so they crave for the supernatural, another move of the spirit, another voice to authenticate their beliefs. I have no confidence whatsoever in such people.

vooks:

I pray you too revere scriptures

Exactly what I have been doing since I came to a better understanding of the Word.

vooks:
Serving God like any other vocation is no bliss. That's a fact.
What you are denying or ignoring is that PAIN and MISERY is not the ONLY way God reveals Himself to us. Joy too, pleasure as well. Jesus never called any of his apostles out of any personal tragedies. If you can only relate to God out of crisis, you have a long way to go

Don't mistake joy for happiness, they are different.

He called them from darkness my friend and they went through a lot of challenges that made the them fit for the service of God until they returned to the Lord- most martyred.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying we should not have money or comfort but we must be wary when we do. We are most vulnerable spiritually and the tendency to be drawn to conformity with the world is higher.

Can or does God reveal Himself other than through pain?

shdemidemi:


Exactly what I have been doing since I came to a better understanding of the Word.

Don't mistake joy for happiness, they are different.

He called them from darkness my friend and they went through a lot of challenges that made the them fit for the service of God until they returned to the Lord- most martyred.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying we should not have money or comfort but we must be wary when we do. We are most vulnerable spiritually and the tendency to be drawn to conformity with the world is higher.

vooks:
If it helps, those words were spoken LONG before we had New Testament. Following your argument,, believers ought to have rejected Revelation since God spoke to John after He said that He had spoken through Jesus

Like Wallace so succinctly surmised, on one extreme we have continuists who demand that God MUST and on the other, cessationists who swear that God CAN'T

Hebrews 1
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son

What is the son? the son is the Word.

What is the Word? The Word is all that was documented by those who are referred to as the foundation of the church.

He is not going to speak to you and me outside what the Apostles had documented.

vooks:
Can or does God reveal Himself other than through pain?

Yes. He reveals Himself through His Word.

So it is either PAIN or the WORD?

shdemidemi:


Yes. He reveals Himself through His Word.

Those words were spoken before Revelation and they say Jesus has ALREADY spoken. Why are you playing dumb?
It says HAS SPOKEN not IS SPEAKING

shdemidemi:

Hebrews 1
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son

What is the son? the son is the Word.

What is the Word? The Word is all that was documented by those who are referred to as the foundation of the church.

He is not going to speak to you and me outside what the Apostles had documented.

vooks:

Those words were spoken before Revelation and they say Jesus has ALREADY spoken. Why are you playing dumb?
It says HAS SPOKEN not IS SPEAKING

Take it easy tiger!

The bible did not say Jesus had spoken. It says God had spoken by Christ. Christ is the Word God spoke by.

Therefore, everything that represents Christ i.e His message through the mouth and pen of the apostles depict Christ. Did the bible say God will speak more today? No. We must glean from what had been said i.e the scripture and not expect to hear more outside God breathed Word.

It says HAS SPOKEN. That sounds like a 'done deal'. It makes a clear distinction between the past when he spoke and the present where he has spoken.

The author of Hebrews was not among the apostles yet what he wrote is inspired. Note you have to step outside that verse to support your theory of God not speaking today. And even then you employ imagination by claiming that Jesus spoke through his apostles. Where is that written? You also outrightly deny that God HAD SPOKEN when Hebrews was penned. While I understand English is not your primary language, I can't excuse obtuseness.

My broda, if you want to make a case of God not speaking, try and use relevant verses as opposed to imaginination. There is a place for ramblings and this is not it.

Besides, if Jesus is the Word and I don't doubt He is, then when God spoke in the past, He also spoke by Jesus! You need schooling on organizing your thoughts. Coherence is a precious virtue you would do well to learn.

shdemidemi:


Take it easy tiger!

The bible did not say Jesus had spoken. It says God had spoken by Christ. Christ is the Word God spoke by.

Therefore, everything that represents Christ i.e His message through the mouth and pen of the apostles is what God have said. Did the bible say God will speak more today? No. We must glean from what had been said i.e the scripture and not expect to hear more outside God breathed Word.

vooks:
It says HAS SPOKEN. That sounds like a 'done deal'. It makes a clear distinction between the past when he spoke and the present where he has spoken.

The author of Hebrews was not among the apostles yet what he wrote is inspired. Note you have to step outside that verse to support your theory of God not speaking today. And even then you employ imagination by claiming that Jesus spoke through his apostles. Where is that written? You also outrightly deny that God HAD SPOKEN when Hebrews was penned. While I understand English is not your primary language, I can't excuse obtuseness.

My broda, if you want to make a case of God not speaking, try and use relevant verses as opposed to imaginination. There is a place for ramblings and this is not it.

Besides, if Jesus is the Word and I don't doubt He is, then when God spoke in the past, He also spoke by Jesus! You need schooling on organizing your thoughts. Coherence is a precious virtue you would do well to learn.

I advice you take time to study more than you argue. Moreover, You don't have to agree with me. If you think God will speak to the church or to you outside His word, fine. All I ask is show me where you made such outlandish summations from.

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son

What do you understand by this statement- 'God spoke by His son'?

Keeping in hindsight that the son is the heir to to the father.

vooks:
Besides, if Jesus is the Word and I don't doubt He is, then when God spoke in the past, He also spoke by Jesus!

He did not speak by Jesus in the old but by the prophets. God presented a shadow of what is to come in the last days by and through the son in the old.

I advice you to think through your theories before regurgitating them.
When you flash Hebrews 1:1 to support your God-is-not-speaking theory you are clearly out of your depth and I showed you why.

The words HAS SPOKEN were written circa 66 AD and AFTER these words we had Revelation of Jesus Christ which He gave to John. If 'has spoken' means that we no longer need revelations, then any further revelation after 66AD would have been a violation of this statement.

You are inventing a false dilemma by imagining that when God speaks, it MUST be outside His Word. John tells us the Spirit will lead us to the truth. If the Spirit speaks to me the very Word of God, what is the problem?

Let me ask you a simple question, does the Holy Spirit help you understand scriptures?

shdemidemi:


I advice you take time to study more than you argue. Moreover, You don't have to agree with me. If you think God will speak to the church or to you outside His word, fine. All I ask is show me where you made such outlandish summations from.

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son

What do you understand by this statement- 'God spoke by His son'?

Keeping in hindsight that the son is the heir to to the father.





He did not speak by Jesus in the old but by the prophets. God presented a shadow of what is to come in the last days by and through the son in the old.

^^^

Answer the simple question I asked my friend.

What do you understand by this statement- 'God spoke by His son'?

I will as soon as you show me where it is written

shdemidemi:
^^^

Answer the simple question I asked my friend.

vooks:
What do you understand by this statement- 'God spoke by His son'?

I will as soon as you show me where it is written

2 (God)Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son

Break a leg bro.

My good friend
This was your question;
What do you understand by this statement- 'God spoke by His son'?

That verse says HAS SPOKEN not SPOKE

Do you want some English lessons on tenses? Free of charge I insist. I paid heavily but I will give freely

shdemidemi:


2 (God)Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son

Break a leg bro.

vooks:
My good friend
This was your question;
What do you understand by this statement- 'God spoke by His son'?

That verse says HAS SPOKEN not SPOKE

Do you want some English lessons on tenses? Free of charge I insist. I paid heavily but I will give freely

Lol.. very funny. Rich coming from one who can't go a day on nairaland without owning up to his goofs.

If you want it verbatim, here you go-

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son

What do you understand by the above verse.

It means God has spoken

shdemidemi:


Lol.. very funny. Rich coming from one who can't go a day on nairaland without owning up to his goofs.

If you want it verbatim, here you go-

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son

What do you understand by the above verse.

vooks:
It means God has spoken

Is it! Is that all you can deduce from the verse?

I will have to ignore your post from now if you can't comprehensively explain what you think the verse is saying.

It seem you are yet in one of those situations where you find yourself between a hard place and a rock. A time where you quickly resort to incivility.

It appears that the most difficult thing for Christians to do is to be balanced and wholistic...

The only side of an elephant you see is the part you can describe...I am never a charismatic, cessationanist, pentecostal...etc...and I will never be...any...

Now agreed...there are a lot of errors and excesses in the charismatic circles....likewise the cessationanist circles..no circles is exempted...

Yes...we should stick with the scriptures for doctrines....absolutely...but then to say that God is no longer speaking and that even if he speaks he only speaks through the bible is a blatant lie of the devil and should be taking as gibberish....

Let me ask : what was God original intent/purpose in his relationship with man? Did God give Adam a book or God spoke with him? How did God communicated with Adam n his wife?
If the only way God could communicate is through written word (sola sriptura), why did he not give Adam n his Wife a book?
Was Adam a Prophet, Pastor, teacher or even an Apostle?
What was the goal of Jesus Christ death and resurrection? Was it to restore man back to God like it was at the beginning which will be completed wholly in his scond coming? Why was Jesus called the second Adam?

Is Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever like the book of Hebrews said? What did God do in the past that He will/cannot do today?

There are a lot of fake miracles in the Charismatic circles...and I believe God will judge them...but then God still do plenty Genuine miracles through human vessels.( those who believe otherwise don't really know the heart of the Father)

For me..I take the good(the things consistent with God original intent from every side and then move towards the goal of being like Jesus).
Lets stay balanced....extremism is the reason for all the religious wars in the word.

^^^Hi Sammie, thanks for adding your bit to the discourse. I will respond by saying we have seven dispensations in the bible where God related with man differently.

1) Innocence
2)conscience
3)Human government
4)Promise
5)Law
6)Grace
7)millennial kingdom

Though God is the same He had different conditions and convention for man at different time. He introduced the scripture when he gave Moses the law at mount Sinai. We are presently in the dispensation of the grace of God where the standard for being right with God rest in His Word. God's primary purpose, patience and longsuffering isn't to see the world get better but that many might come to the knowledge of salvation.

[quote author=shdemidemi post=28795708]^^^Hi Sammie, thanks for adding your bit to the discourse. I will respond by saying we have seven dispensations in the bible where God related with man differently.

1) Innocence
2)conscience
3)Human government
4)Promise
5)Law
6)Grace
7)millennial kingdom

Though God is the same He had different conditions and convention for man at different time. He introduced the scripture when he gave Moses the law at mount Sinai. We are presently in the dispensation of the grace of God where the standard for being right with God rest in His Word. God's primary purpose, patience and longsuffering isn't to see the world get better but that many might come to the knowledge of salvation.


Please is there any scriptures to support the above?(the dispensation stuff)...I will like to know...even if there is.....what dispensation were the time of Acts? If it was grace...while didn't they entirely rely on the old testament writings? Why did God still communicated to them through dreams, visions...etc...even though they had the old testament writing?

Or is the dispensation of grace divided into parts?

sammied:
Please is there any scriptures to support the above?(the dispensation stuff)...I will like to know...even if there is.....what dispensation were the time of Acts? If it was grace...while didn't they entirely rely on the old testament writings? Why did God still communicated to them through dreams, visions...etc...even though they had the old testament writing?

Or is the dispensation of grace divided into parts?

No, it is not written verbatim in scripture as that but it makes for easier study so we don't jumble everything together like a novel.

God's relationship with Adam and Eve is different from his relationship with Moses for example.

Apostle Paul also made mention of the administration and dispensation of grace to the church as that which was given unto him.
Ephesians 3:2
King James Bible
If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

The book of Acts is an historical book that recorded the acts of the apostles. It was a period where the church was birthed- jews first. There was a transition after Paul was called. The gospel was taken to a people who were strangers to the oracle and promise of God-Gentiles. Paul gradually took these people on as the Apostle to the gentiles- He revealed unto them the power of God unto salvation to anyone who will believe in the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The old testament was a progressive revelation that led to Christ. After the death of Christ He appeared to Paul and commissioned him to herald a message He taught the Apostle.

sammied:
[size=5pt]It appears that the most difficult thing for Christians to do is to be balanced and wholistic...

The only side of an elephant you see is the part you can describe...I am never a charismatic, cessationanist, pentecostal...etc...and I will never be...any...

Now agreed...there are a lot of errors and excesses in the charismatic circles....likewise the cessationanist circles..no circles is exempted...

Yes...we should stick with the scriptures for doctrines....absolutely...but then to say that God is no longer speaking and that even if he speaks he only speaks through the bible is a blatant lie of the devil and should be taking as gibberish....

Let me ask : what was God original intent/purpose in his relationship with man? Did God give Adam a book or God spoke with him? How did God communicated with Adam n his wife?
If the only way God could communicate is through written word (sola sriptura), why did he not give Adam n his Wife a book?
Was Adam a Prophet, Pastor, teacher or even an Apostle?
What was the goal of Jesus Christ death and resurrection? Was it to restore man back to God like it was at the beginning which will be completed wholly in his scond coming? Why was Jesus called the second Adam?

Is Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever like the book of Hebrews said? What did God do in the past that He will/cannot do today?

There are a lot of fake miracles in the Charismatic circles...and I believe God will judge them...but then God still do plenty Genuine miracles through human vessels.( those who believe otherwise don't really know the heart of the Father)

For me..I take the good(the things consistent with God original intent from every side and then move towards the goal of being like Jesus).
Lets stay balanced....extremism is the reason for all the religious wars in the word.[/size]

What was God original intent/purpose in his relationship with man?
Did God give Adam a book or God spoke with him?
How did God communicated with Adam n his wife?
The ORIGINAL intent/purpose in His relationship with man is fellowship (i.e. friendly association)

Another is, family, hence the institution of marriage set up, starting with Adam & Eve

2/3 of the innumerable angels sided with satan, so the purpose is to fill that vaccum
Abraham knew God as a Friend but we have & know God as, God the Father.
- God was/is creating a family

Did God give Adam a book or God spoke with him?
God is Sovereign, and EVERY WORD that proceeds from God is law
- similar to absolutism where earthly king's word is law

Adam was a grown man upon creation who benefited from either "accelerated learning" or "bulk information download"
so answering, no he was not given a book, yes God taught and spoke with him

How did God communicate with Adam and his wife?
In regards to Adam and his wife, God would have communicated in numerous or various kinds of ways like verbally, in the stillness of the wind

If the only way God could communicate is through written word (sola sriptura), why did he not give Adam and his Wife a book?
Mixing up dispensations and their requirements is a rookie blunder
shdemidemi has offered a list of the 7 basic dispensations, one of which is the Dispensation of Innocence
The Dispensation of Innocence did not require written word (i.e. sola sriptura)
- this is why God did not give Adam and his Wife a book

Was Adam a Prophet, Pastor, teacher or even an Apostle?
All the above but not necessarily an Apostle
- Apostle is similar to an Angel, both are sent out, with a message, which essentially is what an Apostle is primarily all asbout

What was the goal of Jesus Christ death and resurrection?
Jesus Christ's death was for Atonement and overcoming sin.
His resurrection was to conquer death

Was it to restore man back to God like it was at the beginning which will be completed wholly in his second coming?
That is the plan and the general idea is to bring us back full circle to how things originally was planned or meant to be

Why was Jesus called the second Adam?
Adam was the template from which human beings were progenerate or produced from
Similar to the "normal.dot" file template from which all your Microsoft word documents are created or produced from
when your "normal.dot" file template gets damaged or corrupted, you wont be able to create new word document files
and if you do manage to create one, it will be error or funny looking
The fix will be to replace the "normal.dot" file template with a new or uncorrupted one

Adam the template got corrupted, so another new or uncorrupted Adam template is needed, this we got in the person Jesus (i.e. the last or second Adam)
So Jesus is called the second Adam because "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come"
- we are now patterned according to Jesus' and not anymore according to Adam's mould

Is Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever like the book of Hebrews said?
What did God do in the past that He will/cannot do today?
Absolutely nothing, there is nothing God did in the past, He is not doing or cannot do today however God abides, adheres and/or follows rules, processes, timings, protocols, dispensations etctera

There are a lot of fake miracles in the Charismatic circles...and I believe God will judge them...but then God still do plenty Genuine miracles through human vessels.( those who believe otherwise don't really know the heart of the Father)
Fake is a testimony that genuine healing and miracles exists, and as far as God is concerned, it is business as usual

For me..I take the good (the things consistent with God original intent from every side and then move towards the goal of being like Jesus).
Lets stay balanced....extremism is the reason for all the religious wars in the word.
That is a wisdom talk there
- and as it is usually said, eat the fish but spit out the bones

I don't have proclivity for concocting garbage out of the Word. It says God has spoken. Period. My thinking is not important, God's word is

I aksd you something. You imagine that God ONLY reaches to us through His Word and misery/pain?

shdemidemi:


Is it! Is that all you can deduce from the verse?

I will have to ignore your post from now if you can't comprehensively explain what you think the verse is saying.

It seem you are yet in one of those situations where you find yourself between a hard place and a rock. A time where you quickly resort to incivility.

When primates discard the word of God and start reading between the lines instead of the lines, they end up with such fantasies as seven dispensations. But we are used to Shdemidemi open disdain for scriptures so am not surprised if he spews eloquent garbage and pretends it is from God. Quite funny given he believes God ONLY speaks from scriptures yet he has tons of extra biblical trash which he does not hesitate to spew

shdemidemi:


No, it is not written verbatim in scripture as that but it makes for easier study so we don't jumble everything together like a novel.

God's relationship with Adam and Eve is different from his relationship with Moses for example.

Apostle Paul also made mention of the administration and dispensation of grace to the church as that which was given unto him.
Ephesians 3:2
King James Bible
If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

The book of Acts is an historical book that recorded the acts of the apostles. It was a period where the church was birthed- jews first. There was a transition after Paul was called. The gospel was taken to a people who were strangers to the oracle and promise of God-Gentiles. Paul gradually took these people on as the Apostle to the gentiles- He revealed unto them the power of God unto salvation to anyone who will believe in the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The old testament was a progressive revelation that led to Christ. After the death of Christ He appeared to Paul and commissioned him to herald a message He taught the Apostle.

vooks:
When primates discard the word of God and start reading between the lines instead of the lines, they end up with such fantasies as seven dispensations.
But we are used to Shdemidemi open disdain for scriptures so am not surprised if he spews eloquent garbage and pretends it is from God.
Quite funny given he believes God ONLY speaks from scriptures yet he has tons of extra biblical trash which he does not hesitate to spew

vooks about the dig you took out of shdemidemi, well there are over 100 dispensation in the Bible, the 7 shdemidemi gave are considered the basic ones

By the way, there is a local adage that says "Ti a ba nsunkun, a ma nrinran" literally meaning "even if/when crying, tears don't hinder one from seeing"

Sola scriptura is like the principles of CHRIST, it contains all knowledge necessary for salvation and holiness
(i.e. prepares one for living in the Kingdom)

Dispensation, Ages etcetera are like the principles of JESUS, which prepares one for living on Earth

You are familiar with the law of gravity (i.e. what goes up, must come down), the law of thermodynamics
You are familiar with the the Neolithic or Agricultural Age, the Industrial Age, the Space Age, and the current Information Age we are in

Are all these fantansies?
Sola scriptura wont necessarily have these other stuff related to or for living on Earth in red or black and white
- Sola scriptura is more about or for the Kingdom
God, apart from hermeneutics gave "primates" the processing ability to recognise other truths or patterns

Dispensations aren't extra biblical trash which you believe shdemidemi isn't hesitating to spew

[quote author=shdemidemi post=28796752]

No, it is not written verbatim in scripture as that but it makes for easier study so we don't jumble everything together like a novel.

God's relationship with Adam and Eve is different from his relationship with Moses for example.

Apostle Paul also made mention of the administration and dispensation of grace to the church as that which was given unto him.
Ephesians 3:2
King James Bible
If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

The book of Acts is an historical book that recorded the acts of the apostles. It was a period where the church was birthed- jews first. There was a transition after Paul was called. The gospel was taken to a people who were strangers to the oracle and promise of God-Gentiles. Paul gradually took these people on as the Apostle to the gentiles- He revealed unto them the power of God unto salvation to anyone who will believe in the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The old testament was a progressive revelation that led to Christ. After the death of Christ He appeared to Paul and commissioned him to herald a message He taught the Apostle


My questions has not been answered....
1. If something is not written verbetim in scriptures, why take it as a doctrine?
2. Eph 3 v 2 wasn't talking about dispensation the way we interpret it....the word: Dispensation in greek is 'oikonomia' which means office, oversight, administration, stewardship....in other words, Paul meant that: if ye have heard of the office, administration, oversight, stewardship of grace that has been given to him....

There's nothing like dispensation(the way we think it) in the Bible.....Agreed God's requirements from man changed from time to time....BUT THE INTENT, HEART OF THE FATHER FOR CREATING MAN WHICH IS FELLOWSHIP, COMMUNION HAS NEVER CHANGED.
God spoke with Adam not through a book, spoke with Noah not through a book, spoke with Abraham not through a book...spoke with Moses not through a book, spoke with Joshua not through a book ONLY....spoke with all the old testament figures not through a book ONLY..all these people heard the voice of God, had dreams, visions...etc....as God commune with them...

Now...down to the new testament....it's practically the same thing...they heard God through the old testament writings....but God also fellowship, commune, related to them through other means like his voice, dreams, visions, circumstances...etc...

It's only religious extremists that will claim that God has to stop doing all I said above. Yes the bible is the fundamental, the sure word...but not the ONLY way God speaks to his children today.

If God is my father...can he not lead me or talk to me about....school to go...whom to meet..etc .is God ..my father..not interested in the details of my life? If he is...is the bible specific about such details?

Yes...I detest the 'thus says the lord' of the Charismatic circles...cos most of them are just speaking from their mind...but then...authentically, God still speaks to his Children not through the bible ONLY...
Living, lively, ongoing, pausating....relationship, communication with a loving, caring father cannot be confined to writings ONLY...it was not so in the bible and it not so today...

sammied:
My questions has not been answered....
1. If something is not written verbetim in scriptures, why take it as a doctrine

I will take the questions one after the other.

My brother, I am sure you will agree that the bible isn't a book we just go and cram. It is a book we study and interpret for easy assimilation, understand and teaching.

For illustration, Jesus taught the disciples a format/outline to pray. The words they choose to use can be inferred as long as they stay within the guide and substance of the format.

sammied:
2. Eph 3 v 2 wasn't talking about dispensation the way we interpret it....the word: Dispensation in greek is 'oikonomia' which means office, oversight, administration, stewardship....in other words, Paul meant that: if ye have heard of the office, administration, oversight, stewardship of grace that has been given to him....

Apostle Paul with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit says - Ephesians 3:2

"If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward."

What is dispensation?

it’s a word from which we get the word stewardship or dispensing. If we go to a pharmacy and give him our prescription, he then dispenses what the doctor has ordered, but along with dispensing the product he also gives you explicit instructions. You don’t just take that medicine haphazardly, but rather you follow the instructions that came with the dispensing.

Now bringing it back into the Scriptures, a dispensation was a period of time during which God laid particular dispensational instructions to the human race.

Apostle Paul became a steward or a dispenser of a separate administration which prescribe how we should live and worship in a similar way Moses got his from God.

I Corinthians 4:1

"Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and (what’s the next word?) stewards of the mysteries of God."

There are somethings we shouldn't even be dabating....like the cessationanist saying God no longer speaks except through the bible..etc..like the catholics worshipping Mary..etc...like the Charismatic seing demons in everything and always claiming God says this n that...like God is a talkative....etc....

But because everyone is trying to prove superiority , correctness of doctrines and 'truths' we have become like confused people....things that are very clear in the bible that needs no debating....suddenly everyone brings out their surgical knives...and then...the confusion starts...

May God help us....

Dispensationalism is man made attempt to comprehend scriptures and it has it's fair share of inconsistencies. It would be wise to put that disclaimer and not tout it as another epistle. Little wonder that even among dispensationalists there is no agreement on the exact number of dispensations. Paul spoke of 3 and if he heard what you guys make of his words, he'd turn in his grave

BabaGnoni:


vooks about the dig you took out of shdemidemi, well there are over 100 dispensation in the Bible, the 7 shdemidemi gave are considered the basic ones

By the way, there is a local adage that says "Ti a ba nsunkun, a ma nrinran" literally meaning "even if/when crying, tears don't hinder one from seeing"

Sola scriptura is like the principles of CHRIST, it contains all knowledge necessary for salvation and holiness
(i.e. prepares one for living in the Kingdom)

Dispensation, Ages etcetera are like the principles of JESUS, which prepares one for living on Earth

You are familiar with the law of gravity (i.e. what goes up, must come down), the law of thermodynamics
You are familiar with the the Neolithic or Agricultural Age, the Industrial Age, the Space Age, and the current Information Age we are in

Are all these fantansies?
Sola scriptura wont necessarily have these other stuff related to or for living on Earth in red or black and white
- Sola scriptura is more about or for the Kingdom
God, apart from hermeneutics gave "primates" the processing ability to recognise other truths or patterns

Dispensations aren't extra biblical trash which you believe shdemidemi isn't hesitating to spew