Pauline Dispensation

There is a teaching within Christianity called Pauline Dispensation.  In a nutshell, it teaches that Christians should gain all their theology from the Epistles and the rest of the Bible is not meant for Christian theology.  The reasoning is that the rest of the Bible is not directed at Christians and that when reading the bible, we need to understand who is being spoken to.  It is true that we need to be aware of who is being spoke to.  I say this is true — with a caveat.  What is the message? Is the message only for the targeted audience or is it a universal message? 

I recently read the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount from the perspective of Pauline Dispensation.  It was taught that the Sermon on the Mount was for Jews and not gentiles.  The reasoning is using the exegetical method of looking at who is being spoken to in the text.  Of course, it is the Jews.  At this point, Jesus is speaking only to Jews and is bringing the Good News of salvation to the Jews.  The gentiles are not excluded as scripture in the Gospels is clear (John 4:9; Matthew 8:5-13 Mark 7:26-29) but His target audience, for the most part is the Israelites.   

What is being taught in the Sermon of the Mount?

The sermon begins with the Beatitudes.  Jesus teaches blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn will be comforted, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied, and ends this part of the teaching with the command to rejoice and be glad because the reward is great in heaven.  Jesus then continues in the Sermon of the Mount with the command to not murder, to not commit adultery, not to divorce, to love our enemies, not to retaliate, how to give, how to pray, etc.  He ends His sermon in Chapter 7 with:

Build Your House on the Rock
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.  And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”  Matthew 7:24-27 (ESV)

This sermon that Jesus preached was delivered to the Jews.  It is not for the Jews only but it is for believers.  Murder, divorce, adultery, proper prayer is a message to all believers of all times.  Most of the Bible is directed to a specific audience.  The Good News of salvation was delivered to the Jews.  Yet the Good News of salvation is not a message for the Jews only; it is Good News for all people.

There is scripture where God is speaking specifically to a group of people and the message is for that people only.  He is clear when His message is for a particular group of people.  God directs His attention and commands to the Israelites and it is for them only.  God also directs His attention and commands to the Levites and it is for them only.  He makes it clear who He is talking to and it is clear if a message or command is meant for a particular group or if it is a message for all believers or if it is a message for all of mankind. 

Pauline Dispensation incorrectly exegetes the New Covenant and separates Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and part of Acts as messages for the Israelites only.  Pauline Dispensation incorrectly teaches that God begins His message to the Church someplace in the book of Acts.

The Church did not become an entity until Pentecost but Jesus’ teachings were for all people.  He preached repentance and salvation.  He did that through the Israelites who spread it to the nations through Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles.

 

 

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