Straw Man Arguments Against Right Division (part 1)

He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him. (Prov. 18:13)  

And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just. (Rom. 3:8)

 

 

Charles Finney once said, "Before you are able to convince me of error you must first demonstrate that you understand what I say." Although I disagree with some things that Finney taught (and yes, I understand what he was saying), I do appreciate and understand that statement! Every Bible teacher will at some time or another feel like they have been misrepresented or even slandered concerning what they believe and teach. That is just an unavoidable reality, especially in this technological age in which everybody thinks they are an expert and they have a "platform" online to spout off about how much they think they know. I am not complaining about criticism. I read that Harry Ironside had a sign in his office that read, "To Avoid Criticism: Do Nothing; Say Nothing; Be Nothing."

 

The purpose of this series of posts is not to defend myself but to encourage and help those who understand the distinctiveness of Paul's ministry in this present age as the apostle to the Gentiles (Eph. 3:1-12). When you first learn this truth and how it opens up the Bible to be understood more than ever before (2 Tim. 2:7), you immediately think, "How did I not see this before?" You then assume that other Christians that haven't seen it yet will also want to learn this great and important truth and so you excitedly begin to tell others what you have learned. It usually doesn't take long to discover that many professing Christians are apathetic about learning the word of God and if they do have any measure of zeal it is for tradition and not Bible truth. As soon as they hear something that sounds different than what they have always heard they just dismiss it without any further investigation or consideration. Those who seem to be receptive are often scared off by preachers who warn them about the dangers of that dreaded theological disease they call "Hyperdispensationalism".

 

Do you know who a Hyperdispensationalist is? Why, it is anyone who is more dispensational than you are! Much of what is called "Hyperdispensationalism" is not really that at all and most people who carelessly hurl that term around don't even know what it means. The prefix "hyper" means to go over and beyond. Hyperdispensationalism is the error of putting divisions in the Bible where they don't really exist. The teaching that the Church which is the Body of Christ did not begin until Acts 28:28 (called the "dispensational boundary line" by Welch) is legitimate Hyperdispensationalism. We know that the Body of Christ started during the Acts Period because Paul wrote about it in epistles that he wrote during that time (Rom. 12:5; 16:25; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27-28). But is it going over and beyond what the Bible says to believe and teach that there is a difference Peter's ministry to Israel in early Acts and Paul's ministry to the Body of Christ? Instead of letting some man tell you what to think, why not just carefully read and consider the following verses:

 

The apostle Peter said to Israel in Acts 3:19-24, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;  {20} And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:  {21} Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.  {22} For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.  {23} And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.  {24} Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days." 

 

The apostle Paul said to the Body of Christ in Romans 16:25-27, "Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,  {26} But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:  {27} To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen."

 

The apostle Paul also said to the Body of Christ in Ephesians 3:1-9, "For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,  {2} If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:  {3} How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,  {4} Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)  {5} Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;  {6} That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:  {7} Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.  {8} Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;  {9} And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:"

 

How can that which was SPOKEN by the prophets since the world began possibly be the same as that which was kept SECRET and HID IN GOD since the world began? The former concerns the kingdom that God promised to establish on the earth (Israel over the Gentiles) and the latter concerns the spiritual and heavenly Body of Christ (that is neither Jew nor Gentile).

 

The scripture is crystal clear on the difference between the prophetic kingdom program of Israel and the mystery program of the Body of Christ. To acknowledge and consistently maintain this division is to rightly divide the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15). Sadly, many will not go to the scripture itself and "prove all things" (1 Thess. 5:21). They will not search the scriptures for themselves to see if it is so (Acts 17:11). They would rather go to the internet or some man to find out what they should believe. Over the years I have heard many pitiful straw man arguments against right division. This month I plan to do several posts in which I will answer them from the word of God. 

 

From Wikipedia:

"A straw man is an intentional misrepresentation of an opponent's position, often used in debates with unsophisticated audiences to make it appear that the opponent's arguments are more easily defeated than they are. ^[1] Unintentional misrepresentations are also possible, but in this case, the individual is guilty only of simple ignorance. While their argument would still be fallacious, they can be at least excused of malice. The title of the argument comes from the art of practicing fighting techniques against men made of straw: which is a problem in that straw men don't fight back, don't wear armor, don't bleed and generally aren't anything like the sort of thing you would actually encounter in a battle."