A blogger recently asserted the following:

“The scriptures confirm two distinctly different plans of salvation.. . . .Our (church age believers) plan of salvation is found only in Romans through Philemon, the 13 books written by the apostle Paul.” (Emphasis mine)

You might recognize that quotation as being one of the teachings from a segment of Christianity that promotes a system of interpreting the Bible called Mid-Acts Dispensational Right Division. That system tells us that “The key to understanding the Bible hinges on our ability to discern what is written to us and what is not. This is what is meant by right division of the Bible.”[i]

A central tenet of that system is the belief that “While the entire Bible was inspired by God for our benefit, it is not all written to the same people.”[ii]  Therefore, scripture must be ‘rightly divided’ into the portions written only the Jews, and that which is written only to Gentiles (church age believers). Since portions of the Bible were written to different people groups, there are different plans of salvation for each group.

The application of that principle results in the claim that the plan of salvation for Gentiles (church age believers) is found only in Romans through Philemon. The entire rest of the New Testament was written only to Jews.

With that background information in mind, let’s return to the purpose of this blog post, which is to let the Bible, and only the Bible speak to the issues at hand. What follows is a direct response to the blogger who provided the introductory quotation.

You  (the blogger) say:

“The scriptures confirm two distinctly different plans of salvation. . . .Our plan of salvation is found only in Romans through Philemon, the 13 books written by the apostle Paul.”

Here is the Apostle Paul’s definition of the gospel:

1Co 15:1-4  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 1Co 15:2  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;   And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

I invite you to consider the following passages of scripture recorded by the Apostles, and prayerfully ask yourself if they speak of the same gospel message that Paul preached, that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ (Eph 2:8-9).:

Luk 24:44-47 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Joh 3:14-17  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Joh 8:24  I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Joh 20:28 -31 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Act 10:39  And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:

Act 10:40-43  Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

Act 15:7-11  And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

1Pe 1:3 -5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,   To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,   Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

1Pe 1:10-12  Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

1Jn 5:10-13  He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

I am not adding any personal opinions concerning the above passages, or what I think they teach or do not teach. It is not necessary that you reply to me concerning the above passages of scripture. I don’t want to argue about them or engage in personal debate. I offer them to you for own prayerful consideration, to let them speak for themselves.

May God bless you in your journey through this life and into the next!

Dan

I confess that I really struggled with not inserting any personal opinions or interpreting any of the above passages, as well as not responding to various forms of gaslighting. I sincerely hope that I am improving in the “gentleness and respect” department! My personal Bible study isn’t hurting either!

[i] Introduction to Mid-Acts Dispensational Right Division (graceambassadors.com)

[ii] Ibid.