THE NOW DISPENSATION

But the hour cometh, and NOW IS, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth . . . The hour is coming, and NOW IS, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. -- John 4:23; 5:25

The Bereans, the so-called "Grace" movement, have a hard time finding GOSPEL (non-kingdom variety) in the Gospels. Their contention is that GRACE and truth came by the apostle Paul, rather than by Jesus Christ (John 1:17). They consider the Book of John complex, and fraught with difficulties and problems (especially the first three chapters). Their leader, in his monumental four volume commentary, conspicuously avoids references to the first three chapters of John. His smaller booklet, "The Writings of John," pathetically skim

the surface of such hyper-dispensational problems.

Paulists, unhappy with the Book of John, try to date it as far AFTER the cross as they possibly can in order to make this portion of the word of God of none effect. Whichever date

they may assign to John's origin, however, is of no consequence. Jesus still said what He said to real Jewish people BEFORE the cross, and He said what He said that these Jews "MIGHT

BE SAVED" ( John 5:24).

Jesus told Nicodemus that he should both KNOW about the new birth (John 3:10) and that he MUST also be born again (John 3:7). Nicodemus was also informed that the Son of man would be "lifted up" as the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness (Look and Live, My Brother: Live.). Nick was informed that he could have ETERNAL, EVERLASTING life with NO condemnation by believing on God's only begotten Son (John 3:15,16,18). We are not among those, who would dare tell Nicodemus that these words were not for him, but really for those of another dispensation.

Paulists cannot make up there mind whether John's salvation comments were for Jewish believers and not for us, or whether they were for us and not them, or whether they were for neither of us and were for the tribulation saints. Obviously, the woman at the well, who saw Jesus as the SAVIOUR of the WORLD (John 4:42), along with Nicodemus and other examples, demonstrates the blindness of those, who cannot accept the Jewish and Samaritan believers availing themselves of what Christ Himself offered them. He GAVE them eternal, everlasting life (John 4:10,14; 6:27; 10:28).

Even John the Baptist preached and manifested the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29,30, 36), preaching, "He that BELIEVETH (present tense) on the Son HATH (present tense) everlasting life . . ." to unbelieving JEWS! Not only did the Lord Jesus offer eternal life; He offered also eternal security. (John 6:37). When the Jews asked Him about themselves working the works of God, and Jesus responded, "THIS IS THE WORK OF GOD, THAT YE BELIEVE on him whom he hath sent (John 6:28,29).

If a modern day Berean thinks that John is not written for us, he demonstrates his blindness to John 20:31, "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." Naturally, a late date for John's origin here would be disastrous to such an O’Hairist, Stamite,

Bullingerite, or whichever descriptive term they do not like to be associated with.

"THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS WERE UNTIL JOHN" (if you want REAL, SCRIPTURAL DISPENSATIONAL teaching, rather than innuendo): since then, the kingdom of God (the kingdom that Nicodemus could not see or enter without the new birth) IS preached (how that present tense is hated). The law and the prophets were indeed UNTIL John. Then came the NOW dispensation. -- Herb Evans

Bible Believers’ Bulletin, Pensacola, Florida - November 1987, p. 5