Throughout the history of “Christendom” there has been recurring debate and dispute over doctrinal issues. Issues regarding ordinances such as water baptism and the Lord’s Supper, the proper place of supernatural sign gifts, and the relationship of the body of Christ to the new covenant are all well-worn battlegrounds of theological warfare.

The ecclesiasticist who has leased his mental faculties to Rome, Constantinople, or any other fleshly organization has at the outset disqualified himself from the inquiry, having predetermined to accept the dictates of his favored party (Mk 7:7 (Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.); Col 2:8 (Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.)). Theological issues must be settled by appealing to that which God has spoken and provided to us, for there can be no higher authority than the very words of God (2 Ti 3:16-17 (16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.); Mt 4:4 (But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.)).

It is therefore the business of God’s people to search and study the Holy Scriptures (Ac 17:11 (These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.)), bringing every doctrine, practice, and manner of living into harmony with them. The man of God must accordingly study and rightly divide the word of truth (2 Ti 2:15 (Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.)). It is only through the diligent and accurate application of Holy Writ that Christians can be perfected and the various theological issues plaguing Christendom resolved.

Recognizing the dispensational boundary of Acts 28 is the key to resolving these issues. The dismissal of Israel as a nation before God and the subsequent mystery revealed to the Apostle Paul (Eph 3:3 (How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,); Col 1:26-27 (26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:)) are the hallmarks of God’s present dealings with mankind and are therefore of paramount relevance. Understanding the dispensational boundary of Acts 28 brings clarity to the truths of this age and is of foundational importance to proper ministry in this current dispensation.

The Acts 28 Boundary

It is evident that the current program of God’s dealings with man began historically at the close of the book of Acts. The Apostle Paul having quoted Isaiah 6:9-10 (9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.), on the third and last occasion of its citation in the New Testament (Mt 13:14-15 (14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.); Jn 12:40 (He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.)), the Jews departed and had great reasoning among themselves (Ac 28:25-29 (25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, 26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: 27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. 29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.)). What was true of those specific Jews in Paul’s lodging holds a more universal significance, for it is clear that, following this final pronouncement of blindness, the Jewish nation of Israel as a whole forfeited its dispensational advantage before God, which it had held throughout the period covered by Acts. This would be further evidenced in the pages of history with the siege of Jerusalem by Titus in AD 70. It is fitting that “great reasoning among themselves” (Ac 28:29 (And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.)) so aptly describes the character of Talmudic study, which is Jewish reasoning carried on apart from Christ.

With Israel pronounced blind and having entered a Loammi state before God (Hos 1:9 (Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.), “not my people”), the earthly program of God’s kingdom, which Jesus, the twelve apostles, and the Apostle Paul had heralded up to that point, was of necessity suspended. Only then did God reveal the mystery dispensation that has characterized the nearly two thousand years since. God’s prophesied program prior to the revelation of this mystery in no way prescribed or predicted the creation of a same-body church seated with Christ in heavenly places (Eph 2:6 (And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:); 3:6 (That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:)). The culmination of God’s prophesied program was always the reign of Christ in a kingdom upon the earth where Israel was uppermost among the nations (Ac 1:6 (When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?); Mt 19:28 (And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.); Ac 3:21 (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.); 28:20 (For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.)).

The second coming of Jesus Christ to establish His kingdom in full and the resultant channel of blessing to the nations (the gentiles) were conditioned upon the repentance of Israel (Ac 3:19-21 (19 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.)). With Israel set aside and in blindness, that channel of blessing and the hopes and promises associated with it were likewise set aside. Throughout the book of Acts the nation of Israel stood as God’s people, though only a remnant believed. Unbelieving Israel was broken off as branches of the olive tree, and wild gentile branches were grafted in (Ro 11:17-24 (17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. 24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?)) to provoke the unbelieving Jews to jealousy (Ro 11:11 (I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.)). These gentile branches partook of the “root and fatness of the olive tree” (Ro 11:17 (And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;)), meaning the covenant blessings of the nation of Israel.

In contrast, the one new man of Ephesians 2:15 (Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;) is “the same body” (Eph 3:6 (That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:)) of Jew and gentile that receives all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. This was unforeseen by the prophets and untraceable in the pages of previous Holy Scripture. The one new man of Ephesians cannot, if language is a sufficient vehicle for revelation, be synonymous with the olive tree of Romans. Regardless of ecclesiastical tradition, a new man cannot be conflated with an existing tree.

The creation of this one new man and the mystery revealed to the Apostle Paul during his prison ministry logically occurred following Acts 28. God is no longer grafting wild gentile branches into a Jewish olive tree to provoke unbelieving Israel to jealousy. Rather, salvation is sent unto the gentiles equally with no dispensational advantage whatsoever for the Jew (Ac 28:28 (Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.)). National Israel, regardless of its political standing, is numbered among the other gentile nations before God.

Ordinances and practices pertaining to Israel and her earthly-kingdom hope therefore have no rightful place in the church of the mystery (Col 2:20 (Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,)). The long and tumultuous history of Christendom is largely one of confusion brought on by a failure to see the fellowship of the mystery (Eph 3:9 (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:)) and its corresponding dispensation. Recognizing the import of the administrative change ushered in after Acts 28 resolves this confusion and brings clarity to the whole of God’s word. This is called a “dispensational boundary” because it marks a dividing line between God’s prophesied program and God’s mystery program. It is the tendency to cross back behind the Acts 28 boundary and appropriate practices belonging to a previous dispensation that has brought on so much of the confusion in Christendom today.