… in this present age …
Summary: There are limits to what we can know about Paul’s thinking. Yet there are clues in his letter to Titus that give us confidence that his words are still relevant today.
What is your present age? As I write this, mine is sixty-five, but I don’t think that is what Paul had in mind when he wrote “this present age.” But what did he have in mind?
Almost two centuries ago, in 1850, a boy was born and christened Clarence Larkin. Clarence lived an unusual life by most standards. His first job was at a bank. After two years, he left for college and graduated as a mechanical engineer. He worked as a professional draftsman until he took a job as a teacher of the blind. Sometime later, he went into business as a manufacturer. At the age of thirty-two, he became a Baptist, and two years later, he was ordained in that church as a minister.
So what would a Baptist minister who had a degree in mechanical engineering do? Using skills he had learned a decade earlier, he analyzed the Bible and converted his studies into engineering diagrams.
In his “Ages and Dispensations” chart, Pastor Larkin identifies what he calls “The Present Age.” Based on this analysis, the Present Age began after The Flood and extends to the Second Coming of Christ. Everything that happens in between is a subset of this Present Age diagram.
Is this what Paul was thinking of when he referred to “this present age?” I don’t know, and neither does anybody else. We cannot know because we cannot ask. Perhaps when we join Paul on the other side of the glass (1 Corinthians 13:12, KJV), we can ask.
Some might reasonably conclude that the age that Paul refers to began with Christ’s birth or resurrection. It follows, then, that it extends forward to His Second Coming. This may be what Paul was thinking of, but again, we cannot know.
The one thing we do know for certain is that “the age” Paul refers to includes the time he lived in. Earlier in his letter, he refers to “the grace of God” that “has appeared” as a possible beginning point of “the age.” He suggests it extends to the victory we wait for, “the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” Because we know this much, it seems reasonable to me to conclude that we are still in Paul’s “age.”
Application: Do not discount Paul’s writings because they are old. From an eternal perspective, they were written only minutes ago. From a historical perspective, Paul’s writings are very relevant to us today.
Food for Thought: How does looking at Scripture through an eternal perspective change our understanding of God’s Word?
Minor correction: I’m not sixty-six for a few months yet. 🙂
Interesting choice to select Charles Larkin as a representative of dispensation thought.
I somehow believe a number of older as well as more modern dispensationalist thinkers would select Pentecost with the arrival of the Holy Spirit who presently now indwelling believers as the beginning of the Church age which concludes with the rapture or removal of Christ’s true Church from the earth to be with Him.
This would put Christ’s ministry as a fulfillment of the Law, or that period or administration begun with the selection by God of Israel as His chosen people who the apostle Paul in Roman’s Chapter 11 states He has not finished dealing with but merely temporarily set aside during the times of the Gentiles, who during this present age, if one subscribers to this viewpoint as opposed to perhaps covenant, reformed, or post-millenial theology.
J. Dwight Pentecost, Louis Sperry Chafer, J. Vernon McGee as well as an additional more remote chain tracing back to shortly after or contemporaneous with the Reformation might give more breathth and a deeper understanding of the development and significant presence of thinking that the words times, epochs, administrations, really mean something in the scriptures.
While God is always unchanging, no matter what the school of thinking it is virtually impossible to be a Christian and not accept that when Christ put on humanity, and eternally became the God/Man there was a change in the way God deals with people. He changed History.
Salvation is now only through Him. He is the only Mediator, Savior, acceptable priest who is able to represent us before the Father.
Old Testament saints put faith in a provision which God would provide to reconcile them to God and forgive their sins without understanding how or exactly when or by what means this was possible.
Since Pentecost, and the coming of the Holy Spirit and Peter’s message of the good news or the gospel New Testament saints understand we must place our faith in Christ and His finished Work. Peter had been given the keys to the Kingdom. It is called the gospel., not that He was the first Pope.
There is only one Head of the Church. This is Christ Himself as the New Testament scriptures make clear over and over again (Ephesians 1:3, 4, especially 10, 22; 5:23, 32; 1 Corinthians 11:3, Colossians 1:18, 2: 9-10 ect.).
C.I. Scofield, Charles Ryrie, and his notes as well as a number of other popular study Bibles of past and more recent usage give ecclesiology (study of the Church in New Testament usage. It’s origin, description, beginning, end, participants, relation to God and the world so so on. They also make clear that the Church is not Israel, and does not in a complete sense fulfill the promises given to Israel. God still has a plan and will fulfill His promises to Israel.
Yes, there are Jewish Christians. However, for the most part the Salvation of all Israel most likely will occur during the tribulation period after the Lord has removed His bride, or Church from the earth (1 Thessalonians 4: 17; Roman’s 11)
Be Blessed, and have a great day and week
Jeff,
Larkin was chosen for his graphics, not for anything to do with dispensationalism. He illustrates the concept of the “Ages” very well.
Dallas Theological Seminary. Talbot Theological Seminary, Grace Theological Seminary. Western Theological Seminary, Biola, Multnomah School of the Bible, Denver Theological Seminary, Charles Feinburg, J. Dwight Pentacost, many radio, speakers, pastors and evangelicals, and evangelists subscribe, have subscribed, and continue to promote some form of belief in a difference of administrations in God’s dealing with mankind over the course of human history and existence. This is really a very wide spread realm of thought and not limited to these schools, teachers, professors, writers or speakers. Many other institutions, churches, denominations, associations and adherents could be mentioned who hold some version or believe in some degree to the truth of dispensation whether or not they will use this word or even if they find the word or the concept offensive in some way.
I do not find the covenants God mentions in His Word offensive or have a need to dismiss them. I find it a bit curious that times, epochs, administrations, and so on which are just as surely mentioned in the scriptures are found by some Christians to be (at least to their viewpoint) so unacceptable or divisive. 🤔
Thanks for mentioning and emphasizing the importance of having eternal perspective.
What “This present age.” means is open to debate. Having an eternal perspective is very important. Especially making sure you have a ticket for the right destination. The other destination is one no one who end up going will be very pleased to find themselves in or ever wish they had ever arrived or look forward to being therein lodged or domiciled.
Thanks for your study, hard work, and commitment to encouraging others, and proclaiming the truths you see in God’s word. Many are blessed and encouraged by your blog including myself.
May the Lord bless and reward you. Any disagreements I am certain will be relatively inconsequential, I trust, in terms of eternity.
God bless,
Thank you, Jeff!
I, too, believe that eternity will bring only eternal unity! 🙂
It means that the Eternal One is the source of His word. Thus it is authoritative for life and faith. Isaiah 40: 6 – 8; Matthew 24: 35.
Thank you, Rich.
Wow! Just wow! I am completely speechless. My little brain is no match for the magnitude of information that comes from Jeff H this morning. In some respects, I am very much still a baby in my walk as I do not understand all the theology aspects. Such an amazing amount of information.
The part that jumped out to me, that literally jumped off the page (while all good stuff – don’t get me wrong) was in the application portion where Jeff E wrote, “From an eternal perspective, they were written only minutes ago. From a historical perspective, Paul’s writings are very relevant to us today.”
It is very easy to lose sight that what was written so long ago was actually written moments ago because in the glimpse of eternity, time is just a blip. Often times, I think it is easy for people to believe the writings from the bible, from Paul, Matthew, Mark, Luke, David, Daniel, etc. are outdated/irrelevant because they simply couldn’t apply to what we live in now with today’s society. After all, what could biblical times know about dealing with murder, adultery, blasphemy, lying, stealing, cheating, etc.?
The times may have changed from people meeting at the water well to meeting online, but the writings of the bible are quite relevant now as they were when they were written thousands of years ago, only our society does not want to listen to or hear the teachings.
Darla,
I am delighted to hear that the perspective on eternity resonated with you today!
Regarding theology, I feel obligated to make a clarification. This is not meant as a reflection on Jeff H., but in my own studies, I have found “theology” to be a dangerous minefield. There is only one authentic authority on God’s will, and that is the Bible. Everything else is just someone’s opinion.
Since opinions are not authoritative, they tend to lead to division instead of unity. This result is in direct conflict with our Lord’s stated goal for his church. (John 17:20-23)
The second danger I see in traditional theology, meaning the study of religion rather than the study of God, is that every minute spent studying someone’s opinion about God is a minute that we are not studying God’s Word. Since there is an infinite number of possible opinions about God’s Word, it is easy for Satan to lead us away from the Bible into a never-ending maze of opinions about God’s Word.
In his second letter to Timothy, Paul warns against this practice. He warns that people will be “…always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy 3:7)
Three Minute Bible intentionally avoids references to particular schools of religious thought except where it might help illustrate a certain point in the text. For example, today’s reference to Clarence Larkin was not an endorsement of his views on the Bible. It was only a reference to his wonderful charts that illustrate his views. In particular, the chart we used illustrates “ages” and helps us visualize what an “age” might have meant to Paul. Is all of the other stuff in that chart accurate? I have no idea. Maybe I should have stated a disclaimer about that. 🙂
I mention all of this because I have always been impressed with your knowledge and understanding of the Bible. I would hate to see anyone’s relationship with the Word become clouded because they got sidetracked in a theological minefield.
How does looking at Scripture through an eternal perspective change our understanding of God’s Word?
Having an eternal perspective may be the key, for living a true Christ-following life in its fullest. Gods Word tells us in, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal”. We are told He has placed eternity in the hearts of men and as we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us and we will abide in Him.
2 Corinthians 4:18, Ecclesiastes 3:11,1 John 2:28
God allowed men to build a tabernacle later a temple for worship. The ark of the covenant was located within the inner court, the Holy of Holies, which was surrounded by a curtain about one inch thick separating man from the presence of God. Once each year, on the day of atonement, the high priest was permitted to enter this place with a blood sacrifice for all. God came to earth veiled in the body of Christ. At the crucifixion of Christ, the temple veil was torn from top to bottom as God ended the old covenant and began the new. All veils were removed and full access to God through our risen savior Christ was about to be offered to all mankind as we entered into the new covenant which had been pointed to in the old.
Hebrews 9:7, John 3:16, 1 Corinthians 11:23-25
Believers are people who have been made dead to sin, and ALIVE TO GOD. We know that our sinful, human nature has been crucified with Christ and we are no longer slaves to sin. We know that death has no power over Christ who lives in our hearts and just as His presence has freed us from sin, His presence makes us alive to God, in eternal life NOW.
Romans 6:1-11, Romans 8:10, 2 Corinthians 13:5
One attribute of God is He is Omnipresent, He is everywhere. Believers are eternal beings, living in our eternal God right now. View everything from an eternal perspective, earth life is only temporary, and our God is aware of every detail of our lives before creation, (All-knowing). Our earth life is not even a blink of an eye in comparison to eternity. Look to eternity, know we live in God as we walk through earth life trials and painful tribulations. Enjoy every day as if it were our last. Ask, what do I want to have in my heart the moment I kneel before Christ? Take time to see all the details, the beauty and blessings God is giving us each day. Take our eyes off self and look after those God has placed around you. Spend as much time as possible walking with Him each day, study and apply His word, pray without ceasing, seek His will over our own, be aware of His blessings, His presence, ignore the world and look to His gift of eternal life by living it now.
Psalm 32:8, Psalm 139:7-10, Matthew 18:20, Acts 17:27
Thank you, Ron!
Understanding that we have a spiritual nature is an essential precursor to understanding eternity.
Absolutely!
Keep up the great work!
Ron