lsenders@hotmail.com wrote:
> Does that help any? That Paul terms the Church as a mystery, directly
> relates to it being a new dispensation separate from the previous, the
> system of Law given to the nation of Israel.

I see that you prefer to emphasize the dichotomy between the
dispensations of law and grace (the Church age). I can emphasize the unity.

I believe that law and grace existed throughout -- from cover to cover.
According to scripture law and grace is incredibly connected and
intertwined -- almost inseparable.

As a Covenant Theologian, I note that the dispensation of the Law is aka
the period of the law and the prophets (Matt. 22:36-40).

Most interestingly enough, there appears to be two distinct aspects that
occured during the dispensation of law -- one being outward (external)
and the other being inward (spiritual).

The external aspect obviously deals with circumcisions of the flesh,
feast days, washings, and cermonies (Rom 2:28-29; 3:1-2; Col 2:16-17).
All of these were mechanisms of the Moses law-system of which the
Pharisees and Saducees were chief.

However, there were deeper and hidden meanings regarding the law that
were often overlooked. 1) That the law spoke of Christ (Lu 24:44) and
2) That the law is love (Deu 6:8-9; Matt 22:37).

Christ even reprimanded the Scribes and Pharisees for neglecting other
matters of the law -- especially that dealing with faith (Mat 23:23).

Which brings me to my next point. The two aspects, external and
spiritual, is really a reflection of the hearts of men both Jew and
Gentile. Scripture speaks of circumcision of the flesh and of the heart
(Rom. 2:28-29).

How does the laws of Moses relate to those circumcised of the FLESH?
They cannot do all the laws and hence remain unrighteous in God's sight
(John 7:17-19).

How does the laws of Moses relate to those (including the Gentiles)
circumcised of the HEART?

(Heb 8:10 KJV) For this is the covenant that I will make with the house
of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into
their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God,
and they shall be to me a people:

David, the man after God's own heart said it best -- (Psa 119:174 KJV)
I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight.

I don't quite see scripture as being evolutionary but more revelational
and progressive. Evolution implies a wholesale change from one form to
another. But God's sovereign plan has and always will be to save his
elect for His Glory. And in addition, people are saved by faith in
Christ before and after the cross -- there is no other way to salvation.
This is the crux