by David Pawson (Author)
It must bewilder many Christians that teachers and preachers using the same Bible can come up with so many different interpretations and, more particularly, applications of God's Word. One of the main reasons for this confusion is their handling of the word 'covenant', which is so fundamental to scripture. The two key questions are: how many covenants has God made with human beings and how many of these apply to Christians today? Some say there is only one ('the covenant of grace') running right through scripture, though they might add a second ('a covenant of works') which applied only to Adam in Eden. Most think there are two (the 'old' and the 'new') corresponding to the Old and the New 'Testaments' (a synonym for 'covenant'). Others claim to have found seven (though they usually call them 'dispensations'). This author believes there are five which are basic to the story of our redemption - the Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic and Messianic. Only one of these is 'old' and therefore obsolete; only one is 'new' but endorses the other three. With this insight we can 'rightly divide the word of truth' (2 Timothy 2:15; NIV has 'correctly handle'). See if you agree
Author Biography
David Pawson was born in 1930. His father was a Methodist minister and his grandfather, a Professor of Agriculture. David, however, began his career with a degree in Agriculture at Durham University, England. With a newly acquired farm in Scotland, David was surprised when God intervened and led him to become a Christian minister. After completing an MA in Theology at Cambridge University, David became a chaplain in the Royal Air Force for three years. He then moved on to pastor a number of churches in England including the Millmead Centre in Guildford where under David's caring leadership, the church became a model for many UK church pastors. His time at Millmead was also his most fruitful in terms of the library of his audio teachings. In 1979 David was released from the Millmead Centre to fulfill a wider international ministry. David now has an itinerant ministry predominantly to church leaders world wide. Millions of copies of his audio Bible teachings have been distributed to over 120 countries. He is a writer and speaker of urgency, clarity and uncompromising faithfulness to the Scriptures. He is widely considered to be one of the world's finest biblical expositors.