Most people who've sat in church for years still can't answer a simple question: Why does the Bible seem to contradict itself? Why does one passage say the law is holy and good, while another says you're no longer under the law? Why does one promise belonging to Israel get claimed by a modern Christian — and another gets ignored entirely? These aren't contradictions. They're what happens when you're reading a filing system without knowing how it's organized. That's what this course exists to fix.

These fifty-two lessons are divided into four main parts:

PART I The Origin of All Things, Lessons 1–8

PART II God's Historical Dealings with Man, Lessons 9–18

PART III God's Present Dealings with Man, Lessons 19–36

PART IV God's Future Dealings with Man, Lessons 37–52

I. Importance of the Study of "God's Plan for Man"

If you want to truly know the Bible and be saved for eternity, this study is the most important subject you'll ever encounter. Think of it as the backbone of the entire Bible — it covers every age, every dispensation, and every major biblical subject from eternity past to eternity future.

Here's the key: once you learn to distinguish the ages and dispensations, the whole Bible will start to harmonize beautifully. The main reason so many people feel confused about Scripture is simply that they don't understand God's plan for humanity.

If you'll take the time to get a working knowledge of this blueprint, you'll find the Bible isn't nearly as difficult as you might have thought. We really can't overstate how important these lessons are — they're built on a correct understanding of Scripture itself.

Here's what we recommend: memorize the name of each age and dispensation, and pay careful attention to where each one fits in God's overall plan. That way, you'll have a mental picture of exactly which time period each lesson addresses and where various scriptures apply.

Keep the key features of each age in mind as we move from lesson to lesson. As you do, God's ultimate purpose for humanity will begin to dawn on you in a fresh, powerful way.

If you want a clear, balanced, and harmonious understanding of Scripture, get to know God's plan of the ages inside and out. Understand how the history of the past connects to the present, and grasp the prophecies about the future. Then — and only then — can you truly be "a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" 2 Timothy 2:15.

Paul's instruction to "rightly divide" is more significant than it first sounds. The Greek word for "dividing" is orthotomeo — literally, to cut straight, like a road-builder carving a path through rough terrain. A road-builder who wanders isn't just inefficient; he gets lost. Paul is saying that a Bible student who doesn't know which time period and which people a given passage addresses isn't just confused — he's spiritually disoriented inside his own interpretation.

Along with this big-picture knowledge, you'll learn how to apply Scripture to your daily life. You'll discover how to receive healing, health, prosperity, and happiness — right here and now. After all, isn't that what you need most at this moment? You won't just gain knowledge about God; you'll learn how to experience the full blessings of life by putting that knowledge to work.