“Rightly dividing the New Testament” refers to reading and interpreting the New Testament with an awareness that different sections were written to different audiences, during different stages of God’s unfolding plan, and with distinct purposes in mind. Instead of treating all passages as if they speak in the same way to all people at all times, this approach encourages you to pay attention to context, audience, and timing. The phrase comes from 2 Timothy 2:15, where Paul urges believers to “correctly handle” or “rightly divide” the word of truth, meaning to approach Scripture with discernment and accuracy.

In the framework used by Joe Bible Coach, “rightly dividing” means recognizing three major movements within the New Testament: Jesus’ earthly ministry in the Gospels, the transitional period captured in the Book of Acts, and the doctrinal instruction for the church found in Paul’s letters. Each of these sections plays a different role in the larger story of Scripture. The Gospels present the ministry of Jesus and the proclamation of the Gospel of the Kingdom. Acts records the transition from Jesus’ ministry to the early church. Paul’s epistles articulate the teachings associated with the Dispensation of Grace. Understanding these distinctions helps you read each section in its proper place and avoid merging teachings that function differently in the biblical narrative.

The 88-day study plan reflects this approach by integrating three major textual streams simultaneously throughout the entire program:

1. A Gospel reading, following the sequence of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
2. A Pauline or other New Testament epistle, providing doctrinal instruction.
3. A historical anchor from Acts, which shows how the early church developed in real time.

This pattern continues from Day 1 through Day 88 and mirrors the dispensational structure emphasized in the timeline and diagrams provided. By reading these three streams together, you see how the Gospel accounts, the transitional narrative of Acts, and the teachings of the apostles interact. This method aims to help you observe the flow of the New Testament with clarity, keeping context in view while highlighting the distinctions that shape the overall message.

The plan begins by overlapping:

• Matthew (Gospel of the Kingdom),
• Romans (foundational Pauline doctrine), and
• Acts (historical transition narrative).

This reflects the diagram’s assertion that Matthew–John represent the earthly “Kingdom of Heaven on Earth”, Romans–Philemon represent the “Dispensation of Grace”, and Acts is a “Transition Between the Gospels.”

As the readings progress:

• Mark is paired with the Corinthian and early Pauline corpus.
• Luke is paired with Galatians → Ephesians → Philippians → Colossians → Thessalonians → Timothy.
• John is paired with the final epistles and Revelation.

This sequencing reinforces the interpretive claim that Paul’s writings define the operative doctrine for the Church Age (Dispensation of Grace).

The supporting timeline provided by JBC shows a strong commitment to a premillennial, dispensational eschatological model:

• A literal 1000-year Kingdom reign.
• A pre-tribulational rapture.
• A sharp distinction between Israel and the Church.
• A future 7-year tribulation period.
• Eternal destinies culminating in a New Heaven and New Earth.

Key chronological anchor points include:

• Law given at 1500 BC
• Crucifixion around 30 AD
• Destruction of the Temple at 70 AD
• Present “~2000 year” Dispensation of Grace

This timeline directly shapes the reading plan by pre-categorizing NT books according to dispensational boundaries.