What Is A Dispensation?

by J. Miller | Category: General | Sept 1960

The Greek word for dispensation is Oikonomia, which is a composite word, Oikos, a house, and Nemo, to administer (Nomos, law, is derived from Nemo). The word is first used in the New Testament in the story of the unjust steward, where it is rendered " stewardship (Luke 16. 2, 8, 4). The Greek word for steward is Oikonomos, which is used ten times in the New Testament. It is in Romans

16. 23 rendered "chamberlain", in A.V., but "treasurer", in R.V. Ordinarily the word Oikonomia was used of the work of a steward who managed the household affairs of a man of substance according as he was instructed by his master.

Besides the three times the word Oikonomia is used in Luke 16, we have six other portions in which the word is used in the New Testament :

"A dispensation (of the gospel) (stewardship, R.V.) is committed to me" (1 Corinthians 9.17).

"A dispensation of the fulness of the times " (Ephesians 1.10).

"The dispensation of that grace of God which was given me to you-ward" (Ephesians 3.2).

"The dispensation of the mystery " (Ephesians 3.0).

"The dispensation of God which was given me to you-ward" (Colossians 1.25).

"A dispensation of God (godly edifying, A.V.) which is in faith" (1 Timothy 1.4).

These are the only occasions in which the word Oikonomia is found in the New Testament, besides those in Luke 16.

First of all, a dispensation means how God has disposed of His affairs on earth, and some have thought that the word "economy," which is derived from the Greek word Oikonomia, is the nearest equivalent, in which the management of affairs, either private or public, is the chief thought. This management of His affairs God committed to men on earth, such as Paul and others, whom Paul describes as " ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God " (1 Corinthians 4. 1).

Paul in 1 Timothy 1.4 contrasts the present dispensation of God with that of the law. He tells us in Galatians 3.12, "The law is not of faith; but, He that doeth them shall live in them." Thus we have in 1 Timothy 1.4 "a dispensation of God which is in faith" set in contrast to the law, which the vain talkers tried to introduce, and to make the teaching of Christ one of law and grace, of faith and works, but which like oil and water would never mix.

This dispensation of God, which God had decided upon from eternal times, was given to Paul "to you-ward," that is, toward men who were Gentiles and not of the race of Israel. What was this ? We are told that it was " the mystery (or secret) which hath been hid from all ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to His saints, to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1.26, 27). These verses deal with similar truths to those of Ephesians 3.1-11. Israel, which was once in the place of privilege, as having been given the oracles of God and constituted His people by their confessed obedience thereto, after long and painful years of disobedience, finally rejected the Law-giver, and denied Him before the face of Pilate, who crucified Him on Golgotha. They were then cast off nationally until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in (Romans 11). Then fifty days after His resurrection, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was sent by the Son from the Father and the disciples were both baptized by the Lord in the Spirit into the Body of Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit. In addition to this the disciples collectively became the temple of God by the Spirit of God dwelling in their midst (1 Corinthians 3.16, 17; Ephesians 2. 21, 22), each assembly being together for a habitation of God in the Spirit. On the day of Pentecost this dispensation of grace began.

Paul's apostleship was principally toward the Gentiles. He said, I am an apostle of Gentiles" (Romans 11.13). God gave to him the dispensation (or stewardship) of the grace of God toward the Gentiles, to show to the Gentiles what was God's eternal purpose, that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and fellow-members of the Body, and fellow-partakers of the promises in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Paul's work was "to make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery which from all ages hath been hid in God who created all things." This secret hidden from all generations of men and from the angels in the past is now revealed to men and also to principalities and powers in heavenly places.

This dispensation of grace which began at Pentecost will continue until the last member of Christ's Body is baptized in the Holy Spirit into that Body, the Church, and then the Lord will come to present the Church to Himself, a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing (Ephesians 5.22-82). We cannot be too careful in our exposition of the Scriptures to teach clearly the unique character of this dispensation. The Church must never be confused with the nation of Israel. The Lord had not commenced to build the Church at the time of Matthew 16, which was just shortly before His death. He said, "Upon this Rock (Himself) I will build My Church" (verse 18), which clearly shows that He had not at that time made a start with the building of the Church. The building of the Church goes on by the Lord baptizing believers in the Spirit into the one Body (1 Corinthians 12.13).

After the period which intervenes between the Lord's coming to the air (1 Thessalonians 4.18-18) and His coming as the Son of Man to the earth in judgement, when His feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14.3, 4), the dispensation of the fulness of the times will begin, and will continue for a thousand years. That dispensation is characterized by God summing (or heading) up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth. Though the Lord has already all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28.18), and though the Father has delivered all things unto the Son (Matthew 11.27; John 13.8), we see not yet all things subjected to Him (Hebrews 2.8). But the day will come when He who is the Son of God and Son of Man will manifestly be seen to be in full control of all, for He must reign, till He hath put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be abolished is death (1 Corinthians 15. 24-28). Death will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20.14). When all has been made subject to Him, when He has completed the judgement of the great white throne, He, having cast the wicked into the lake of fire and brought all the righteous to eternal blessedness, shall then deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father. Then the dispensation of the fulness of the times will come to an end, and the day of eternity will run on in unruffled peace, which day is the day of God (2 Peter 3.12,13, 18, R.V. marg.). The day of the Lord Jesus, the day of Christ, the day of the Lord, and the day of God, though not all of the same duration, stretch out across the course of time and on into eternity.

J. Miller | Sept 1960
General