Have YOU heard???

[Christine]

Ephesians 3:1-5


"For this cause, I paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, IF YE HAVE HEARD (the problem is that most people have never HEARD )of the Dispensation of the Grace of God which is given to me (Paul) for you; How that by revelation he made known unto me (implying it WASNT known to anyone before) the MYSTERY .....Whereby, when you read, you may understand MY KNOWLEDGE in the Mystery of Christ, which in other ages WAS NOT MADE KNOWN unto the sons of men but is NOW revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the SPIRIT."

Verse 2 says that the dispensation of grace was given to PAUL so that he could make itknown to others...Gentiles in particular.

One of the first things people will say when told that the dispensation of GRACE was given to the apostle Paul is, "others have spoken of grace before Paul". YES, that is true. Others HAVE spoken OF grace before Paul, but no one proclaimed the dispensation of GRACE before Paul.

One of the definitions of dispensation is a general state or ordering of things; Specifically a system of revealed commands or promises regulating human affairs.

In the OLD Testament, the Hebrew equivalent (mercy) to the word grace that Paul uses is found only 68 times and it is not always used to speak of Gods grace and it is never used to refer to the "dispensation of grace".

In Pauls writings the word "grace" and its derivatives are used more than 100 times. Since Pauls writings are not near as large as the OLD Testament writings , one can safely conclude that Paul has alot more to say about GRACE. It is important to note that the word used in Pauls writings is almost always used doctrinally., that is, in specific connection with the "dispensation of the grace of God"

Grace in general means undeserved favor, but the DISPENSATION of grace includes a way of DOING THINGS. The way we do things TODAY is found in the writings of the Apostle Paul in Romans thru Philemon.

[Christine]

Unbelievable that most professing christians have NOT heard, isn't it?

Have you ever wondered why this question was asked by Paul? It is still relevant today, isn't it? Look at how NOT KNOWING about the dispensation of the GRACE of God has negatively affected the church and her effectiveness in the world today.

Its kind of like NOT having the latest version of software. The old one seems to work OK, but when you get the new updated version, it works like it SHOULD work and only then do you realize what you were MISSING. Wink

[Christine]

I was a saved person for over 20 yrs before I heard......what about you? Do you have a "zeal for God but without knowledge?  Is this a new concept to you today?

Lets talk about it.