Just what IS a "DISPENSATION?" It IS a biblical word...

The Dispensation of God

While the principles of God have to do with His CHARACTER and His NATURE, the dispensations of God concern His DEALINGS with those under Him, especially with man. Many people have been frightened away from dispensationalism by the length of the word itself, especially since some who seek to rightly divide the Word have been called UNTRADISPENSATIONALISTS! The root of this long word, however, has a very simple meaning, for the word DISPENSE means simply TO DEAL OUT. The word DISPENSATION, then, means THE ACT OF DISPENSING OR DEALING OUT, or, THAT WHICH IS DISPENSED OR DEALT OUT.

There are medical DISPENSARIES, for example, where medicines are DISPENSED to the poor. Sometimes these DISPENSATIONS are conducted on a particular day of each week. Now such a dispensation of medicine may take a full twelve hours each week, but it does not follow from this that a dispensation of medicine is a period of twelve hours. Yet there are some who, when they think of dispensations, can think of nothing but periods of time! Indeed, one of the greatest Bible teachers of the past generation defined a dispensation as follows: "A dispensation is a period of time during which man is tested in respect of obedience to some specific revelation of the will of God."

This is incorrect, for a dispensation IS NOT a period of time but THE ACT OF DEALING OUR or THAT WHICH IS DEALT OUT. The Bible teacher referred to above undoubtedly meant that a dispensation COVERS a period of time.

The word DISPENSATION is not a mere theological term. It is used many times in the Bible, though not always translated thus. In Ephesians 3:2, Paul writes about "THE DISPENSATION OF THE GRACE OF GOD, WHICH IS GIVEN ME TO YOU-WARD." Just as the dispensation of the law was committed to Moses (John 1:17) so the dispensation of the Grace of God was committed to Paul.

The basic meaning of the original word for DISPENSATION (Oikonomia) is HOUSE MANAGEMENT, though its usage conforms closely to the English word, dispensation. Sometimes this word is translated STEWARDSHIP in the A.V. Bible. This is interesting because the word STEWARD (Oikonomos), rather than meaning SERVANT, as some suppose means HOUSE MANAGER. The steward was HEAD servant, the one into whose hands the management of the house was committed. He dealt out the money for the household necessities, dispensed the food and clothing to the servants and children, paid the wages, etc. All was entrusted to him to dispense faithfully and wisely. He was the appointed DISPENSER of his Lord's goods and of the business of the household. (Eliezer and Joseph were such stewards -Genesis 15:2; 24:2; & 39:4).

We read in Luke 12:42, "AND THE LORD SAID, WHO THEN IS THAT FAITHFUL AND WISE STEWARD (Oikonomos) WHOM HIS LORD SHALL MAKE RULER OVER HIS HOUSEHOLD, TO GIVE THEM THEIR PORTION OF MEAT IN DUE SEASON?"

In Luke 16:1-2 we have the same idea: "AND HE SAID ALSO UNTO HIS DISCIPLES, THERE WAS A CERTAIN RICH MAN, WHICH HAD A STEWARD; AND THE SAME WAS ACCUSED UNTO HIM THAT HE HAD WASTED HIS GOODS AND HE CALLED HIM, AND SAID UNTO HIM HOW IS IT THAT I HEAR THIS OF THEE? GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF THEY STEWARDSHIP; FOR THOU MAYEST BE NO LONGER STEWARD."

In First Corinthians 9:16-17, this same word is again translated DISPENSATION, but once more it conveys the same idea: "FOR THOUGH I PREACH THE GOSPEL, I HAVE NOTHING TO GLORY OF: FOR NECESSITY IS LAID UPON ME; YEA; WOE IS UNTO ME IF I PREACH NOT THE GOSPEL. FOR IF I DO THIS THING WILLINGLY, I HAVE A REWARD; BUT (even) IF AGAINST MY WILL (I must do it, for ) A DISPENSATION OF THE GOSPEL IS COMMITTED TO ME."

Note that in each of these cases the idea of RESPONSIBILITY is involved. It was "A FAITHFUL" and "WISE" steward the Lord sought to set over his household. Necessity, or responsibility, was laid upon Paul because "A
DISPENSATION 0F THE GOSPEL" had been committed to him.

One of the clearest passages of all in this connection is found in First Corinthians 4:1-2, where the Apostle Paul says, "LET A MAN SO ACCOUNT OF US AS OF THE MINISTERS (servants) OF CHRIST AND STEWARDS (dispensers) OF THE MYSTERIES OF GOD, MOREOVER, IT IS REQUIRED IN STEWARDS THAT A MAN BE FOUND FAITHFUL."

Let us get this meaning of the word DISPENSATION clearly fixed in our minds. When we see that a dispensation involves RESPONSIBILITY rather than merely denoting a period of time, we will, if sincerely desirous to be in the will of God, seek to understand clearly and to carry out faithfully, the dispensation of the grace of God committed to us.