What
Exactly Is A “Dispensation”?
By
Arthur J Licursi
In my writing I often refer to the
wonderful “dispensation
of the grace of God” in which we live and of which Paul wrote
here.
Ephesians
3:1-3 For this cause I
Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for
you Gentiles, 2 If ye
have heard of THE DISPENSATION OF
THE GRACE OF GOD which is given
me (Paul) to you-ward: 3 How
that by revelation he (Jesus) made
known unto me the mystery (secret plan); (as I wrote afore in few
words,
Many people have a mistaken idea that when
the Apostle Paul uses the word “dispensation”
he is only referring to a period of time. This is not correct. There is
much more to this word dispensation.
The word “dispense” simply
means “to deal out,” to “to
administer.” The word “dispensation,” then, means “the
act of dispensing, administering, or dealing out,” or
“that which is dispensed,
administered, or dealt out.”
This becomes clear when you consider this, taken
from Cornelius Stam.
“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. Such a dispensation of medicine may take a
full twelve hours each week, but it does not follow from this that a
dispensation is a period of twelve hours. It is rather the act of
dispensing or that which is dispensed.”
God committed to Paul, the
“Apostle to the Gentiles” (Act 11:13) His wonderful message
of pure grace for
Paul to dispense
to others, including us today. Thus here below we read Paul’s
stirring words, spoken in the face of persecution and death.
“But
none of these things move me, neither
count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course
with joy, AND THE MINISTRY WHICH I HAVE RECEIVED OF THE LORD JESUS,
TO TESTIFY THE GOSPEL OF THE
GRACE OF GOD.”
(Acts 20:24)
The “gospel”
or “good news” of “the
grace of God” is
the dispensation
committed to Paul for Paul to dispense
to us. Paul received this message directly from the crucified and ascended
Lord Jesus.
Galatians
1:12 (AMP) For indeed I
(Paul) did not receive
it (this gospel) from man, nor was I taught it, but
[IT CAME TO ME (PAUL)] THROUGH
A [DIRECT] REVELATION [GIVEN] BY JESUS CHRIST.
Today, God’s
pure unadulterated Grace
defines the believer’s
relationship with God. Grace, which is God
freely given unmerited favor, defines the gospel message that Paul
was given to dispense
to us.
Paul’s Christ-given
ministry and work was always to dispense
this glorious “gospel
of the grace of God.”
“Where
sin abounded GRACE did much more abound... the
forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His GRACE... justified
freely by His GRACE, through
the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus... by GRACE are ye saved, through faith… not of works”
(Rom.5:20; Eph.1:7; Rom.3:24; Eph. 2:8, 9).
Previously, there was a
time when “the Law” was
given to Moses (John 1:17) at Mount Sinai, about 1300 BC, for Moses to dispense
to the children of
Israel
. Paul says “The Law” was
for
Israel
but it is not for the
Gentiles in this age of “the
dispensation of the grace of God.
Romans
6:14b … for YE
ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW, BUT UNDER GRACE.
