Search results for: Dispensations

DISPENSATIONS

A system of order for a household by which the steward dispenses rules and provides for the household according to the owner’s requirements.

God uses dispensation to show something to human about humans

Definition of a Dispensation

“Dispensation” comes from a Greek word that is a combination of the words “house” and “law”. It is the standard by which a household is managed.

Dispensation is not unique to Scripture. The concept of a steward running a household by the standards that the master sets are well recorded in human history, dating back thousands of centuries. Today we do not tend to use the word “dispensation”, rather, we express the same concept by “administration”. Scripture uses this well-known concept of a dispensations (administration) to reveal to us what God is doing and how to properly discern the standards God has set for the household we are in, which is the household of Grace.

Biblical Evidence for Dispensations

Biblical Requirements for a Dispensation

Scripture defines what a dispensation is and gives us the standard by which we can discern all of the dispensations that are revealed by God. Scripture specifically states two of the dispensations, the dispensation of grace, and the dispensation of the fullness of times. Along with these two dispensations, when we examine how the concept of a stewardship works in Scripture and history we are provided with a solid foundation for the requirements for any dispensation. Applying these standards will result in a proper understanding of the dispensations revealed in Scripture.

All dispensations must have:

• An owner of the household

[…]

Stewardship and Dispensations:

The Significance of Οικονομός and Οικονομία

The sixty-six books of the Bible span thousands of years of human history and beyond. They begin before God created man and end with the creation of new heavens and a new earth where righteousness settles down and feels at ease^[1]. Within the pages of the Bible, we see changes in God’s relationship and standard for mankind and the failure of mankind to live up to God’s expectation, which ultimately brings judgment. In the Garden of Eden, Adam was not allowed to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil^[2]. Upon eating the fruit from this tree, his spirit was separated from God^[3], he became subject to physical death, and he was expelled from the garden^[4]. Having been expelled from the garden, God’s expectation for humans was for them to properly govern the manner of their lives by the knowledge of good and evil, now that they possessed it. However, again, men failed, and God judged the earth by bringing a flood^[5]. After the flood, God instructed Noah that men are to govern themselves and that capital punishment is to be implemented^[6]. Again, men fail to follow God’s instruction, reject God, and seek their own way. Therefore, God brought judgment and forced man to separate and spread across the earth^[7]. This judgment brought about multiple languages and the division of the continents, which caused man to spread out across the earth^[8].  Having scattered man across the face of the earth, God then approaches Abram and ultimately offers him four covenants^[9]. These covenants included a promise of land that Abraham and his descendants […]

Future Events

The Rapture

The Rapture is the next event in the prophetic calendar.¹ This is the snatching away of the church.² At the end of the Dispensation of Grace, the Church will be snatched away by Christ and presented before the Father.³ At this time all believers who are a part of the Body of Christ will be resurrected and receive their full redemption (Spirit, soul and body). The believers that have not physically died at this time will pass over death and receive their resurrected body and the redemption of their soul with the believers that are resurrected from the dead.⁴ This event may happen at any moment. The Scriptures do not elaborate on the exact time when this will happen, except for stating that it will be prior to the tribulation.⁵

The Tribulation Period

This is a seven year period of time that follows the snatching away of the Church. During this time, the Dispensation of Law is judged and the wrath of God is poured out upon the earth. This will fulfill the prophecy of the seventieth week in Daniel 9. The beginning of this time is marked by the signing of a seven year covenant of peace with Israel.⁶

The Second Coming of Christ

Christ will physically return in judgment to the earth at the end of the Tribulation Period and set up His kingdom on earth for one thousand years.⁷

Satan and the Fallen Angels

Satan will be bound for a thousand years at the beginning of the […]

The Church (The Assembly belonging to God)

The Church

The Church is made up of those who are in the body of Christ¹. The Church began on the Day of Pentecost². The Church is only for those who are of the Dispensation of Grace³. Christ is the Head and the saints are the Body⁴. Through the Church, God shows to the principalities and powers His manifold wisdom⁵.

The Purpose of the Local Church

A quality of the body of Christ is represented in the gathering together of the saints. The purpose of the assembling of the saints in a local church is to teach, and edify the saints⁶. Each local church body is autonomous in its daily affairs⁷.

Membership in the Local Church

Only those who base their salvation on Christ’s death for their sins and resurrection from the dead three days later and have been baptized (immersed) in water are eligible to become members of a local church

Leadership Positions in the Local Church:

Bishop

The Bishop or Pastor is a male who has been given the Spiritual gift of pastor even teacher gift and qualifies according to Scripture for the office⁸. This position is to guide, feed and guard the local assembly. The leadership of the Bishop is solely in the realm of teaching and therefore has no right to govern over the local church

The Bible (Holy Scriptures)

Origin

The original manuscripts of Scripture are God breathed; The Holy Spirit bore along and enabled men to write the Scriptures. Every word, thought and concept in the original text of Scripture is verbally and plenarily inspired ¹. The books that were written through men by the bearing along of the Holy Spirit, are the 66 books comprising of the Old and New Testament which books constitute the entire written revelation from God.

Dispensation and Ages

When the Scriptures are taken literally, they teach of ages and seven dispensations ².

An age is a period in which God shows something about Himself to intelligent beings.

A dispensation is a period of time in which God shows something to mankind about man.

Purpose

The Scriptures are profitable for doctrine to be learned but not practiced, reproof, correction, and instruction (child training) in righteousness for the man of God ³. (Scripture contains information for the man of God to learn from and doctrine to live by.)