ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD DISPENSATION
The English word dispensation is an anglicized form of the Latin dispensatio that the Vulgate (Vulgate, the authorized Latin version of the Bible. In the late fourth century, Pope Damasus commissioned Jerome to bring order to the existing Latin versions. The resulting translation was called the Vulgate (‘common text’)) uses to translate the Greek word. The Latin verb is a compound, meaning, "to weigh out or dispense." There are three principal ideas connected with the meaning of the English word:
1. The action of dealing out or distributing.
2. The action of administering, ordering, or managing the system by which things are administered.
3. The action of dispensing with some requirement.
The same dictionary adds that a dispensation is "a stage in a progressive revelation, expressly adapted to the needs of a particular nation or period of time, also, the age or period during which a system has prevailed.
The Greek word oikonomia comes from the verb, which means to manage, regulate, administer, and plan. The word itself is a compound whose parts mean literally "to divide, apportion, administer or mange the affairs of an inhabited house." In recovered ancient papyri of the times the officer (oikonomos) who administered a dispensation was referred to as a steward or manager of an estate, or as a treasurer.
SCRIPTURAL USE OF THE WORD DISPENSATION
A. Usage of the word
The various forms of the word dispensation are used in the New Testament twenty times. The verb oikonomeo is used once in Luke 16:2 where it is translated "management." The noun oikonomos is used ten times (Luke 12:42; 16:1, 3, 8; Rom 16:23; 1 Cor 4:1, 2; Gal 4:2; Titus 1:7; 1 Pet 4:10)
Luke 16:2 (NIV)
So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.
Luke 12:42 (NIV)
The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time?
Luke 16:1 (NIV)
Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.
Luke 16:3 (NIV)
“The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg
Luke 16:8 (NIV)
“The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.
Romans 16:23 (NIV)
Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings. Erastus, who is the city’s director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings.
1 Corinthians 4:1-2 (NIV)
So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.
Galatians 4:2 (NIV)
He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father.
Titus 1:7 (NIV)
Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.
1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
The noun oikonomia is used nine times (Luke 16:2, 3, 4: 1 Cor 9:17; Eph 1:10; 3:2, 9: Col 1:25; 1 Tim 1:4)
Luke 16:2-4 (NIV)
So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’
“The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.
1 Corinthians 9:17 (NIV)
If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.
Colossians 1:25 (NIV)
I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—
Ephesians 1:10 (NIV)
to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
Ephesians 3:2 (NIV)
Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you,
Ephesians 3:9 (NIV)
and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.
1 Timothy 1:4 (NIV)
nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work—which is by faith.
As always all quotes are The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Zondervan
Let's look at some of the features that are associated with the word itself. In Jesus' teachings around this word in Luke 12 and 16 there are, in both cases, the management of a household by a steward, but the parable in Luke 16 gives some important characteristics of a stewardship or dispensational arrangement. They are:
1. Basically there are two parties. The one whose authority it is to delegate duties and the one whose responsibility it is to carry out these duties.
2. There are specific responsibilities. In the parable the steward failed in his duties.
3. Accountability is required as well as responsibility. A steward may be called on the carpet to give an account at any time. Accountability is required and expected.
4. A change may be made at any time by the Master at any time that there is found unfaithfulness in the existing administration.
Paul's teachings on this subject will bring us some more characteristics that we need to look at. They are:
1. God is the one to whom men are responsible. (1 Cor 4: 1,2; Titus 1:7)
2. Faithfulness is required of those to whom a dispensational responsibility is given (1 Cor 4:2).
3. A stewardship may end at an appointed time (Gal 4:2) Change due to different purpose.
4. Dispensations are connected with the mysteries of God (1 Cor 4:1; Eph 3:2; Col 1:25) with specific revelations from God.
5. Dispensation and age are connected ideas (Eph 3:9) but the words are not interchangeable.
Putting all of this together it is clear that the definition should involve the ideas of a definite time period, stewardship, administration, oversight or management of others' property. It should involve responsibility, accountability, and faithfulness on the part of the steward. A dispensation is basically the arrangement involved, not the time involved. But a dispensation does last a certain amount of time.
A short definition of a dispensation is this: A dispensation is a distinguishable economy in the outworking of God's purpose. Part of the description of a dispensation would include other things such as: distinctive revelation, testing, failure, and judgment. By using the word economy, we stay closer to the original biblical meaning and the word suggests that as the dispensations change they may or may not retain characteristics of the previous economy. By using the phrase outworking of God's purpose, it tells us that it is up to God to change the dispensations or economies because this is His "household".
Once more with feeling Charles Ryrie says:
“Dispensationalism views the world as a household run by God. In His household-world God is dispensing or administering its affairs according to His own will and in various stages of revelation in the passage of time. These various stages mark off the distinguishably different economies in the outworking of His total purpose, and these different economies constitute the dispensations. The understanding of God’s differing economies is essential to a proper interpretation of His revelation within those various economies.”
I know this is all so riveting you have probably lost the original question. “What the heck does this have to do with the last days?” Well, patience grasshopper, and if you can’t be patient how about a little tolerance? It is coming, but first we are actually going to talk about some of the Dispensations. Next.
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