A study of the word "dispensation" according to the 1611 King James Bible
More than once, I have been asked to explain the meaning of the word "dispensation," which is found 4 times in the 1611 King James Bible, in: 1 Corinthians 9:17, Ephesians 1:10, Ephesians 3:2 and Colossians 1:25. So, what does the Bible tells us about the word "dispensation" in these verses? Paul tells us from:
Ephesians 3:1-5 "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 to you-ward: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;"
The “dispensation” of the grace of God which was given to Paul for the sake of every born again believer is explained in verse 3: how that God by revelation has made known unto him the mystery, that he should write afore in few words, that when we read, we may understand his knowledge in the mystery of Christ which was not made known to the sons of men in time past, but it now made known unto the holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit of God.
dispensation (n.)
late 14c., dispensacioun, "power to dispose of," also "act of dispensing or dealing out," also "a relaxation of the law in some particular case," from Old French despensacion (12c., Modern French dispensation) and directly from Latin dispensationem (nominative dispensatio) "management, charge," noun of action from past-participle stem of dispensare "disburse, administer, distribute (by weight)" (see dispense). Related: Dispensational.
Theological sense "method or scheme by which God has developed his purposes and revealed himself to man" (late 14c.) is from the use of the Latin word to translate Greek oikonomoia "office, method of administration" (see economy). Hence "particular period during which a religious system has prevailed" (1640s), with Patriarchal, Mosaic, Christian, etc. Also "a particular distribution (for good or ill) by divine providence" (1650s).
Source: https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=dispensation
Simply said, dispensation has to do with how the knowledge in the mystery of Christ was to be distributed unto the body of believers. Dispensation is the method or scheme by which God has developed his purposes and revealed himself unto man. It has to do with the method of dispensing the knowledge of the mystery of Christ in written form, and that’s how the epistles of the apostles, including the book of Revelation, got appended into the canon of the Holy Bible, making a total of 66 books. Consider the next passage of scripture:
1 Corinthians 9:16-18 "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! 17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. 18 What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel."
Now that we are clear on the meaning of a “dispensation” from Ephesians 3:1-5, consider this passage of scripture where the word “dispensation” was mentioned once again. Paul calls it a “dispensation of the gospel” in verse 17. Well, if dispensation refers to the method or scheme by which the knowledge of the mystery of Christ was dispensed, then a dispensation of the gospel means the same thing. It is how the mystery of the knowledge of Christ was to be dispensed in written form, and this burden was committed unto Paul and other apostles chosen of the LORD by God. Paul asked the question in verse 18 “What is my reward then?” for the work that he was chosen to undertake. Then he went on to explain how he may make the gospel of Jesus Christ “without charge:” how his knowledge of the mystery of Christ would be made into copies and distributed freely to the body of Christ. Consider the next passage of scripture:
Ephesians 1:9-10 "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:"
The “mystery of his will” in verse 9 is the mystery of Christ as in other passages of scripture concerning “dispensation.” It is the good pleasure of God that the mystery of Christ be made known as he hath purposed in himself, that in the distribution of the knowledge (dispensed in written form) of the mystery of Christ, he might gather together all things in Christ in the fulness of time, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, in one body of Christ. Consider the last passage of scripture with respect to the word “dispensation:”
Colossians 1:25-26 "Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; 26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:"
Verse 25 tells us that Paul was made a minister according to the “dispensation of God” which was given to him for the sake of every born again believer. It is exactly like Ephesians 3:2 which says “If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:” That is to say, Paul was made a minister according to how the knowledge of the mystery of Christ was to be distributed (dispensed) which was given him of God for the believers, to fulfil the word of God. Verse 26 goes on to explain how the mystery of Christ hath been hid from ages and from generations, but is now made manifest (in written form) unto the body of Christ (saints).
The Seven Dispensations, by CI Scofield
The Scriptures divide time (by which is meant the entire period from the creation of Adam to the "new heaven and a new earth" of Rev. 21: 1) into seven unequal periods, usually called dispensations (Eph. 3:2), although these periods are also called ages (Eph. 2:7) and days, as in "day of the Lord."
These periods are marked off in Scripture by some change in God's method of dealing with mankind, or a portion of mankind, in respect of the two questions: of sin, and of man's responsibility. Each of the dispensations may be regarded as a new test of the natural man, and each ends in judgment, marking his utter failure in every dispensation. Five of these dispensations, or periods of time, have been fulfilled; we are living in the sixth, probably toward its close, and have before us the seventh, and last: the millennium.
Source: https://bibleportal.com/sermon/CI-Scofield/the-seven-dispensations
According to CI Scofield, the entire history of mankind is divided into 7 periods of time which he referred to as "dispensations." Why 7 periods? Why not 3? Why not 5? Why not 6 or 8? How did Scofield arrive at the number 7? This alone should have already raised a red flag in the mind of a spiritually-discerning believer. Scofield then proceeded to define in his own words what a "dispensation" is. According to CI Scofield, 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. Seven such dispensations are distinguished in Scripture…" — Scofield's note at Genesis 1:28
So, as truly born again believers capable of understanding scripture, comparing spiritual things with spiritual, we know that the definition of "dispensation" according to CI Scofield is not even remotely close to the Bible’s definition of the word, that is, the method or scheme of dispensing the knowledge of the mystery of Christ. Dispensation has nothing to do with some sort of divine plan whereby God does different things to men separated by different times based on different sets of rules tailored for different ages. It was God's method of dispensing the revelation of the mystery of Jesus Christ by the apostles to the body of believers in written form to be appended to the rest of the scriptures, making a total of 66 books in the canon of the Holy Bible according to his divine purpose. Therefore, it was CI Scofield who hijacked the word “dispensation” and ascribed to it a different meaning.
"Who is a liar?"
1 John 2:22 "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son."
CI Scofield was a liar and a false teacher who had perverted the words of the LORD by introducing confusion through corruption of the word "dispensation" and subscribed to it a foreign meaning that has no place in the inerrant and immutable word of God. It could be anything according to the vain imaginations of men. He was an antichrist who was opposed to Christ, while being not openly opposed, but rather a deceiver and a counterfeit.