Dispensations - what are they?

[mrs]

Someone the other day was telling me that it would be very bad if I believed in dispensations. And I was like, well I don't know if I believe them - do I? I remember hearing that we live in the 'dispensation of grace' or something - but what does this mean, and why are people disagreeing over it?Thoughts/comments would be appreciated.Thanx

[hmh]

Administration. We live in the Administration of Grace. It's a translation issue into English.

[Leonard]

As commonly taught today, they are an invention of man, and the false doctrine was only taught starting in the early 1800's.

[Guest Enchiridion]

This is a long document, but page 4 will answer your question; Eschatology and Milllennialism

God bless,

Enchiridion

[amazingrace]

the American Heritage Dictionary defines dispensation: 1. the act of distribution, apportionment 2. something that is dispensed, or given out. 3. a specific arrangement or system by which something is dispensed, or given out. 4. any exemption or release from an obligation 5 a)an exemption from a church law, a vow, or similar obligation granted in a particular case by an ecclesiastical authority b) the document containing this exemption 6. Theology: a) the divine ordering of worldly affairs b) a religious system or code of commands considered to have been divinely revealed or appointed

[Guest]

Someone the other day was telling me that it would be very bad if I believed in dispensations. And I was like, well I don't know if I believe them - do I?

[mrs]

Hmmm.... thanks for the nice article omegs.It looks like a complicated topic. , but it appears I don't believe dispensationalism then lol. Thanx for taking the time to write that up.

Edited May 13, 2005 by smiles

[EricH]

I fall into what most people would call the covenantal side of the equation as opposed to the dispensational. Here is my understanding

1. I understand God's dealings with humans to be in the form of a Covenant of Promise. The heart of this promise is three-fold:

a. Landedness (security and rest)

b. Fruitfulness (or offspring)

c. Blessing

This central promise was first articulated in Genesis 12:1-2 to Abraham:

Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing;

This central promise is still in effect for the people of God.

2. The way individuals entered into this promisary covenant has always been by faith (Genesis 15:6):

Then he (Abraham) believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.

Abraham's faith was that God would bless all the nations through his seed. We know that seed Jesus through whom all people groups have been blessed.

3. Once an individual has entered into the promisary covenant, he is maintained in that covenant by an administrative covenant that delineates the terms of the covenant and how it could be broken by the individuals:

So, for example:

1. Abraham was brought into right relationship with God by faith. Abraham believed that God was able and would keep his primises was them maintained in right relationship by obeying God's commandments (circumcision etc).

2. The same is true for us today. Our faith now looks back at the accomplished work of the redeemer. We are brought into the promise based on faith in the work that Jesus did. The administrative covenant we are under is the new covenant which writes the law onto our hearts.

So, men and women have always been brought into right relationship to God through faith in God's promise of a redeemer. They were maintained in that relationship based on different administrative covenants that stipulated how the covenant could be broken. For us today we have eternal security, because the administrative covenant we are under declares that the law is now written on our hearts and not on stone. We are one people of God. As Paul states in Romans, the gentiles have now been grafted in