If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which is given me to you-ward. Ephesians 3:2
When I was a young Christian, several of us were given an assignment to study the dispensations as outlined in Scripture. We learned, not just the names of the dispensations, but what was involved with each dispensation, and the period of history that each dispensation covered. If I was given a test on the subject now, I would probably fail. I know somebody else who would fail, too; just about everybody else in our Assembly. And it hasn’t been that long since Albert Hull gave us a week of ministry on the dispensations! There seems to be a growing tendency these days for Christians to know less and less about the fundamentals of our Bibles.
Some of the older preachers, like the late Albert Ramsay, used to go over and over the fundamentals, rehearsing basic Bible doctrines, the foundational truths of the faith, and the basics of New Testament Assembly principles. They knew the importance of giving the saints a good foundation of Scripture knowledge. And they worked hard to impress the importance of that foundation on the hearts of young believers. I also remember in the early days, we used to play Bible games, which reinforced on our minds the facts and personalities of Scripture. What the Bible said was important, and we challenged each other on what we discovered within its covers. This should be encouraged among us these days.
Why is it important to know about the dispensations? We need to be prepared for the challenges from those who would deny these truths. Even among so-called evangelical Christians, there are more rapture denyers than we realize. Some who follow the Reformed doctrine, for example, deny much of dispensationalism, including the truth about the Rapture. Christians who enjoy the music of the Gaithers, and even attend their concerts are often not aware that these musicians do not hold to much of the truth that is precious to us. Unless we have a firm foundation of truth – firm enough that we can explain a doctrine when a stranger asks – we can get carried away by those who hold unscriptural positions.
Paul speaks in our text of the dispensation of grace. this is an amazing period of earth’s history because it allows those of us who would have been alienated in the other dispensations to be brought into the heavenly relationship with our Lord. Again, it is important for Christians to appreciate this dispensation, and to know how it differs from the others.
Can you name the dispensations? Can you explain why the dispensation of grace is important to Gentiles like us? -Jim MacIntosh