THE DISPENSATION OF THE GRACE OF GOD

by K. R. Blades

We, today, live in “the dispensation of the grace of God” to us  Gentiles. This dispensation, or program, which God is now conducting is a  new program and it is different from His program with the nation of  Israel. In this present dispensation, God’s program with Israel is set  aside and remains temporarily in abeyance, and the “time past” status of  Israel being “nigh” to God and the Gentiles being “far off”, no longer  exists. (Romans 11:11 25; Ephesians 2:11 22) According to the apostle  Paul in Ephesians 3:1 6, the revelation of this present dispensation, or  program, was something God first made known and committed unto him.

“For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you  Gentiles, if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which  is given me to you ward: how that by revelation he made known unto me  the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye  may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 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; that the Gentiles should  be fellow heirs, and of the same body and partakers of his promise in  Christ by the gospel:”

This present dispensation is something which was a “mystery” before.  God kept it secret unto Himself in ages and generations past, and it  wasn’t known about before or anticipated. Not until God raised up the  apostle Paul and revealed unto him the “mystery of Christ”, was this new  dispensation of Gentile grace ushered in.

It is extremely important that we understand the “mystery” character  of this present dispensation of the grace of God, and that we don’t make  unwarranted assumptions with the testimony of the word of God.  Unfortunately, two assumptions are commonly made by many Christians as  they handle the Scriptures, which are at variance with what God teaches  us through the apostle Paul.

On the one hand, often times it is assumed that the present  dispensation is the program which God has always had in effect. On the  other hand, the assumption is often made that even though the apostle  Paul says what he does about God committing to him the revelation of  this new program, it actually began before God raised up Paul. These are  two common assumptions, but they are actually misconceptions which  conflict with the testimony of Scripture and only lead to confusion and  error. That this present dispensation of Gentile grace has not always  been in effect, is evident from what the apostle Paul declares in  Ephesians 2:11 12.

“Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the  flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the  Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at that time ye were  without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and  strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God  in the world”

Obviously, Jew and Gentile have not always been on the same level in  God’s dealings. But rather, in “time past”, before God ushered in this  dispensation of His grace, we Gentiles were “far off”, “without Christ”,  and “without God in the world”. It is erroneous, therefore, to assume  that this dispensation of grace has always been in effect. In “time  past”, it wasn’t.

But it is just as erroneous to assume that this change in programs  was ushered in by God before He says it was. It is just taken for  granted by many that this dispensation of grace was in effect before God  raised up the apostle Paul, even though God has the apostle Paul  repeatedly declare how that God revealed it and committed it unto him.  (Eph. 3:1 12; Col. 1:25 27; Gal. 2:1 10;eg) The assumption is made that  the “time past” situation of Eph. 2:11 12 ended when the Lord was here  upon the earth, as recorded in the Gospel accounts. Or, at least, once  He had died upon the cross. But this, we suggest, is also a  misunderstanding, and it needs to be corrected.

THE RECORD OF THE GOSPELS

The testimony of the Gospel accounts is that the “time past”  situation of Eph. 2:11 12 WAS in effect when the Lord was here. And if  that is the case, then it is evident that God did not have this  dispensation of His grace in effect during the earthly ministry of our  Lord Jesus Christ.

God’s exclusive program with Israel was not only still in effect when  Christ was here, it was coming to its climax. Christ had come to be  Israel’s redeemer, and to provide for them to have their kingdom and so  be the blessing to the world God covenanted for them to be. Israel’s  exclusive “covenants of promise” were what everything focused upon. We  Gentiles were still “far off” at this time. God’s program was not the  dispensing of His grace to us Gentiles as it is today, but rather it was  His continued dealings with His people Israel. Consider, for example,  the following…

Luke 1:67-79 – This is a prophetic declaration made by John the  Baptist’s father at the time of John’s birth. Notice in verses 68 75  that he “blesses” God for what He was doing at this time. It is plain to  see from what Zacharias says that God was still dealing with Israel in  His special covenant relationship to them. Israel was preparing at this  time for the fulfillment of all the things God’s holy prophets had been  speaking about. They were preparing for God to “perform the mercy  promised unto the fathers” and “to remember His holy covenant which He  made with Abraham”. It is obvious from this that God at this time was  not bringing in a new dispensation of His grace for us Gentiles, which  was a “mystery”. Also, it is obvious, that Israel was not set aside at  this time.

Matthew 3:1-2; 4:17; Mark 1:14 15 – In these passages it is stated  that the gospel being preached at this time was “the gospel of the  kingdom”. This was the good news about the time being “fulfilled” and  the “kingdom of heaven being at hand”. That kingdom was what Israel was  waiting for in fulfillment of the Davidic covenant. (Luke 1:26 33; Isa.  9:6 7; Dan. 2:44)

It was what the prophets foretold would be established by the coming  of the Messiah, the son of David. It was the literal kingdom of the  Messiah brought down from heaven to be established in the land of  Israel. The prophet Daniel had prophesied the time at which it would  come, as recorded back in Dan. 2:44, and 9:24ff. Because the time which  Daniel had spoke of was just about completed, the kingdom of heaven was  being preached as being “at hand”. Again, it is obvious from this that  God’s special program and dealings with Israel were still in effect at  this time, and the “mystery” of the dispensation of Gentile grace was  not the issue.

Matthew 10:1-7; 15:21-28; Mark 7:24 30 – Here are some passages which  show us that the Lord’s ministry at this time was pointedly limited to  the people of Israel, and that the Gentiles were not to be dealt with.  Notice that the Lord’s commissioning of the 12 apostles involved giving  them the power to perform signs which testified to the reality of  Israel’s kingdom actually being “at hand”. But especially notice that  the Lord instructed the 12 not to preach to the Gentiles, or even to the  Samaritans, but they were to “go rather to the lost sheep of the house  of Israel”. This was so because it was Israel’s kingdom which was “at  hand”, and the program of God with them involved them receiving their  kingdom and glory first, and then for them to be the blessing to the  rest of the world in their kingdom. Just as the Lord told the Gentile  woman, He was sent “only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”, and  “the children” were to be filled “first”. We Gentiles were still “dogs”  and “far off” at this time. Again, it is evident the dispensation of  Gentile grace was not in effect at this time.

THE RECORD OF THE BOOK OF ACTS

Sometimes it is assumed that when the Lord Jesus was rejected and  crucified, that at this time God set Israel aside and ushered in this  present dispensation of His grace to us Gentiles. But it should be  equally obvious from the testimony of God’s word that this also is not  correct. The book of Acts, which records the things which took place  following Christ’s resurrection and ascension back to heaven, clearly  shows in the opening chapters that God continued to deal with Israel in  His special relationship to them. Israel’s kingdom program was still the  program God was administering. Consider, for example, the following…

Acts 1:6 – The question of the apostles at this time was a natural  one. The restoring again of the kingdom to Israel was what the program  was all about at this time. They had just spent some forty days being  instructed by the Lord following His resurrection, in “the things  pertaining to the kingdom of God”. What they had begun with the Lord was  continuing on. They didn’t expect things to change. They didn’t ask  about a new dispensation being brought in. And the Lord didn’t correct  them, which He would have done had they misunderstood what God was  doing.

Acts 2:1 40 – The miraculous wonder producing events of the day of  Pentecost are not explained by Peter to be the bringing in of a new  dispensation of God’s grace to the Gentiles. But rather, he explained  them to be the initial fulfillment of the things the prophet Joel had  spoken about. Joel prophesied about the things that would take place in  Israel’s “last days” leading up to the establishment of the kingdom.  Joel didn’t prophesy about a new dispensation, or the birthday of the  church, the body of Christ. He foretold the various signs and wonders  that would be taking place as Israel’s time schedule for her kingdom  entered its “last days”. “This is that” which was taking place on the  day of Pentecost.

Acts 3:12-26 – It is easy to see in view of what Peter says to the  people of Israel here, that their kingdom program is still in effect and  that God had not set them aside yet. Notice in verses 19 26, that Peter  urges them to respond positively to God’s extension of mercy unto them,  seeing they crucified their Christ in ignorance. But notice especially  that Peter tells them that they lived in the time which all the prophets  have looked forward to and foretold of. Peter doesn’t preach about a  new dispensation of Gentile grace. He doesn’t set forth “the preaching  of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery, which was  kept secret since before the world began”, as was committed by God to  Paul later on. But rather, he offers the prophesied kingdom to these  “men of Israel”, who were “the children of the prophets, and of the  covenant which God made with our fathers”. Obviously, Israel was not yet  set aside by God, and His program and dealings were still with them at  this time.

THE NEW APOSTLE PAUL

There is a need to recognize the significance of the Lord’s  unexpected returning from heaven to raise up a new apostle, as the 9th  chapter of the book of Acts tells us about. Though various reasons for  this have been taught by men, including laxity on the part of the 12 and  the like; the reason God Himself gives through the testimony of the  apostle Paul is entirely different.

This new apostle Paul is “the apostle of the Gentiles” in accordance  with the ushering in of the new “dispensation of the grace of God” to us  Gentiles, just as is taught in Ephesians 3:1 12. Israel, and her  program, have been temporarily set aside, as Paul teaches in Romans 11:1  25. God has now, according to the revelation of “the mystery of Christ”  given to Paul, turned to us Gentiles and is accomplishing a purpose He  has with us, which He kept secret “in ages and generations past.”

As Christians, we need to understand the distinctiveness of this new  dispensation, along with Paul’s apostleship. For it is in the epistles  of Paul, the “apostle of the Gentiles”, that we have the doctrine and  instructions from God which are expressly TO us and ABOUT us today.