Q-A: What is the Real Meaning of a Dispensation?
Q-A: What is the Real Meaning of a Dispensation? It's not a period of time. It's a way of life. In the scripture below, Paul clearly writes of the start of a new dispensation; how that the mystery (that he writes about) will cause a new way of life for those who come in under its new guidelines. Note that it's the guidelines that defines the dispensation. It has nothing to do with an age, or a period or a duration of time. Eph.3:1-7 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— 2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery [a new pattern of living] * ..., 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Sp