having predestined us for divine adoption as sons through Christ,..., to the grace of him, which has been freely given through the one beloved, in whom we have redemption through the blood of him, the forgiveness of sin, according to the riches of the grace of him, which he has lavished upon us... having made known the mystery...1
Paul writes that he was given a job to dispense a mystery,"that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,"2 Jesus said to the disciples, "This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand."3 Paul prays that their eyes will be opened and writes that, "having made known to us the mystery of His will... for the dispensation of the fullness of times... that he might gather together in one body all things in Christ, both in heaven and on earth... to be over all things to the Church which is his body, the fullness of Him, who fills all in all."
It was the works of Jesus that satisfied the requirements of a new covenant; his birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. It was at the right hand of God where he was given all authority on earth and in heaven, he as promised did not leave them as orphans but sent the Holy Spirit. Under the new, two become one. We were dead in trespasses and sin, but God who is rich in mercy, because of His great Love with which he loved us, even when we were dead, made us alive together in Christ Jesus. How did he do this, save us, make us alive? for by grace you are saved, made alive! "Indeed has appeared the Grace of God bringing salvation to all men."4 By Grace he raised us up together to sit in the heavenlies with Christ. He did so that in the ages to come, He might show the riches of His Grace, in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. "For by Grace have you been saved through faith..." not my doing lest I boast, it was a gift.5 He chose and prepared beforehand these works that I should walk in them. What did he prepare before hand that we should walk in, if not that which shows the riches of His kindness towards us in Christ Jesus?
I was an alien from the house of God, a stranger to the covenant of promise, to the inheritance as a son, having no hope and without God in the world. But through the blood of Christ I was brought near, adopted as a son. Christ made both one, abolishing the enmity, the middle wall of separation, the law of commandments contained in ordinances. He made peace so as to create one new man from the two, the Jew and Gentile he makes one. The law was weak in the flesh in regards to making both one, it created a separation, the circumcised from the uncircumcised, the clean from the unclean. But what the law could not do in that it was weak in the flesh, Christ did, he came to change the requirements for God's righteousness, this is the dispensation of Grace Paul speaks of. Through the cross, Christ abolished the law, putting to death the enmity, so that in one body he reconciles both to God. "For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father."6
Paul writes that by revelation God had made known to him this mystery, calling him to minister the gospel. However not only did God call him to minister the gospel but also to the dispensation of the grace of God. Now the gospel, quickly, is this mystery being made known, the good news that both are made one, this middle wall broken down, this enmity of the law defeated, the redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of trespass, so that all can be one in the fullness of His body, the Church. Jesus the Word that was in the beginning, prepared the way, is the way. Now God doesn't change, this mystery was being planned beforehand, it was His great love for us that brought in this new covenant, For by Grace are we saved.... through this Dispensation of Grace salvation is made possible. This word for dispensation is oikonomia and is often translated as administration, managing a household, or stewardship but it can also mean dispensation, and I believe this is the correct word for what God called Paul to do; the dispensation of Grace.
God's own working or exemption from a usual requirement is spoken of as dispensation.8 Easton writes that "there are usually reckoned three dispensations, the Patriarchal, the Mosaic or Jewish, and the Christian."9 Dispensation speaks more to God's new covenant, to new requirements, to the establishment of one people, two become one through his Spirit, and to the requirements of His Church, "which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way." This Dispensation of Grace speaks to the dispensing of a new covenant with exemptions to old requirements.9 And it speaks to both becoming one, a new man, a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit, a new family were we are adopted as members of his household, his Church, which rises to become a holy temple in the Lord, and is to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.10
This is good news, you "obtained an inheritance when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation in whom you believed you were sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise."11
Same Power
Paul writes that he was given a job to dispense a mystery,"that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,"2 Jesus said to the disciples, "This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand."3 Paul prays that their eyes will be opened and writes that, "having made known to us the mystery of His will... for the dispensation of the fullness of times... that he might gather together in one body all things in Christ, both in heaven and on earth... to be over all things to the Church which is his body, the fullness of Him, who fills all in all."
It was the works of Jesus that satisfied the requirements of a new covenant; his birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. It was at the right hand of God where he was given all authority on earth and in heaven, he as promised did not leave them as orphans but sent the Holy Spirit. Under the new, two become one. We were dead in trespasses and sin, but God who is rich in mercy, because of His great Love with which he loved us, even when we were dead, made us alive together in Christ Jesus. How did he do this, save us, make us alive? for by grace you are saved, made alive! "Indeed has appeared the Grace of God bringing salvation to all men."4 By Grace he raised us up together to sit in the heavenlies with Christ. He did so that in the ages to come, He might show the riches of His Grace, in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. "For by Grace have you been saved through faith..." not my doing lest I boast, it was a gift.5 He chose and prepared beforehand these works that I should walk in them. What did he prepare before hand that we should walk in, if not that which shows the riches of His kindness towards us in Christ Jesus?
I was an alien from the house of God, a stranger to the covenant of promise, to the inheritance as a son, having no hope and without God in the world. But through the blood of Christ I was brought near, adopted as a son. Christ made both one, abolishing the enmity, the middle wall of separation, the law of commandments contained in ordinances. He made peace so as to create one new man from the two, the Jew and Gentile he makes one. The law was weak in the flesh in regards to making both one, it created a separation, the circumcised from the uncircumcised, the clean from the unclean. But what the law could not do in that it was weak in the flesh, Christ did, he came to change the requirements for God's righteousness, this is the dispensation of Grace Paul speaks of. Through the cross, Christ abolished the law, putting to death the enmity, so that in one body he reconciles both to God. "For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father."6
Paul writes that by revelation God had made known to him this mystery, calling him to minister the gospel. However not only did God call him to minister the gospel but also to the dispensation of the grace of God. Now the gospel, quickly, is this mystery being made known, the good news that both are made one, this middle wall broken down, this enmity of the law defeated, the redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of trespass, so that all can be one in the fullness of His body, the Church. Jesus the Word that was in the beginning, prepared the way, is the way. Now God doesn't change, this mystery was being planned beforehand, it was His great love for us that brought in this new covenant, For by Grace are we saved.... through this Dispensation of Grace salvation is made possible. This word for dispensation is oikonomia and is often translated as administration, managing a household, or stewardship but it can also mean dispensation, and I believe this is the correct word for what God called Paul to do; the dispensation of Grace.
God's own working or exemption from a usual requirement is spoken of as dispensation.8 Easton writes that "there are usually reckoned three dispensations, the Patriarchal, the Mosaic or Jewish, and the Christian."9 Dispensation speaks more to God's new covenant, to new requirements, to the establishment of one people, two become one through his Spirit, and to the requirements of His Church, "which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way." This Dispensation of Grace speaks to the dispensing of a new covenant with exemptions to old requirements.9 And it speaks to both becoming one, a new man, a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit, a new family were we are adopted as members of his household, his Church, which rises to become a holy temple in the Lord, and is to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.10
This is good news, you "obtained an inheritance when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation in whom you believed you were sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise."11
Same Power