887. Misunderstandings About "The Dispensation of Grace"

The phrase “dispensation of grace” found in some Bible translation such as the KJV and NKJV in Ephesians chapter 3 is often misunderstood to mean an age where grace is poured out for a period of time. It is also considered by some that the dispensation of grace is meant for Gentiles, while the New Covenant was meant for the Jews only. We’ll look at this passage in context to break down what the word dispensation means in the original language and why it is found in many translations as stewardship.

Paul was referring to a stewardship of grace that was given to him to help reveal a mystery that had been hidden in previous generations … and that mystery is that Gentiles would be fellow heirs with the Jews as was explained in the earlier part of the book of Ephesians. Paul preached the gospel to both groups, because everyone is justified in the same way—by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law—a ministry that Jesus abolished and tore down. The grace of God is not a temporary period of time in history … it is eternal.

There were even those named as apostles who were advocating for a gospel catering to Jews and another for Gentiles. Paul came along with a revelation on how the establishment of a New Covenant by Jesus resulted in a bringing together of these two groups—not a separation with different gospel messages. And the obsolete and abolished law would have nothing to do with the one gospel message to be ministered to all people.



   
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