The Dispensation of the Grace of God

By Tammy Lacock

“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.” (Eph. 3:1-2, KJV) 

In Part 3 of Ephesians verses 1-2, Warren Litzman elaborates on Paul’s use of the word “prisoner” in verse 1 and the “dispensation of the grace of God” in verse 2.

He notes that Paul, as “the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles” is holding so tightly to this new gospel of Christ IN the believer, that he can do nothing else, he’s locked in. He’s a prisoner of Christ because there is nothing else for him to do, nothing more important, then to reveal this message from Christ Himself to the Gentiles. 

He goes on to explain the “dispensation of the grace of God.” Let’s first take a look at the definition or meaning of dispensation. It’s the ordering of the affairs of God, an arrangement, or favor as by God. A divinely appointed order or age, a new gospel, defined period or age to which God has allocated distinctive administrative principles. 

We can then say that the dispensation of the grace of God refers to a certain time or period. Warren explains that this “dispensation of the grace of God” that Paul emphasizes is a specific time, in which we are NOW living, when there is an exchange of the law of God for the Grace of God. Paul is revealing, for the first time, this new gospel of grace to the Gentiles. This gospel declares that Christ lives IN the born-again believer. He is our life now. We are no longer subject to the law anymore as we grow up IN CHRIST. 

In this dispensation, Warren notes that there are now only three races in the world: the Jews, the Gentiles and the New Creation Race. The spirit of every born-again believer in the New Creation race is joined to Christ and is one spirit. With Christ IN us, we are bona fide, direct offspring of our Heavenly Father.

Praise be to God for this dispensation that we now live in! Let us come together to pass on Paul’s new gospel of grace, that of Christ IN the believer, to every Gentile and Jew alike!