The members of the Body of Christ are students and teachers of dispensational truth as led by “the Spirit of the truth” (John 16:13). The Scriptures are interpreted using the literal approach while making allowances for figures of speech, symbolism and types as well as noting the history and geography. The dispensation of “all truth” is given only by the Spirit of truth and given only to those chosen by God (Eph 1:4). A secret dispensation was given by revelation solely to the Apostle Paul (Eph 3:3) by the Holy Spirit for a specific and separate ministry to the chosen Body of Christ after Acts 28:28 (Eph 3:7-9; Col 1:25-26).

“Dispensation” is the English translation of the Greek form oikonomia which defines the act of administering, and is a compound made up of oikos (a house) and nemo (to dispense), and means to deal out as a steward or housekeeper. Oikonomia is found nine times in the New Testament (Luke 16:2,3,4; 1 Co 9:17, Eph 1:10, 3:2,9; Col 1:25; 1 Tim 1:4). Dispensational truth is the pinnacle of the glory of Christ Jesus our Lord and our Saviour in His present rightful position as the Head of the Body.

Therefore, by “dispensational truth” we mean that particular revelation of God’s will to man during some particular administration or economy, and specially appertaining thereto. Undispensational teaching introduces into a new administration certain things that were obtained under a previous administration that have become obsolete. Likewise, undispensational teaching can attempt to transplant a truth of a new administration back into a previous administration. The teaching peculiar to one administration has been imported into another and differing administration, where the conditions of divine dealing render the practical application of such teaching quite inadmissible. On the other hand, certain applications and inspirations can be gleaned from other administrations and certain doctrines can transcend more than one administration which are admissible.

A major change took place at the end of The Acts that necessitated Paul to write a second set of seven epistles. This pertains to the only dispensation of God that was kept a secret until Israel rejected Christ as their promised Messiah (Acts 28:24-27). The Apostle Paul warns us in his exposition of this present dispensation, the mystery of the Body of Christ, “that we may approve the things that are excellent (discern the things that bear apart)” (Phil 1:10) and to “rightly divide the word of truth” (given by the Spirit of the truth)(2 Tim 2:15). We must not try to join together, mix, or equate that which God has borne apart.

The correct interpretation of the Bible takes note of the people to whom it is addressed and the background or need that called for its writing.  The whole set-up of Christendom with its sects and divisions from century one onward could not have developed as it has done if Christians had adhered to Paul’s warnings in handling of the Scriptures. Otherwise, the seven “unities” of Ephesians Chapter 4 would have been claimed by all believers from then to this day.

Because some have misunderstood or abused the word “dispensation”, this does not justify the rejection of dispensational truth as error or heresy. Dispensational truth is the “meat” of the word which is merely advanced truth for the mature and leads them on to perfection (He 5:11-6:3; Eph 4:12-13; Col 2:28).

Excerpts from Foundations of Dispensational Truth by E.W. Bullinger, Dispensational Truth by CH. Welch, and Interpretation of the Scriptures by Stuart Allen