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"chamberlain of the city" and "governors" (I Cor. 4: 1, 2; Titus 1: 7; Rom. 16: 23 and
Gal. 4: 2). When we examine the composition of the Greek word oikonomia, or
oikonomos, we find that it is made up of oikos a house, and nomos from nemo "to
administer". The reader will recognize in the word "economy" the Greek word in
English dress. There is therefore in view in Eph. 1: 10 a stewardship which is there
defined as "the fullness of times". If we accept the Revised text we shall read at
Eph. 3: 9 oikonomia dispensation instead of koinomia "fellowship", and this reading has
all the best texts in its favour.
Accordingly, Ephesians speaks of a dispensation three times:
A dispensation or stewardship of the fullness of times (1: 10).
The dispensation or stewardship of the grace of God (3: 2).
The dispensation or stewardship of the mystery (3: 9).
In addition to this we must include the one reference in Colossians, where Paul says:
"Whereof I was made a minister according to the dispensation of God which is given
to me for you" (Col. 1: 25).
It is a well-known fact that Colossians supplements Ephesians, and these four
passages can be taken together.
A | A dispensation of the fullness of times,
according to His good pleasure, which He hath purposed in Himself.
B | The dispensation of the grace of God which is given to me to you-ward.
A | The dispensation of the mystery . . .
according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
B | The dispensation of God which is given to me for you.
If these four passages belong to the same subject, then we cannot use the term "the
fullness of times" as though it looked down the ages to the day when God should be all in
all, but that rather it refers to the dispensation of the mystery now obtaining. Let us
examine this expression. The word translated "fullness" is the Greek word pleroma, the
word "times" is the Greek word kairos. Pleroma, is a word of such significance that it
demands a treatise to itself, and a series of studies under the heading The Pleroma has
been prepared for The Berean Expositor. In Gal. 4: 4 we read of "the fullness of time"
when God sent forth His Son, but here the word "time" is chronos. Kairos means
"season" rather than "time", and in Eph. 2: 12 the beggary and degradation of the
Gentile "at that time" (kairos season) are placed in contrast with the fullness of blessing
that is theirs in this present season of grace. This word can be used of the "time" of
harvest (Matt. 13: 30) which cannot refer to the time of the clock but to the season. It is
used of the "time" of figs for the same reason. It is not without significance that where
Luke speaks of the "times" kairos of the Gentiles (Luke 21: 24), Paul speaks of the
"fullness" of the Gentiles (Rom. 11: 25). The great characteristic of this dispensation of
the fullness of the seasons is that then shall be gathered together in one all things in
Christ. In the many passages where we read "gather together" in the New Testament the
Greek word is ither episunago, sunago, sullego, or sunathroizo. Eph. 1: 10 uses a word