[xzins]

In 177 AD, which is, ummm, like 1833 years ago, Irenaeus wrote in 'Against Heresies (1.10) "What the church believes: One God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, who PROCLAIMED THROUGH THE PROPHETS THE DISPENSATONS OF GOD, and the advents, and the birth from a virgin, and the passion, and the resurrection from the dead, and the ascension into heaven in the flesh of the beloved Christ Jesus, our Lord, and His future manifestation from heaven." In addressing the teachings of an heretical sect called 'Montanists" (today we'd call them 'replacement theologians') Irenaeus wrote; "Montanists set at naught the gift of the Spirit, which in the latter times has been, by the good pleasure of the Father, poured out upon the human race, do not admit that aspect of the EVANGELICAL DISPENSATION presented by John's Gospel, in which the Lord promised that He would send the Paraclete (John 16); but set aside at once both the Gospel and the prophetic Spirit."

The heart of this article is the section regarding the early church fathers. These quotes, if they hold up in translation, are golden.

[The Theophilus]

The heart of this article is the section regarding the early church fathers. These quotes, if they hold up in translation, are golden.

I thought that this article was written by the religion editor of the Onion when I saw the battle being fought over the use of a word "Dispensation" as if the future seven year Tribulation and division of the People of God by some cracked pot American evangelicals is the definition of "Dispensation".

What is hysterically funny is that the author thinks that Irenaeus wrote in 20th century English, but what is sad is the number of people who have no skills in critical thinking go along with this absurdity.

Nonetheless, you asked if this held up to translation, and I am almost ashamed to admit that I had to do spend a whole minute googling this up and read it for myself, knowing full well that the premise is a joke. Here is the text in the updated Greek (the last line of page 90 in the Greek and the first line on the next page in Latin), translated into Latin where you find the word 'dispositeones' in the Latin (which doesn't mean what Dispensationalists think it means) and, of course the Greek 'οίκονομίας' (NT:3622) which is two words "house" and "law" which usually refers to the management of a household. Paul, in 1 Cor 9:17 uses the same word in such a way that the KJV renders it as "dispensation" yet the NAS and NKJV says "stewardship" and the NIV spells it out in "trust committed to me".

Even "Vines" weighed in on the word, knowing how much it has been abused, added to their dictionary:

Note: A "dispensation" is not a period or epoch (a common, but erroneous, use of the word), but a mode of dealing, an arrangement or administration of affairs. Cf. oikonomos, "a steward," and oikonomeo, "to be a steward." (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

Therefore, the author of this article is clearly abusing the word "Dispensation" and thus has probably earned the characterization of "liar" and "false teacher".