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".
Well welcome...I'm glad we got one of them thar critical thinkers amongst us...
1Co 9:17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation administration/stewardship of the gospel is committed unto me.
Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation administration/stewardship of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 3:2 If ye have heard of the dispensation administration/stewardship of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
Col 1:25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Col 1:26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Administration/stewardship doesn't fit...You'd have to change the rest of each passage to get any sense out of Administration/stewardship...
In Col. 1:25-27 there is a new revelation not heretofore known...It wasn't known because it didn't exist...
Something new takes place from that point on...
It is not merely an administration but a new dispensation for future Christians...
dis·pen·sa·tion [dis-puhn-sey-shuhn, -pen-] Show IPA noun
1.
an act or instance of dispensing; distribution.
2.
something that is distributed or given out.
3.
a certain order, system, or arrangement; administration or management.
4.
Theology . a.
the divine ordering of the affairs of the world.
b.
an appointment, arrangement, or favor, as by God.
c.
a divinely appointed order or age: the old Mosaic, or
Jewish, dispensation; the new gospel, or Christian,
dispensation.
5.
a dispensing with, doing away with, or doing without
something.
