οἰκονομία

οἰκονομία — oikonomía

οἰκονομία, οἰκονομίας, ἡ (οἰκονομέω), from Xenophon, and Plato down, "the management of a household or of household affairs; specifically, the management, oversight, administration, of others' property; the office of a manager or overseer, stewardship": Luk 16:2-4; hence, the word is transferred by Paul in a theocratic sense to the office (duty) intrusted to him by God (the lord and master) of proclaiming to men the blessings of the gospel, 1Co 9:17; ἡ, οἰκονομία τοῦ Θεοῦ, the office of administrator (stewardship) intrusted by God, Col 1:25. universally, administration, dispensation, which in a theocratic sense is ascribed to God himself as providing for man's salvation: αἵτινες... ἡ οἰκονομίαν Θεοῦ τήν ἐν πίστει, which furnish matter for disputes rather than the (knowledge of the) dispensation of the things by which God has provided for and prepared salvation, which salvation must be embraced by faith, 1Ti 1:4 L T Tr WH; ἥν προέθετο... καιρῶν, which good will he purposed to show with a view to (that) dispensation (of his) by which the times (namely, of infancy and immaturity cf. Gal 4:1-4) were to be fulfilled, Eph 1:9 f; ἡ οἰκονομία τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ τῆς δοθείσης μοι, that dispensation (or arrangement) by which the grace of God was granted me, Eph 3:2; ἡ οἰκονομία τοῦ μυστηρίου, the dispensation by which he carried out his secret purpose, Eph 3:9 G L T Tr WH.