The dispensation of conscience refers to the period of time between Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden and God’s calling of Abraham. During this dispensation, human beings were responsible for knowing right from wrong based on their conscience, the inherent sense of morality placed in man by God (Romans 2:14-15).
After Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit, sin entered the world. No longer innocent, Adam and Eve were banished from Eden and had to live with the consequences of their decision (Genesis 3:23-24). Outside of the perfection of the Garden, humanity now had to struggle and toil to survive in a fallen world (Genesis 3:17-19).
Without direct access to God’s instruction, humans had to discern good and evil based on the conscience God had given them. The apostle Paul explains that even Gentiles without the Mosaic law show the law is written on their hearts when their consciences convict or defend their actions (Romans 2:12-15). The conscience acts as a moral guide, producing feelings of guilt, shame, or peace. A violated conscience brings condemnation, whereas a clear conscience results in confidence and joy.
However, the conscience can be weakened or corrupted through repeated sin and suppression of truth (1 Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:15). The conscience provides general revelation of good and evil but does not match the clarity and authority of special revelation through God’s Word. Special revelation exposes the full truth of God’s righteous standards.
The dispensation of conscience lasted from the Fall until God’s calling of Abraham. This period is sometimes referred to as the Age of the Gentiles due to there being no formal distinction between Jew and Gentile at this time. With the call of Abraham in Genesis 12, God launched His plan to create a chosen nation to be a light to the world.
Key Events and Characteristics
Some key events and characteristics of the dispensation of conscience include:
- Began after Adam and Eve’s banishment from Eden (Genesis 3:24)
- Humans had to work the ground through painful toil to eat (Genesis 3:17-19)
- People were responsible for knowing right from wrong based on their conscience (Romans 2:14-15)
- Sin increased steadily without direct guidance from God (Genesis 6:5)
- Murder, polygamy, and corruption became commonplace (Genesis 4:19, 23)
- Ended with the calling of Abraham in Genesis 12
Examples of Conscience
The book of Genesis contains several examples of human conscience at work during this period:
- Cain’s guilt after murdering Abel – After Cain killed his brother Abel, God held him accountable, and Cain acknowledged his guilt and punishment was deserved (Genesis 4:9-14).
- Jacob’s deception of Esau – Rebekah and Jacob conspired to steal Esau’s blessing through deceit. Jacob expressed fear that their trickery would bring a curse (Genesis 27:11-12).
- Joseph’s resistance of Potiphar’s wife – When Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him, Joseph refused out of loyalty to his master and obedience to God’s ways (Genesis 39:7-10).
- Pharaoh’s dream interpreters – Pharaoh’s magicians and wise men had no interpretation for his dreams until Joseph credited God (Genesis 41:8, 16).
In each case, the person’s conscience either convicted them of wrongdoing or affirmed correct behavior. Even though they did not have the Levitical law, they showed the requirements of God’s law at work internally as described by Paul (Romans 2:14-15). Their consciences bore witness to God’s standards of righteousness.
Human Government Instituted
As sin increased through the dispensation of conscience, violence and corruption escalated. Genesis 6:11-13 describes how “the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence.” This lawlessness reached its pinnacle in the construction of the Tower of Babel, where humanity united in open rebellion against God (Genesis 11:1-9).
In response, God instituted human government to restrain evil after confusing the languages at the Tower of Babel:
Genesis 9:6 – “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.”
By instituting the principle of retributive justice, God authorized the government to act as His agent to execute wrath on the wrongdoer (Romans 13:4). This was the beginnings of God delegating authority to mankind to keep sin in check.
God’s Longsuffering Mercy
A key theme of the dispensation of conscience is God’s patience and forbearance. Despite prevalent immorality and corruption, He withheld immediate judgment to allow time for repentance. Peter explains:
2 Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
Likewise, Paul proclaims God’s kindness and patience in enduring “vessels of wrath” to make His glory and mercy known (Romans 9:22-24). God delayed judgment so that all would have a chance to turn from sin.
Eventually, however, God brought judgment through the global Flood. Only Noah and his family were saved, along with the animals on the ark. Even in judgment, God provided a way of salvation. This pattern continued when God called Abraham to initiate the formation of Israel to bless all nations (Genesis 12:2-3).
Failure to Glorify God
Fundamentally, the root failure of the dispensation of conscience was humanity’s refusal to honor and give thanks to God:
Romans 1:21 – “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
Cut off from regular fellowship with God, generations chose to suppress the truth about Him revealed through creation and conscience. They plunged into idolatry and wickedness without excuse (Romans 1:18-32). They did not carry out their responsibility to know and obey their Creator.
God’s Purpose Still Advanced
Despite humanity’s sin during the Age of Conscience, God’s sovereign purposes continued to advance. The conscience was never meant to be man’s ultimate guide; it was a temporary provision pointing to the need for God’s greater revelation and redemption.
Through their conscience, people recognized His existence but refused to worship Him properly or follow His ways consistently. This dispensation illustrates humanity’s universal need for new life through Christ and the Spirit.
God continued forming a people for Himself even in a deteriorating world. Seth’s line began to “call upon the name of the Lord” (Genesis 4:26). Enoch walked faithfully with God (Genesis 5:24). Noah found favor with the Lord and believed His warning about coming judgment (Hebrews 11:7). God preserved a faithful remnant to continue humanity after cleansing the earth with the Flood. All of this set the stage for His covenant with Abraham that formed Israel as a light to all nations.
Parallels to Today
Many parallels exist between the dispensation of conscience and the world today. While we have God’s complete written Word, people still commonly:
- Suppress God’s general revelation in creation
- Violate their conscience repeatedly until it is calloused
- Commit idolatry by worshipping created things over the Creator
- Pursue their own sinful ways instead of God’s truth
- Reject God’s standard of righteousness and authority over life
- Are corrupted by the world’s immorality when they lack knowledge of God
Like the Age of Conscience, the current world system opposes God and persecutes His faithful people. Sin still abounds and will until Christ returns. God continues showing mercy while delaying judgment to allow time for repentance.
All people still have a conscience witnessing to God’s moral law written on their hearts. When humbly heeded and paired with God’s Word, the conscience acts as a valuable, though imperfect, guide for pursuing righteousness in Christ. Believers must renew their minds with Scripture to align their conscience with godly truth versus worldly thinking (Romans 12:2).
The dispensation of conscience provides a sobering example of how humanity relates to God apart from His written Word. As in the Garden of Eden, man becomes futile in thinking and embraces false wisdom when not firmly grounded in God’s revelation (Romans 1:21-22). God designed us to follow Him by the light of His truth.
Transition to Abraham
After destroying the corrupted world with the Flood, God began rebuilding humanity through Noah and his descendants. Initially, God commanded them to spread out and repopulate the whole earth (Genesis 9:1,7). But the descendants of Noah disobeyed and congregated in Mesopotamia.
Their pride led them to build the Tower of Babel in open defiance of God’s command. This event marked the failure of the dispensation of conscience. Humanity left to itself inevitably wanders from God’s ways.
In response, God confused languages and scattered peoples over the earth (Genesis 11:8-9). He transitioned to the dispensation of promise by calling Abraham to father a chosen nation who would bless all peoples on earth.
The calling of Abraham formed a line of separation between his descendants and the other nations. God selected him by grace and made an unconditional covenant to give his offspring the land of Canaan forever (Genesis 12:1-3, 15:18-21). He created a people to know Him, keep His laws, and reveal the coming Messiah and Savior.
Whereas humanity failed to glorify God from their conscience alone, Israel would have God’s law and covenants to guide them. Through miraculous displays of power and fulfilled prophecy, God made His glory undeniably known to them. His plan of redemption continued marching forward.
The dispensation of conscience shows our need for Christ. It sets the stage for God’s mighty work through Israel and His ultimate solution to sin’s corruption through Jesus’ sacrificial death and victorious resurrection. God’s master plan of salvation runs continuously through each age as He sovereignly works out His purposes for His glory.