Olive Tree, see Romans4.  The section dealing with `The Olive Tree and

Israel's National Position (Rom. 11:11 -32).

One.  The unity of the Spirit, entrusted to the believer to `keep' is a

sevenfold unity, which can be likened to the candlestick made for the

tabernacle.  It will be very evident to the reader, that unless we know what

this unity of the Spirit comprises, we shall not be able to keep it;

consequently the apostle proceeds to give the details of this blessed trust.

There are six parts in this unity arranged in the structure in two groups on

either side of the ascended Lord.  The arrangement may be presented to the

eye in the form of the six -branched lampstand used of old.  We trust no

reader will be misled, as one of our critics was, into believing that we

teach that this unity of the Spirit was actually set forth in the tabernacle

of old.  How could it be set forth then if it was a mystery `hid in God'?

While making this clear, we need not be robbed of any help that such an

illustration may give.

The central feature is the `One Lord'.  Without the ascended Christ

there would be no Head, and so no Body; no Chief Corner Stone, and so no

Temple; no hope, no faith and no love.  With the risen and ascended Lord we

have both hope and faith.  The hope is the `one hope of your calling'.  Hope

and calling are inseparable; what our calling is here and now, our hope when

realized, will be

in the future.  The prayer of Ephesians 1:18 has the knowledge of this hope

as its central petition: `That ye may know what is the hope of His calling'.

Other callings have other phases of hope; among them `the hope of

Israel', which covers the whole period of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:6

to 28:20).  The Second Coming of Christ as set forth in Matthew 24, 1

Thessalonians 4, 1 Corinthians 15 and in the epistles of Peter, James, John