Testament.  Where we read `people' in Genesis 17:16 it should be translated

`peoples', balancing `nations', and with one or two notable exceptions the

rule holds good that `people' in the singular refers to Israel, and `peoples'

in the plural to the Gentile nations.  The blessing given to Jacob speaks of

a multitude of people (Gen. 28:3,4), and this promise is recalled when he

blessed Joseph's sons (Gen. 48:3,4).  In verse 4 we should note that the word

is plural, `peoples'.  In Genesis 49:10 the obedience (not `gathering', see

same word in Proverbs 30:17) of the peoples, refers to `the obedience of all

nations', a `secret' hushed until the time for its revelation in the days of

Paul (Rom. 16:25 -27).

Israel do not exist as a `people' in the book of Genesis, but with the

book of Exodus their history as a `people' begins (Exod. 3:7 -10).  Over and

over again the words, `My people', are sounded in the ears of Pharaoh.

Israel were `taken to Himself' said God `for a people', taken by redemption

(Exod. 6:7).  In Exodus 19:3 -7 `peoples' once more refer to the Gentiles.

Israel are the `people' of Exodus 33:3,5,13,16.  Balaam speaks of this

separated people (Num. 23:9), a people who were to dwell `alone'.  Yet though

separated from all other peoples, they had and will have an influence even on

the lands that the other nations should inherit (Deut. 32:8).  In this book

of Deuteronomy, the peculiar blessedness of this people is stressed (Deut.

4:20; 9:29; 32:9).  To them had been given the law (Deut. 4:8), they were

called `holy' and `peculiar' (Deut. 7:6; 14:2,21).  They were chosen by

sovereign love (Deut. 7:7,8).  `Who is like unto thee,' asked Moses, `O

people saved by the Lord' (Deut. 33:28,29)? What is true in the law, is true

also in the Prophets (2 Sam. 7:23,24;

Isa. 1:3; 40:1; 42:6; 43:21; Dan. 9:4 -21; 12:1 and Hos. 2:21 -23).  Turning

to the New Testament we find that the distinctive character still persists.

Laos occurs 143 times, and in nine of these occurrences the word is plural.

Let us notice these first.  Luke 2:31; Acts 4:25,27; Romans 15:11; Revelation

7:9 -17; 10:11; 11:9; 17:15 and 21:3.  Acts 4:27 presents a difficulty for

here the plural refers to Israel.  The reason for this departure from the

rule is seen when we realize that Israel had sided with Herod, Pontius Pilate

and the Gentiles.  For the rest, every reference to laos in the New Testament

is a reference to Israel with the following exceptions (Acts 15:14,15).  On

the assumption that the epistle to Titus was written after Acts 28 when

Israel had become lo -ammi, `not My people' the Church is called for the

first time a `people' (Tit. 2:14).  The earnest student should not rest

satisfied with this survey, but should patiently read every reference to

`people' in its context.  If this be done, the conviction will grow that the

title `people' in the singular from Genesis 12 and the call of Abraham to

Acts 28 upon the rejection temporarily of the Jew, refers to Israel to whom

this title strictly applies.  This study is not only important for its own

sake, but also because it stresses the need for consistency in our use of

Scriptural terms.

As the epistle to the Hebrews urges its readers to `go on to

perfection', and warns them of the dread alternative of `drawing back to

perdition', so we discover both `perfection' and the same Greek word that is

translated `perdition' form the alternatives in the third chapter of the

epistle to the Philippians.

The words `perfect', `perfection' and `finisher' that occur in Hebrews

are the translations of teleios, teleioo, teleiosis and teleiotes, all