postponed, the hope of Israel persisted, and all the churches that had been brought into being up to that time were of

necessity associated with that hope.

We have already drawn attention to the intimate association that exists between `hope', `promise', and `calling'.

We must pause for a moment here to remind the reader that Abraham stands at the head of two companies: an

earthly people, the great nation of Israel; and a heavenly people, associated with the heavenly phase of God's

promise to Abraham, and made up of the believing remnant of Israel and believing Gentiles who were accounted

faithful by God. This heavenly side of the Abrahamic promise is referred to by the apostle in Hebrews and

Galatians :

` He looked for a city ... they seek a country ... they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is

not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them a city' (Heb. 11:10,14,16).

` If ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise ... Jerusalem that is above is

free, which is our mother' (Gal. 3:29; 4:26 R.V.).

This heavenly calling of the Abrahamic promise constitutes the Bride of the Lamb, as distinct from the restored

Wife, which refers to Israel as a nation. We leave the reader to verify these statements for himself by referring to

Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Hosea, where Israel's restoration is spoken of under the figure of the restored Wife; and to the

Book of the Revelation where the heavenly city is described as the Bride. During the time of the Acts of the

Apostles, the churches founded by Paul were `Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise' (Gal. 3:29). The

Apostle speaks of espousing them `to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ' (2 Cor. 11:2).

This heavenly phase was in the nature of a prize or reward for those who were willing to suffer, endure, and go

on to maturity (perfection). This theme is expounded in the epistle to the Hebrews.

The epistles written by Paul before his imprisonment were Galatians, Hebrews, Romans, 1 and 2 Thessalonians,

1 and 2 Corinthians. We are sure that any well instructed reader who was asked to choose from this set of epistles

the one giving the most recent, as well as the most fundamental teaching of the Apostle for this period, would

unhesitatingly choose the epistle to the Romans. In this epistle we have the solid rock foundation of justification by

faith, where `no difference' can be tolerated between Jew and Gentile. When, however, we leave the sphere of

doctrine (Romans 1 to 8), and enter the sphere of dispensational privileges, we discover that differences between

Jewish and Gentile believers still remain. The Gentile, who was justified by faith, was nevertheless reminded that

he was at that time in the position of a wild olive, graft into the true olive tree, from which some of the branches had

been broken off through unbelief. The grafting of the Gentile into Israel's olive tree was intended (speaking after the

manner of men) to provoke Israel to jealousy. When, in the days to come, these broken branches shall be restored,

`all Israel shall be saved' (Rom. 11:11, 25-27).

These statements from Romans 11 are sufficient to prevent us from assuming that, because there is evidently

DOCTRINAL or BASIC equality in the Acts period, there is also DISPENSATIONAL equality. This is not so, for Romans

declares that the Jew is still `first', and the middle wall still stands, making membership of the One Body as revealed

in Ephesians impossible.

In Romans 15 we have a definite statement concerning the hope entertained by the church at Rome. Before

quoting the passage, Romans 15:12 and 13, we would advise the reader that the word `trust' in verse 12 is elpizo, and

the word `hope' in verse 13 elpis. There is also the emphatic article `the' before the word `hope' in verse 13.

Bearing these points in mind we can now examine the hope entertained by the church at Rome, as ministered to by

Paul before his imprisonment :