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Doctrinal Truth (Permanent).
Dispensational Truth (Passing).
To the Jew first, and also to
Not ashamed of the gospel of
the Greek
Christ. Power of God unto
salvation to every one that
believeth
I suppose you would maintain that you were a member of the Church which is the Body of Christ?
A.- Yes, I should.
B.- And you appreciate the blessedness of this membership in that there is perfect equality among all the
members?
A.- Yes, most certainly.
B.- Yet I take it that up till now you would also have maintained that `Romans belongs to the Church of the One
Body' without discriminating between the doctrinal portion which is equally true of the Ephesian position, and the
dispensational section which cannot be reconciled with the perfect equality of membership in the One Body.
A.- I partly suspect that you are right, and that I have not appreciated these distinctions very fully. But will you
make your meaning quite clear? Where, in the Epistle to the Romans, do we find this inequality? Do we not read
twice over that there is `no difference'?
B.- We do, but I think you will agree that these two references come under the heading of doctrinal truth, true
before Romans was written, and still true now that the dispensation has changed. The two references deal with `sin'
and `salvation'.
`We have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin . . . There is no difference: for all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God' (Rom. 3:9,22,23).
`For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call
upon Him' (Rom. 10:12).
Yet, in chapter 11, writing to believing Gentiles, the Apostle reminds them that they were `wild olives', graffed
in contrary to nature, among the natural branches. There can obviously be no comparison between such a position,
and the equal membership of the One Body. While the sphere of sin and redemption remains the same after Acts 28
as it was before - doctrinal truths are permanent - the dispensational position, set forth before Acts 28 under the
figure of the olive tree, and after Acts 28 under the figure of the body, was changed when Israel were set aside and
Paul entered into his prison ministry.
A.- I think I can see now how it is that some have condemned you for setting aside the Epistle to the Romans.
They have evidently never read your statements carefully for themselves, and have not weighed over the difference
between doctrinal and dispensational truth. By jumping to conclusions they have done themselves harm and
possibly hindered others from seeing the truth. Had you not been able to explain the position to me, I should
probably still have been numbered among those who think they are doing God's service by warning other believers
against your teaching. I wish now to learn more, and not to be swayed by prejudice or ignorance.
B.- We must bring our discussion to a halt once more, for the time being. May I leave with you another extract
from the writings of the Editor of The Berean Expositor, this time from a pamphlet now out of print entitled:
`Roman Stones for the Ephesian Temple'?
`When the revelation of the Mystery was made known to Paul certain differences were introduced and noted.
These were:
(1) In connection with the relationship between saved Jews and Gentiles.
(2) In connection with the constitution of the church that gave public expression to this new
relationship.