Rom. 3: 1 anticipates an objection arising out of the very fact of this Jewish pre-

eminence. "If what you say is true, where is the hitherto recognised pre-eminence and

profit of the Jew and circumcision?" The answer is, "Much every way." But in verse 9,

when the Jew would make his dispensational privilege a ground of merit, when he asks,

"Are we better than they?" the answer is, "No, in no wise." Dispensational privileges did

not alter the Jew personally, and when we come to consider Rom. 9: we shall see that to

be deprived of them does not alter one's standing in Christ. "Is He the God of the Jews

only?" (Rom. 3: 29) goes to show the strong Jewish element even in the church at Rome.

Rom. 9:-11: deal more particularly with the dispensation obtaining from

Acts 2:-28: The Jewish objection of 3: 3 recurs again in 9: 6. The objection of

3: 29 is again met in 9: 24. Chapter 10: 21 shows the attitude of the Lord during the

period of "Acts," which culminated in their rejection, and the destruction of their city.

We now arrive at Romans 9: This chapter has been very sadly misunderstood, and to

understand it is, in large measure, to understand the peculiar dispensation that covered the

period of the "Acts." Expositors who have been clear about the subject of the "mystery,"

have felt a difficulty with regard to this chapter, because they assumed that the

dispensational position of Romans (which was before Acts 28:) was the same as that

of Ephesians (which came after Acts 28:).

The figure of the olive tree, and the Gentiles as wild olive branches, is certainly not

the same as the "one body." To avoid apparent contradiction, the passage has been

interpreted of the Gentiles as such, whereas it but states the same truth as Gal. 3:,

namely, that believing Gentiles up to Acts 28: were blessed with faithful Abraham--

the father of many nations. The remnant of Israel, saved from apostasy by electing grace,

formed the olive tree into which the believing Gentiles were grafted. This remnant is

called the "first-fruit" (verse 16), a pledge of the harvest of "all Israel" of verse 26. The

Gentiles addressed are said to have received "salvation" (5: 11), "stand by faith" (5: 20),

and to partake with saved remnant "of the root and fatness of the olive tree" (5: 17).

We feel sure that no Bible student who understands grace will say that the Pagan

world, the Gentiles as such, did then or do now "stand by faith," or enter into any of the

blessings set forth in Rom. 9: The apostle further calls the Gentile addressees Brethren

(verse 25). If we once perceive that Abrahamic blessing, and kingdom anticipations,

were the characteristics of the period covered by the Acts (as they will be once again

when the kingdom is set up on earth) no difficulty will remain, and the transitional

portions of Romans, Galatians and Corinthians will be better understood.

3

1

What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?

3

3

For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

9

6

Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of

3

29

Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:

9

24

Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?