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but every murmur must be silenced in the presence of Him Who "pleased not Himself",
even though the Lord from heaven. This is what Philippians describes as the "mind that
was in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2: 4-11).
"In service which Thy love appoints,
There are no bonds for me;
For my secret heart is taught the truth
Which makes Thy children free;
And a life of self-renouncing love
Is a life of liberty."
#81. Romans 15: 8 - 16: 23.
Jesus Christ, the Minister of the Circumcision (15: 8, 9).
pp. 79 - 86
Having dealt with the problem of the reception of believers, irrespective of their
"strength" or "weakness", the Apostle now proceeds to another question that still agitated
the Church, namely, the position of the Gentile believer. For us to-day this question does
not arise. In the light of the Mystery, with its glorious equality, and the complete
obliteration of the distinction between Jew and Gentile, the whole problem disappears,
and even for those who have no direct knowledge of this truth, the light of it has
penetrated sufficiently on this question, even among the differing sects. Indeed, to-day
we should find things reversed in some denominations and have to ask: "Is He the God
of the Gentiles only?" for there are some whose interpretation of Scripture seems to
leave no room for the Jew at all.
The epistle to the Romans is the most fundamental of all Paul's writings, and its
doctrines remain true even when the dispensation changes. And yet, with all its leveling
doctrine of "no difference" where sin and salvation are concerned (Rom. 3: 22; 10: 12),
it is surprising what pre-eminence is still given to the people of Israel. We give below
some of the passages in which this pre-eminence is stressed.
The Pre-eminence of the Jew in Romans.
(1)
The gospel was promised before, in the writings of Israel's prophets (Rom. 1: 2).
(2)
The Lord Jesus Christ was, according to the flesh, made of the seed of David (Rom. 1: 3).
(3)
The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew
first . . . . . (Rom. 1: 16).
(4)
The recognition of patient continuance in well doing is for all men, but nevertheless, to
the Jew first (Rom. 2: 10).
(5)
The Jew boasted that he rested in the law, made his boast in God, knew God's will,
approved the things "that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law", was
confident that he was a guide to the blind, and a light to those in darkness, an instructor
of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having a form of knowledge and of the truth in the
law. Here we have ten points of superiority over the Gentile (Rom. 2: 17-20).
(6)
There was much advantage and profit in being a Jew, chiefly, because unto them had
been committed the oracles of God (Rom. 3: 1, 2).