This limitation of the Saviour's earthly ministry is evident once more in Matt. 15:,

where He says to the woman of Canaan: "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the

house of Israel" (Matt. 15: 24).

If the presence of the statement in chapter 10: quoted above precludes the idea of the

church in chapters 5:-7:, it is equally clear that the similar statement in chapter 15:

must also exclude the church from the parables of Matt. 13:, and a study of their

teaching abundantly confirms this. The parable of the unforgiving servant, for example,

while in line with "the Lord's prayer" (Matt. 6: 12, 14), is entirely different from the

teaching concerning the forgiveness of sins to be found in Paul's epistles to the church.

The Lord's advice to the one who enquired what good thing he should do that he might

have eternal life, is perfectly in harmony with the dispensation of the law and the

kingdom, but it is not in harmony with the dispensation of grace. Evangelically-minded

believers who insist that Matthew's gospel is for the church, would hesitate to take these

words of inspired truth as their gospel for to-day, and their hesitation only confirms the

truth for which the Apostle contends in Rom. 15: 8.

The expression "the truth of God"--in Rom. 15: 8--also occurs in Rom. 3: 7 and is

balanced, in that chapter, by "the faith of God" (Rom. 3: 3). Both expressions refer to

the faithfulness of God in keeping His covenant promises. The earthly ministry of Christ

was "on account of" (huper) the faithfulness of God, and was moreover a "confirmation"

of promises. Such a confirmation of promises already made is obviously very different

from the introduction of something new, as in the constitution of the church.

The promises made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the twelve patriarchs, and David, find

their confirmation in Christ. For this He was born, and for this He died. Not until Israel

had rejected Him was it made known that His cross was the instrument of a greater

salvation than that entertained by the prophets or included in the promises. Israel, and

Israel alone, were the "children of the prophets, and of the covenant made with the

fathers" (Acts 3: 25), and it was to Israel that the Lord was "first" sent (Acts 3: 26).

The second part of Paul's statement in Rom. 15: 8, 9 is "that the Gentiles might

glorify God for His mercy". Here instead of "truth", "confirmation", "promises",

"fathers", stands the simply word "mercy".

The Gentiles had no "fathers", no

"covenants" and no "promises"; all these belonged exclusively to Israel (Rom. 9: 4, 5).

The same word huper is used here in connection with the "mercy of God", as is used

in the previous verse in connection with the "truth of God".

The truth of the inclusion of the Gentiles in the mercy of God is confirmed by

repeated quotations from the O.T. Scriptures. It should be noted that no quotations are

considered necessary to "prove" that the Jews was "first". To-day, however, the reverse

would be true. Quotation after quotation is necessary to reinstate the Jew in his true place

in the early part of the N.T., and we find that many who are not only believers, but

students as well, seem able to interpret the Acts as though chapter 28: 20 were