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this calling, "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither
male nor female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3: 28).
This unity does not sound like the constitution of a kingdom, which is what is in view
in Matt. 5: Rather it so resembles the later revelation of Ephesians that some have
adopted the expression "All one in Christ Jesus" with the idea that it declares the Unity of
the spirit of Eph. 4: Before seeing the proofs, most, if not all, will agree that Gal. 3: 14
does not refer to an inheritance on the "earth". Yet when we read on to Gal. 3: 29, we
are prevented from asserting that it belongs to the sphere of the mystery made known in
Ephesians, for we find it stated: "and if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and
heirs according to the promise."
So entirely contrary is it to the scriptural teaching concerning the mystery to make it a
fulfillment of any promise to Abraham that we must hesitate to place this company,
which is Abraham's seed, "in heavenly places". We therefore search further in this
epistle, and in the fourth chapter we find the following statement: "But Jerusalem which
is above is free, which is the mother of us all . . . . . now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are
the children of promise" (Gal. 4: 26, 28). "Jerusalem which is above", is neither on
"the earth" nor "in heavenly places far above all principality", and as this city forms the
theme of Heb. 11: 9-16 and 12: 18-23, where the "heavenly country" is contrasted with
the "earth", we are obliged to record a third sphere of blessing:
(3) A third sphere of blessing, differing from that of Eph. 1: 3 and that of Matt. 5: 5 is
recorded in the Epistles to the Galatians and the Hebrews, and is associated with the
heavenly Jerusalem, a sphere distinct on the one hand from the earth and its kingdom,
and on the other hand from the heavenly places which are the sphere of the church of the
mystery.
Our further studies must be directed to a fuller explanation of the distinctions that
Scripture makes between these three spheres, and an examination of what is intended by
such expressions as "in heavenly places", and "far above all", but no doubt can be
entertained as to the existence in Scripture of these separate callings and their
corresponding spheres.
THE THREE SPHERES OF BLESSING.
(1) "The Earth" . . .
(Matt. 5: 5) . . .
The Kingdom.
(2) "Jerusalem which is above" . . . (Gal. 3:, 4:) . . .
The Bride.
(3) "In heavenly places" . . .
(Eph. 1: 3) . . .
The Body.