Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 57, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 October 1912 — THE SAVIOR'S TEACHINGS BROOKLYN TABERNACLE BIBLE STUDIES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE SAVIOR'S TEACHINGS BROOKLYN TABERNACLE BIBLE STUDIES

TO THE JEW FIRST. Mark vii, 24-30; Matthew viii, 5-13. Oct. 20. ••Him that cometh unto Me 1 will in no wise cast out.” —John t>i, St. CHERE IS general confusion amongst GodJs people respecting the relationship between the Gospel of Christ and the Jewish nation and between the Jewish nation and all other nations. The Bible tells that until the coming of Christ—yea. until three and a half years after Jesus died, arose and ascended—the Divine dealings were confined to the Hebrew race. The whole world is involved in the penalty that came upon Father Adam because of his disobedience—under Divine sentence as being unworthy of everlasting life or relationship with God. The Jews were no better than the remainder of the race, so far as the Scriptures tell, but God, having from

the first determined to provide a Redeemer for mankin d. through whose Kingdom all the world should ultimately he blessed and have the privilege of return to Divine favor, made a selection of Abraham’s posterity, because Abraham was a noble character whose

faith in God was thus rewarded. As soon as the limit of time expired God manifested His favor toward tho Gentiles by sending the Gospel to Cornelius, a reverential, holy and generous Gentile. Since then Gods favors are as open to the Gentile as to the Jew—"the middle wall of , partition” has been “broken down.” It is from this standpoint that we should read the Apostle's statement that the Gospel of Christ “is preached to every creature under heaven.” He did not mean nor would it have been true that the Gospel had been proclaimed to all. What the Apostle meant is that the Gospel is now unrestricted, free to be preached to every creature under heaven, no matter what his nationality—it is no longer confined to Jews as at first. Now, whoever has “an ear to hear, let him hear” the good Message of the Kingdom. Whoever hears and has a heart to accept God’s gracious Message, let him present his body a living sacrifice, holy and 'acceptable through Christ. (Romans xii. 1.) The SSyro-Phenician woman of our study was a Greek—not a Jewess. Her daughter was possessed of an evil spirit. She heard that Jesus-was near the border of Judea, and she sought Him out, imploring that He would cast out the demon. _ But Jesus said to the woman, “Let the children first be filled, for it is not proper to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs.” She understood the force of this statement. The Jews claimed to be God's people, and the Gentiles were styled "Gentile dogs," because they had never been in cove-nant-relationship with God. Yet the poor woman's faith in Jesus and her desire for the relief of her daughter moved her to press her case and she answered. “Yea. Lord, but the dogs eat of the children’s crumbs." Jesus replied. “For this saying go thy way: the devil is gone out of thy daughter.” She got the crumb: her faith prevailed. Today the Israel of God. to whom belong all the blessings and promises and favors, are the Spiritual Israelites. These, through full consecration, and the imputation of the merit of Jesus' sacrifice begotten of the Holy Spirit, are embryo sons of God. inheritors of the Divine nature and Kingdom. The Centurion’s Servant Healed. Palestine was subject to the Roman Empire, and little garrisons of Roman soldiers were stationed here and

there, usually under a Centurion. One of these knew, of Jesus’ mighty works, and when his faithful 'servant fell sick he went to Jesus asking fdr healing. This was another Gentile dog desiring a crumb from the children’s table. The Centurion’s

faith, our Lord declared, was superior to anything that He had found amongst the Israelites. He got his request. ■> Jesus took the occasion to say that the Israelites, who were counting so much on their relationship to God as the children of Abraham, would find themselves greatly mistaken. Being the children of Abraham did tnean that they would have speciaI privileges, but these they were enjoying and not appreciating.

God took out of their nation the “Israelites indeed"; meantime the rest were blinded, and for the past eighteen centuries He has been completing the Elect Kingdom Church out of all nations. But He is selecting none except such as have the faith and obedience of Abraham and the spirit of Jesus. Nevertheless. the Scriptures most clearly declare that the Jews are still heirs of a certain promise, which In due tirhe will come to them To them will come the great privilege of being the foremost nation ampngst men during Messiah's glorious reign, when the Church, glorified, spiritualized, will be with Him tn His Throne.

Cornelius, a reverential Gentile.

"1 say to one go, and he goeth."