THE FULLNESS OF JEW AND GENTILE.
By M. C. W.
IN the eleventh chapter of Romans, verses twelve and twenty-five, is an expression greatly misunderstood and misinterpreted generally, in the former verse referring to the Jews, in the latter, to the Gentiles. That expression is "fullness." The verses read in the order given above as follows:— "Now if the fall of them [Israel] be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness [the riches of the world and of the Gentiles]?" "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in." The fall, or blindness, spoken of was not to all Israel as individuals, but as a nation. Individuals were not cut off; for some believed even as in Elijah’s day. They were the remnant, elected of God through faith. But the nation, the constituted authorities, rejected Christ and put him to death. That blindness lasted till the typical promised land was wasted, and its once lawful inhabitants were removed by sword, by famine, by death in war, and by slavery. Isa. 6:9-12. And this, till the fullness of the Gentiles should come in. Now the fullness of the Gentiles or the Jews does not apply to the acceptance of Christ by these classes. Fullness comprehends all. But all the Jews did not accept, would not believe. Paul, by the most strenuous efforts, only expected to "save some." Verse 14. Neither will all of the Gentiles accept of Christ; for the Scriptures reveal that many will be lost and suffer the second death. The fullness, then, does not apply to the above, as is generally taught. To what does it apply? Verse 11 will afford some light on this question. In that verse, Paul says that the Jews stumbled that through their fall "salvation is come unto the Gentiles." Now salvation can come only in one way, and that is through Christ. "Neither is there salvation in any other." Acts 4:12. Jesus says, "I am the way; . . . no man cometh unto the Father but by me." John 14:6. By the nullification of the old covenant, and the rejection of Christ, through the disobedience and unbelief of Israel, the world-wide proclamation of the Abrahamic covenant was made on equal terms to all. And this is what is taught in the twelfth verse. The fall of the Jews, and the decay or loss of their dignity, or first place among the nations, placed them upon a level with all others, and brought to the Gentiles the same privileges held by the Jews. The riches of the adoption, the glory, the new covenant, the law, the service of God, the promises, were offered to the Gentiles. Wonderful indeed were these riches to a people who had fed upon the husks of idolatry. But this is not all that came to the Gentiles through the fall of the Jews; their fullness came also. This fullness is the riches of the world, the salvation of the Gentiles. It can refer to nothing else than our Lord Jesus Christ. And so the apostle says: "For it pleased the Father that in Him [Christ] should all fullness dwell." Col. 1:19. And this is spoken of right in connection with that reconciliation by which peace was made with the Gentiles. Verses 20, 21. Compare with Col. 2:11-15; Eph. 2:11-16. "All fullness" must include all fullness of the Jews, which could in any way advantage the Gentiles. A brief consideration of the promises will prove that the fullness of the Jews was in the long-looked-for Messiah. How was the race to triumph over that old serpent, the devil?—Through the seed—Christ. Gen. 3:15. How was Abraham to inherit the promises?—Through his seed—Christ. Gen. 22:17; Gal. 3:15. How and by whom were the blessings of Abraham to be continued to the tribe of Israel when that nation had fallen?—Through the Shiloh of the tribe of Judah. Unto8Him was to be the gathering of the nations, the whole Israel of God. Gen. 49:10. "Salvation is of the Jews" (John 4:22); but it comes through our Lord Jesus Christ, the power that made Jacob the supplanter, the Israel, prevailer with God and man. All the riches of the Jews came through Christ, and they existed because of him. All the graces and blessings of the Jews, the center and circumference of their hopes—all center in Christ. "And of his fullness [says John the Baptist, speaking as a Jew] have all we received, and grace for grace." John 1:16. He is the fullness of the Gentiles, even as of the Jews. No greater blessings can come to humanity than being heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. But this we are if we have faith in Christ: "For if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Gal. 3:29. And thus it is true that in Christ "there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free; but Christ is all and in all." Col. 3:11. No earthly birth, no outward ordinance or right, no race nor condition, debars one soul from the kingdom of God; if he will but accept of the fullness of Christ, his defects will be made complete. Christ is the fullness of Jew and Gentile. This fullness of the Gentiles came in when the Jews rejected Christ the second time in the martyrdom of Stephen, and the rejection of the gospel message. The apostles turned from the darkened race to preach the glad tidings to all the world. Their blindness, in the plan of God, had done its work; Israel, after the flesh, had been forever cast off as a nation, and now true Israel was to be gathered from all nations, tongues, and kindreds, through faith in the fullness of Christ. "And SO [that is, by faith] all [true] Israel shall be saved; as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer [the Fullness], and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob." Rom. 11:26. Thus it is that God hath concluded all (Jews and Gentiles) in unbelief, that he might have mercy through the fullness of Christ upon all. Rom. 11:32. Rom. 11:25 is often connected in arguments concerning the return of the Jews with Luke 21:24; but why we cannot tell, unless it is because the word "Gentiles" is used in both texts. We could with as much reason use 1 Cor. 12:2 for the same purpose, because the word "Gentiles" is found there. The "fullness of the Gentiles" and the "times of the Gentiles" are two distinct things. Again: We are told in Rom. 2:28, 29 that "he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God." Here we are again pointed to Jacob's inspired prediction concerning Judah. Jew comes from Judah; and the central figure of the tribe, the one under whom all the true people of Judah will gather, as well as all others of like faith, is Shiloh, the Prince of peace. The true Jew is a follower of the Lion of the tribe of Judah. One more testimony: "For they are not all [true] Israel, which are of [flesh] Israel; neither because they are the [literal] seed of Abraham, are they all children; but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." Rom. 9:6-8. "Now we, brethren [Jews and Gentiles], as Isaac was, are children of promise." Gal. 4:28. "Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles." Rom. 9:24. Paul proves this by quotations from the Old Testament. The children of the promise are those who accept of Christ. The natural seed of Abraham was Ishmael; Isaac was given by the miraculous power of God, even as men are regenerated. Heb. 11:11, 12. These provisions of the new covenant are open and free alike to all. There are no special blessings to the Jews, there are none to the Gentiles. "FOR THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE between the Jew and the Greek; for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him." Rom. 10:12. All promises yet to be fulfilled must be fulfilled under the new covenant, and under that all are on an equality. Both Jew and Greek may believe, may be partakers of the riches of the grace of Christ and his infinite fullness, may be gathered to the heavenly Jerusalem, may have a part in the earth made new, may reign through the fullness of Christ, and with Christ throughout the endless ages of eternity. The above scriptures are clear and conclusive. We do not know how the above position can be shaken. The theory of the return of the Jews, and the rebuilding of old Jerusalem, is a doctrine devised by the enemy of truth, to deceive, to prevent watchfulness as regards the second coming of Christ, to lull the church to sleep amid great dangers, and is subversive of the gospel of Christ, making the promises of God to all the world of none effect. Not so with the view presented above. It harmonizes all prophecies and promises; it presents before us God's wondrous mercy and wisdom, and shows the fullness of the blessings of the gospel of Christ. "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" "For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things; to whom be glory forever. AMEN." Rom. 11:33, 36.