THE GOSPEL TO EVERY NATION, AND KINDRED, AND TONGUE, AND PEOPLE
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THE GOSPEL TO EVERY NATION, AND KINDRED, AND TONGUE, AND PEOPLE.
By Isaac Morrison
ELDER ISAAC MORRISON. (Santa Rosa, Cal.) NO RESPECT OF PERSONS WITH GOD.
1. Did God make all nations upon the earth, and make them of one blood? “And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.” Acts 17: 26. 2. Then does the Lord respect persons in one nation more than in another? “To the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: for there is no respect of persons with God.” Rom. 2: 10, 11. “I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him.” Acts 10: 34, 35. “And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.” 1 Peter 1: 17. 3. Should we, then, respect the people of one nation more than of another, or the rich and the great more than the poor and the unlearned? “God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” Acts 10: 28. “My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; and ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? . . . If ye fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: but if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.” James 2: 1–9. 4. Is the gospel commission to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people? “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Matt. 28: 19. “Having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” Rev. 14: 6. 5. Will every one who accepts the gospel in all the nations of the earth be saved? “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Mark 16: 15, 16. 6. Will even the eunuchs, the slaves, and the strangers who believe be saved? “Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from His people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. . . . Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer.” Isa. 56: 3–7. 7. Then was the temple intended for all people and nations? “Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.” Isa. 56: 7. “He taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer?” Mark 11: 17. “Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name’s sake (for they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched-out arm); when he shall come and pray toward this house; hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.”—Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple, 1 Kings 8: 41–43. 8. Did the strangers in far countries, and even the colored people in Ethiopia, hear of the true God and His temple, and come to worship? did they accept the gospel? and did the Lord accept them? “A man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him. . . . Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? and Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.” Acts 8: 27–39. 9. Does the Lord especially mention that the Ethiopians would seek after God? “Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.” Ps. 68: 31. 10. Were some in ancient times exercised over the “color line”? and did they complain of those who respected the Ethiopians? and did the Lord rebuke them? “And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. . . . And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. . . . And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and He departed. And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.” Num. 12: 1–10. 11. Then, as God “without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work,” what is our duty to every man with respect to his nationality and color? “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16: 15. “Having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” Rev. 14: 6. 12. As the Lord’s “kingdom is not of this world” (John 18: 36), and His people “are not of the world,” but He has chosen us “out of the world” (John 15: 19), and “hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son” (Col. 1: 13), and henceforth “our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we wait for a Saviour” (Phil. 3: 20, 21, R. V.); as “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Heb. 11: 13; 1 Chron. 29: 15), would it not be in harmony with His will that we should leave the political affairs and offices of the nations of this world to those of the world, teaching those who accept the gospel, and thus transfer their citizenship to heaven, to respect the officers of the country in which they live, and to obey its laws that are not contrary to the laws of Heaven, leaving the political offices and issues to those to whom they belong? “Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” Matt. 22: 21. “Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to811whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” Rom. 13: 7, 8. “I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2: 14, 15. “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” John 15: 19. “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James 4: 4.