THE “RETURN OF THE JEWS.”
In view of the fact that “there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek;” and that disregard of the law of God turns circumcision into uncircumcision, a Jew into a Gentile; while observance of the law of God turns uncircumcision into circumcision, a Gentile into a true Jew, the Scripture very appropriately asks the questions: “What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?” And although there is advantage, yet it is in no wise of a sort that calls for any return of the Jews, just because they are Jews—Jews after the flesh. The Scripture answers these questions; but in the answers to the questions, it is nowhere given as one of the advantages which the Jew has that he should return to Palestine. Though there is much advantage, every way, yet the chief of all the advantages that ever were to the Jews for any cause, is “that unto them were committed the oracles of God.” And even these oracles were committed to them, not for their sakes but for the fathers’ sakes, that God might fulfill the promise made to the fathers. And the promise made to the fathers was not because of any personal favor that God would show to them; but was altogether because of the character that they had developed through faith in God. And these oracles were committed to them that they, in turn, might convey to all nations of the Gentiles the knowledge of God as revealed in those oracles. And when, instead of doing so, those people abused those oracles, they became even worse than the heathen who had not had the great light that had been given to them. So, then, neither were the oracles committed to them because they were better than other people, nor did the mere committing of the oracles to them make them better than others; for, in view of the fact of this chief advantage “that unto them were committed the oracles of God,” it is written: “What then? are we [the Jews] better than they [the Gentiles]? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways: and the way of peace have they not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes. “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” “Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.” Rom. 3:9-30. Thus again it is demonstrated by the argument of the plain word of God that faith—faith, the faith of Jesus Christ—is the only way for any return of153either Jew or Gentile, and is the one only way for both alike. And this faith is equally within the reach of Jew and Gentile wherever they may be. It can not be had any more certainly in Palestine than in any other country: and for the simple reason that it is not found in a place, but only in a Person—the person of Jesus Christ. And through the blessed administration of the eternal Spirit, this Person is now accessible to all people in all places alike. And through-him both Jew and Gentile have access by the one Spirit unto the Father; all are the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus; and there, “there is neither Jew nor Greek;” for whosoever is Christ’s is “Abraham’s seed,” and an heir “according to the promise” made of God to Abraham. And this is the return, and the only true return, of the Jews to their own land; for the land that God sware to Abraham to give to him and to his seed is the only land that truly belongs to the Jews; and this belongs only to true Jews, the true seed of Abraham, who are such only by faith in Christ.