Patriarch, Jew, Christian—Israel.
By C. P. Bollman
IN the minds of some, Judaism and Christianity stand arrayed against each other, and the law and the gospel appear as antagonistic elements, whereas, in truth, they are but different parts of the same system—both divinely ordained for the conservation of truth, and the salvation of men. The religion of the patriarchs and prophets was equally of divine origin with the Christian; indeed, the latter is but the superstructure erected upon the foundation laid in the former; or, more properly speaking, the plan of redemption is one; and its essential elements are, and ever have been, "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." Acts 20 : 21. In the patriarchal and Jewish ages they had the moral law by which is the knowledge of sin (Rom. 3 : 20), that which contains "the whole duty of man," and which will be the rule of the Judgment (Eccl. 12 : 13, 14); and they also had types and shadows, "handwriting of ordinances" (Col. 2 : 14), which pointed forward to the promised Saviour, the hope of Israel. But we too have that law which "is perfect, converting the soul" (Ps. 19 : 7), that law the transgression of which is sin (1 John 3 : 4); while in the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper, we behold by faith the same broken body and shed blood which were so vividly typified to both patriarch and Jew by the bleeding victims on many an ancient altar. Though apparently less conspicuous in the patriarchal and Jewish ages than in the Christian, Christ has ever been the grand central figure of both. The promised Seed of the woman, who should be wounded by the serpent, and who will in turn bruise the enemy's head (Gen. 3 : 15), was no less the hope of the pious Jew than is that same Seed the daysman of the Christian. The words of the apostle Peter, when he declared that "there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved," except the name of Jesus (Acts 4 : 12), were true when spoken; they are true now; and they were equally true in the days of Abel, Abraham, and Moses. The throng of the redeemed from "all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues," will ascribe their salvation to the Lamb of Calvary; patriarch, Jew, and Christian will unite in the same glad song—their theme, redemption; the object of their adoration, Jesus. The gospel is not new; nor is it peculiar to the present dispensation. It is as old as the promise of a Saviour; and if Abel's offering did not typify Christ, it was meaningless. But that it did no Christian will deny; for Paul testifies that "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and by it he being dead yet speaketh." Heb. 11 : 4. It is equally certain that Abraham had the gospel; for, says the apostle: "The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed." Gal. 3 : 8. And of the Jews in the days of Moses, we read: "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them; but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." Heb. 4 : 2. This text presents the matter in a light somewhat different from that in which it is generally viewed; but that it is correct we cannot doubt; for these are not the "words of man's wisdom." Paul was pre-eminently the apostle to the Gentiles; and though he labored for all as he had opportunity, yet his mission was to the uncircumcision; and so we most frequently find him in the strongholds of heathenism. Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, and even Rome itself were stirred by his presence, and moved by his preaching. Nevertheless he was a Jew: "Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews," and brought up at the feet of Gamaliel—certainly such a man ought to understand the faith of the Jewish Church. Eminent as a defender of the law and the prophets, but doubly conspicuous as an apostle of Christ, he could not fail to rightly comprehend the significance of those types which he declared had met their fulfillment in the Man of Calvary. But Paul regarded the religion which he preached simply as the logical outcome of the faith of his fathers—the unfolding of God's one plan for the salvation of all who believe; and when permitted to speak for himself before Agrippa, he presented his case thus: "My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers; unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead." Acts 26 : 4-8. Then after declaring the manner of his conversion (verses 9-21), the apostle continued: "Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come; that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people, and to the Gentiles." Verses 22, 23. Paul was not an apostate from the faith of his fathers; for, as appears from this testimony, their faith was his faith; his hope was the same as that to which the twelve tribes hoped to come; and his preaching was only of those things which the prophets and Moses had said should come to pass; while in accepting Christ he had only done that which was demanded by the Jewish religion; he had only believed that which was taught in the Jewish scriptures. The apostle was none the less a Jew because he had become a Christian; he had by no means lost his inheritance as a lineal descendant of Abraham, because he sought to make his calling and election sure by an alliance with Christ, the promised Seed. Indeed it was only by such an alliance that Paul or any one else could remain a Jew in the true sense of the word; it was only by being circumcised in heart that the circumcision of the flesh could be prevented from becoming uncircumcision. "For 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." Rom. 2 : 28, 29. But Paul shows elsewhere that to be entitled to any of the blessings which God has promised to his people we must be reckoned as the children of Abraham; for the promises are to Abraham and to his seed. Says the apostle: "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Gal. 3 : 16, 29. In Rom. 9 : 7, 8, the apostle shows that it is not alone as the literal descendants of Abraham that any may share in the blessings, "but the children of the promise are counted for the seed," so that through faith the Gentiles may likewise claim a part in these things; while if they continue in unbelief, the literal seed will be cut off. In chapter 11 : 16-21, Paul illustrates this by a tree, thus: "If the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear; for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee." Of this tree Christ is the root; he is the Root and the Offspring of David; he is that from which all nourishment is derived; and as in the illustration of the vine (John 15 : 1-8), individuals are the branches. The Jews, the literal descendants of Abraham, are the natural branches, and all who reject Christ are broken off; while the Gentiles who accept Christ are the wild olive branches which are graffed in and (though contrary to nature, Rom. 11 : 24) partake "of the root and fatness of the olive tree." In natural grafting, the cion retains its own nature, but the soul which becomes connected with Christ is made a partaker of the divine nature, and instead of doing the works of the flesh (Gal. 5 : 19-21), will bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, which are these: "Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law." Verses 22 : 23. But even though we may stand in that relation to the True Vine where we can bear much fruit, should we not heed the words of the apostle: "Be not highminded, but fear; for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness; otherwise thou also shalt be cut off." Let us then strive to make our calling and election sure, that we may have a name and a place among the people of God; that by faith we may indeed be the children of Abraham, and that finally we may enter the glorious city of God, the New Jerusalem, in whose twelve foundations are the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and whose twelve gates bear the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. Rev. 21 : 12, 14.