CONTENTS
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Thus reading the text, (as we must get the sense) without the parenthesis, we see what the Apostle designed to teach. The Gentiles, to whom he preached, were not under the law, of which the Jew boasted; they were not to be judged by that law. If the Gentile sinned (using the term sin in its proper sense) his sin was not against the law, for he was not under it, but he sinned against the gospel light, now brought unto him by the preaching thereof: his sin (be it remembered) is "in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ; or, by the preaching of the gospel." "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow; and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." - Heb 4:12.
It is by the preaching of the gospel (which Paul calls, "my gospel") that "God shall judge the secrets of men;" and it is "in the day" when the gospel is preached to them that the judgment takes place on the hearers of it: "the secrets of their hearts are then laid open; their disposition towards God and his Son, the LIFE-GIVER, are manifested, and then, if they reject the proffered mercy, although never under the law, they "shall perish without law;" but not without having first rejected the message of God's love made known to them according to the promise and oath of God.
To suppose those who are said to perish without law, also perish without the knowledge of God's willingness to save them by Jesus Christ, is to envelop God's promise and oath in thick darkness, and is a dishonor done to His government of the creatures He has made, out of all harmony with His revealed character; for, "God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." - Ro 5:8. Are we to admit that the same God will doom millions on millions of these same sinners, for whom Christ died, to eternal death for not believing on Him of whom they never heard? We think the Apostle to the Gentiles would characterize such preaching as "another gospel" from that which he had preached.
As to what Paul saith in parenthesis, { Ro 2:13-15}, it only shows there is intelligence in human beings to see truth when made known to them, and lays the foundation for responsibility so far as the truth is presented to their minds; but states nothing of the final doom of such as never have been blessed with the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is to judge those who hear it. It is then, that men pass into the investigating judgment, which fixes their final state of life or death eternal. The light which is necessary to this end, is what God's promise and oath to Abraham secures to "every creature" possessed of human nature, and will surely be imparted to them in some way, at some time, before they receive life eternal or are doomed to death eternal. God cannot be thwarted in his work whether we believe it or not. His promise and oath stand and will stand against all the theories and unbelief of good or bad men. He will take care to see the end is reached, however impossible it may seem to us. The means are His. Faith is ours.
After it has been demonstrated that this promise and oath never have been fulfilled, either to all families, nor all nations, it is said, " Some of all nations have been blessed in Abraham and his seed, and that some of all nations have been blessed according to the promise and oath. But, for the sake of the argument, suppose we admit this assumption; then the promise and oath should be altered to correspond, and would read thus: "By myself have I sworn... that in thy seed some of all nations shall be blessed."
What would be thought of an immensely wealthy man if he should promise, and confirm it by an oath, saying, "In my wealth the United States shall be blessed." But the facts prove that only one of those States ever received any blessing from his wealth, or every heard of his promise and oath? Would any thinking man, knowing these facts, say the promise and oath had been fulfilled?
What is the difference between a promise to nations and to families? It takes families to make nations; and a nation, as such, cannot be blessed without the families composing it being partakers of the blessing in some degree. God, clearly, included families when he spoke of the blessing to come through Abraham for He expressly said so to Abraham, Ge 28:14, thus, "In thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." To say that "all nations mean something short--far short--of "all the families" of which those nations are composed is making a distinction where God has made none, but has expressly joined the two together, so that the one includes the other; and "what God has joined together let not man put asunder," saith Jesus.
It is by the preaching of the gospel (which Paul calls, "my gospel") that "God shall judge the secrets of men;" and it is "in the day" when the gospel is preached to them that the judgment takes place on the hearers of it: "the secrets of their hearts are then laid open; their disposition towards God and his Son, the LIFE-GIVER, are manifested, and then, if they reject the proffered mercy, although never under the law, they "shall perish without law;" but not without having first rejected the message of God's love made known to them according to the promise and oath of God.
To suppose those who are said to perish without law, also perish without the knowledge of God's willingness to save them by Jesus Christ, is to envelop God's promise and oath in thick darkness, and is a dishonor done to His government of the creatures He has made, out of all harmony with His revealed character; for, "God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." - Ro 5:8. Are we to admit that the same God will doom millions on millions of these same sinners, for whom Christ died, to eternal death for not believing on Him of whom they never heard? We think the Apostle to the Gentiles would characterize such preaching as "another gospel" from that which he had preached.
As to what Paul saith in parenthesis, { Ro 2:13-15}, it only shows there is intelligence in human beings to see truth when made known to them, and lays the foundation for responsibility so far as the truth is presented to their minds; but states nothing of the final doom of such as never have been blessed with the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is to judge those who hear it. It is then, that men pass into the investigating judgment, which fixes their final state of life or death eternal. The light which is necessary to this end, is what God's promise and oath to Abraham secures to "every creature" possessed of human nature, and will surely be imparted to them in some way, at some time, before they receive life eternal or are doomed to death eternal. God cannot be thwarted in his work whether we believe it or not. His promise and oath stand and will stand against all the theories and unbelief of good or bad men. He will take care to see the end is reached, however impossible it may seem to us. The means are His. Faith is ours.
After it has been demonstrated that this promise and oath never have been fulfilled, either to all families, nor all nations, it is said, " Some of all nations have been blessed in Abraham and his seed, and that some of all nations have been blessed according to the promise and oath. But, for the sake of the argument, suppose we admit this assumption; then the promise and oath should be altered to correspond, and would read thus: "By myself have I sworn... that in thy seed some of all nations shall be blessed."
What would be thought of an immensely wealthy man if he should promise, and confirm it by an oath, saying, "In my wealth the United States shall be blessed." But the facts prove that only one of those States ever received any blessing from his wealth, or every heard of his promise and oath? Would any thinking man, knowing these facts, say the promise and oath had been fulfilled?
What is the difference between a promise to nations and to families? It takes families to make nations; and a nation, as such, cannot be blessed without the families composing it being partakers of the blessing in some degree. God, clearly, included families when he spoke of the blessing to come through Abraham for He expressly said so to Abraham, Ge 28:14, thus, "In thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." To say that "all nations mean something short--far short--of "all the families" of which those nations are composed is making a distinction where God has made none, but has expressly joined the two together, so that the one includes the other; and "what God has joined together let not man put asunder," saith Jesus.
