By Charles L. Feinberg
Salvation
Here a Hebrew scholar T here are those who claim Israel has had its chance and has sinned away its op portunity and day of grace by unbelief. Some are prepared to say that the Jews as a whole cannot and will not be saved. Strangely enough, those who pro pose this view do not cite Scripture for this position. The reason is ob vious: there is not one single par ticle of Scripture truth to be found in this claim. Then there are those who have surrounded the Jew with a certain halo and feel he does not need to be saved, because he is of God’s ancient people. He has, as it were, a charmed life and a spe cial dispensation or distribution of God’s grace allotted to him. This view is identical with the Jewish doctrine to be found in one of their prayers: “There is a portion for all Israel in the world to come.” No Bible proof can be given for this position either. It is a matter of personal opinion or tradition of men. Still others feel the Jews do not need to be saved now, because all Israel of all ages will be saved in the future. They point to the pas sage which reads: “For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in; and so all Israel shall be saved: even as it is written, There shall come out of £ion the Deliverer; He shall turn away ungodliness from
takes up the problem of
whether a Jew has a specia
Jacob: and this is my covenant unto them, When I shall take away their sins.” Those who advocate this view forget that there is no assurance that individual Jews will be living at that time who are on earth at this time. How do we know that individuals now living will continue to that hour? The Bible never places the acceptance of the Messiah by faith and the reception of His salvation, as a fu ture decision. It always presents the matter of decision in the pres ent. Moreover, we cannot fail to take into account the Scripture statement that there will be un worthy in Israel who will come into judgment, just as the Gentiles will. In short, the Scriptures do not support this view any more than the others. The question still remains and demands a clear an swer: Do you, as a Jew, really need to be saved? The Universality of Sin and Condemnation Jew as well as Gentile is under sin and the curse of God. You may inquire under what condemnation the Jew rests. The apostle Paul answers it in these words: “But if thou bearest the name of a Jew, and restest upon the law, and glori- est in God, and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, and art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them that are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having in the law the
form of knowledge and of the truth; thou therefore that teachest an other, teachest thou not thyself: thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adul tery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou rob temples? thou who gloriest in the law, through thy transgression of the law dishon- orest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gen tiles because of you, even as it is written.” Did the apostle mean to imply by this very forceful passage that the Jew was in greater need of salvation than the Gentile? Hear him set forth the bill of particulars: “What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we before laid to the charge both of Jews and Greeks [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 have all turned aside, they are together become unprofit able; There is none that doeth good, no, not so much as one: Their throat is an open sepulchre; With their tongues they have used de ceit: The poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruc tion and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Dear friend,
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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