Satan, knowing that his time is short and realizing also that Israel is the chosen vessel through whom God's salvation is destined to flow out to the entire world, is endeavoring to do his utmost against giving the gospel to world-Jewry now. In order to thwart the Jewish missionary enterprise he is foisting upon the minds and hearts of some of God's people certain unscriptural and illogical objections. The principal ones I shall notice briefly.

One of the chief objections raised is that the present era is not the time to give the gospel to Israel. The reason usually assigned for this position is that the Jews have already had their chance. I freely admit that the Hebrews in the first century did have their opportunity; that fact, however, does not help the Jews of the present day. I ate my food yesterday but it does not suffice for today; neither will my eating satisfy the hunger of my children. All people are lost, apart from salvation through Christ; therefore every individual should have an opportunity of accepting the Lord.

But, one continues, God has set Israel aside and is now taking out of the Gentiles a people for His name: "Symeon hath rehearsed how first God visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His name" (Acts 15:14). Yes, God is now calling out from the Gentiles a people for his name. To get the force of this position we must examine all passages bearing upon the subject.

In Romans 1-8 Paul discussed at length God's redemptive scheme through the Lord Jesus Christ. In 1:1-3:20 he showed that the entire world is lying in sin; hence, it is in need of salvation. In the section, 3:21-5:11, he set forth graphically salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In 5:12-8:39 however, he presented the glorious doctrine of sanctification by the Spirit and the life in Christ.

To the superficial thinker it might appear that the scheme of redemption thus outlined by Paul rendered null and void the covenant and promises made by the Lord to Israel; hence in Romans 9-11 the Apostle anticipated this objection by showing her status in the past, the present, and the future. In 9:1-29 he set forth graphically God's electing grace in passing by the Gentile nations and in accepting Abraham and his descendants as a channel for world-blessing. In the case of Abraham's immediate family, the Lord in His sovereignty passed by Ishmael and selected Isaac as the chosen seed. In the case of Essau and Jacob, divine sovereignty chose Jacob in the succession of the theocratic line. Thus God's electing, sovereign grace passed by certain ones and chose others for the royal lineage. In other matters, even outside the realm of Israel, the Lord exercised His sovereignty by debasing certain nations and by raising others to positions of power and glory. With this program of electing grace during the centuries of the past, Israel was in perfect accord and found no objection--while the divine favor was resting upon her.

In 9:30-10:21 the Apostle showed Israel's present status. Notwithstanding her zeal and earnestness for the ordinances of God, she has utterly failed in fitting into His developing plan. Bound by ritualism, formalism, and tradition, she has been unable to keep step with the unfolding of God's purpose of the age; hence she has rejected the only source of life--the Lord Jesus Christ who is the end of the Law. The failure is with Israel and not with God. The glad tidings of salvation have been preached to her but she has not heeded; hence she is temporarily set aside.

In the eleventh chapter the Apostle discussed her future. To him who hastily concludes that God has arbitrarily and permanently cast Israel aside, Paul showed the inconsistency of this position. At the present time, even as in the days of Elijah, God has His seven thousand in Israel who have not bowed the knee to Baal; hence now there is a remnant according to the election of grace. This fact is a pledge and a guarantee that the promises of God, as outlined to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, have not been abrogated but are at the present time being held in abeyance awaiting the time when Israel shall turn from her traditionalism and unbelief unto the Lord of glory and receive life anew.

The Lord takes a bad situation and brings good out of it. He is able to overrule Israel's present unbelief and disobedience and to make them contribute to world-blessing. Since he can bring good out of evil, how much greater will be the blessing when she, the chosen vessel, comes back into line with the divine plan and accepts His will! The results to the world that will flow from her accepting her Messiah are graphically set forth by the Apostle in the following words: "For if the casting away of them is the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?" (Rom. 11:14). Thus Israel in fellowship with God will yet be the channel of world-blessing.

Though the Jews are for the time being disenfranchised nationally, no one thinks that through an unchangeable and irrevocable decree every Jew has been cast off by his God. On the contrary, in 11:16-24 Paul showed that only those who disbelieve are rejected:

"And if the first fruit is holy, so is the lump: and if the root is holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken off, and thou, being a wild olive, wast grafted in among them, and didst become partaker with them of the root of the fatness of the olive tree, glory not over the branches; but if thou gloriest, it is not thou that bearest the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in. Well; by their unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by thy faith. Be not high-minded, but fear: for if God spared not the natural branches, neither will he spare thee. Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward, them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God's goodness, if thou continue in his goodness; otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again, For if thou wast cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree and was grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree; how much more shall these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

In verse 16 Paul spoke of the present election according to grace in terms of the first fruit of the Jewish ritual and argued therefrom that, since this believing remnant is holy and acceptable to God, so the whole nation will be if she will only believe. This same truth is set forth by the figure of the tame olive tree. If the root is holy, so are the branches. The branches here, in the Apostle's thinking, refer to the believing remnant at the present day. By these two illustrations, therefore, the Apostle showed that at the present time Israel is eligible for salvation. The sole condition of her election is "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21).

I wish the reader to note especially the Apostle's statement in verse 17 and the first clause of verse 18: "But if some of the branches were broken off, and thou, being a wild olive, wast grafted in among them, and didst become partaker with them of the root of the fatness of the olive tree; glory not over the branches." According to these words, which view the situation from a little different angle, only some of the branches are broken off and others from a wild olive are grafted in among the tame ones. In this verse the Apostle introduced a figure from husbandry. The Hebrew patriarchs are the root and trunk of the tame olive, whereas the present-day Israelites constitute the branches. Only the unbelievers are broken off; but among the remaining branches those from the Gentiles, the wild olive who believe, are grafted into the tame tree by their faith. According to this figure, then the Lord expects both Jew and Gentile to be members of His body, the church. The branches, whether tame or wild, are grafted into the parent stock by faith. At the beginning of this dispensation all of the branches were broken off when God concluded every one under sin and required that all who would enjoy His blessings accept the Lord Jesus Christ. Hence, even the natural branches since that time have to be grafted into their own stock by faith. In the same manner the wild branches, Gentiles, are grafted in among the tame ones by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The point especially to be noted is this: the wild olive branches are grafted in among the tame ones. How can these tame ones be grafted back into the stock from which they have been broken except by the preaching of the gospel? According to the New Testament, there is no other way. In the light of these facts it becomes immediately apparent that Paul, speaking by inspiration, presupposed that the gospel would be given to the Jewish nation throughout the entire dispensation and that they (Jewish converts) would always stand alongside the Gentiles in the church. Since all of these statements are true to fact, the objection that the gospel is not to be given to Israel at the present time is seen to be fallacious.

Let us view this question from a little different angle. Our Lord gave the Great Commission to His apostles in the following words:
"Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" (Matt. 28:19, 20).

What does this passage teach? This commission includes all nations. The gospel is to be preached during the entire dispensation and those who accept the message are to be baptized and to be taught to observe all things that Jesus commanded the apostles. From these facts we conclude that the apostles and their successors--the believers in Christ--were to carry it to the uttermost parts of the earth. They were commanded to give it to all nations and to continue the same program throughout the age. Since the Jews are one of the nations, they are included in this Great Commission; therefore, for one to conclude that the Jew is not to receive the gospel now is to take an unscriptural position; hence the objection becomes invalid.

We are told that Israel is to be supernaturally converted by the miraculous appearance of the Lord when He comes at the end of the Tribulation; therefore the church now is not to concern herself with giving the gospel to Israel. That is God's work; therefore those of us who are endeavoring to evangelize the Jews are attempting to perform a superhuman, divine task.

In reply I wish to call attention to one of the fundamental principles of God's dealings with men; throughout the Old Testament He has always acted according to the law of parsimony and has under all conditions used men and means to accomplish His purposes. For instance, in punishing His chosen people, He always used either natural phenomena or the Gentile nations. (See Leviticus 26.) He is also at the present time using men and means to accomplish His spiritual ends. For instance, Paul in II Corinthians 5:18,19 declared that God has committed unto men the word of reconciliation.

"But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave unto us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not reckoning unto them their trespasses, and having committed unto us the word of reconciliation."

The matter of salvation is a divine task but God uses men and means to bring about this stupendous miracle. In Romans 10 Paul showed the necessity of the missionary. When the eunuch wanted the truth God sent Philip; likewise when Cornelius was praying for light, He sent Peter. The church is the pillar and the ground of the truth. "These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly; but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth" (I Tim. 2:14,15). Therefore it is obligatory on the church to give the gospel to the entire world--Israel included. Paul declared that it is God's good pleasure to save people through the foolishness of preaching.

"For seeing that in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom knew not God, it was God's good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save them that believe" (I Cor. 1:21).

God has ordained no other way than that of preaching the gospel to save men. That both Jew and Gentile will be saved by the proclamation of the truth is clear from Acts 20:21. Paul declared that he was continually "testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance towards God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." He sounded the same note in Acts 26:17-18, "Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I send thee, to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God…" Faith comes by hearing the word of God. Men see their lost condition. They realize their need of salvation, repent toward God, and put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Such is God's plan for both Jew and Gentile; therefore it becomes necessary for the gospel to be preached to the Jews in order that they might learn of the Saviour and come to him. Yet He uses men, the messengers of the Cross, to bring the knowledge of salvation to all, both Jew and Gentile. From this angle the objection loses its force.

Certain brethren, not seeing clearly that the plan of God at the present is to make of both Jew and Gentile the one body, the church, "For he is our peace, who make both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition" (Eph. 2:14), insist that the expression "to the Jew first" is to be interpreted as a partial view of Acts 1:8: "But ye shall receive power when the Holy Spirit is come upon you; and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." To them this passage means that the Lord Jesus wanted the gospel to be preached to the Jews, first at Jerusalem, then in Judea, next in Samaria, and finally it was to be sent forth to all nations. This program, according to Acts, was carried out by the apostles; hence (thus these good brethren reason), the gospel was given "to the Jew first" in the beginning of the dispensation. Therefore, according to our Lord's word, the disciples are not now to concern themselves about giving the gospel to Israel.

This position is contrary to the Scriptural statements to which we have already given attention. Before, however, we can arrive at a permanent conclusion with reference to this expression it becomes necessary for us to investigate Romans 1:14-17 and its context:

"I am debtor both to Greeks and to Barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you also that are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation; to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous shall live by faith."

Paul, by inspiration, wrote Romans in the spring of 58 A.D. At that time he had never been in the Imperial City but had a longing to go there. At the time of his writing, the church had already been established in that city. Who first preached the gospel there, no one knows. Paul was very eager to have fruit in the city of Rome as elsewhere; hence, according to Romans 1:13, he often purposed to visit Rome but was hindered by Satan. In explaining to the brethren his desires to come to them (vss. 14,15) he declared: "I am debtor both to Greeks and to Barbarians both to the wise and to the foolish, so, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you also that are in Rome. "Note the fact that, in the year 58 A.D. after the gospel had already been preached to the entire world according to the plan of Acts 1:8 (see Rom. 10:16-18), Paul declared his indebtedness to both Greeks and to Barbarians; hence he showed his willingness to perform his duty by saying: "I am ready to preach the gospel to you also." The expression, "I am" in this passage has a forward look for he was not talking about a past obligation but a present responsibility; therefore he was looking toward the future. In verse 16 he asserted his position relative to his not being ashamed of the gospel and introduced his statement by the conjunction for. This fact shows why he was not ashamed to preach the gospel to them. Furthermore, the reason for his not being ashamed was the fact that it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth--to the Jew first. Since he was discussing the future after the gospel had been given to Israel nationally, there is but one conclusion to which we can come --namely, that the phrase under consideration is an affirmation declaring that it is the will of God for the gospel to be given first to the Jews of every generation and of every community and then to be proclaimed to the Gentiles of the vicinity. The Jews have the priority because they are the chosen people through whom God expects to give His truth to the world.

Our phrase, studied in the light of Paul's action (Acts 13-28), confirms this position. In Acts 13 we have the record of his sermon delivered in the Jewish synagogue at Antioch, Pisidia. The first meeting was a glorious success. On the next Sabbath the whole city was gathered together to hear the Word of God. The leaders of the Jews became jealous and stirred up agitation against Paul. Seeing the situation, the Apostle declared: "It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you. Seeing ye thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." Was this an official, representative turning from the Jew to the Gentile? This question can be answered by Paul's subsequent action. When he left Antioch he and Barnabas went on the Roman road across Asia Minor. Upon arriving in that center "they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake that a great multitude of both Jews and Greeks believed" (Acts 14:1). In the light of his action we can see that Paul's turning from the Jews at Antioch was not an official, representative rejection of the Jewish race but that he was simply carrying out the instructions of his Lord not to cast pearls before swine. When the Apostle saw that the Jews in Antioch did not want the truth, he turned to the Gentiles of that community; hence, upon his arrival in the next city, he went to his Jewish brethren as he had done on former occasions and gave them an opportunity to hear the truth. As we read Acts of the Apostles, we see that he always acted upon this principle.

On his second great missionary tour he finally reached Corinth in Greece. According to his custom, he proclaimed the truth to his brethren, "testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. And when they opposed themselves and blasphemed, he shook out his raiment and said unto them, Your blood be upon you own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles" (Acts 18:5,6). On this occasion he proceeded as he had done at Antioch in Pisidia. Was this turning an official, representative act, signifying God's rejection of Israel? His program subsequent to this incident will prove the best answer to the question. In Acts 19 we meet him at Ephesus while on his third missionary tour. According to verses 8-10.

"He entered into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, reasoning and persuading as to the things concerning the kingdom of God. But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus, And this continued for the space of two years; so that all they that dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks" (Acts 19:8-10).

Here again we see the Apostle withdrawing from the Jews at Ephesus and entering a school of heathen philosophy, teaching both Jews and Gentiles. His going to the Jews of Ephesus at first shows that his turning from them at Corinth, as we have just noticed, was not an official rejection of the nation but simply a turning from those of that city who did not want the truth. His leaving the synagogue at Ephesus after the Jews spurned the truth and his going to a place where both, Jews and Gentiles could and did come show that it was his custom to spend his time with those only who desired the Word of God.

In Acts 28 we find the record of his first visit to Rome. Upon reaching the city he called for the leaders of the Jews to whom he expounded the way of salvation by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

"And when they had appointed him a day they came to him into his lodging in great number; to whom he expounded the matter, testifying the kingdom of God, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning till evening. And some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Spirit through Isaiah the prophet unto your fathers, saying,
Go thou unto this people, and say,
By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise understand;
And seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive;
For this people's heart is waxed gross,
And their ears are dull of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed;
Lest haply they should perceive with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart,
And should turn again,
And I should heal them.
Be it known therefore unto you, that this salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles: they will also hear" (Acts 28:23-28).

Here again we see his turning from the Jews to the Gentiles. How are we to interpret his action? Unless there is positive evidence to the contrary his conduct on this occasion must be interpreted in the light of his custom under similar circumstances. We have already seen that when the Jews on three former occasions spurned the gospel, he turned from them to the Gentiles of these respective communities; therefore we are logically bound to conclude that such is the significance of his action on this occasion in Rome. To force any other interpretation on this passage is to do violence to the sacred Scriptures. But, one insists, this circumstance is entirely different from the three preceding ones just noticed. To support this theory attention is called to the quotation taken from Isaiah 6. Does his use of this passage mitigate the situation or introduce attenuating circumstances which differentiate this occasion from the three other instances? In order to answer this question more accurately, the reader must examine the passage in the original context of Isaiah 6. Turning to this Scripture we see that Isaiah was granted a vision of the Lord when He shall sit upon the throne of His glory in the millennial age. In the brightness of the immaculate purity of the King, Isaiah saw his uncleanness and unworthiness. Thus he made his confession and pled for cleansing. One of the seraphim immediately took a live coal from the altar and touched his lips. This action was symbolic of the prophet's cleansing. Immediately the Lord called for volunteers; instantly the prophet offered his services. Then the Lord gave him his commission in the words quoted by the Apostle Paul to the Jews at Rome. At the same time He made known to the prophet the fact his ministry would not be successful from the standpoint of numbers; on the contrary, the Lord disclosed to him that it was his duty continually to proclaim the Word. The preaching of the truth always hardness the hearts of those who do not desire it. The Lord, knowing that the nation, as a rule in Isaiah's day did not want the truth, made known to the prophet beforehand that his ministry would be practically fruitless so far as visible results were concerned. Nevertheless the messenger was to give forth the oracle continually.

By Paul's quoting these words from Isaiah 6 he was simply saying to the Jews at Rome that they were of like mind and heart as those to whom the great prophet Isaiah ministered. He did his duty by giving them the truth of the gospel which hardened their hearts for judgment. There is a twofold purpose in the preaching of the gospel; "For we (apostles) are a sweet savor of Christ unto God, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: to the one a savor from death unto death; to the other a savor from life unto life" (II Cor. 2:15,16). That his turning from the Jews in Rome was no different from his leaving his kinsmen according to the flesh at Ephesus is manifest from Acts 28:30,31. "And he abode two whole years in his own hired dwelling, and received all that went in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, none forbidding him." After the Jews refused to accept his testimony which he delivered while he was in his own lodging, he hired a dwelling and for the space of two years received all who went in unto him. The case, as we have already seen, is parallel to that recorded in Acts 19:8-10. When he could no longer reach the Jews in the synagogue, he went over to the heathen school of philosophy and gave the truth to both Jews and Gentiles--those who came to him. Such is the exact case as set forth in Acts 28. Paul used his own hired dwelling as the place for meeting. There he "received all that went in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, not forbidding him." To assume that those who went in to him were Gentiles only and that not a single Jew was included in the number is to read into God's Word something that is not there. As a matter of fact, there were Jews among those who went to him, for in verse 24 we are told that "some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved." This statement is made with reference to the Jews. Some sided with Paul whereas others opposed. When this situation arose Paul declared that he would no longer continue his present program, for he saw that it was a fruitless task; hence he hired a place and those Jews who believed and who wanted the truth together with the Gentiles came to him and to them he expounded the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God. In view of all the facts we are driven to the inescapable conclusion that Paul's turning from the Jews at Rome was of the same character as his leaving them on former occasions. Thus his action in Rome was in perfect keeping with his habitual practice throughout his entire ministry. Therefore the expression, "to the Jew first," simply means that the gospel is to be given to the Jew first of every community in every generation.

We have already seen that the Great Commission, according to our Lord, lays upon the followers of Jesus the obligation of giving the gospel to all nations, including Jews, throughout the entire dispensation--to the consummation of the age. Any theory that contradicts the Great Commission is unscriptural. Therefore the church of Jesus Christ is under solemn obligation of proclaiming the gospel to the Jews at the present time.

Sometimes we are told that the Lord has placed judicial blindness upon Israel because of her rejection of the Messiah. Therefore the people are blind and cannot possibly see the truth. The position is buttressed by an incorrect interpretation of Romans 11:25. Here Paul speaks of a partial blindness that has come upon Israel at the present time. Further confirmation of this position is sought in the Apostle's statement in Corinthians 3:15,16: "But unto this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lieth upon their heart. But whensoever it shall turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away." In this passage he affirmed that a veil is resting over his brethren according to the flesh so long as they read Moses.

Do these verses refer to an unconditional blindness upon the nation? If so, then we who are attempting to evangelize the Jews are acting contrary to the expressed will of God. Let us notice Romans 11:25: "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 fullness of the Gentiles be come in." In this passage Paul affirmed that, "a hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in." Does God arbitrarily harden the hearts of people? In the exodus record we see that Pharaoh hardened his heart. Thus because of his stubborn attitude toward God, the Lord hardened this proud monarch's heart. Moses again, speaking of Pharaoh, said that his heart was hardened. Had Pharaoh been open to truth and had a spirit submissive to the will of God, the Lord would not have hardened his heart. Since God is no respector of persons, we may conclude that the same principle obtains in the case of Israel. Therefore we must be careful in affirming an unconditional and irrevocable hardening of the nation today. Let us bear in mind that this callousness is only partial. Since no man can tell what part of the nation is thus unimpressionable, it becomes necessary that we give the truth to all of them in order that those who are not confirmed in unbelief may have the same chance to see the light, which God has given to us.

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