No Partiality with God

MEMORY SELECTION: “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” —Acts 10:15

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Acts 10:23-35

THE Heavenly Father, by his foreknowledge, realizing that he “would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.” (Gal. 3:8) When God first began dealing with Abraham, his impartiality was pictured in the covenant of circumcision which he made with Abraham.—Gen. 17:9-14

In verse 11 of Romans 4 we read: “And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also.”

But in the development of God’s plan of salvation he deemed it wise to deal with limited groups of people for a time. He first dealt with the patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—as individuals. When Jacob died God dealt with his twelve sons, who, with their families collectively, became the nation of Israel. This nation was used by the Heavenly Father as an example, and their experiences were for the subsequent instruction of the church down through the Gospel Age.—I Cor. 10:6

To emphasize the fact that it was impossible for man, because of his fallen condition to attain justification by his own works, God offered the Israelites life through the Law Covenant. But Israel was a failure, and in their failure they demonstrated that salvation by works was an impossibility for any of Adam’s children. (Rom. 3:10) But in connection with the nation of Israel, God dealt with them exclusively, stating, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth.”—Amos 3:2

This seemingly preferential relationship lasted until the promised Seed of Abraham came and fulfilled the Law, thus bringing it to an end. (Gal. 3:16; Matt. 5:17,18; Rom. 10:4) The Apostle Paul states the matter thus: “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. … There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”—Gal. 3:22-24,28

And so the Apostle Paul indicates that under the new faith arrangement God is no respecter of persons. While the appearance of Jesus as the promised Messiah, and his subsequent death, brought an end to the Law Covenant, it did not bring an end to the seemingly preferential treatment of the Jewish people; for the prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27 indicated that in the last week of years Messiah would be cut off in the midst of the week but that the covenant (the Sarah feature of the Abrahamic Covenant) would be confirmed with the Israelites for the full week.

And so it was in the actuality. Jesus became “Messiah the Prince” when he was immersed at Jordan by John the Baptist and was begotten by God’s Holy Spirit. His ministry to the Jewish nation was for three and one-half years, and then he was cut off in death, nailing the Law Covenant to the cross.—Matt. 15:24; Col. 2:14

But the covenant was confirmed with the Jewish nation for an additional three and one-half years, filling up the seventy weeks of the prophecy. The disciples, in their ministry, were to go only to the house of Israel. (Matt. 10:5-8) When the time was fulfilled, the incident recorded in our selected scripture came to pass, and Cornelius, the first Gentile convert, was baptized and received the Holy Spirit. It was then that the Apostle Peter exclaimed, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.” (Acts 10:34,44-48) God has concluded the nation of Israel and all the rest of the children of Adam in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. (Rom. 11:31,32) And, during this Gospel Age, to those who believe—the prospective members of the church—the scriptures state that they are taken “out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.”—Rev. 5:9

| Home Page | Table of Contents |