Chapter Four

Chapter Four

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Why We Know That Gentile Christians Are Continuously Inheriting The Same Abrahamic Blessings of Healing And Prosperity Now, In Addition To Salvation.

            We have determined thus far that the Church did not begin new in time at either John 20:22 or Pentecost. It begins for our study at least with Abraham. (Actually, it goes back into eternmity.) We have also determined that the Church is composed of none other than the Abrahamic Seed Group which includes the Old Testament Renmant as well as Christians. Consequently, the Church is not disconnected from Abraham. And, in the last chapter, we determined the relationship of Jewish Christians to "The Unbroken Force of the Abrahamic Covenant." In this chapter, we discover just how the Gentile Christians fit into the Abrahamic blessings of healing and prosperity in addition to salvation. We accomplish this by looking at three New Testament Scripture passages which demonstrate beyond any doubt, Gentile Christians, also, continuously inherit Abraham's EULOGIA of healing and prosperity in addition to salvation. Our first Scripture to consider is Romans 11:13-24.

Romans 11:13-24 Demonstrates Beyond Any Doubt That Gentile Christians Are Continuously Inheriting the Abrahamic Blessings of Healing and Prosperity in Addition to Salvation

      Actually, Gentile Christians are "grafted," contrary to nature, into the Abrahamic "system" or covenant (Romans 11:13-24). With open Bible, the reader should read this passage thoroughly. In this passage, the patriarchs, Abraham (possibly singly), Isaac, Jacob and God's covenant with them form the root and fatness of the good, natural olive tree. The Church of God of all ages, viewed as one continuous body, is the good olive tree. In other words, the Church is composed of the Old Testament Remnant plus Jew and Gentile Christians. And, those Jewish branches "cut out" of the olive tree, now, during the Christian era are the followers of the Great Disconnect Theory. Those Jewish branches not "cut out" of their own good olive tree were those who understood the Law was God's act of grace, enabling them to maintain the blessings promised Abraham and his Seed Group. These branches, then, are those Remnant Jews who recognized Jesus as the final Mosaic sacrifice for sin. Their acceptance of Jesus as their Messiah and Savior, enabled them to remain in the olive tree, drawing from its root, the fatness, which consists of the Abrahamic promises of healing and prosperity in addition to their salvation.

     Now, into the above described system, the Gentile Christians were "grafted" as a wild olive branch into a good olive tree. In other words, when a Gentile receives Christ as his personal Savior, God supernaturally "grafts" him/her into the good olive tree, i.e., the Israel composed of the believing Remnant. As such, the Gentile Christians "partakest with them, (the saved Remnant of Israel of both Testaments), of the root and fatness of the olive tree." "Partakest with them" translates SUNKOINONOS, a combination of two Greek words: SUN, meaning "together with," and KOINONOS, meaning "having in common." The combination, then, means "joint partaker." In other words, when a Gentile receives Christ as his/her personal Savior, God "grafts" him/her into the Abrahamic stream of blessings (BARAK-EULOGIA) which includes healing and prosperity in addition to salvation. As a result of God's "grafting" the Gentile Christian (making him also a member of the Abrahamic Seed Group, See Volume I), into the Ahrahamic Covenant System of Salvation and Blessing, that Gentile is, henceforth, a "joint-partaker" with the Jewish Christians, (as well as the Old Testament Remnant) of the Abrahamic EULOGIA of healing and prosperity (Galatians 3:9 and Hebrews 6:10-20).

     In the balance of these volumes, the term "Church" shall be biblically defined, i.e.. "the Church" includes the saved of both the Old and New Testament eras. We shall distinguish this "biblically defined Church" from the God-Looked-Down Theory church which was concocted from thin air and supposedly began at John 20:22 or Pentecost. From now on we shall use the terms "the Abrahamic Seed Group Church," and we shall simply call that other "entity-thing," the God-Looked-Down Theory church.

     Sanday and Headlam summarized this passage for us (Romans 11:13-24) in an excellent manner. See below.

      "The olive = the Church of God, looked at as one continuous body; the Christian Church being the inheritor of the privileges of the Jewish Church.

      The root or stock (RIDZA) = that stock from which Jews and Christians both alike receive their nourishment and strength, viz. the Patriarchs, for whose faith originally Israel was chosen (cf vv. 28,29).

      The branches (HOI KLADOI) are the individual members of the Church who derive their nourishment and virtue from the stock or body to which they belong. These are of two kinds:

      The original branches; these represent the Jews. Some have been cut off from their want of faith, and no longer derive any nourishment from the stock.

      The branches of the wild olive which have been grafted in. These are the Gentile Christians, who, by being so grafted in, have come to partake of the richness and virtue of the olive stem" (SH p. 327).

Sanday and Headlam also declared that "...any merit, any virtue, any hope of salvation that the Gentiles may have arises entirely from the fact that they are grafted on a stock whose roots are the Patriarchs and to which the Jews, by virtue of their birth, belong" (SH p. 329).

     In our passage under consideration (Romans 11:13-24), that the Gentiles are being grafted into the olive tree and are drawing from the fatness of its root is beyond question. And that the fatness of the root is none other than Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant is also beyond question. The best scholarship for hundreds of years confirm this position. Consider the statements below of eminent Bible scholars. They all identify that into which the Gentiles are grafted as the patriarchs and the Abrahamic Covenant. (The expression, "the patriarchs" always refers to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Remember, the Abrahamic Covenant was made with Abraham, but reconfirmed with Isaac and Jacob).

      Robertson said, "Apparently the patriarchs are the first fruit. Perhaps Abraham singly here" (RWP IV, Romans p. 395). And it is into Abraham, the patriarchs and the Abrahamic Covenant that the Gentile Christians are grafted."

      Newell declared that the Gentiles were being grafted into "...the promises given to Abraham and to his Seed" (WRN p. 428).

      Concerning the root into which the Gentile Christians were being grafted, Cranfield stated "...there is a very widespread agreement among commentators that it must refer to the patriarchs..." (CEBC II, p. 565).

      Vincent affirmed, "Both the first-fruits and the root represent the patriarchs (or Abraham singly)...." (MRV III, p. 126). He further stated, "The Jewish nation is a tree from which some branches have been cut, but which remains living because the root (and therefore all the branches connected with it) is still alive. Into this living tree, the wild branch, the Gentile, is grafted among the living branches, and thus draws life from the root. The insertion of the wild branches takes place in connection with the cutting off of the natural branches (the bringing in of the Gentiles in connection with the rejection of the Jews). But the grafted branches should not glory over the natural branches because of the cutting off of some of the latter, since they derive their life from the common root" (MRV III, 127).   He then quoted Dwight, "The lifeforce and the blessing are received by the Gentile through the Jew, and not by the Jew through the Gentile. The spiritual plan moves from the Abrahamic Covenant downward, and from the Israelitish nation outward" (MRV III, p. 127).

      Hendriksen said, "The cake and the root probably symbolize Abraham; better still: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. See Romans 11:28. The branches are the descendants of these forefathers. They are the people of Israel, highly privileged..." (WH Romans p. 370). And, into the above, the Gentile Christians are grafted.

             Poole declared, "...by the root he means Abraham...by the olive-tree he means the church of Christ; by the root, or sap of the root, and by the fatness of the olive tree, he means, all the promises and privleges, the graces and ordinances, the spiritual blessings and benefits, which belong to Abraham and his seed or to the true church of God...so the good things that the gentiles have, they received from the Jews, and not the Jews from them: the Gentile church is incorporated into the Jewish, and not the Jewish into the Gentile" (MP III, p. 518).

      Henry declared, "The Gentiles, being grafted into the church, partake of the same privileges that the Jews did, the root and fatness. The olive-tree is the visible church (called so Jeremiah 11:16); the root of this tree was Abraham...he being the first with whom the covenant was so solemnly made. Now the believing Gentiles partake of this root: he also is a son of Abraham (Luke 19:9), the blessing of Abraham comes upon the Gentiles (Galatians 3:14), the same fatness of the olive-tree, the same for substance, special protection, lively oracles, means of salvation, a standing ministry, instituted ordinances; and, among the rest, the visible church-membership of their infant seed, which was part of the fatness of the olive-tree that the Jews had, and cannot be imagined to be denied to the Gentiles" (MH VI, p. 449). And to the Gentiles he further declared, Abraham, the root of the Jewish church, is not beholden to thee; but thou art greatly obliged to him, as the trustee and the father of many nations" (MH VI, p.449).

      Calvin maintained, "The Gentiles could not contend with the Jews respecting the excellency of their race without contending with Abraham himself, which would have been extremely unbecoming, since he was like a root by which they were born and nourished...And we know that after Christ by his coming has pulled down the partition-wall, the whole world partook of the favour which God had previously conferred on the chosen people. It hence follows, that the calling of the Gentiles was like an ingrafting, and that they did not otherwise grow up as God's people than as they were grafted in the stock of Abraham" (CC-Romans p. 1481).

             The Pulpit Commentary affirmed, "By the firstfruit and the root is signified the original stock of Israel, the patriarchs; by the lump and the branches, the subsequent nation through all time" (PC XVIII p. 322). And concerning the Gentiles, said, "...it is, after all, from the stock of Israel, into which he has been engrafted, that he derives all his own fertility" (PC XVIII p. 322).

     In other words, the root is the Abrahamic Covenant, the olive tree is the Church of God viewed as one continuous body beginning, for our study at least, with Abraham and lasting forever. Into this Abrahamic body, tree or Church, God grafts the Gentiles when they accept Christ as their personal Savior. No wonder Paul said Christians "...are blessed (BARAK-EULOGIA) with faithful Abraham" (Galatians 3:9 - See Volume I). Christians are grafted into the "Blessing System of Abraham." See the comments by more leading scholars below. They all declare that Gentile Christians are grafted into the Abrahamic Covenant. And, after all, why shouldn't they be? Promise #60 declares that, "In Abraham's seed, who is Christ, all nations of the earth shall be blessed (BARAK-EULOGIA)," which still means healing and prosperity in addition to salvation.

      Lenski stated, "...the first cake of dough and the root denote either Abraham, with whom the covenant was made (chapter 4), or Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob taken together" (RCHL-Romans p. 703). And, concerning the engrafted Gentiles he declared, "The marvel of divine grace, which the Gentile Christians are to note well, is that they together with the believing Jews are made blessed partakers of all that God originally gave to Abraham and to the great patriarchs of the covenant" (RCHL-Romans p. 704). He further explicated, "The astounding miracle of grace is here pictured by an equally astounding figure: such a wild olive branch grafted in among the good living olive branches and thereby made a joint partaker of the root of the good olive tree, of its fatness, its rich sap. Note well this main point of the illustration. It is not something that this wild olive branch furnishes or is to furnish but the fatness which the good root of the good olive furnishes this engrafted wild olive branch" (RCHL-Romans p. 705). Moreover, concerning the holiness of the engrafted Gentiles, Lenski said, "...all its living branches are called holy. This includes the branches that are grafted in;..it excludes the branches that have been removed" (RCHL-Romans p. 706). Finally, he thundered, "...we must, indeed, say that it is a tremendous deed to pry a pagan loose from his paganism, to which is then added the task of uniting him with the very covenant (Abraham) from which the Jews fell away" (RCHL-Romans p.n 712).

      The American Commentary affirmed, "The root refers to the patriarchal progenitors of the race, to Abraham especially, in whom the branches—that is, his natural posterity—were regarded as consecrated to God" (TAC IV - Romans p. 255).

     And, even Karl Barth is forced to grudgingly concede this truth concerhning the root's identity as the patriarchs and the Remnant. He said, "Paul may, it is true, when he speaks of firstfruit and root have in mind the patriarchs of the elect in Israel..." (KB p. 407).

      Godet maintained that the first-fruits and the root represented Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He said, "We must, therefore, with the majority of commentators, take these holy first-fruits as the patriarchs, in whose person all their posterity are radically consecrated to the mission of being the salvation people" (FG p. 405). And concerning the identity of the root, he said, "There is therefore no need to seek a different meaning..." (FG p. 405). In other words, both the first-fruits and the root are the patriarchs. He then calls the Seed Group of the Abrahamic Covenant into which Gentile Christians are grafted, "a blessed and consecrated organism." He declared, "...Paul speaks to each Christian of Gentile origin individually, and reminds him that it is in spite of his possessing the quality of a wild tree that he has been able to take a place in this blessed and consecrated organism to which he was originally a stranger...Once engrafted on this stem, the wild branches have become co-participants of the root. This expression is explained by the following words: and of the fatness of the olive, of which the meaning is this: As there mounts up from the root into the whole tree a fruitful and unctuous sap which pervades all its branches, so the blessing assured to Abraham (Galatians 3:14) remains inherent in the national life of Israel, and is even communicated by believing Jews to those of the Gentiles who become children of the patriarch by faith;.." (FG pp. 405-406). For Godet, the "engrafting" is another way of saying that the Gentiles are incorporated into the Remnant of Israel, the original Abrahamic Seed Group. He said, "The fact is, that in the view of Paul, as in that of the Twelve, the believers of Israel are the nucleus round which are grouped the converts from among the Gentiles, and God's ancient people, consequently, the flock with which the Gentiles are incorporated. "I have yet another sheep, said Jesus (John 10:16), who are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and there shall be one flock, one Shepherd." Excepting the figure, the thought is identical with our passage" (FG pp. 405-406). Finally, Godet sees the Gentiles entering into blessings already existing and inherent in the Jews. He stated, "...the salvation enjoyed by this (the Gentile) believer has been prepared by a divine history which is one with that of Israel, and that the Christian of Gentile origin enters into possession of a blessing already existing and inherent in this people. As Hodge says: "It is the Jews who are the channel of blessings to the Gentiles, and not inversely." The Gentiles become God's people by means of the Jews, not the Jews by the instrumentality of the Gentiles. In view of this fact, the contempt of the latter becomes absurd and even perilous. Not only, indeed, should Gentile believers not despise the Jews; but if they understand their position rightly, the sight of this rejected people should lead them to tremble for themselves" (FG p. 407).

     Haldane confirms all the above writers. He said, "...both the first-fruit and the root refer to Abraham, as the first-fruit to God, and the root of the Jewish nation" (RH p. 534). And concerning the Jewish nation, he said they were "...God's olive tree. They were all the people of God in a typical sense, and the greater part of God's true people (the O.T. Remnant) had been chosen out of them; but now, by their unbelief, some of the branches (not the Remnant) were broken off from the tree. By the term 'some,' ...is meant not all, Hebrews 3:16; for it implies that others, as the Apostle had shown, verses 2-5, remained. And among, or rather instead of, those that were broken off, the Gentiles, who were a wild olive, having had no place in the good olive tree, are now made the children of Abraham by faith in Christ Jesus, Galatians 3:26-29. They were grafted into the good olive-tree, whose root Abraham was, and were made partakers of his distinguished privileges" (RH p. 537). In conclusion, Haldane believes that all the blessings the Gentiles enjoy relate to the fact that they are Abraham's children. He said, "The Gentile believers become the children of Abraham, and all the blessings they enjoy are in virtue of that relation. Hence the covenant, Jeremiah 31:31, includes all believers; yet it is said only to be made with the house of Israel and Judah" (RH p. 538).

             Adam Clarke said that the Gentiles, "...being without the knowledge of the true God, and consequently bringing forth no fruits of righteousness ...are now inserted in the original stock, having been made partakers of the faith of Abraham, and consequently of his blessings, and enjoy, as the people did who sprang from him...the promises made to the patriarchs, and the spiritual privleges of the Jewish Church" (AC II-Romans p. 130). He further declared that, now, the Genties "...are ready to acknowledge that you were included in the covenant made with Abraham, and are now partakers of the same blessings with him, do not exult over, much less insult, the branches, his present descendants, whose place you now fill up, according to the election of grace; for remember, ye are not the root, nor do ye bear the root, but the root bears you. You have not been the means of deriving any blessing on the Jewish people; but through that very people, which you may be tempted to despise, all the blessing and excellencies which you enjoy have been communicated to you" (AC II-Romans p. 130).

      Hodge also concurs with the above commentators. He said, "By the first-fruits and the root, may be understood the patriarchs, the forefathers of the Jews; and by the lump and the branches, the residue of the nation, or the Jews as a people...nothing is more natural than to call the ancestors the root and their descendants the branches" (CH pp. 366-367). Furthermore, "The Gentile Christians are not said (ver. 17) to be grafted into the stock of the converted Jews, but as branches with them they are united to a common stock. And the stock into which the branches, now broken off, are to be again grafted, is not the Jewish part of the Christian church, but the original family or household of God" (CH p. 367). Hodge continues by stating that, "Some of the Jews were broken off and rejected; the Gentiles, though apparently little susceptible of such a blessing, were introduced into the church, and made to partake of all its peculiar and precious privileges. The Jewish church is compared to the olive tree, one of the most durable, productive, and valuable of the productions of the earth, because it was highly favoured, and therefore valued in the sight of God. The Gentiles are compared to the wild olive, one of the most worthless of trees, to express the degradation of their state, considered as estranged from God" (CH p. 368).

      But, even though the Gentiles are worthless and estranged from God, they were engrafted into the AbrahaMic Promises. Therefore, Hodge continued. "As the scion of the one tree is engrafted into another, and has no independent life, but derives all its vigour from the root, so the Gentiles are introduced among the people of God, not to confer, but to receive good ...The Gentiles are saved by their introduction into that church of which the patriarchs were the root...the root in this passage cannot be the early converts from among the Jews, but the ancient covenant people of God. The ancient theocracy was merged into the kingdom of Christ. The latter is but an enlargement and elevation of the former. There has, therefore, never been other than one family of God on earth. existing under different institutions, and enjoying different degrees of light and favour. This family was composed, of old, of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their descendants. At the advent, its name and circumstances were changed; many of its old members were cast out, and others introduced, but it is the same family still. Or, to return to the apostle's illustration, it is the same tree, some of the branches only being changed" (CH p. 368). In other words, "The GentIles had been brought into fellowship with the patriarchs, not the patriarchs with them. Salvation was from the Jews. The truth that the Jews were the channel of blessings to the Gentiles, and not the reverse, was adapted to prevent all ungenerous and self-confident exultation of the latter over the former" (CH p. 369).

      To conclude this section on Romans 11:13-24, we let Hendriksen sum it all up. He said, "In reading what Paul says about the olive tree there is one very important point that must not be overlooked. The apostle recognizes only one (cultivated) olive tree! In other words, the church is one living organism. For Jew and Gentile salvation is the same. It is obtained on the basis of Christ's atonement, by grace, through faith. The notion according to which God recognizes two objects on which he bestows his everlasting, saving love, namely, the Jews and the church, is contrary to Scripture. Here in Romans Paul has expressed himself again and again (3:29,30; 4:11,16; 5:18,19; 9:22 f.; 10:12, 13). One olive tree represents all the saved, regardless of their origin. And, as the result of the operation of God's saving grace, all the reborn are headed for the same everlasting home. Remember: "ONE OLIVE TREE" (WH Romans p. 376). And that one olive tree includes the saved (the Abrahamic Seed Group) of all ages in both the Old and New Testament eras. Since the Abrahamic Seed Group of both Testaments (the Church, Synagogue, Remnant, Israel, Christians, the olive tree, etc.) inherit the BARAK-EULOGIA in the Abrahamic Covenant, they have, in addition to salvatiom healing and prosperity.

      Praise the Lord! We Gentile Christians are grafted into everything we discovered about the Jewish Christians in Hebrews 6:10-20. Therefore, both Jewish and Gentile Christians, are continuously inheriting Abraham's blessings of healing and prosperity in addition to salvation.

      And why shouldn't Gentile Christians, composing as they do, part of the present day "Membership Roster" of the Abrahamic Seed Group, inherit Abraham's EULOGIA of healing and prosperity? They are, after all, the "families" or "nations" mentioned in Promises 8, 30, 33, 45, and 60. In addition, they are the recipients of the "Blessing-BARAK-EULOGIA" mentioned in Promises 8 and 60. Remember from Volume I that Promise 60, "In thy seed shall all the families or nations of the earth be blessed," is a synonymous phrase with the New Testament expression "in Christ." Putting the two together we read, "In thy seed, who is Christ, shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, which still means God's beneficial power for healing and prosperity in addition to salvation."

     Finally, the reader must understand by now, that the "Church" began with Abraham and is composed of the Abrahamic Seed Group throughout eternity. As such, the Church is not disconnected from Abraham. For, just as we learned in Volume II, the new covenant is not new in time but is the completion of the Abrahamic Covenant by the cutting of Jesus' flesh and the drawing of Jesus' blood, so the Church is not brand new at John 20:22 or Pentecost. The Church is composed of the Abrahamic Seed Group beginning with Abraham and is, therefore, not disconnected from Abraham as the followers of the God-Looked-Down Theory would have us believe. The Christian Church is, very simply put, the historic unfoldment of the Abrahamic Covenant. As such, the healing and prosperity guaranteed to Abraham's Seed Group in the Old Testament has never been nullified or voided. Healing and Prosperity are still guaranteed to us Christians today!

     The question we must now answer is this: Since the Gentiles are most definitely included in the Abrahamic Promises, why were they not grafted into the Abrahamic Seed Group sooner? Why were they not grafted in before the Christian era? What took so long for them to be incorporated into the Abrahamic system of healing and prosperity in addition to salvation? Why did the Gentiles have to wait until Christ came, to be grafted into the Abrahamic root and tree, i.e., the Remnant of Israel?

     To answer these questions, we must now consider the second of our three Scriptures which demonstrate beyond any doubt that Gentile Christians are continuously inheriting the Abrahamic blessings of healing and prosperity in addition to their salvation.

Ephesians 2:11-22 Demonstrates Beyond Any Doubt That Gentile Christians Are Continuously Inheriting the Abrahamic Blessings of Healing and Prosperity in Addition to Their Salvation

      Just exactly then, how does Ephesians 2:11-22 tell us why the Gentiles were not grafted sooner into the Remnant of Israel based on the Abrahaic Covenant? It tells us by showing us the following five things.

1. This passage shows that the Gentiles had actually been barred or alienated from the commonwealth of Israel resulting in their being strangers to the covenants of promise.

2. This passage shows that Moses' law was that which alienated the Gentiles from the commonwealth of Israel leaving them strangers to the covenants of promise.

3. This passage shows the threefold state of the Gentiles because of their alienation to be (1) without Christ, (2) having no hope, and (3) without God in the world.

4. This passage shows what Jesus did to terminate the cause of their alienation so they could be grafted into the Abrahamic System.

5. This passage shows what the Gentiles are grafted into since Jesus terminated the reason for their alienation.

      First, verse 12 states that during the span of time from Moses to Christ, the Gentiles were "being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of (the) Promise." "Being aliens" translates APALLOTRIOO, which combines APO, meaning "away" with ALLOTRIOS, which means "not of ones own" or "belonging to another." Hence, the combination, then, means "strange, foreign, alien, or even enemy." Since APALLOTRIOO is a Perfect Passive Participle, it should be translated "having been alienated" from the commonwealth of Israel.

     "Cormnonwealth" translates POLITEIA which designates both a polity and the relationship of its citizens to it. This word can be translated either as "commonwealth" or "citizenship." In this case, the polity is Israel, not physical, national Israel since being a physical descendant of Abraham meant nothing. The "commonwealth" spoken of here is the polity of the Remnant and the "citizens" of it are the members of the Abrahamic Seed Group. This group recognized the Law as guardian of the Abrahamic blessings of healing and prosperity in addition to their salvation. They also received Christ as the final sacrifice under Moses' law for their sin problem. As such, the Abrahamic blessings of healing, prosperity and salvation continued without interruption for them. This is the polity or commonwealth from which the Gentiles had been barred or alienated.

     But they were not just barred from being "citizens" of the Remnant Commonwealth. They were also "strangers from the covenant of (the) promise." The verse reads "being aliens (literally, having been alienated) from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of (the) promise..." (v. 12). "And" translates KAI which, in this case, means more than "and" or "even." In this context, KAI means "really" or "in fact." They were not just alienated, but as such, they were "really" strangers from the covenants of (the) promise (DM pp. 250, 251). "Strangers" translates XENOS, another word for foreign or alien and used as a noun in this verse, means "stranger" or "foreigner." In other words, the citizenship and, therefore, the rights of the Remnant are based upon their constitution which is the Abrahamic Covenant called, here, "the covenants of (the) promise." Not only then, are the Gentiles barred or alienated from citizenship in this commonwealth, but, since they are not a citizen, they have no claim to the rights granted to these citizens. They are "strangers" to these rights contained in the constitution of the Commonwealth Remnant of Israel, which constitution, as stated above, is the Abrahamic Sixty-Promises-Blessing Covenant.

     Also, the Greek Definite Article "the" is used with "promise" in the expression "the covenants of (the) promise," denoting not just "any" promise, "some" promise or "a" general promise, but "the specific definite promise." Of course, this verse speaks of the covenants of "the" specific promise God made to Abraham, specifically, Promises 8 and 60.

     Since this material has been prepared as a course of study, I enclose below some quotes from various scholars, from hundreds of years ago to the present, all declaring that "covenants of (the) promise" in verse 12 is in fact the Abrahamic Covenant. The following quotes are by no means all that can be presented. Actually, these are only the tip of the iceberg. Enough, however, have been enclosed to completely satisfy the reader's mind and spirit that the "covenants of the promise" in verse 12 is, in actual fact, the Abrahakmic Covenant to which the Gentiles are strangers, aliens and foreigners who, as such, can lay no rightful claim to its healing, prosperity and salvation. The reader may skip over these quotes for now and resume reading on page 154. However, these quotes should be studied thoroughly at the reader's leisure.

      Abbott said the covenants of the promise "...were characterized by the promise of the Messiah...The plural is used with reference to the covenants with the patriarchs..." (TKA -Ephesians p. 58).

      Salmond identified the covenants of promise as the "...Covenants with Abraham and the patriarchs..." specifically, "...the great Messianic Promise given to the fathers of the Hebrew people (Genesis 13:15; 15:18; 22:8, etc.) " (EGT III p. 292).

             Lenski identified the covenants of promise as "...those old covenants made with the patriarchs..." (RCHL - Ephesians p. 433). He further said, "By being aliens to the Old Testament church, foreigners to the gospel covenants, the Gentiles were also subjectively in the worst plight:.." (RCHL - Ephesians p. 434).

     Concerning the covenants of promise, Calvin said, "On one great promise made to Abraham all the others hang, and without it they lose all their value: "In thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 22:18)... Take away the covenant of salvation, and there remains no hope...By a solemn ritual did God sanction his covenant with Abraham and his posterity..." (CC XII p. 1953).

             Matthew Henry calls the covenants of promise the covenant of grace which "...has ever been the same for substance, though, having undergone various additions and improvements in the several ages of the church..." (MHVI p. 693).

     Adam Clarke declared the identity of the covenants of promise to be "...the covenant made with Abraham, whether considered as relating to his natural or spiritual seed..." (AC III - Ephesians p. 440).

      Lloyd Jones equates the covenants of promise with the Abrahamic Covenant. He said God "...took hold of Abraham. Not because there was anything peculiarly good about Abraham; he was a pagan amongst other pagans. God called him out and said: I have set My eye on you. I am going to bless you, I pledge Myself to you. As the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews reminds us, He did it with an oath: (6:13-18). He pledged Himself and gave an oath, that it might be sure to Abraham and to his seed. The promises of God!" (DMLJ - Ephesians 2, p. 170).

      Matthew Poole affirmed they are "...those covenants in which the great promise of Christ and salvation by him was made...as that with Abraham..." (MP III p.668).

      Vincent called it "The several renewals of God's covenant with the patriarchs" (MRV III p. 377).

      Weust quotes EGT which we quoted above, to identify the covenants of promise as the Abrahamic Covenant. (KW - I Ephesians p. 73).

      Karl Braune said that it "...designates the repeated renewal of the covenant from Abraham to Moses...All these repeated agreements, however, serve the one promise given to Abraham referring to all nations as well as characterizing the covenants, and re-echoing again and again" (LC XI - Ephesians p .90).

      Jamieson, Fausset and Brown declare, "Covenants of promise - rather '...of the promise.' viz., 'to thee and thy seed will I give this land.' " (Romans 9:4; Galatians 3:16). The plural implies the several renewals of the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and with the whole people at Sinai. [Alford.]. " 'The promise' is singular, to signify that the covenant, in reality, and substantially, is one and the same at all times, but only different, in its accidents and external circumstances" (JFB pp. 345, 346).

      The American Commentary states, "The Gentiles were not strangers in respect of these, in the sense that they were never to have part in what the promise contained, since in Abraham and his descendants 'all nations' were to be 'blessed.' They were strangers in the sense that until Christ, the Promised One, had actually come, they had not only had no part in what the covenant had provided, but had not even been aware that any such privilege was possible for them; and in the sense that after Christ had come they still remained aloof until the gospel of God's grace had reached them" (TAC V-Ephesians p. 41).

     The Pulpit Commentary said "The 'covenants' (plural) substantially the same, but renewed to various persons and at various times in which God promised, 'I will bless him that blesseth thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee and thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.' In respect of these they were strangers, not embraced in their provisions, not, therefore, in a state of encouragement to expect a great blessing" (PC XX - Ephesians p. 64).

      The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia said, "All that Abraham the ancestor received through Divine election, by the covenant made with him, is inherited by his seed and passes under the collective names of the promise (Romans 4:13), the blessing (Galatians 3:14), mercy (Luke 1:54), the oath (Luke 1:73), the covenant (Acts 3:25)" (ISBE I p. 21). This work further stated, "For that promise to Abraham was, after all, a 'preaching beforehand' of the Christian gospel, in that it embraced 'all the families of the earth' " (Galatians 3:8) (ISBE I p. 21).

      Finally, William Hendriksen equated the covenants of promise with the promise that was "...made to Abraham, reaffirmed to Isaac, to Jacob, and, in fact, to all God's people in both dispensations, so that, while in a sense there is only one covenant of grace, there were many reaffirmations..." (NTC Ephesians p. 130).

      Next, this passage shows that the law of Moses was that which alienated or barred the Gentiles from being grafted sooner into the Abrahamic-Seed-Group-Church. We show first, enough of the Old Testament passages which demonstrate this fact to satisfy the readers spirit completely that the law is in fact the cause of their alienation. Then, we show from this passage that Paul agrees with Moses, the law did in fact bar the Gentiles from the commonwealth of Israel which was and is based upon the Abrahamic Covenant. Now, those Old Testament passages which demonstrate the above, declare that the Remnant shall (1)        utterly destroy those Gentile (nations) in the promised land; (2)        they shall make no covenant with them; (3) they shall show them no mercy; (4) they shall not inter-marry with them; and (5) a violation of any of the preceding four will result in the Lord destroying them suddenly.

     One or two of these Old Testament passages can be read now and the rest can be studied at the reader's leisure. They should all, however, be studied thoroughly.

Deuteronomy 7:1-5

Exodus 34:10-16

Joshua 8:24-29

      The following passages should be studied thoroughly to satisfy, completely, the reader's mind that Moses' law is that which barred the Gentiles from the commonwealth of Israel, which was and is based upon the covenants of the promise.

Deuteronomy 20:10-18

Exodus 23:27-33

Joshua 6:17-25

Joshua 10:28, 40-42

Joshua 11:6-15

Joshua 23:11-13

Judges 2:1-4

Judges 3:5-11

1 Kings 11:1-13

Ezra, chapters 9 and 10

Nehemiah 13:31

      The slaughter of these Gentiles that God commanded in the above passages grips us. Of a certainty, this slaughter caused a deep hostility and enmity between Jew and Gentile that lasts until this very day. Paul recognized the law that excluded the Gentiles and demanded their utter slaughter and destruction as that which not only alienated the Gentiles from the Remnant, but also that which produced the enmity between them. Verse 15 demonstrates this fact by defining the enmity as "the law of commandments contained in ordinance" or decrees which was, for Paul, "the middle wall of partition" between the saved Jewish Remnant and the Gentile (v. 14). Consequently, the law alienated the Gentile from the Remnant and the Abrahamic promises. This "middle wall of partition" divided them. And, this "law of commandments contained in ordinances" became the cause of the enmity between these two peoples, so much so, that Paul actually called the law "the enmity" (Ephesians 2:15).

     Therefore, as long as this law stands, the Gentiles will be barred from the Remnant Commonwealth and Abraham's promises. Certainly the Gentiles are contained in Promises 8 and 20 among others, but only prophetically. They can not actually experience Abraham's blessings until this law, this middle wall of partition, this enmity has been terminated. The law must be abolished or the Gentile will forever be a foreigner to the actual blessings of that one exclusive Abrahamic Seed Group. In other words, they can not be grafted into the people of God until the law has been abolished.

     Next, this passage shows their condition as a result of "having been alienated" from Abraham's people and promises. The verse states "...you were (1) without Christ; (2) having no hope; and (3) without God in the world."

     Before commenting on these three conditions, we need to say some things about APALLOTRIOO which means "having been alienated." In this verse this word is a Perfect Passive Participle. Passive means that the Gentiles did not do the "alienating" to themselves, i.e., they did not "reject Christ." The "alienating" was done to them by the law. Also, we need to remember the rule for the Perfect Participle: unless the context indicates otherwise, the Perfect Participle denotes a finished, past action which occurred in time prior to the time of the action denoted by the main verb in the sentence. Applying this rule to verse 12, we see that the main verbal idea is "you were." "Were" is in the Greek Imperfect Tense which denotes continuous action in past time. In other words, from the giving of the law until the death of Christ, the Gentiles were continuously in the condition of being (1) without Christ; (2) having no hope; and (3) without God in the world.

     But, our Perfect Passive Participle occurred in time prior to their continuous "were without, etc." So we have a finished past act, "having been alienated" which occurred in time before their continuous, past condition of "being without Christ," etc. Consequently, since this completed past act, "having been alienated" occurred before the onset of their continuous past condition, this completed past act becomes, in this context at least, the cause of their continuous past state of being "without Christ," etc. As such, our Perfect Passive Participle is used as a Causal Participle. A Causal Participle is used when that which the participle describes forms the ground, or reason or cause of the action of the main verb in the sentence. (See JHG p. 57; DM p. 227; BW p. 133). Put differently, the Greek Causal Participle used here, demonstrates the very thing that Moses said:     the law alienated the Gentiles and caused their continuous state of being "without Christ," etc.

     Furthermore, we must note that word order in a Greek sentence is radically different from word order in an English sentence. A Greek would move near the front of his sentence that which he wished to emphasize. This would make an English sentence appear as nonsense—but not a Greek sentence. This was their way of showing emphasis. And Paul did just this in verse 12. He moved "without Christ" towards the front of his sentence. Then he inserted into the sentence, the cause of their condition, ie., the alienation of the Gentiles from the Abrahamic Seed Group. Finally, he inserted into the sentence their other two conditions of (1) having no hope and (2) being without God in the world.

     In Paul's expression, "without Christ," "without" translates CHORIS which means "apart from." This word will not allow the idea that the Gentiles had "rejected Christ" of their own free will. Rather, this word indicates a "space between" themselves and Christ. Because of this space, caused by the law, they never had an opportunity to "reject Christ." He was never presented to their choice until after the law that alienated them from the people of God had been terminated by Jesus' death.

     No wonder Paul said they were in the continuous condition of "having no hope." And, how hopeless they were. Christ was never presented to their choice. There was a space between themselves and Christ they could not bridge. They were foreigners. The Abrahamic blessings which included them prophetically could not be experienced by them until after Moses' law had run its course and been terminated. The only hope for healing, prosperity. and salvation God ever proffered is contained in the Abrahamic Covenant. And for the Gentile, this was to come through Christ alone (See Promise 60). But, they were alienated from this people of God and their charter—The Abrahamic Covenant, therefore, they were "apart from" Christ. As such, they were "having no hope" of obtaining the Abrahamic blessings of healing, prosperity and salvation from God.

     They had no hope for receiving these things from God since this alienation by the law caused them to also be "without God in the world." In this expression, "without God," translates ATHEOI which combines A, the Greek negative with THEOI, the plural for God. Literally then, ATHEOI means "Godsless" or "having no gods at all in the world." Furthermore, when the subject in a sentence in the Bible, is the God of Scripture, the Greek Definite Article, "the," is usually used in connection with "God," showing that the writer is speaking of "the God." But, the Definite Article is not used here. Why? Remember our previous discussion of the omission of the Greek Article. A Greek would omit the Article from a word with which we would normally expect it when he wished to emphasize some quality about the word rather than its particularity. In the expression "Godsless," then, Paul is saying to the Gentiles, that they had plenty, numerous, gods of wood, stone and precious metal in the world, but not one of them had the quality of "diety." Concerning that quality which makes God, God, their gods had none of it. Concerning a God which had actual "diety," they were "Godsless" in the world in spite of all the gods they had.

     What a mess the law left the Gentiles in. They were "Godsless," they had no hope of healing, prosperity and salvation, and they were "apart from" the Christ of Promise 60, who alone could terminate the law and graft them into all the above.

            Now, we must look at the fourth thing this passage shows, namely what Jesus did about the law to end the alienation of the Gentiles, so he could at last, graft them on to the Abrahamic stock, together with the people of God, beginning in Genesis 12 with Abraham himself. What then, did Jesus do about the law? He terminated it.

     He shed his blood (v. 13) as the final Mosaic sacrifice for sin. We showed previously that the cutting of Jesus' flesh and the drawing of Jesus' blood completed the Blood Covenant of Friendship between God and Abraham. In addition to completing the Abrahamic Covenant, his drawn blood also fulfilled the law as the final sacrifice for sin. As such, Jesus not only "fulfilled" the law, his drawn blood was also the "end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth." And since Jesus' blood "fulfilled" and "ended" the law, now the Gentiles are included in that expression, "everyone that believeth." In other words, when they believe on Christ as their personal Savior, they are grafted into the Abrahamic people who have the blessings of healing and prosperity in addition to their salvation, guaranteed to them by the "covenants of promise."

     Furthermore, since the law formed the wall of partition which ran down the middle between the Jews and Gentiles, separating them, Jesus broke this wall down when he "ended" and "fulfilled' the law (v. 14). He abolished in his flesh the reason for the enmity, hostility and hatred between these two peoples. And this reason was, of course, the law of commandments contained in ordinances (v. 15). For, when he became the final Mosaic sacrifice for sin, he abolished this law of commandments contained in ordinances. As such, the law no longer guarded the Seed Group against any possible loss of their Abrahamic blessings since Christ has come and delivers the blessings himself. The law has served its purpose of guardianship. Therefore, Christ terminated it, thereby opening the door to Promises 8 and 60 to the Gentiles. Now, upon their accepting Christ as their personal Savior, they are grafted into the Abrahamic system.

     And since he abolished in his flesh this enmity between these two peoples, Paul compounds this statement in verse 16 by saying that Jesus "having slain the enmity by the cross, came and preached peace to you which were afar off and to them that were nigh" (v. 17). In the Old Testament, the Gentiles were "afar off" and the Jews "were nigh" (See Chapter One). Consequently, the cutting of Jesus' flesh and the drawing of Jesus' blood on the cross, Paul viewed as "making peace" between these peoples (v. 15). He even said that Christ "is our peace" (v. 14). And for these reasons, Christ came and "preached peace" to them both. Because of Him there is no more reason for enmity between Jew and Gentile. He abolished the reason for it, which was the law.

     Finally, we must consider exactly what the Gentiles are grafted into as a result of Jesus' terminating that which caused their alienation, i.e., the law. Beginning at verse 13, the balance of Ephesians chapter 2, briefly lists those things enjoyed by the Remnant and from which the Gentiles had been alienated but into which they are now grafted.

     They are grafted, first, "in Christ Jesus" (v. 13). This contrasts with "separate apart from Christ" in verse 12. But what, exactly, do we mean by "in Christ"? There are nearly as many definitions of this term as there are commentators. However, we've previously determined that "in Christ" is a synonymous phrase with Promise 60 in which God said to Abraham,

"In thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed." Since Paul said in Galatians 3 that Christ is "thy seed" and since we previously determined that "blessed" means to be endued with healing and prosperity in addition to salvation, we can now give the full, Bible explanation of the term "in Christ." This term means, at the very least, "In Abraham's seed, who is Christ, all nations of the earth (both Jew and Gentile) shall be endued with God's power for healing and prosperity in addition to salvation." (Of course, the healing and prosperity as well as salvation must be appropriated by faith by the individuals of the "all nations.") No matter how many more, different, mystical meanings others may choose to attribute to the expression, "in Christ," they must start with Promise 60 and they must include it in the mystical definition of "in Christ." Otherwise, their mystical meanings are, at the very least, incomplete, if not completely wrong. Promise 60 is the first appearance in Scripture of the expression "in Christ." Promise 60 is, therefore, the foundation of it. Any definition of "in Christ" must base itself upon Promise 60 or run the grave risk of being absolutely erroneous. Therefore, "in Christ" means "In Abraham's seed, who is Christ, all nations of the earth (the saved Jews of both Testaments first, then the Gentiles grafted in) shall be endued with God's power, producing, for them, healing and prosperity in addition to salvation." This is the Biblical explanation of "in Christ."

            Now the Gentiles from Moses to the time of Jesus were "apart from Christ" for only one reason; the law alienated them from the commonwealth of Israel, rendering them foreigners to the Abrahamic Promise 60. Then, when Jesus terminated the law, the instrument of their alienation, Promise 60 could function for them, not just prophetically, but actually. Whereas, they were "at that time" apart from Christ, "now during this time," they are "in him." In addition, if they were "apart from Christ" for 2000 years because alienated from the Remnant and the covenant and then, became "in Christ" when the cause of their alienation had been removed, then very simply and very obvious, the Remnant into which they are grafted, had been "in Christ" for the entire 2000 year period of Gentile exclusion. In other words, if the only reason the Gentiles were "apart from Christ" was their being barred from the covenant and the Remnant, when the reason for their being barred is removed and they are grafted into the Remnant and the covenant, then, in addition to being "in the Remnant and its covenant," they are also in "in Christ," then, the Remnant into which they are grafted, has been "in Christ" for the 2000 years the Gentiles have been barred from both the Remnant and the covenant the Remnant derives from. To be grafted into the Remnant and its covenant is to be "in Christ." Therefore, the Remnant was "in Christ" during the 2000 years the Gentiles were barred because of the law. Otherwise, grafting the Gentiles into the Remnant and their covenant would not "place" the Gentiles "in Christ" unless that Remnant into which they were grafted, was already "in Christ."

     The Remnant, considered as a nationality or nation, had been in Promise 60 all the time. Now, with the law terminated, the Gentiles, considered as nationalities or nations, came into Promise 60. Consequently, we can now precisely understand this promise. "In Abraham's seed, who is Christ, all nations of the earth, composed of both the Remnant and the Gentiles grafted in, shall be endued with God's power for healing and prosperity in addition to salvation." In Volume I we determined beyond any possible doubt that the Remnant during the Old Testament era received healing and prosperity in addition to their salvation. And in the preceding chapter, we determined that the Jewish Christian Remnant is keeping on, continuously inheriting the same identical blessings of healing and prosperity in addition to their salvation. Now with the law terminated, the Gentiles are grafted into the same stream. And Promise 60 is the source of it all. Healing and Prosperity, in addition to Salvation for the Jew and Gentile alike, down through the centuries, all derive from Promise 60. And all who experience these blessings from God, are "in Christ," as "the seed" of Promise 60. He is the Mediator of it all in both Testaments. (See Hebrews 9:15 and Volume II.)

     The second result of their "grafting" into the Abrahamic system is now they are "made nigh," whereas before they were "afar off." In chapter one, we determined that the Gentiles were called "afar off" in the Old Testament. We also determined that the Remnant was called "near" in the Old Testament. Now, in verse 13, Paul used the same Old Testament names to describe them. The "afar off" ones are grafted into the "near" ones so that now the "afar off" ones are included in the group of "near" ones. Therefore, now, the "afar off" ones are "near" ones too. Why? They have been grafted into the "neat" group, i.e., the Remnant.

     Next, we consider a series of "Four Ones." In other words, there are four conditions, attributes, situations, etc., concerning the Remnant in which the Gentiles are made "one" with them. The Gentiles are made "one" with the Jewish Remnant because of their being grafted into the Remnant and the Covenant from which the Remnant derives. The first of these "Four Ones" is in verse 14, stating that Jesus made both the Jew and Gentile "one." But, "one" what?

     One people of God. There has never been but one people of God. They all derive, from Genesis 12 on, from the Abrahamic Covenant. They are a continuous stream. Since Genesis 12 until Christ, they were composed, with very few exceptions, of the saved of Abraham's physical descendants. Now, the Gentiles are continuously being grafted into this original stream, this one Abrahamic people of God. When Jesus terminated the law, he made both "one." "One people" of God who constitute God's "one Church" composed of the "one Abrahamic Seed Group" of all ages. And this "one people," this "one Abrahamic Seed Group" who make God's "one Church" all partake of "one stream of blessing," which includes healing and prosperity in addition to salvation. And this "one people" and this "one blessing stream" all derive from Promise 60. And Jesus, the seed of Promise 60, makes it all happen.

     The second in Paul's series of "Four Ones" is the "one new man" in verse 15. This verse states that Jesus abolished the law "...to make in himself of twain one new man...." "Make" translates KTIDZO, which means to "create," not just "make." This verb in the New Testament is always used of a creative act of God. It is never used to describe an act of man. "New" translates KAINOS, meaning "new in quality," not new in time. (See Volume II for a full discussion of KAINOS, new in quality, and NEOS, new in time.)

     The followers of the God-Looked-Down Theory try desperately to demonstrate from this "new man" that God took the Jew and the Gentile and made them a "brand-new-covenant-entity-church-thing," called "the new man." They base their attempt solely on the English word "new." They assume it must mean "new," i.e., new in time or brand new. But, it does not. NEOS, not used in this verse, means new in time. KAINOS, used in this verse, means new in quality. What, then, does Paul's "one new man" in this verse mean?

     It means this. The "man," not being new (NEOS) in time, was already in existence when God's "creative act" (KTIDZO) of grafting the Gentiles into this preexisting man, was performed, and after this creative act (KTIDZO) was performed, this original man had a quality he did not possess before. This different quality he did not possess before was this: now the "man" has Gentiles "mixed" or "grafted" into his composition, whereas before, he did not, i.e., he was composed only of Jews. Put differently, the "man" is the Abrahamic Seed Group, originally composed of Abraham's physical descendants only. But now this "man" has the Gentiles grafted into the same Jewish, original Abrahamic Seed Group. This original, Jewish Seed Group composed the Remnant which made up the "commonwealth of Israel," whose origin and existence derives from the "covenants of promise." This grafting of the Gentiles into this Remnant "man" required no less than a creative act of God, after which, the "man" has a KAINOS (new) quality "he" did not previously possess. Therefore, in absolutely no way, by no means, can the followers of the God-Looked-Down Theory get a brand-new in time, beginning at Pentecost, new covenant church based on Paul's expression in this verse, "the new (KAINOS) man." The "new (KAINOS) man" here, is absolutely not a brand-new church composed of Jew and Gentile. The "new (KAINOS) man" is the original Abrahamic Seed Group Church with the Gentiles grafted in. This is so because their accepting Christ as their personal Savior makes them, also, members of the Abrahamic Seed Group (See Volume I). Now, the "man" has the "new" (KAINOS) quality of Gentiles.

     The third "one" in Paul's series of "Four Ones" is the "one body" mentioned in verse 16. In chapter one, we determined that the Abrahamic Seed Group Church during the Old Testament era was referred to as the household, city, family, etc. Collectively, the members of these terms make up the "body." Now, in the New Testament era, the Abrahamic Seed Group Church is still referred to as the "body." And, during the New Testament era, the Gentiles, being grafted into the Abrahamic Seed Group Church, i.e., the "commonwealth of Israel" based on the "covenants of promise," the body is still the same. It is still the Abrahamic Seed Group Church. It never has been nor ever will be composed of anyone but members of the Abrahamic Seed Group.

            During the Old Testament era, that body was reconciled to God by making the appropriate sacrifices when they sinned. In so doing, they maintained the Abrahamic grant of salvation. God deferred judgement of their sin because of their appropriate sacrifice until Jesus came. His death, then, became the final blood sacrifice for sin under Moses' law. As such, God moved all the sins, concerning which he had deferred judgement during the Old Testament era, under the blood of Christ. At that time and not before, were those sins dealt with, i.e., they were forgiven, remitted, washed away and made white as snow. At that time and not before, the Abrahamic Seed Group of the Old Testament era, was reconciled to God. As such, Jesus removed them from the Old Testament paradise and took them, with Himself, into heaven itself, after his resurrection.

     During the New Testament era, the Jewish Remnant recognized Jesus as the sacrifice for sin and accepts Him as such. Consequently, they maintained the salvation of the Abrahamic Covenant. In other words, their reconciliation to God is based upon "accepting Christ as their Savior." Through Christ and him alone is the Abrahamic Seed Group, composed of the Jewish Remnant, reconciled to God, no matter which Testament age they happened to live.

     Now, into this same body, man, Seed Group, commonwealth of Israel, etc., the Gentiles have been grafted. Consequently, they must be reconciled to God the same way as the group to which they have been joined or in which they have been grafted. They, too, can only be reconciled to God by accepting Christ as their personal Savior. The one Jewish body into which the Gentiles have been grafted in which they have been reconciled to God is the "Church" composed of the saved of all ages, i.e., the Abrahamic Seed Group Church.

     And since both Jew and Gentile are now "one," ("one KAINOS man"), and "one body," they are not only reconciled to God and to each other, but as one—one man, one body, both having access to God. No other group ever had a similar access to God like the Abrahamic Seed Group. And now, the Gentiles are grafted into this same Abrahamic Seed Group, and since this group alone is reconciled to God by Jesus, the access to God is also by Jesus. Paul said this in verse 16 and 18. He said Jesus reconciled them to God (v. 16) and their access to God was through Jesus (v. 18). No wonder Jesus said, "No man cometh unto the Father but by me" (John 14:6). And he meant by this statement, "no man in either the Old or the New Testament eras." He, himself, was man's access to God no matter the time in which he lived.

            Finally, the fourth in Paul's series of "Four Ones" reveals that all the other Three Ones occur "in One Spirit" (v. 18). "By" in the expression "by one Spirit," translates EN, the Greek preposition, meaning the same identical thing as our English preposition "in," and should have been translated "in" one Spirit and not as the KJV, "by" one Spirit. In other words, God is Spirit, one Spirit. And in this one Spirit, both Jew and Gentile, in one Abrahamic Seed Group Body, have access to God. He does not have one Spirit for Jews and another Spirit for Gentiles. They access God in his unity, his one Spirit. And they come as one man, body, Abrahamic Bible Church or Seed Group. One body, one God, one Covenant, one Abrahamic See Group Church, one Jesus and one Spirit of God form the elements of the relationship of the human race with God according to Scripture. It all began with Abraham and his physical seed. Later, God grafted Gentiles into the very same identical Abrahamic stream.

     To this point, the Gentiles have been grafted into eight characteristics of the commonwealth of Israel: they are now in Christ, now made nigh, now made one, now created the one KAINOS man, now one body, now reconciled to both God and the Jews, now having access to God, and God's one Spirit is now enjoyed by them as well as the Jews (vv. 13-18).

     Because of these eight characteristics of the commonwealth of Israel into which the Gentiles are grafted, they are now "no more strangers and foreigners" (v. 19). "Strangers" translates XENOS, the same word used for "strangers" in verse 12. "Foreigners" translates PAROIKOS, the combination of PARA, meaning "beside" and OIKOS, meaning a "house or dwelling." PAROIKOS, then, means those "living along side" and not in the house itself, hence, foreigners. In other words, upon receiving Christ as their personal Savior, God supernaturally grafts a wild olive branch into his good olive tree. As such, the Gentiles are "in." They no longer live by the side of the commonwealth. They are no longer a foreigner, a stranger, or a "dweller by the side" of the Abrahamic Seed Group.

     But, not only are the Gentiles "no more strangers and foreigners" to the commonwealth, they are also now, "fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God" (v. 19). "Fellow citizens" translates SUMPOLITES. This word combines the preposition SUN, meaning "together with," and POLITES, the same basic word translated "commonwealth" in verse 12 and which means "a member of a city or state." The combination, SUMPOLITES, then means that the Gentiles now are "members together with" the Jews of the same original commonwealth of Israel.

     Furthermore, the Gentiles because of the grafting are also the "household" of God. "Household" translates OIKEIOS which means, primarily "house." The adjective form of this word used here, came to mean then, "belonging to a house," hence, household. Because the Gentiles are now grafted into the Abrahamic Seed Group, they are now God's household, just as much as, and right along together with the Jewish member of the Seed Group. God's only common-wealth, Church. Remnant and household is composed of the Abrahamic Seed Group. Now, because of the grafting into the Abrahamic Seed Group, the Gentiles are equal participants in it all.

     Verses 20 through 22 shifts our concentration to the imagery of a spiritual building, erected upon a special foundation and possessing a particular cornerstone. The special foundation of this temple building is associated with the apostles and prophets. (The way the Greek reads here, the apostles and prophets are viewed as one group of people, not a group of apostles plus another group of prophets. They are one and the same group and viewed collectively in this passage.)

     The concrete of their foundation is, as we have seen, the Abrahamic Covenant, especially Promises 8 and 60. As such, Jesus Christ himself is their chief cornerstone. A cornerstone bears no more weight in a structure than any other stone in it. Neither is it any larger, necessarily, than the other stones in the building. Its special function as a cornerstone does not require extra weight, strength or size. Its function is primarily that of alignment. The cornerstone is that by which the builder aligns his entire wall structure. It is his measure, his standard or his plumbline. From the concrete of the Abrahamic Covenant to the foundation, the apostles and prophets built from this concrete, they lined up everything in the building by Jesus Christ. He was the gauge they used, down through the centuries, to keep the walls of this temple building straight. And why not? He was and is "the seed" of Promise 60 through whom the blessings of God would flow forever.

     Of course the Jews had been built upon the foundation they erected from this Abrahamic concrete. This goes without saying. But now, we discover that the Gentiles had been built, prophetically at least, upon the same Abrahamic concrete since they were included in Promises 8 and 60. With the grafting, that which had only been prophecy concerning the Gentiles, became reality. Now they are actually being built into this spiritual temple along with its Jewish members. "Are built," in verse 20, translates EPOIKODOMEO. This word combines three Greek words: EPI, meaning "upon," plus OIKOS, meaning "house" and DOMEO, meaning "to build." The combination, then, means "to build upon."

     In addition, this word in this verse, is an Aorist Passive Participle. It's Passive, denoting that neither Jews nor Gentiles built themselves upon the Abrahamic concrete. This would have required the Active Voice. Rather, the Passive indicates that the "building upon" this concrete was done to them, not by them. Furthermore, the Aorist Tense means finished action and since finished, it is in this case, "past time." Remember the rule for an Aorist Participle: Unless the context indicates otherwise, an Aorist Particple denotes a past finished act that occurred before the time of the action or state described by the main verb in the sentence. And, our sentence here, is composed of verses 19 through 22. In other words, verses 19 through 22 form one complete sentence. "You are" in verse 19 is the subject and the verb of it. "You" is the subject and "are" is the verb. "Are" is in the Present Tense describing what the Gentiles are now, as a result of the grafting.

     Applying our Aorist Participle "built upon" to our sentence, we see the Gentiles, prophetically, were "built upon" the Abrahamic concrete in Promises 8 and 60 long before they became what they "are now" as a result of the grafting. In other words, since they were prophetically "built upon" the Abrahamic concrete in Promises 8 and 60 before they actually were grafted in, the prophecy of Promises 8 and 60 forms the reason why they became what they "are now" as a result of the grafting. And the Aorist Participle simply fits this context or background concerning the Gentiles. Consequently, both this context and the rule of the Participle that describes this context say the same thing:     in the past, in Promises 8 and 60 the Gentiles were prophetically "built upon" the Abrahamic concrete which composed the foundation erected by the apostles and prophets. (Our participle here is another Causal Participle since it gives the reason why the Gentiles "are," etc.) As a result of this past act of being prophetically built, they are now what they are: they are grafted into what they were "built upon," i.e., Promises 8 and 60. As such, the grafting fulfills the prophesies of Promises 8 and 60.

     Verse 21 declares that since the Gentiles are now part of this temple building, all the members of it, including themselves, are "fitly framed together." As a result of being "fitly framed together," the combined members of it, both Jew and Gentile, "groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord." "Fitly framed together" translates SUNARMOLOGEO. This word combines three different Greek words: SUN, the Greek preposition meaning "together with," HARMOS, meaning "a joint," and LEGO, meaning "to choose" or "pickout." The combination, then, means that God "chose" the Gentiles to be "joints" in His spiritual temple "together with" the Jewish members of the Abrahamic Seed Group Church. By the grafting of the Gentile into the Abrahamic system, both Jew and Gentile are "fitly framed together." SUNARMOLOGEO is in the Present Tense. Remember the rule for the Greek Present Tense: it denotes continuous action in present time. In other words, even now, God is continuously "choosing" Gentiles to be "joints" in His temple, "together with" the Jewish members of the commonwealth. Right now, while reading this, somewhere God is choosing another Gentile to graft into His temple as a "joint," "together with" Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the Jewish members of the Abrahamic Seed Group Church.

     Moreover, this temple building composed of "chosen joints" of both Jew and Gentile keeps on growing, in the present, into a holy temple. Even now, while reading these words, this building of "chosen joints" is growing into "a holy temple in the Lord" (v. 21).

     In verse 20, Paul declared that the Gentiles had been built, (OIKODOMEO) prophetically, on the foundation of the Abrahamic concrete proclaimed by the apostles and prophets. Now, in verse 22, he uses a different form of the same basic word he used in verse 20, OIKODOMEO, and declares to the Ephesian Gentiles that "ye also are built together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." "Are built together" translates SUNOIKODOMEO, the same basic word translated "are built" in verse 20. In     verse 22, SUNOIKODOMEO is a Present Passive Participle. Remember, the Greek Present denotes action as continuous in present time. The Passive signifies that the "building" is being done to them, not by them. Also, in verse 22, the pronoun "you" is emphasized, i.e., "you" is really emphatic in this verse. In addition, SUNOIKODOMEO combines OIKODOMEO, "to build," with the preposition SUN, meaning "together with." Putting all the above together, Paul is declaring to the Ephesian Gentiles, "You (emphatically, especially you) are continuously in present time, even now, being built (by God himself) together with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the other Jewish members of the Abrahamic Seed Group Church, into a habitation of God in Spirit." In other words, the prophetic "having been built upon" in verse 20, is actually, continuously being fulfilled in verse 22; they are now actually, continuously "being built into" the exact same thing prophesied about them in verse 20."

     The grafting is the fulfilling of the prophecy in Promises 8 and 60 and mentioned in verse 20 by the expression "having been built upon." And the fulfilling of these prophetic promises by the grafting is still continuously going on. For, until Jesus comes again to end this present world order, God will keep on grafting Gentiles into the commonwealth of Israel based upon the covenants of the promise.

     In verses 20 through 22, the expression "in whom" occurs twice and "in Lord" occurs once. These expressions mean "in Christ." And we previously determined that "in Christ" equals Promise 60: "in Abraham's seed, who is Christ Jesus, all nations of the earth shall be endued with the power for healing and prosperity in addition to salvation." No wonder Paul uses this expression so freely in the first three chapters of Ephesians: Jesus mediates the content of the Abrahamic Covenant in both Testaments (Hebrews 9:15). (See Volume II.) And since the Gentiles were prophetically "in Christ" in Promise 60, the present, continuous grafting, which fulfills this prophecy of Promise 60, places them into the benefits of the commonwealth of the Remnant, together with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the Jewish members of the Abrahamic Seed Group Church.

     From the preceding discussion, two things grab the reader's attention. First, the words and phrases describing the Abrahamic Seed Group Church in the Old Testament are used here to describe what the Gentiles have been grafted into. Those terms from the Old Testament, and used here are olive tree, make or create, house, family, city, or commonwealth, strangers, aliens, saints, house or building, sanctuary or temple, nigh and afar off. And into these were the Gentiles grafted. The concept of the "one body" is simply the house or family, the city or commonwealth and the saints viewed collectively. Collectively, the various members of these terms, form one body of people. And, upon grafting, the Gentiles became part of this one body of household, commonwealth or saints. The concept of the "new (KAINOS) man" is the same. The various members of the city, house or saints, collectively make up the "man." Upon grafting, the Gentiles give the "man" a new quality he did not possess before, making him KAINOS.

Ephesians 3:1-12 Demonstrates Beyond Any Doubt That Gentile Christians Are Continuously Inheriting the Abrahamic Blessings of Healing and Prosperity in Addition to Their Salvation. In Addition, This Passage Refutes the Third Reason Why the Advocates of the God-Looked-Down Theory View the Church as "Brand New" in Time and Disconnected From Abraham's Blessings of Healing and Prosperity

      Previously (chapter 2), we said there are three major passages of Scripture used by the God-Looked-Down Theory to support their "brand-new-covenent-entity-church-thing." In chapter 2, we examined and refuted two of them. In this chapter we examine, refute and destroy their use of their third passage which is none other than Ephesians 3:1-12. We are about to see that, rather than supporting their view of a brand-new church which began at Pentecost, this passage teaches the exact opposite. It demonstrates beyond any doubt that Gentile Christians are continuously inheriting the Abrahamic blessings of healing and prosperity in addition to their salvation.

     This passage pertains to the "mystery" of the Church. Verses five and six state that this mystery "...in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit"; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:" (vv., 5, 6).

     The God-Looked-Down Theory views this mystery "hidden in God," as the making of Jew and Gentile into a brand-new thing that did not exist before: the Christian Church, which according to their unscriptural theory, began at Pentecost. Scofield commenting on this passage, summarizes adequately, the view put forth in the God-Looked-Down Theory. He said, "That Gentiles were to be saved was no mystery (Romans 9:24-33; 10:19-21). The mystery "hidden in God" was the divine purpose to make of Jew and Gentile a wholly new thing—"the Church, which is his [Christ's] body," formed by the baptism with the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:12-13) and in which the earthly distinction of Jew and Gentile disappears (Ephesians 2:14-15; Colossians 3:10-11)" (NSRB p. 1275). This statement, this view, indeed. is amazing. It leaves one in a state of shock. For how can the above assertion even be thought, let alone declared, in the light of what the Bible plainly says? This brand-new-covenant-church idea explicated by the God-Looked-Down Theory flies right in the face of everything we've discovered in these volumes thus far. To demonstrate the absurdity of using this passage (Ephesians 3:1-12) to support the idea of "...a wholly new thing..," let's see what the Greek text says.

     In verses three and four "mystery" translates MUSTERION, meaning that the hidden was now revealed. In verse six, "fellowheirs" translates SUNKLARON