Certain Passages Considered.
Zion's Advocate, Vol. 45, No. 4, April 1906.
"In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." II. Thessalonians 1:8.
The apostle had expressed gratitude to God for the growth of the saint's faith and charity and patience in all their persecutions and tribulations. he calls all these things a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that they might be counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which they were called upon to suffer. He showed it to be a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to those who troubled them, and to give them rest, "when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel."It is certain, therefore, that the persecutors of the saints are meant, who are ignorant of God and opposed in their hearts to the gospel of Christ. "Obey" is translated from the Greek word hupakouos, which is derived from akouos, the signification of which is to hear, to hearken, to understand. Hence the term "obey not" has reference to the hatred and opposition to the gospel by the persecutors of the saints. The eyes of their understanding had not been enlightened. Ephesians 1:18. Their understanding was darkened, "being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart." Ephesians 4:18. They did not obey the gospel. Moreover they could not do so, because of their hatred of it. Being in the flesh, they could not please God. Romans 8:8.
"God will render to every man according to his deeds: to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile." Romans 2:6-9.
In the chapter that follows this one, the apostle collects a number of passages that teach the depravity of the human race, and deduces the conclusion that "there is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Since there is no difference, all Jews and all Gentiles are exactly alike. This is true of them in their natural standing. Now if we apply this passage to them in that state, and represent it as teaching that such only as continue patiently in well doing, and seek for glory and honor and immortality, receive eternal life because of having done so, we prove by it that none will ever have eternal life. Since there is no difference, "there is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God; they are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no not one." The conclusion is unavoidable, that if the condition of receiving eternal life should be a patient continuance in well doing, and seeking for glory and honor and immortality, none will receive eternal life. This is the perplexity into which Arminians are plunged in trying to apply this text to favor conditionalism, and from it there is no escape for them.
The apostle is not looking forward and proposing conditions to alien sinners to be complied with by them in order to obtain eternal life. He takes his stand at the "great day of wrath and revelation of the righteousness judgment of God," and retrospectively surveys the race of mankind. In that survey he sees two classes, one of which have borne the fruits of being born of God and of having been made to differ from the others as the "workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus unto good works." These had received eternal life in the soul, for Jesus declared, "He that heareth my words, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." It is the resurrection of the body into the same eternal life that the apostle refers to here. The others, who were as corrupt trees that had never been made good, and had therefore borne the corrupt fruits of unrighteousness, receive indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish. He thus "renders to every man according to his deeds," his deeds being the fruits of his character as a good or bad tree. If he has borne the good fruits mentioned, it is because he was first made to be a good tree, which was entirely the Lord's work, for the preparations of the heart in man are from the Lord. Proverbs 16:1. In the sense that he treats Jews and Gentiles alike there is no respect of persons with God. He does not respect one man's person because he is a Jew. National distinctions are not regarded by him.
"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." Acts 10:34, 35.
Cornelius was a Gentile. We have no account of the gospel ever having been preached to him before Peter visited him. The disciples had not understood that the gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles, so a miraculous vision seemed necessary to convince Peter that it was his duty to go and preach the gospel to Cornelius and his household. Cornelius was a devout man, was one that feared God, was charitable, and was a praying man. In all this he pleased God, for an angel visited him in a vision and said to him, "Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God." This was unmistakable proof that he was a child of God. The vessel that descended in Peter's vision on the house-top contained unclean beasts, and Peter refused to eat them. These represented the Gentiles. The Lord said to him, "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." This was intended to teach him that God had cleansed the Gentiles to whom he was about to be sent, and he should not refuse to go because they were Gentiles. This proves that Cornelius and those that dwelt with him were cleansed, and were, therefore, children of God. The three men sent by Cornelius called as Peter thought on the vision, and the spirit bade him go with them, doubting nothing. The next day Peter and certain brethren from Joppa went with the three messengers to Cesarea where Cornelius lived. After Cornelius had stated to him the circumstance that caused him to send for him, Peter began with the words of the passage we are considering and preached a sermon. Peter found Cornelius fearing God and working righteousness, and knew by these evidences that he was accepted with God. As Cornelius was a Gentile it showed that God is not a respecter of persons; that is, that he does not respect nationality. That he does respect some persons rather than others is a truth abundantly taught in his word. He had respect unto Abel and his offering, while unto Cain and his offering he did not have respect. This is true of all his children, and of those who are not his children. He has respect to the former and their service, while to the latter and whatever service they may pretend to render he does not have respect. He has respect to the person first and then to the offering. He does not have respect to the person because of the offering, but has respect to the offering because of the person. But in regard to distinctions of society or nationality, God is no respecter of persons; for "in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."
J. R. D.
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