Godbey's Commentary - Acts - Romans - Enter His Rest

in His second coming. As we contemplate this election problem, do not forget that the Greek
eklogee, from ek, out, and lego, to choose, i.e., chosen out of the chosen, recognizing a selection
from the chosen, not only runs through Judaism, but Christianity. As God chose the Jews out of all
nations, conferring on them the honor of receiving His Son on His first advent and proclaiming Him
to the world., and only a small remnant out of the great body succeeded in winning the prize and
enjoying the exalted honor of the Savior’s introduction, so in the present Christianity is God’s people
chosen out of the whole heathen world, to receive His Son in His second glorious advent, and
become His conservators in the great Millennial Theocracy. While it is very sad to see the multitudes
of Christendom failing and apostatizing, like the Jews in their desperation, yet look out for this
election of grace, chosen from all the ranks and nations of the Christian world, now, as I verily
believe, gathering in the Holiness Movement to meet my descending Lord and herald to the nations
the glorious King of kings. We see in v. 6 the impossibility of an admixture of grace and works in
the plan of salvation. There is where the dead churches ruin everything and plunge into idolatry,
thinking they are saved by faith and works, thus vitiating their faith, forfeiting their salvation,
magnifying their works and becoming idolators, losing sight of God through church loyalty and
conservatism to human institutions.
7-10. Here Paul deplores the sad apostasy of Israel, incurring judicial blindness, deafness and
stupidity, forfeiting their inheritance, meanwhile the election received it all right.
11. “Therefore I say, Whether did they stumble that they may fall? It could not be so.” Then let
the people who think that Israel is utterly fallen and gone, bear in mind Paul’s positive contradiction
of such a possibility; God’s covenant is as immutable as His throne. “But by their apostasy salvation
came to the Gentiles to provoke them to jealousy.” The rejection of the Jews wonderfully expedited
the transmission of the gospel to the Gentiles, e.g., Paul himself, anxious to preach to the Jews, was
met by the glorified Savior in the temple during his first visit to Jerusalem after his conversion (Acts
2:3-17), and notified that the Jews would not receive his testimony, and then and there commissioned
to go and preach to the Gentiles.
12. “But if their collapse is the wealth of the world, and their reduction the riches of the Gentiles,
how much more will be their fullness. Truly the conversion of the Jews, of which some brilliant
scintillations are already flashing out, will prove a sunburst on Christendom.
13. “But I speak to you Gentiles. Therefore, indeed, as much as I am the apostle of the Gentiles,
I glorify my ministry,
14. “If, perhaps, I may provoke my flesh to jealousy and save some of them.” As above specified,
the glorified Savior appearing to Paul in the temple of Jerusalem actually sent him to the Gentiles.
Hence he had his Gentile apostleship from headquarters.
15. “For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what will the reception be
but life from the dead?” With the collapse of the Jews a gospel sunburst came upon the Gentile
world. In a similar manner the conversion of the Jews will stir all Christendom from center to
circumference, giving an impetus unprecedented in the ages.