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With Him there is "neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free." With Him there are no distinctions of sect, or country, or caste. "In every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted with him."
The souls to whom He gave power to become the sons of God became the family of the Heavenly Father, in which there was "neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ was all and in all."
And right here we remark that Paul to the Thessalonians employs the same expression, sanctification of the spirit, in connection with belief of the truth, and thus putting the apostle of the circumcision by the side of the apostle of the uncircumcision we have sanctification by the blood of Jesus, sanctification by faith, sanctification by the Holy Ghost, and even in a subordinate sense, sanctification by obedience, and all this without the slightest inconsistency or contradiction.
There is indeed neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is all, and in all. And to look at our brethren, once or twice in every day, with these Christian eyes, would it not also, by degrees, impress us at other times, and begin to form something of our habitual temper and regard towards them? Thus much of our meetings for prayer.
We also say that love ought to follow faith as Paul also says, Gal. 5, 6: For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love.
To sell on an auction-block or deliver over to a slave-driver an immortal soul, for which Christ has died, is an enormity before which the Christian sense of right will always recoil in the end. "In this," it is written, "there is neither Greek nor Jew, nor circumcision nor uncircumcision, nor barbarian nor Seythian, nor bond nor free, but Christ is all and in all."
'Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. 1 COR. vii. 19. 'For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love. GAL. v. 6.
What does Paul mean by saying that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto him, and that of the circumcision to Peter? Did not Paul preach to the Jews, while Peter preached to the Gentiles also? Peter converted the Centurion. Paul's custom was to enter into the synagogues of the Jews, there to preach the Gospel.
Thou therefore who teachest another, dost thou not teach thyself? thou that proclaimest aloud that a man should not steal, dost thou steal? thou that sayest, Do not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that holdest idols in abomination, dost thou commit sacrilege? thou who gloriest in the law, dishonourest thou God by the transgression of the law? for the name of God is blasphemed through you among the heathen, as it is written . For circumcision indeed is advantageous, if thou practise the law: but if thou art a transgressor of the law, thy circumcision becomes uncircumcision, If then the uncircumcision observe the righteous judgments of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be accounted for circumcision?
Now the Apostle Paul, who is considered to intimate, that God predestined some to eternal salvation, and the rest to eternal misery, says, that "God made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth;" that, in the Gospel dispensation, "there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian nor Scythian, bond nor free."
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