# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1906_S18
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

18 Proceedings of the twenty-first convention

unity in the Spirit to be united also in love. So already in chap. 1:15: "Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the LORD Jesus, and love unto all the saints." As faith, then, characterizes the Christian, so also does love to all the saints, in contrast to the legalistic Jews and to the heathen. In ancient times, before the New Testament, the idea of nationality dominated the whole world; among the Jews it was, in keeping with their legalistic position, a chief concept. But difference in nationality means enmity. The old time does not know the concept of love that the Gospel teaches. Among the heathen we hear that there were friends, like Orestes and Pylades, but love in the sense of the Gospel, love for the brethren for Christ's sake, there is not. That showed itself precisely in the conduct of the nations toward one another. One nation called the other barbarians, in the express sense that it regarded itself as the chosen people and looked upon the other nations as beneath it. For Christians it is characteristic that they stand in love toward the saints. Chap. 2:11: "Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands." In this contrast there lies a censuring remark against the Jews, who, on account of the outward circumcision, thought themselves more than the Gentiles and designated these with the ugly name "uncircumcision." But now Christ has come and has put an end to the enmity between Jews and Gentiles. "And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh; for through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father," v. 17. Thus both have become of one mind and have also love toward one another. This he further expresses by an accumulation of such images and turns of speech as deal with joint membership; so right in the following words: "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God." Since through faith they belong to one national community, to the true commonwealth of Israel, they are now also thereby bound together in the love that the citizens of one nation have toward one another. With the expression "household" the image of the family hovers before his mind; we are all together children of God, stand in spiritual kinship, which finds its expression in love. Similarly he speaks in the third chapter of the Gentiles as joint heirs ("of the same body, and partakers of His promise") and thereby again expresses the concept of sonship. The preposition "with" expresses emphatically that they belong together. Therefore he says also afterward in the prayer that closes the first three chapters: "I bow my knees unto the Father of our LORD Jesus Christ . . . that ye . . . being rooted and grounded in love," v. 17. This is not to be so