ief of the time, that Jesus would soon return in the power and glory
of heaven to set up his everlasting kingdom here on earth, it was to
prepare a people for this kingdom. This kingdom was to be composed
only of those who had been thus prepared for it, by the remission of
their sins, thru this blood atonement. The earliest Christians, all of
whom were Jews, led by Peter, held that this new kingdom was to be
forever limited to Jews and Jewish proselytes. If any Gentile wanted
to have any part or lot in this new kingdom, he must first become a
Jew. But Paul took a broader view. To him the whole Jewish system was
purely preliminary to a greater dispensation, which was now fulfilled;
symbolic and typical of a greater reality which was now here; and had
therefore fulfilled its purpose and was ended. All symbolic ceremonial
was now past forever. There was no longer any distinction between Jew
and Gentile as far as God's grace was concerned. The New Kingdom was
open to all upon the same terms,--faith in Jesus as the Messiah of God,
and this particular interpretation of his mission.

This opening of the gates to all the world on equal terms produced a
bitter controversy between Peter and Paul and led to a sharp and well
defined division in the early church, which continues to this day. The
Roman Church is Petrine, narrow, exclusive and given to much elaborate
ceremonial, as were the ancient Jews; while Protestantism is generally
Pauline, much broader, generally freer from ceremonial, and as a rule
much more truly Catholic; yet often narrow enough.

As time went on, and Jesus did not return as expected, faith in his
early coming waned; and the idea began to grow that his real Kingdom
was not for this world at all, but a heavenly one hereafter. By this
time the Apostle Paul was dead and the Fourth Gospel had appeared,
supposed to be written by the Apostle John, in which the Master was
quoted as saying, "My kingdom is not of this world." Thus the idea
took form, grew and developed that the real mission of the Messiah,
after all, was not the establishment of a kingdom here on earth, but a
heavenly kingdom hereafter; and hence that his death was a vicarious
atonement made by the shedding of his blood, to satisfy the divine
vengeance against sin, and save souls from hell hereafter; and thus fit
them for this heavenly kingdom.

And ever since this doctrine became thus established, by the middle of
the second century, alm