November 17, 2014
Romans 9-11
These are three of the trickier chapters in Romans and, indeed, the entire Bible. Paul has detailed the good news (gospel) of Justification by faith and walking in the Spirit, but now he must deal with the issue of Israel. Does this “good news” mean bad news for the Jews? In choosing the people of faith in Jesus Christ, has God unchosen the Chosen People?
Read these three chapters carefully. In Romans 9, Paul defends the sovereignty of God to choose whomever he wants. God is God and we are simply human beings; “who are we to talk back to God?” (9:20) In Romans 10, Paul clearly sets forth, from several Old Testament passages, that it was God’s will to reach out to everyone—not just the Chosen People. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!” Paul quotes the prophet Joel (Joel 2:32; Rom. 10:13). And in chapter 11, Paul warns Gentile Christians NOT to think too highly of themselves for finding a faith relationship with God through Jesus Christ. At the same time, he promises that “all Israel will be saved.” (11:26) Just what this means has been debated for two thousand years! Will all Jews be saved? Will all faithful, believing Jews be saved? Or is Paul referring to the new Israel made up of Jewish and Gentile believers in Jesus Christ? It’s too deep, too much for us to understand!
Therefore, Paul concludes this section with one of the grandest, most humble descriptions of God’s wisdom in the Bible: Romans 11:33-36!
Your fellow traveler through the New Testament,
Pastor Gary
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