BY THEIR REJECTION OF THEIR MESSIAH THE JEWS HAVE NOT SUBJECTED THEMSELVES TO THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD (10:1-4). The reason that Israel have not been saved is because they sought their own righteousness (a lowered standard of righteousness based on the traditions of the elders - see Matthew 23:23; M... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Brothers and sisters, my heart's good pleasure and my supplication to God is for them, that they may be saved (literally ‘unto salvation').' Paul now diverts (‘brothers and sisters') in order again to express his deep regret over the fact that the Jews are not saved, for this is his great desire th... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge, for being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit themselves to the righteousness of God.' The tragedy of the Jews was that while they had a kind of zeal for... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For Christ (Messiah) is the end of the law unto righteousness to every one who believes.' For if they would only recognise it their Messiah had come, the Messiah (Christos) Who ‘is the end of the Law unto righteousness to everyone who believes.' This phrase can be interpreted in two ways, for the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For Moses writes that the man who does the righteousness which is of the law will live by it,' Paul is satisfied that he has now paid enough attention to the situation of the Jews with regard to righteousness, and thus refers to it only briefly as ‘the righteousness which is of the Law'. His concen... [ Continue Reading ]
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS OF THE LAW IS COMPARED WITH THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS OF FAITH, THAT IS, THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH RESULTS FROM FAITH IN THE MESSIAH, AND WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR US THROUGH HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION (10:5-13). In this third contrast between the righteousness which is of the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But the righteousness which is of faith says thus, “Do not say not in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?” (that is, to bring Christ down),” Or, “Who will descend into the abyss?” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).' In contrast with the righteousness which is of the Law is the righ... [ Continue Reading ]
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith, which we preach,' But what does the righteousness which is of faith say? It says that ‘the word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart', this word referring to ‘the word of faith' (the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Because if you will confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and will believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved,” What was required in order to be saved was confessing with the mouth Jesus as LORD, and believing in the heart that God had raised Him from the dead, (tha... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Because with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.' This believing from the heart (that is, from the whole inner man) that God has raised Him from the dead (as the One Who had claimed to be the Messiah and had been crucified) will result in... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For the scripture says, “Whoever believes on him will not be put to shame”.' The Scriptures confirm this need for faith, for they declare, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame” (Isaiah 28:16), and in context this is referring to belief in the foundation stone, the precious cornerstone... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same (Lord) is Lord of all, and is rich unto all who call on him, for, “Whoever will call on the name of the LORD will be saved.” ' The reference in Isaiah to ‘whoever' is now seen by Paul as evidence that the Messiah is for all, something... [ Continue Reading ]
‘How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how will they believe in him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? And how will they preach, unless they are sent? Even as it is written, “How beautiful (or ‘timely') are the feet of those who bring gl... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD HAS SENT OUT HIS MESSIANIC MESSENGERS TO THE WORLD BUT ISRAEL HAVE NOT LISTENED (10:14-21). Having established that salvation is to be found through faith in Jesus the Messiah, and that it is being offered to ‘whoever', the question would now arise as to how the ‘whoever' would hear. So Paul now... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But they did not all listen to the glad tidings. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” ' But that not all would receive those glad tidings was also made apparent in Scripture, for Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our report?' (Isaiah 53:1). The opening ‘Lord' is found in LXX but... [ Continue Reading ]
‘So belief comes of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.' All that has been stated in Romans 10:14 has referred to a hearing of the Good News, with a view to believing it, there being the recognition that the Jews as a whole will not believe. So Paul now brings out how important the hearing ... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But I say, “Did they not hear?” Yes, truly, “Their sound went out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” Paul then asks the question as to whether in fact the Messianic message has not been heard (in order to emphasise that it has been). He is no doubt referring to an object... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But I say, “Did Israel not know?” First Moses says, “I will provoke you to jealousy with what is no nation, with a nation void of understanding will I anger you.' The switch here to addressing Israel tends to confirm that what has been said previously was directed more widely, that is, as speaking... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Isaiah is very bold, and says, “I was found of those who did not seek me, I became manifest to those who did not ask of me.” But as to Israel he says, “All the day long did I spread out my hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people.” ' Paul then summarises the situation as described above by... [ Continue Reading ]