Romans 9:1-36

The Messsiah Has Come And Is For All. God Has Not Failed In His Promises To The True Israel. Salvation For All is Through Faith In The Messiah (9:1-11:36)

Paul now expands on Chapter s 1-8, in which he has demonstrated that all, both Jews and Gentiles, have sinned, and that all must therefore find salvation by faith through Jesus Christ, God's Messiah. And he does it by 1). demonstrating the relationship of both Jews and Gentiles to the Messiah Who has come, and 2). showing that Salvation is for all through faith. This is because salvation comes about on God's part through God's election of both Jews and Gentiles (Romans 9:6), and on man's part through the faith of both believing Jews and Gentiles in the Messiah Who is LORD of all (Romans 9:30 to Romans 10:21), something which God has brought about by uniting both believing Jews and believing Gentiles in one olive tree (Romans 11:12). And the end in view is that the fullness of the Gentiles might come in, so that in this way all Israel might be saved.

Chapter s 9-11 are built around a number of themes:

1). The Coming Of The Messiah.

2). The Election Unto Salvation Of All Who Believe.

3). Salvation Is For Both Jews And Gentiles.

4). The Vexed Question As To Whether God Has Failed In His Promises To Israel As Given In The Old Testament Scriptures?

5). Citations Which Demonstrate That All That Has Happened Is In Fulfilment Of Scripture.

1). The Coming Of The Messiah.

The Messiah is immediately introduced in Romans 9:1; Romans 9:3; Romans 9:5, and is revealed to be active throughout the three Chapter s. This looks back to the great emphasis that Paul has previously put on the saving activity of Jesus Messiah in men's salvation. See for example Romans 3:24; Romans 5:15; Romans 6:1; Romans 8:1.

Thus

a). In Romans 9:1 Paul brings out that one major purpose for the existence of Israel was in order that they might bring forth the Messiah, the One Who is over all (and therefore concerned about both Jew and Gentile), Who is God, blessed for ever (Romans 9:5; compare Romans 1:3). In consequence of their attitude to Him the elect as represented by Paul are ‘in Messiah' (Romans 9:1), whilst the unbelieving among the Israelites are ‘accursed from the Messiah' (Romans 9:3). Thus by His coming the Messiah has divided natural Israel into the true Israel who have responded to the Messiah on the one hand, and rejected, unbelieving Israel who are no longer a part of the true Israel on the other. And this on the basis of whether they respond to God, or whether they choose their own way. This had in fact been Israel's problem throughout history, which is why the prophets had emphasised that only a remnant would be saved.

b). In Romans 9:30 to Romans 10:21 he brings out initially that Israel have stumbled on the Stone (a Messianic title in Isaiah), whilst those who believe (in Him) will not be put to shame (Romans 9:30). And this is because Messiah is the end of the Law unto righteousness for all who believe (Romans 10:4). Thus those who glorify, and seek after, the Law will reject Him, for they want the Law to continue to rule their lives. But those who seek righteousness by faith find that He is close to them. They have discovered that we do not have to climb into Heaven to bring Messiah down, because He was freely sent down from God. We do not have to descend into the Abyss in order to bring Messiah up from the dead, because He rose triumphantly from the dead. Indeed He is not far off from us. He dwells with us and is in us. He is near us, being on our lips and in our hearts (Ephesians 3:17), and thus with our lips we will confess Jesus as LORD, and in our hearts we will believe that God raised Him from the dead, in order that we might be saved, for ‘whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame (Romans 10:6). Such a state is inevitable if the Messiah is in us.

Notice the change from Messiah initially to LORD later on in this particular passage (compare Romans 9:5 where He is ‘over all'). It is because He is both Messiah and LORD (compare Acts 2:36), that He offers salvation to the Gentiles. Thus there is now no difference between Jew and Greek (Gentile) for the same ‘LORD of all' (compare Romans 9:5) is rich to all who call on Him, for whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be saved (Romans 10:13). This faith will result in righteousness by faith (Romans 10:6), and it comes through hearing, and that comes through the word of Messiah (Romans 10:17) proclaimed by His messengers (Romans 10:15). Even the Jews know Him as LORD, for they say, ‘LORD, who has believed our report' (Romans 10:16). Thus all are called on to respond to the Messiah as LORD, (the equivalent in the Greek of Yahweh in the Old Testament Scripture as the Scriptures cited reveal).

c). In Romans 11:1 we may have a veiled reference to Jesus Messiah in His capacity as the One who sums up Israel in Himself (Matthew 2:15; John 15:1) in the olive tree, which speaks of ideal Israel (Romans 11:16). That depends on how we see the olive tree. But the most important reference is to Him as the Deliverer Who will come out of Zion, banishing ungodliness from Jacob, renewing the covenant and taking away sin. As a consequence the fullness of the Gentiles will come in, and thereby ‘all Israel will be saved' (Romans 11:25 a).

So the Messiah comes from Israel, is rejected by unbelieving Israel when He reveals Himself as LORD, but has come to redeem His true people, Whom He will bring through to salvation without losing a single one (John 10:27).

2). The Election Unto Salvation Of All Who Believe.

A second theme of these Chapter s is that God is sovereign, and that it is He Who elects men to be saved. That is why His purposes are certain to come through to fruition.

a). Romans 9:6. ‘Not all Israel is of Israel' (Romans 9:6). In these words Paul commences his teaching concerning the true remnant who in God's eyes represent the true Israel. And within this elect Israel are Gentiles like Eliezer of Damascus (Genesis 15:2) and Hagar the Egyptian (Genesis 16:3). That Eliezer is of the elect comes out in chapter 24 where he reveals his allegiance to Yahweh when seeking for a bride for Isaac. That Hagar is revealed as one of the elect comes out by her experiencing theophanies (e.g. Genesis 16:7). There can be little doubt that among the retainers of the Patriarchs there were other foreigners (Gentiles) who also believed in Yahweh, as the fathers led them in worship (e.g. Genesis 12:8). Thus ‘Israel' from the commencement was a mixed society. (The idea that all Jews are direct descendants of Abraham is therefore incorrect).

In this passage Paul demonstrates that God chooses out an elect from the wider whole (an Israel from within Israel). And this is so that God's purpose ‘according to election' might stand. Thus not all the sons of Abraham are true believers, nor are all the sons of Isaac (while some of their Gentile retainers are). And that this idea of election carries on is demonstrated by the fact that ‘God has mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will He hardens' (Romans 9:18). As a result of this election He ‘makes know the riches of His glory' through the ‘vessels of mercy prepared beforehand for glory' (Romans 9:23), which are made up of ‘the called, not only of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles' (Romans 9:24). So the elect are made up of both Jews and Gentiles. Furthermore of the children of Israel ‘only a remnant will be saved' (Romans 9:27), a ‘seed' from among Israel (Romans 9:29). In consequence it is clear that God elects to salvation some from among both Jews and Gentiles (Romans 9:24).

b). In Romans 9:30 to Romans 10:21 ‘whoever calls on the Name of the LORD (Jesus as LORD - Romans 10:9) will be saved' (Romans 10:13) and they are then seen to be the elect from both Jews and Gentiles. And this fact is revealed by them ‘believing' (in the Messiah through ‘the word of Messiah' (Romans 10:17)), and ‘confessing Him as LORD, believing in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead'.

c). In Romans 11:1, there is within Israel, (an Israel which has already absorbed into itself many Gentiles either as proselytes or by forced circumcision, and is therefore made up of both Jew and Gentile), ‘a remnant according to the election of grace' (Romans 11:5). Galilee, for example, had been the scene of enforced circumcision under Aristobulus I when, on Israel taking over Galilee from the Ituraeans by military force, Galilean Gentiles had been forced to be circumcised and to submit to the Jewish Law (104/103 BC). No doubt many of their descendants had followed Jesus when He was preaching in Galilee and had responded to the preaching of the early church. Thus this remnant according to the election of grace included both home born Jews and former Gentiles. And we are further told concerning salvation that ‘the elect had obtained it and the rest had been hardened' (Romans 11:7). In Romans 11:25 b we learn that ‘the full number of the Gentiles had come in', again indicating election. Thus the branches which were being engrafted into the olive tree of Israel were being portrayed as the elect.

3). The Theme Of Salvation For Jew And Gentile.

The theme of salvation is closely connected with the theme of election and also runs throughout Chapter s 9-11. While salvation is not mentioned in Romans 9:6 it is clear that those described therein are seen as saved (see the commentary), whilst in Romans 9:14 Paul points out from Scripture that God has compassion on whom He will, and hardens whom He will. Thus He elects to salvation vessels of mercy which He has beforehand prepared for glory. This statement confirms that the salvation in mind is speaking of eternal salvation. And this includes both Jews and Gentiles who are believers in the Messiah (Romans 9:24). This idea of election is then carried through into Israel's history so that in Romans 9:27 we learn that ‘although the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant will be saved'. Thus the election previously spoken of in Romans 9:6, whereby only a proportion of Israel were chosen, was clearly election to salvation.

In Romans 10:1 Paul declares that his heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be ‘saved'. However small the remnant may be (and it was not all that small for the Gospel had spread widely in Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria and Galilee, and soon throughout synagogues around the world) he wants to enlarge on it. But he then makes clear that the reason why unbelieving Israel have not been saved is because they are seeking to establish their own righteousness rather than looking to the righteousness of God which is available through faith in Messiah (Romans 10:3). This again makes clear what Paul means by ‘saved'. Now, however, Paul makes clear that a new situation has arisen as a result of the coming of the Messiah. And that is that salvation is available to both Jew and Gentile quite apart from proselytisation. ‘For there is no difference between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord of all is rich towards all who call upon Him, for whoever will call on the Name of the Lord will be saved' (Romans 10:12), and this again is related to the coming of the Messiah (Romans 9:14).

In chapter 11, as a result of the stumbling of the Jews, salvation is opened to the Gentiles (Romans 11:11). Thus a good part of this chapter concentrates on the riches received by the Gentiles by their being united with Israel, (‘riches for the world', ‘riches for the Gentiles' - Romans 11:12) although it is intermingled with warnings to them not to become arrogant, but to treat unbelieving Jews respectfully and decently, in the hope that they might be saved. However, as we have already seen, this introduction of Gentiles into Israel is no new thing. It had occurred from the beginning. Many Gentiles had become Jewish proselytes in one way or another. But what is new is the number being saved, and the means, of their salvation, faith in the Messiah. Meanwhile Paul is urgent to save more Jews (Romans 11:14) by provoking them to jealousy. Thus we are faced with a salvation about to occur for both Jews and Gentiles. Romans 9:16 then describe the process by which this is taking place, by unbelieving Israel being broken off the olive tree of ideal Israel, and being replaced by the engrafting of branches from the wild olive of the Gentiles, thus strengthening the branches that remain. There is, however no mention of either Israel or the Gentiles in these verses because the identification has already been made or is assumed to be understood. Both are in fact involved. The branches that are broken off are the unbelieving Jews, the branches that remain are the believing Jews, with their Gentile proselytes, and the branches that are engrafted in are the Gentiles converted to the Messiah, and any Jews who may later be converted. The consequence of this is that the Gentiles become one with Israel, resulting in the fact that the fullness of the Gentiles come in and in this way ‘all Israel will be saved', because in order for ‘all Israel' to be saved it was necessary that all the elect from among the Gentiles should come in.

4). The Vexed Question As To Whether God Has Failed In His Promises To Israel As Given In The Old Testament Scriptures?

In Chapter s 9-11 Paul also looks into the vexed question as to why, with their promised Messiah having come, the Jews have, on the whole, not benefited by His coming. Does this then mean that God has cast off Israel, demonstrating that what the Scriptures have promised is rendered invalid? Furthermore, can Gentiles really be saved by faith alone without being circumcised and becoming Jews under the Law? These are important questions, not only for the Jews, but also for all who see the Old Testament Scriptures as the word of God, and he deals with them from three aspects:

· Firstly, the rejection of the majority of the Jews is because of God's elective purpose, and this has been revealed in Scripture. For the Scriptures, far from being mistaken about God's purposes for the Jews, had clearly revealed that God always chooses His elect out of a wider entity. Thus He did not choose all of the sons of Abraham. Rather He chose one, Isaac, in whom Abraham's seed would be ‘called'. But even though Isaac was the promised line in whom Abraham's seed would be ‘called', even so not all of his seed would be elect. For of Isaac's seed He chose one, Jacob. And this was as a result of God's sovereign decree. Thus at each stage God's elect are only a part of the whole, even in the promised line. For, as the Scriptures have revealed, only a remnant were to be saved. It is noteworthy that in this passage the words ‘faith' and ‘believe' are not mentioned once (in vivid contrast with the next chapter). The whole emphasis in the passage is on God acting sovereignly (Romans 9:6). Meanwhile, acting sovereignly, God has also called Gentiles, who are called on equal terms with Jews (Romans 9:24). He had, of course, always made provision for Gentiles to become a part of Israel (Exodus 12:48; Deuteronomy 23:1). But now they were to be called in large numbers so as to become a part of the true Israel, while as the Scriptures have made clear only a remnant of Israel will be saved (Romans 9:6).

· Secondly, the rejection of the majority of Israel is because Israel as a whole failed to believe in and submit to the Messiah, Who was born among them. The believing Gentiles on the other hand have responded to the Messiah in true faith. Thus the majority in Israel have failed to achieve salvation through unbelief, while the minority of the Jews (the elect) and the Gentiles who believe, will, by responding in faith, be saved (Romans 9:30 to Romans 10:21). In contrast to the previous passage, in this passage the words ‘faith' or ‘belief' are mentioned in almost every verse (Romans 9:30 to Romans 10:21).

· Thirdly, it is because, while the elect of Israel have been saved as God promised, the remainder have been blinded by unbelief in order that the Gentiles might find salvation. For the Gentiles will be united with the olive tree of the ideal Israel, something which will finally also be to the benefit of Israel. (We can compare with this the uniting of all believers in Christ in chapter 6). But all of what God sees as the true Israel will finally be saved. God's promises have not failed (Romans 11:1).

5). That All Is In Fulfilment Of Scripture.

Underlying all that Paul argues in these three Chapter s is his use of Scripture, which was seen as authoritative by the Jews and by interested Gentiles. In Romans 9:6 he uses first the Law of Moses and then the prophets for the purpose of demonstrating his case for election, and closes with a selection of Scriptures from the prophets (Hosea and Isaiah) demonstrating that Scripture taught the acceptance of the Gentiles, and the fact that only a remnant of Israel would be saved.

In Romans 9:30 to Romans 10:21 we again find a miscellany of quotations, together with indirect references, from the Law, the prophets and the holy writings, demonstrating that the rejection of the Messiah by Israel, and the proclamation of the Gospel to all, was prepared for in Scripture, as was the unbelief and disobedience of the Jews.

In Romans 11:1 we have quotations from both the Prophets and the Holy Writings which demonstrate that only a remnant of Israel will be saved, while the larger part of Israel will fall into a spirit of stupor, the consequence being that, as a result of their stumbling, salvation will go out to the Gentiles, so as to provoke the Jews to jealousy. The illustration of the olive tree which follows is itself based on Scripture, and demonstrates the uniting into one of believing Jews and believing Gentiles. And finally it is Scripture that proclaims the coming of a Redeemer, as promised in Romans 3:24, who will cause ‘all Israel' (Jacob) to be saved.

Why Does Paul Concentrate So Much On The Problem Of Israel?

We might now ask, Why in a doctrinal letter like this should Paul concentrate so much on Israel? One reason is apparent above. He was seeking to explain God's sovereign activity in salvation, and was demonstrating the foundational basis of the true Israel of which the church consisted, from its very commencement. After all the church of his day held the Old Testament to be their Scriptures and looked to them for spiritual guidance. It was therefore necessary to make clear how those Scriptures revealed what had happened to God's people, and connected the old with the new.

But another factor that affected Paul's decision was that he was very conscious when writing his letter that he was writing to a church where many, even though the minority, still had close links with Judaism, and he knew that many Christian Jews may well still have been attending the synagogue on the Sabbath, while worshipping with Christians on the first day of the week, this in the same way as Christian Jews were observing Temple requirements in Jerusalem (Acts 21:24). This could unquestionably also have been true of Gentile Christians who had formerly been Jewish proselytes. It may also even have been true of some God-Fearers, those Gentiles who had adhered to Jewish teaching whilst remaining uncircumcised, and who had responded eagerly to the Gospel. In consequence Paul recognised that unless they were aware of the truth, there would be the danger of their slipping back into Judaism in the same way as those to whom the letter to the Hebrews was written were in danger of slipping back, losing sight of how the coming of the Messiah, and what He had accomplished through His death and resurrection, had totally altered their situation. This was partly what he was hoping to guard against.

Indeed, many Jews who claimed to believe in Jesus as the Messiah were nevertheless trying to convince Gentile Christians that they needed to be circumcised and obey the whole Law, including dietary restrictions and observance of the Jewish Feasts (Romans 14:3; Romans 14:6; Romans 14:14; Acts 15:1; Galatians 2:3; Galatians 2:12; Colossians 2:16), because they had failed to recognise the fullness of what Christ had done for them. They too had to be combated.

So that is why he now sets out to demonstrate that it is not physical Israel which is the true Israel, but that the true Israel is made up of ‘the elect', that is of those who truly follow the Messiah (Jesus Christ), and respond to Him solely through faith (whether Jew or Gentile), seeking the righteousness of God through Him, the consequence being that all who fail to do so are no longer a part of the true Israel (Romans 10:3; Romans 10:9; Romans 11:17).

This aim has already been apparent in his letter earlier. During his attempts to demonstrate that all men are sinners Paul had specifically had to deal with the question of the special privileges claimed by the Jews, something which he had then dealt with in some detail because of what he saw as its importance (Romans 2:1 to Romans 3:9). As part of his argument he had set forward a summary of their main claims, ‘You bear the name of a Jew, and rest on the law, and glory (boast) in God, and (claim to) know his will, and approve the things which are excellent, being instructed out of the law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide of the blind, a light of those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having in the law the form of knowledge and of the truth' (Romans 2:17). In other words he made it plain that the Jews alone, among all nations, had received the direct revelation of God. This Paul was mainly willing to grant them, with reservations. But as he had also pointed out, due to their failure to actually observe the Law of which they were so proud, these privileges actually condemned them (Romans 2:1 to Romans 3:20).

But it could then be asked, had God not included the Jews in the number of His elect as described in Romans 8:29? This was the position held by many Jews. And it could further be asked, ‘If they were so privileged by God as to have the Law and the covenant sign of circumcision, why did they now suffer God's rejection? Did not all Scripture make clear that such were the people of God?' If the Scriptures did so, and if the Jews were no longer fulfilling God's purpose, did it not mean that the Scriptures were wrong?

Paul had partially dealt with these points when he pointed out that many of those who called themselves Jews were in fact not true Jews, because their lives fell short of what was required of a true Jew (Romans 2:28). In his eyes the true Jew was a person who was a Jew inwardly, whose circumcision was that of the heart, and was spiritual (‘in the spirit'). It was not simply a matter of obeying what was written down (‘in the letter'). They had to be those whose praise came from God not from men. And he pointed out that this was true of both Jews and Gentiles (Romans 2:26; Romans 2:29). Thus he considered that there were still ‘true Jews' but that they were in the minority. Indeed, he argued that all men, whether Jew or Gentile, could be ‘true Jews' if their hearts were directed properly and they had experienced the work of God in their spirits. (The Jews would not actually have denied that Gentiles could become Jews. It was happening all the time. But what they would have argued was that it was only on condition of their being circumcised and submitting to the Law of Moses as interpreted by the elders. This was why some who believed in Jesus as the Messiah wanted all Gentile converts to follow this procedure).

On the other hand he saw that the majority of those who claimed to be true Jews were in fact not true Jews because they had not experienced that transformation of heart that was Scripturally required in order to be so (Romans 2:28). Thus he had already prepared for the idea that not all of Israel were ‘the elect'. This did, however, still leave open the claim of the Jews to be ‘sons of Abraham', to be God's people and the elect of God, and to have special privileges not available to Gentiles, something which they considered made them ‘a special case', and put them in the ‘favourites' category. Paul now answers these claims by demonstrating that not all Jews are seen by God as true sons of Abraham (Romans 9:7); by pointing out that God's elect were but a minority of Israel (Romans 9:9), and by claiming that God in His sovereignty has the right to save whom He will, and has elected to save some from among both Jews and Gentiles (Romans 9:14).

He will then go on to demonstrate that the true Israel are those who believe in the Jesus as the Messiah (Romans 10:4; Romans 10:9), something which the majority of Israel have failed to do (Romans 10:16; Romans 10:19; Romans 10:21), and that the true Israel is therefore made up of both believing Jews and believing Gentiles who have been incorporated as one into ‘the olive tree' (chapter 11), thus tying in with his position in Romans 2:26; Romans 2:29 and with Romans 9:23.

For all these reasons, therefore, these three Chapter s form an essential part of his argument for ‘justification by faith' as being through faith in Christ Jesus alone. They demonstrate why so many Jews were excluded from it because of their unbelief, something clearly evidenced by Scripture, and why so many Gentiles were being accepted on the basis of faith in the Messiah (Christ). They also serve to demonstrate why the Jews were not being incorporated into Christ, and why they were bereft of the Spirit. It is because they do not respond in faith to their Messiah.

It is thus a mistake to see these Chapter s as only dealing with the question of the position of the Jews (or more strictly or Israel), even though Israel feature prominently in his argument. They also deal in some depth with:

1) The question of the acceptability of the Gentiles through faith, and their right to be incorporated into the true Israel which is now ‘the church' (ekklesia, a Greek word which in LXX was one of those which indicated the ‘congregation of Israel').

2) The danger of the Gentiles dismissing the idea of the privileges of the Jews, or of themselves slipping back (Romans 11:17).

For a detailed examination of the question as to whether the church (ekklesia - ‘congregation') is the true Israel see the excursus after chapter 11.

The Jews And Israel.

One important point to be kept in mind when studying these Chapter s is Paul's use of the terms ‘Jew' and ‘Israel'. The term Jew(s) is used nine times in Chapter s 1-3, but only otherwise occurs in Romans 9:24, where it is stressing that both Jews and Gentiles are included among the elect, and in Romans 10:12 where it is used in the stereotyped idea of ‘Jew and Greek' (compare Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:22; Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11). It mainly indicates Jews in contrast with Gentiles, but is distinctively used of ‘true Jews', which includes believing Gentiles, in Romans 2:26. In the remainder of his letters Paul uses the term fifteen times.

On the other hand the term Israel occurs twelve times in Romans, but only in Chapter s 9-11, and it should be noted that in these Chapter s there are in fact three/four different meanings of the term Israel. The term is incontrovertibly used:

1) To depict the totality of Israel (Romans 9:6; Romans 9:27; Romans 10:19; Romans 10:21; Romans 11:1; Romans 11:7; Romans 11:25).

2) To depict unbelieving Israel (Romans 9:4; Romans 9:31; Romans 10:1).

3) To depict the elect in Israel (Romans 9:6).

We would also claim that it is used to include both Jews and believing Gentiles (as with the term Jew in Romans 2:26) in Romans 11:25.

The term Israel appears only seven times throughout the remainder of his other letters, in which he speaks of Jew/Jews fifteen times. It refers:

· Twice to ‘the children of Israel' referring back to an historical situation (2 Corinthians 3:7; 2 Corinthians 3:13).

· Once to ‘Israel after the flesh' (1 Corinthians 10:18) which suggests that there is an Israel not after the flesh.

· Once to ‘the Israel of God' (Galatians 6:16) where it appears in context to include all believers.

· Once in Ephesians 2:12, where Paul then goes on to demonstrate that believing Gentiles have been incorporated into it.

· Twice where Paul makes clear that he is an Israelite (2 Corinthians 11:22; Philippians 3:5.

It is quite clear therefore that the term ‘Israel' is fluid.

These distinctions were presumably made because in Romans 1-3 he was deliberately aiming to make clear that it was the current Jews whom he had in mind in his strictures, while acknowledging that they were in the main not really ‘true Jews', whilst in Chapter s 9-11 his arguments very much had in mind the days of ‘Israel', and the Old Testament viewpoint on them. It was to ‘Israel' that a large part of his quotations were addressed (e.g. by Moses, Isaiah, Hosea, David, etc.). However, as we have noted, he specifically seeks in those Chapter s to demonstrate that there is a true Israel in the midst of physical Israel, and as we will argue, that that true Israel includes believing Gentiles.