Down an Unfamiliar Road

To all my readers and students, for some unknown reason, I was prevented from posting today’s Lesson XXXV of Chapter Nine of the Book of Romans on my Facebook class pages for I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL, and SERMON PLANNING AND PREPARATION.

I don’t know what is keeping me from making these posts, but I will do everything I can on my computer to make sure it is running properly, and that my internet connection is up and running.

So until you see the lessons there on Facebook, please bookmark this site so you can continue to enjoy studying God’s Word.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER NINE (Lesson XXXV)

So we can see that putting our trust in Jesus Christ as Savior, the One provided by God, need never fear that their trust will ever be jeopardized. God upholds His people’s faith, even when others might say, “He committed His cause to the Lord; let Him deliver Him, let Him rescue Him, for He delights in Him!”¹ When we go back to the Hebrew text of Isaiah 28:16, it reads “He who believes will not be in haste.” That means the one who stands firmly on God’s foundation will be able to keep their minds firm and secure while all around them others are losing theirs and blaming it on God. There will be no need to panic or get upset and rush aimlessly around. By trusting in God, and being confident that His purpose will be accomplished in His own time, allows His blessed assurance to grow in the promise that He will finish what He started.²”³

Jewish theologian David Stern agrees with the translation, “Will not be humiliated (or ‘disappointed’ or ‘put to shame’) on the Day of Judgment.”⁴ As I see it, the two easily go together. One, down here we have totally invested our future in Christ Jesus and need not become uncertain or afraid of the outcome for He will stick with us every step of the way. Two, we should not become anxious about appearing up there before Him on Judgment Day. Since He ordered that our names be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, He will read it off and tell us to join the band of saints who were destined to live with Him in peace and joy forever and ever.

Speaking like an accomplished Pharisee, Paul poses a question to make a point. This happened between Jesus and the Pharisees many times.⁵ One Jewish Christian writer comments on Paul’s answer to his own question. Ad he sees it, Paul is demonstrating that God has indeed granted righteousness to the Gentiles. But this must in no way be understood his saying that Gentiles have replaced Israel in God’s overall plan of salvation. When this verse is quoted out of context, it can easily be used to reach a false conclusion. Paul will repeat this question in chapter 11 and gives the answer there. To follow the teachings of the Torah on the basis of faith is a good thing and is not done away with by faith in Yeshua; He is the fulfillment of the Torah.⁶

Paul does not condemn observing the teachings of the Torah. However, to take what the Torah says and act on it apart from faith is to “stumble over the stone.” Paul states that the majority in Israel had stumbled over both the Torah and the Messiah. These are intertwined because the Torah and the Messiah are “united” and that “union” is found in the covenant plan of God expressed in the Torah and enacted by the Messiah. Israel did not arrive at the Torah’s goal of accepting Yeshua as the Messiah.⁷ The stumbling-stone and the object of faith are all combined: God, Messiah, and Torah. Christ was designated as a solid rock sanctuary, but instead, He became a stumbling-stone to Israel⁸.⁹

English evangelical preacher Charles Simeon, back in 1844, cautioned that everyone must understand that when the Gospel is preached with the designed intent to offend the listener, this proves that it is true and scriptural. At the same time, when people find the Gospel is preached in such a way as not to cause any offence to self-righteous people, then it certainly is not of God and anointed by the Spirit. Paul ran into this when he proclaimed that salvation came only by grace. His enemies replied, that in that case, God must be partial and unjust. When Paul said it was by faith, they then replied that he was doing away with good deeds. In Simeon’s mind, because some of these same objections were being repeated in his day, if people who know when the Gospel is real, but raise no objection to such interpretation, then they will not be standing up for the Gospel the way the Apostle Paul did. They and others could be rightly accused of accommodating the pride and prejudice of an ignorant world, instead of supporting the preaching of the Gospel as freely and as fully as they should.¹⁰

So don’t worry when the preaching of the Gospel is criticized for not being “hearer-friendly.” As long as people refuse to humble themselves before God, thinking that He owes them something, the Gospel will continue to be a stumbling-bock and a rock of offence. So the question remains: should we quit preaching the Gospel this way and be quiet so as not to cause trouble? Not for a moment! When people are willing to hear the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth from God’s Word, then the same glorious power of salvation that turned the world upside down in Paul’s day, will continue to be the power of God unto salvation to all who believe today.

SUMMARY OF ROMANS CHAPTER NINE

When we reached the conclusion of the previous chapter, Paul had completed his description of how God doing the right thing to save lost mankind was manifested in Christ, and the results justified His decision to pardon them from the fatal penalty of being forever separated from Him for all eternity. However, some of Paul’s readers may have gotten the impression that God’s plan of saving man in Christ apart from the Law (3:21-22) implies that God had rejected His people of Israel and the promises made to them. That’s why Paul begins with this chapter nine to explain that God has not rejected His people.

Having been an unconverted Jew in the same condition as many Jews, it gave Paul real concern for his fellow Israelites who had not yet accepted Jesus as the Messiah (verses 1-2). Paul knew it would take a lot for them to change their mind, so, if it would do any good, he tried to imagine what it would take to get them to see what without Christ they are lost. He even wondered if losing his own status in Christ would help turn things around. But he realized that there was nothing more he could do than what God had already done through Christ. After all, these were the people who, in the past, had been the recipients of so many of God’s blessings (verses 3-5).

Paul is quick to point out that their promises to keep the law had not caused God’s promises to fail. He reminds them that a true Israelite is not simply one who is a physical descendant of Israel, any more than the promises to Abraham were to be carried out through all of Abraham’s descendants just because they are his earthly descendants. Rather, it depends upon those God has chosen according to His Divine purpose. This is illustrated by contrasting what the Scriptures reveal about Isaac and Ishmael, and then about Jacob and Esau (verses 6-13).

That God has made such distinction is illustrated further with the example of Pharaoh, where God showed how His miracles can soften the hearts of some but harden the hearts of others. That’s because some saw mercy as an undeserved gift from God while others viewed it as an insult to their intelligence and turned down His offer again and again. This also proved why God has the right to make such choices since He is the potter and people are the clay (verses 19-21).

So after much patience and petitioning, God chose some of those vessels He had made on His potter’s wheel to use as “vessels of mercy” and some as “vessels of wrath.” (verses 22-23). Moses and the children of Israel became vessels that He filled with mercy, and Pharaoh and his fellow Egyptians are the ones filled with wrath. Those who were freed were destined to be the nation through whom the world would be blessed. And, as Hosea and Isaiah later would tell them, the Gentiles would also become joint-heirs to the promise of Abraham. (verses 24-29).

Paul’s conclusion? That God’s words of promise were not just to the physical descendants of Abraham (as the Jews would have it), but to the faithful remnant of Israel and to the Gentiles who accepted God’s righteous gift of salvation which is by faith. The only reason any of the Israelites were rejected by God was due to their rejection of the Messiah, even as Isaiah foretold (verses 30-33). So it all boils down to a simple formula: either do it God’s way or try and do it man’s way. God’s way comes with a promise of success, man’s way comes with a promise of failure.

END OF CHAPTER NINE

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER NINE (Lesson XXXIV)

Reformer Martin Luther makes it clear that being right with God is granted to whoever believes in Christ who paid their sins with His life’s blood. And for those who believed, the power of sin in their lives could not overwhelm the drawing power of Christ. Therefore, sin should dominate or control those who believe. Luther goes on to point out that at the end of Isaiah’s quote, the Hebrew reads, “He who believes, does not flee,” can be understood in different ways.¹ In the Complete Jewish Bible they are rendered: “He who trusts will not rush here and there.” Luther believes this means that whoever comes to believe in Christ should never become frightened. Rather, the believer stands quiet and secure on Christ the Rock knowing they can overcome any resistance from within or without. Luther goes on to say that if someone does become afraid and flees, they cannot find peace in their hearts. Missing the assurance they had in Christ will be missed the most when they are hard pressed by hardships. But above all, when they contemplate God’s judgment.²

John Calvin paraphrases Paul’s words as follows: “Just because Christ is called a stumbling-stone, there is no reason that we should dread [meeting] Him, or entertain fear instead of confidence; He is appointed for [bringing] ruin to the unbelieving, but [bringing] life and resurrection to the godly.” Then Calvin comments that as the prophecy concerning the stumbling and offence is fulfilled in the actions of the rebellious and unbelieving, there is an equal threat posed to the godly. It is as follows: Christ is a firm Rock, a Living Stone, a Cornerstone, and immovable, it will never fail those who build on this Rock. By putting “shall not be ashamed”³ instead of “shall not hasten or fall,”⁴ he has followed the Greek translation. Calvin is convinced that the Lord in this passage intended to strengthen the hope of His people. That’s why when the Lord asks us to consider the hope that He gives, it only follows that those who do, will never be ashamed of their choice.⁵

Robert Haldane is quite concise in what he says here about the Stone. He notes that the Apostle Paul confirms what he had been saying concerning the stumbling-stone. He does so by quoting from two sources of Scripture.⁶ For the Jews, Christ is a stumbling-block, the rock of offence, as was predicted by the Prophets. No one then should find it strange that those who lived while Christ was on this earth saw Jesus in this manner. The reason why the metaphor of a stone, and a rock, are used to describe Christ Jesus, is because it projects the truth that the great work of redemption rests solely on Him. For Haldane, Christ is the source, “the foundation on which redemption rests; the center in which all lines converge; their origin from which they all proceed.”

Haldane then examines the parable of the man who built his house upon the rock.⁷ This represents Christ as the foundation, the rock on which the house is built, sustaining it, and imparting to it form and stability. But when Christ is not seen or accepted in this manner, then the same stone that became a foundation and solid rock of security will become an obstacle to them. Not only that, but it also represents a blocking-stone that keeps them from communion with God by their rejection of His Son.⁸

Albert Barnes sums up Paul’s teaching from his point of view. First, remember God is sovereign and answers to no one. He has the right to dispose of people any way it pleases Him. Secondly, the doctrine of election was already in force when God chose Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. Therefore, it was already an established principle of divine rule and validated as real. Thirdly, to question or to lack having any confidence in this doctrine is the same as having no confidence in God. This would then suggest that God is not qualified to direct the affairs of His own universe. Fourthly, the doctrine of election is not arbitrary. It has been well planned from the beginning.

We need not look for any assessments or adjustment to be made to God’s plan simply based on circumstance. Everything directed by election, even that which is yet to come, will be wise, fair, and good. It is the source of all the blessings that any mortal can enjoy. And when applied to the case before us, it is both benevolent and just. It is better that God was particular in selecting a small number from the nation of the Jews and extending those blessings to the Gentiles than to have restricted it only to Jews who were willing to believe.

Barnes continues: Fifthly, the fact that the Gospel has gone out around the world is proof that this is the work of heaven. Sixth, the confidence Christians have in God is safe. They will not be ashamed or disappointed. God will keep them, and bring them safely to reign with Him and His Son in His kingdom. Seventh, there are plenty of people who are still offended by the story of the cross of Christ. They think that all that pain and suffering was unnecessary. And when, with His blessing, He is proclaimed as the only way, truth, and life, then end up despising Him.

Barnes then concludes that this is not just one cause why sinners perish, it is the only cause. So it is no wonder that the Jews of Jesus’s day brought ruin on themselves and their country. Likewise, sinners do the same today. By not heeding the words of the Gospel, they guarantee condemnation and calamity on their souls. And just as those ancient critics and crucifiers of the Lord Jesus perished, so will all those who choose sin over Savior. They are not to be pitied but prayed for.⁹

Charles Hodge makes the point that the story of a crucified Christ has been considered either foolishness or an offence to unregenerated sinner’s intellect. That’s why understanding and accepting the story of a caring, loving Savior, and receiving the gracious gift of salvation through Him, are characteristic only of those “who are the called.” For sinners to make God out to be a dictator and a reason for excusing themselves from His offer of grace and mercy, is to show signs of total ignorance and confusion.

Then Hodge says that Christ declared those blessed who were not offended by Him. Once our hearts are right with God, Jesus at once becomes the object of supreme affection and the sole basis for confidence in one’s salvation. When the Gospel was first preached by Peter and Paul, it had the same effect it has now. Those converted back then had the same obstacles that sinners must surmount today in order to believe. What they learned back then in order to overcome, we can use as lessons to help us in our appeal to the lost today.¹⁰

Henry Alford addresses how Paul transferred meaning of these quotes from Isaiah to Jesus. He says that it was a justified comparison when we view Christ as a stumbling-stone. Paul chose two locations in the writings of Isaiah to combine in this metaphor: The “stone of stumbling and rock of offence,” mentioned in Isaiah 8:14, is substituted for the “tried stone, precious stone, and sure foundation” in Isaiah 28:16. The reason for this is quite simple. In Isaiah 8:14, the Jews evidently interpreted what was said it to be applied to one of their own, and only for their own. When the priest Simeon spoke openly about the child Jesus as the Messiah, he expressly proves that this prophecy is about to be fulfilled in Jesus.¹¹ This is similarly interpreted by the Chaldee Targum,¹² and the Babylonian Talmud.¹³

In Alford’s thinking was the question of why did the Apostle Paul not give this Stone the same designation as that plainly foretold to be laid in Zion? Certainly, that designation is justified by prophecy, and which affects how we understand the matter here at hand concerning it being a stumbling-block. Alford is not saying that Paul was wrong to do so, he just wanted Paul to explain why. But reasoning will help us see Paul’s point. The stumbling-stone of the First Covenant that the Jews could not get past was eventually taken and made into the corner-stone of the Last Covenant.¹⁴

The great preacher Charles Spurgeon also alludes to the questioning of some scholars as to the real purpose of this Stone. He sees them attempting, with human logical dynamite, to blow up this great Rock of Offence, and to clear away every difficulty from the path of the person who wants to be saved by their own method. This would help them make their way to heaven more pleasant for everyone. But those whose faith is in the Word of God cannot remain silent. Such thinking goes against the mind of God and the teaching of His Word: As it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling-stone and rock of offence.” Now, if they choose not to believe on Him they will surely one day be ashamed. What such skeptics think does not alter the eternal purpose for which God sent Him will stand. So whether some accept Him or not, He will still be glorious no matter what people do or don’t do.¹⁵

F. F. Bruce comments on the portion of Paul’s quote of Isaiah that refers to believers never being ashamed of their faith in Christ the Rock. He writes that in the Hebrew text of Isaiah 28:16 can be taken as the inscription etched in the stone. The words “in him,” that Paul includes here, as well as in Romans 10:11, are not in the Hebrew text but were in the Greek Septuagint version of Isaiah 28:16. For instance, in one Jewish version of this text, it reads: “He who trusts need not fear.”¹⁶ And in a Jewish Version translated by a Messianic Jew, we read: “He who trusts will not rush here and there.”¹⁷ And in another, it is rendered: “The believer shall not panic.”¹⁸ It is clear that Paul saw Jesus as the fulfillment of this prophecy by adding, “in Him.” In other words, once one is confronted with God’s love through Christ Jesus, they need not fear or run away. Simply bow, repent, be forgiven, and accept Him as Lord and Savior and your soul will never feel insecure again, for you are securely planted on the Rock.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER NINE (Lesson XXXIII)

The concept that God offered His saving grace to more Gentiles than Jews, who became the majority in the early ages of the Church, must be understood as an act of God’s sovereign goodness. But the fact that the Jews were cut off and perished, is to be taken as a result of their own unbelief. This proves true of every sinner who must look into their own heart and at their personal conduct as grounds for their condemnation. They need not fear that this is some secret plan of God to send them to hell. The worst error that leads to destruction is being self-dependent on working out one’s own salvation. This requires full reliance on one’s selfish powers to qualify without help. What makes this so fatal is that it will not be accepted by God as being superior to what Christ provided for sinners on the cross.¹

Professor F. F. Bruce provides an excellent context in which to understand what Paul says here. He notes that in Isaiah, the prophet foretold how the Assyrians would invade Israel, sweeping over the land like a tidal wave. However, there would be one place of refuge to save them from the overwhelming hostile flood: God Himself will provide that sanctuary, a Rock, to all who put their trust in Him, a Rock on which they can stand secure. However, everyone who does not put their confidence in the Rock to save them, but entrusts themselves to other powers or resources will be swept against this Rock, like a rudderless ship washed ashore. As a result, it will bring grief and sorrow to their hearts and minds. So instead of the Rock being a place of refuge for the Jews, it proved to be a dangerous obstacle – a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling.²

This passage is quoted later by the Apostle Peter to make the same point. He refers to Christ as, “A Stone that will make men stumble, a Rock over which they will trip.”³ And why did the Jews stumble? What tripped them up? Instead of seeing Christ as a stepping-stone to salvation, they saw Him as an obstacle in the way of their getting right with God on their own. Did our Lord make them trip-up on purpose? No! They tripped on their own accord. When they took the Word sent to them from God and pushed Him aside, then attempted to go their way they stumbled over Him and have never been able to recover.⁴

John Stott makes the case of way, for some, the proclamation of Christ crucified became a skandalon (“stumbling-block”) to the Jews,⁵ and the cross became a skandalon (“offence”) to them as well.⁶ The Greek word skandalon, to most of those who are English speakers, sounds very much like the word “scandalous.” But when we look at how it was understood by the Greeks, it has two main meanings. First, it represents any object, such as a trap or impediment, that lies in a person’s pathway. Secondly, it can also be used to describe any object or thing by which a person becomes trapped by their own mistake. So the English word scandal would more easily fall into the second definition. But Christ’s crucifixion and the cross fit better into the first definition.

So the next question is this: Why do people stumble over the cross? For one thing, it undermines their confidence in self-righteousness. This is not a small thing. If attaining a right standing with God could be established because of what a person could do on their own, then Paul rightly says that Christ died for nothing.⁷ Not only that, but if we could gain a righteous standing before God by our own obedience to the laws, catechisms, ordinances, rites, rituals, ceremonies, and holy days prescribed by the church, then Christ’s work on the cross would become pointless and meaningless. It goes without saying, if we can save ourselves, there is no reason for Christ to have died. His death would be an excessive and wasted act of mercy. That’s why it must be understood that by Christ dying for our sins it is proof positive that we cannot save ourselves. But for many, such a humiliating confession is an intolerable insult to their egotistical religious pride. When we are unable or unwilling to swallow our useless self-admiration, everything that God went through so much trouble to bring about to pass ends up causing people to fall over Christ’s work on the cross as stumbling-stone.⁸

Douglas Moo sees another factor in Judah and Israel’s failure to attain the level of righteousness that God intended for them to reach. As he sees it, Paul may be suggesting that the law of Moses, when rightly interpreted, calls for faith, not only for works. The problem with the people of Israel is that they were so preoccupied with works they completely missed the requirement for faith. Paul consistently restricts his use of the Greek word nomos,⁹ to mean the commands God gave Israel through Moses, not just the Ten Commandments. The Pentateuch as a whole calls for faith, but not the commandments. They demand works. So that’s why Paul talks about the “law of righteousness” in an attempt to make two points at once. They are: Israel pursued righteousness but failed to obtain it, that’s because by so doing they elevated nomos above faith as their primary concern. What makes it even more puzzling, is that they were so narrowly focused on what works the law demanded, that they missed the much larger sign God gave them to focus on. That was His promise that faith can do so much more than works. That’s why they failed to obtain righteousness on their own.¹⁰

Verse 33: The Scriptures talk about that Stone: “Look, I put in Zion a Stone that will make people stumble. It is a Rock that will make people fall. But anyone who trusts in Him will never be disappointed.”¹¹

Once again, Paul calls on the words of the prophet Isaiah to make the case his Jewish readers will easily understand. The prophet was being used by God to make the children of Israel aware that because of their own failures, they would miss out on everything God had prepared and promised to them. But there was this expectancy just when everyone thought all hope was lost: “On that day the Lord Almighty Himself will be their crowning glory, the diadem of beauty to His people who are left.”¹² The prophet goes on to give the Lord’s message: “See, I am placing a Foundation Stone in Zion – a firm, tested, precious Cornerstone that is safe to build on. He who believes need never run away again.”¹³

The Psalmist makes note of what happened when some did not believe and even pushed aside the Cornerstone that God had prepared. As Isaiah reported,¹⁴ “The very rock that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone!”¹⁵ This, of course, was verified by Jesus Himself who asked the Jewish leaders: “Didn’t you ever read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone rejected by the builders has been made the honored cornerstone; how remarkable! what an amazing thing the Lord has done’? What I mean is that the Kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and given to a nation that will give God His share of the crop. [Whoever falls on this stone will be broken in pieces; but if it falls on him, he will be crushed to powder!]”¹⁶

So in Paul’s mind, this was a clear picture for the Jewish leaders of the congregation in Rome to look at before contemplating any objection to Gentiles joining the body of believers. After all, didn’t David pray: “None of those who have faith in God will ever be disgraced for trusting Him. But all who harm the innocent shall be defeated.”¹⁷ Paul did not want anyone to be ashamed that they came to believe in Jesus the Christ as their Savior. As he told them in his opening: “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is God’s powerful method of bringing all who believe it to heaven. This message was preached first to the Jews alone, but now everyone is invited to come to God in this same way.”¹⁸

Being that Paul was mainly addressing the Jewish leaders in the congregation at this point, no doubt he was also aware that among Jewish scholars it was not allowed for a person to skip from one verse to another, like putting a chain or necklace together, to make their point, even though as he had just done that with Isaiah’s writings. But being a scholar of Jewish literature himself, Paul also knew what the Talmud had to say: “The reader may skip [from verse to verse] in a prophet but not in the Torah.”¹⁹ In fact, the great scholar Moses Maimonides touched on this subject by saying: “A person reading from the prophets may read three verses to the translator at one time, and the translator translates them one after another. If the three verses are three separate passages, [the reader] should read them to the translator only one at a time.”²⁰

When it comes to the stone being a metaphor for Christ, Ambrosiaster notes there are many passages of Scripture where Christ is portrayed as a Rock or a Stone. The prophet Daniel saw this Stone as it separated itself without the help of human hands from the mountain. As it broke loose it rolled down the mountain and crashed into a huge statue Daniel saw that had a head made of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its trunk and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. When it smashed into this statue’s feet, they broke into pieces so small it reminded Daniel of the chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. Then another miracle happened. The stone begin to grow into a mountain so tall it could be seen from far, far away.²¹

For most Bible scholars, this Stone clearly refers to Christ. And the Apostle Peter says told the Jews: “This is the stone which the builders rejected.”²² The Jews knew that if they compared Christ’s words with His miracles, they would be pressured to recognize that He was not out of line to claim that He had been sent down from heaven. For Ambrosiaster, the rock was undoubtedly the human flesh of the Savior. It detached itself without hands, because it was made of a virgin by the Holy Spirit without the participation of a male.²³ Others may see the mountain as the law, from which the Word Himself becomes independent and the power of His Gospel would be enough to become a driving forces in nations around the world. In any case, it was a clear signal to the Jews that the Gospel would prevail over the law as the fountain of living water for all who come to it for salvation.

Recently, on a daily talk show hosted by a group of women, one of them suggested that she was worried over Vice President Mike Pence’s statement that he talks to God and God talks to him. She left no doubt that she considered this a sign of mental illness. A few days later, the Vice President was shown on TV News responding to her remarks, referring to them as a form of, “religious intolerance.” In his words, “It is just simply wrong for major TV network to have a television program that expresses that kind of religious intolerance,”

I was reminded of the words of the eminent Motivational Pastor, Norman Vincent Peale who said, “Never react emotionally to criticism. Analyze yourself to determine whether it is justified. If it is, correct yourself. Otherwise, go on about your business.”¹ But my mind also went to the Scripture where Peter says, “If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”²

I thought of what I might say if put in the same situation. Here is what I would have loved for the Vice President to say: “I have just been given the greatest honor a Christian can receive. My faith and trust in God has just been ridiculed and called a mental illness. Nothing could please me more than to made fun of and laughed at for the sake of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you, Miss _______, for making my day brighter and filled with joy.” – Dr. Robert R Seyda

YOU HAVE A TICKET TO WHERE?

In January 2000, leaders in Charlotte, North Carolina, invited their favorite son, Billy Graham, to a luncheon in his honor. Billy initially hesitated to accept the invitation because he struggles with Parkinson’s disease. But the Charlotte leaders said, “We don’t expect a major address. Just come and let us honor you.” So he agreed.

After wonderful things were said about him, Dr. Graham stepped to the rostrum, looked at the crowd, and said, “I’m reminded today of Albert Einstein, the great physicist who this month has been honored by Time Magazine as the ‘Man of the Century.’

Einstein was once traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of every passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He couldn’t find his ticket, so he reached into his trouser pockets. It wasn’t there, so he looked in his briefcase but couldn’t find it. Then he looked in the seat beside him. He still couldn’t find it.

The conductor said, ‘Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I’m sure you bought a ticket. Don’t worry about it.’

Einstein nodded appreciatively. The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket.

The conductor rushed back and said, ‘Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don’t worry, I know who you are No problem. You don’t need a ticket. I’m sure you bought one.’ Einstein looked at him and said, ‘Young man, I too, know who I am. What I don’t know is where I’m going.’”

Having said that, Billy Graham continued, “See the suit I’m wearing? It’s a brand new suit. My children and my grandchildren are telling me I’ve gotten a little untidy in my old age. I used to be a bit more choosy. So I went out and bought a new suit for this luncheon and one more occasion. You know what that occasion is? This is the suit in which I’ll be buried. But when you hear I’m dead, I don’t want you to immediately remember the suit I’m wearing. I want you to remember this: ‘I not only know who I am… I also know where I’m going.’”

Many of us like Albert Einstein and Billy Graham, believe we have a ticket to our final destination. But if the Holy Spirit were to stop you today and ask to see your ticket, would you be able to find it? Furthermore, are you more like Einstein who didn’t know where he was going, or more like Billy Graham was sure of his destination. Don’t wait until God’s conductor asks for your ticket before you are sure you know where it is and where you are going. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

PS: I wrote this Serendipity two weeks before Billy Graham died. God’s has impeccable timing.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER NINE (Lesson XXXII)

So Stern now offers a second way of looking at it. He says that verses 31–32a must be taken to mean that the people of Israel were actively pursuing the perfect guidelines based on solid principles of divine righteousness contained in the Law of Moses. However, they failed to see that God’s offer of righteousness was a gift, they were convinced they had to work for it.

Then, in the end, Stern gives his third interpretation of what Paul expressed in verse 31. To him, when Paul spoke of the Law, he was speaking of the Torah, the Law of Moses. Anyone studying the Torah will find that God’s righteousness is expressed in four ways: Its source. Its method. Its demands. and its offer. When read in context, what should be stressed is that it offers the same righteousness obtained by the Gentiles. The problem was, although the Israelites kept pursuing the right goal by understanding the Torah and the righteousness it offers, yet did not reach their goal because they either failed to see or didn’t want to see that true righteousness is grounded in trusting God to do what man is incapable of doing. That is, they did not accept the fact that the Torah said righteousness was a gift, they were convinced they had to earn it.¹

Verse 32: Why? Because they did not pursue righteousness as being grounded in trusting but as if it were grounded in meeting legalistic requirements. They tripped over the stone that makes some people stumble.²

Here Paul puts the focus on the Jews who were quite critical of the Gentiles, even those who were given the privilege to become part of God’s kingdom through grace because they did not also adhere to Jewish customs and traditions. Yet, they themselves, were, for all their efforts, failures in meeting the demands of the Law. But Paul makes this very clear to the Galatians: “Does this mean that the legal part of the Torah stands in opposition to God’s promises? Heaven forbid! For if the legal part of the Torah which God gave had possessed in itself the power to give life, then righteousness really would have come by legalistically following such a Torah.”³ Paul goes on to say: “Consequently, it is clear that no one can ever win God’s favor by trying to keep the Jewish laws because God has said that the only way we can be right in His sight is by faith.”⁴ Paul would then point out the impossibility of such an attempt, because it did not require just converting to Judaism, but in keeping every law on the books.⁵

We have the story of a young man who came to Jesus seeking to become part of the Kingdom of God. He too felt secure because he had obediently kept all the commandments. But when Jesus told him to do one more thing, and that was sell everything he had and give the proceeds to the poor, then come and follow Him, the man felt that was too high a price to pay.⁶ Paul knew what he was talking about here. We find his own story in the letter to the Corinthians: “God in His wisdom saw to it that the world would never find Him through human brilliance, and then He stepped in and saved all those who believed His message, which the world calls foolish and silly. It seems foolish to the Jews because they want a sign from heaven as proof that what is preached is true, and it is foolish to the Gentiles because they believe only what agrees with their philosophy and seems wise to them. So when we preach about Christ dying to save them, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. But God has opened the eyes of those called to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, to see that Christ is the mighty power of God to save them; Christ Himself is the center of God’s wise plan for their salvation.”⁷

When it comes to the Jews failing to be made right with God through their own efforts, early church scholar Ambrosiaster notes that when Paul talks about Gentiles fulfilling of the law by faith, it was because of their faith in Christ who fulfilled the Law for them. Meanwhile, the Jews who claimed to have the righteousness required by the law, such as observing the Sabbath, being circumcised, the rites, rituals, ceremonies, feasts, etc., did not come near to fulfilling the law because of their envy and rejection of the Savior. In other words, those who thought they were fulfilling the Law on their own were not, and those who were not fulfilling the Law on their own were doing so through Christ.⁸

Pelagius puts it another way by saying that Paul was explaining once again why the Jews did not find righteousness. They spent so much time glorying their works that they refused to believe and rejected grace on the grounds they didn’t need it, they were already righteous.⁹ In other words, God placed a stepping-stone in front of the Jews but they ended up making it a stumbling-block because of their lack of faith in the One who came to save them.

Reformer John Calvin is direct and straight-forward in his denouncing works over grace. For him, while the Jew’s false zeal seems to be a good excused, nevertheless, Paul shows that they are deservedly rejected because of their attempt to attain salvation by trusting in their own works. In doing so they abolished faith as a method of attaining salvation. Had they been able to gain their object, such success would have been the annihilation of true righteousness.¹⁰ Calvin then asserts that the Jews put too much trust in their works to make them right with God. However, that would be the chief hindrance in their obtaining righteousness which is a gift. That’s because there was a stumbling-block in their way to obtain righteousness through self-effort. Since God spoke by the Prophets that Christ was a cornerstone, it is clear that righteousness can only achieved with His help.

Calvin goes on to say that by calling Christ a stumbling-block, he’s telling us that we shouldn’t be surprised that the Jews made no progress on the road they chose to become righteous. It was through their willful stubbornness that Christ became a rock of offence, in spite of the fact that God showed to them the Way, the Truth, and the Life so plainly. We must never think of the term stumbling-block as defining Christ. To the contrary, it is when sinful people try to get around Him, go over Him, get by Him, or push Him out of the way to get to God that their actions become a stumbling-block to them getting true righteousness.¹¹ In other words, any person who tries to fulfill God’s requirements for salvation because they stumble over the fact that Christ is the only way to achieve it, it is not Christ’s fault, it’s their own fault because they made Christ as a stumbling-block instead of a stepping-stone.

Adam Clarke follows the same line of thinking when he asks if we can we spot the mistake that Judah and Israel made? First of all, they did not understand what God‘s righteousness meant. They didn’t see that it was His method of saving sinners by faith in Christ. So with closed minds and closed eyes, they went about trying to establish their own righteousness. They wanted to create their own method for obtaining everlasting salvation. They did not go back and read the covenant God made with Abraham. Had they done so, they would have clearly seen that it was backed by the principles of grace and faith. Instead, they turned all their attention to the Law of Moses. They imagined that their obedience to that Law gave them a right to the blessings of the Messiah‘s kingdom. But when they were told that they must seek to enter the Messiah’s kingdom through the instructions found in the Gospel, they rebelled. The Gospel elevates a believer’s interest in seeking and knowing God, and the privileges of His Church on a higher level. Since they were offended by this and refused to come into the kingdom that way, it became a stumbling-block to them.¹² And just as ignoring the Gospel was a stumbling-block back in Paul’s day, it is as big an obstacle to receiving salvation today.

As Robert Haldane sees it, the Apostle Paul is asking why the people of Israel did not attain the righteousness they were seeking? He asked that question to get people excited about the answer that was coming. And that answer was that the Jews missed the mark because they were looking for it in the wrong place. They were looking for it in themselves when it can only be found in Christ. Instead of putting their faith in the righteous work of Christ, they chose to put faith in their own righteous works. It wasn’t because they didn’t try, but because trying was not enough. The complete fulfillment of the demands of each and every law had to be completed perfectly. No one was up to such a task. It was impossible to attain the righteousness God required in that manner. Had they succeeded, then Christ would have come in vain. But God would make no such mistake. It is that Christ must be Lord of all or He is not Lord at all.¹³

Albert Barnes explains that while we understand that a stumbling-block is a stone or impediment in a person’s path over which they may fall, Paul uses it here to mean “that obstacle which prevented the Jews from attaining the righteousness of faith.” This became the obstacle that led to Judah and Israel’s fall, rejection, and ruin. It was caused by their rejection and the crucifixion of their own Messiah. It showed their unwillingness to be saved by Him because of their contempt for Him and His message. As a result, they could not reach the place where the blessings of justification were available because God refused to compromise His plan of salvation. So as the Church marched out of Jerusalem, into Samaria, and then into the world they were left behind.¹⁴ Since God had made exceptions before, such as in the wilderness when He saved all those under the age of 21 instead of getting rid of them all,¹⁵ they may have felt that God would make an exclusion again.

Charles Hodge makes the note that in light of all that Paul said in a previous portion of this chapter, and the overall theme of Scriptures on the subject, the ground of the distinction between the saved and the unsaved is not found in what people do, but in what God has done. He has mercy on whom He will have mercy. But it is different when it comes finding the reason for condemnation. God condemns no one, just as Jesus refused to condemn the woman caught in the act of adultery,¹⁶ people bring condemnation on themselves.

It seems strange that the Jews would not accept becoming right with God a gift. They felt they had to work for it to make it worth something. In fact, they really wanted to get credit for earning it because it’s easier to brag about it that way. Believe it or not, there are people today who feel the same way about love. They just can’t understand that love is a gift. They are prepared to do anything to earn the love of someone else, that way it becomes a trophy for them. It doesn’t work with God, and it won’t work with other’s as well. As the Apostle John made it clear, once you find out that you are in love with God you’ll also discover it was because He loved you first.¹⁷

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER NINE (Lesson XXXI)

Spurgeon believes that by this, God’s electing love is clearly seen in Gentile converts. Meanwhile, the Jews who seemed very sincere and devout as to outward ritual, have completely missed the way, the truth, and the life, and never found read righteousness? So the sovereignty of God can be seen in the choosing of those who are willing to follow the way of faith and then rejecting those who went through the motions of following the way while displaying outward righteousness. But the question still remains, why did Israel miss the way? Paul is quick to answer: By their rejection of the light brought by the Messiah and His Gospel.¹

Charles Ellicott looks for a way to meld predestination with freewill. He begins by saying that the Apostle Paul has concluded with his justification for the rejection of Israel, and finished with His line of argument which bears a strong resemblance to the doctrine of predestination. Perhaps a better term would be “predeterminism.” Now he begins to explain the direct opposite of this. While talking about the causes which led to Israel’s rejection, those he puts forward all depend for their validity on the freedom of a person’s freewill. This is not the only place Paul presents such a case. This does not invalidate the previous argument of predeterminism, in fact, it qualifies it.

For Ellicott, the freedom of our flawed freewill and the absolute sovereignty of God’s will are two propositions which, though apparently contradictory, can both exist and operate at the same. If examined by themselves, each appears to be one-sided. But that is only on the surface. Underneath, in ways mystifying to us, both rest on evidence that is itself indisputable. The main reason for Israel’s rejection and for the Gentile’s admission to the new covenant with God is both what the Gentiles did and what they did not do. First, what they did do was to base their justification on faith. What they did not do was try to earn it on their own. Let’s put it this way: The Gentiles, without seeking, were found; the Jews, while seeking, were lost.²

Professor F. F. Bruce also addresses these factors. For him, Paul was considering Israel’s rejection and the Gentiles acceptance from the standpoint of divine election. While that is God’s responsibility to initiate, he now considers it as every called-person’s responsibility. The Gospel, in proclaiming God’s righteousness being bestowed on believers went to the Jews first. However, they rejected it. Then it was sent to the Gentiles. Miraculously, they were the first to accept it. Upon hearing the Gospel message Gentiles responded gratefully to God’s calling which assured them that they would be accepted by God based on their faith. Remember, this was someone they could not see, unlike their idols, and someone they had never heard of. But the Jews continued pursuing self-righteousness by way of the Law. They did this without any assurance from the Law that they would be accepted by God on that basis. So as Bruce sees it, the reasons are simple. The Jews followed the wrong path, one of their own making. The Gentiles followed the right path, the one Jesus opened for them. After all, didn’t He make it clear that He was the only Way, the Truth, and the Life?³

Acceptance by God is only assured by having faith, not by substituting works in its place. It was a hard lesson for everyone to learn that. Despite all the privileges and the light given to the Jews, the divine gift of righteousness could only be attained by going through the same door that was opened to those who lived utter darkness. Gentiles, who had been for ages shut out from really knowing God and His ways, were much more open then those who grew up knowing the Law, the Prophets, and Words of Wisdom bible. No wonder the Gospel turned out to be a stumbling-block to them. But, believe it or not, the very fact it would become a stumbling-block had been forecast. To establish this, Paul quotes from Isaiah again. By blending two oracles which have the common theme of a “stone” divinely laid in times of disaster and judgment, provides refuge for those who entrust themselves to it but proves the downfall of those who stumble against it⁴.⁵

Theologian Karl Barth has much to say about this subject, but one of the things he points out is that people cannot comprehend the issues they must contend with in their lives without understanding something about God and how He works in this world. It is by this understanding that people get to know the standards God has set by which they get to know themselves and how they will be judged. This is what people must wrestle with each day. It could be said that the misery people go through is brought on by the knowledge God gives them that reveals who and what they really are. This often causes them to be embarrassed, troubled, and in Krisis.⁶ What makes matters even worse is when they discover that they cannot escape their sense of guilt and responsibility for what caused the whole mess in the first place. The real riddle is that while everything in this world is under God’s control, yet it all takes place within the sphere of human freedom and responsibility.⁷

John Stott has a very enlightening interpretation of what Paul is saying here. First, he says that even by Paul describing the Gentiles as not interested in practicing morality, it was giving them more credit than they deserved. Most of them were idol worshipers, and pursued self-centered, immoral lives. They were lovers of themselves, of money, and pleasure, rather than lovers of God and goodness.⁸ They had their pagan code of conduct and abided by what their consciences told them was right and wrong. But as far as having a holy standard of living in order to please God and avoid punishment, of this they knew nothing. Paul found that out when he went to Athens and saw streets lined with statues to all kinds of gods. But even they had enough sense to erect one to the Unknown God.

Verses 30-31: So what does all this mean? It means that people who are not Jews were made right with God because they grabbed hold of faith, they were not trying to make themselves right. And the people of Israel, who tried to make themselves right with God by following the Law, did not really seek it with the anticipation of finding anything.

So how was it that the Gentiles end up obtaining what they made no effort to seek for? It all came about when they heard the Gospel message of justification by faith. In fact, the Holy Spirit convinced them so thoroughly that they grabbed hold of it with intensity. Paul uses the Greek word katalambanō to describe this act of faith. It means: “to seize upon, take possession of, to make one’s own.” Israel, meanwhile, sought after the same thing with equal vigor but came away empty-handed. Why? Paul tells us. They were on the wrong path using the wrong method. Stott asks: “Israel’s pursuit of righteousness was almost proverbial. They were imbued with a religious and moral zeal which some would call fanaticism. Why, then, did they not ‘attain’ it? Paul gives us a clue in the text. uses a different Greek verb to describe their action. Their effort is defined as phthanō, which means: “to go after at with anticipation.” So the reason they did not arrive where they expected to be was that they were on the wrong road, pursuing an impossible goal.

Paul anticipates what he will say in the next verse by comparing the route the Gentiles took to obtain Justification and that of the Jews. One was led by faith in the Spirit, the other driven by works of the Law. Both the Gentiles and the Jews had their laws. The Gentiles followed the laws of nature and their conscience, while the Jews followed the laws of the Torah and the Talmud.⁹ In a way, Paul was describing a somewhat upside-down religious situation of his day. The Jews who thought they had righteousness in their hand, to begin with, ended up with nothing, while the Gentiles who started out empty-handed ended up with their hands full of righteousness.¹⁰

Douglas Moo also combines the first and second causes in defining the case of Gentiles replacing Jews in God’s plan for the church. In this instance, Paul explained how in his day God brought different ethnic groups together to develop the composition of chosen people as a result of divine election. On the one hand, God selected those He wanted from the house of Israel to follow the Messiah by coming out from among their brethren and declare themselves followers of Jesus the Messiah. God also selected those from nations existing in that day to also be part of the kingdom of heaven and family of God. They believed and follow Jesus the Savior. His true people would no longer be known as Israelites but as Christians.

But here Paul explains the other side of the story by explaining that even though it was God who elected those He wanted, He left it up to those who were called to accept by faith His predestination and believe in His Son as their Lord. Gentiles were seen as the most fortunate ones. They had spent little time, if any, in pursuit of righteous living according to God’s will. They were ignorant of God’s promises, had no part in the First Covenant with the children of Israel. They also had no concept of what it meant to be right with God. But when God offered it to them by His grace and through the preaching of the Gospel, they responded in faith and so received it. The Jews, on the other hand, by and in large, refused to respond to the Gospel, even when it was delivered by God’s Son. However, many did, a point Paul will make in the next stage of his argument. But the contrast between the wonderful promises made to Israel and the few who openly accepted His gift of salvation was an insult to the Father in Heaven. It was such a rejection of the message of salvation, that Paul considered it fair to say that Israel as a nation had rejected their Messiah.¹¹

Jewish theologian David Stern says there are three possible interpretations of what Paul is saying here about the juxtaposition between the Gentile, Jews, and God. First, when some Christians read verse 31 and understand that the Last Covenant offers a righteousness not found in the First Covenant, it becomes clear that Israel pursued God’s righteousness through the Law of Moses, a Law that defines God’s righteousness, demands God’s righteousness, but does not offer the righteousness of the Last Covenant. However, Stern says that this understanding would make what Paul says next in verse 32 pointless. If God gave Israel a law that did not offer His righteousness, it’s obvious why they didn’t arrive at it. This would have been putting Israel through a useless and pointless charade.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER NINE (Lesson XXX)

We can see why the Apostle Paul feels that those believers who practice such bias are not living up to God’s expectations. In fact, they are wasting God’s grace. How could they expect the world to do what was right when they were not being righteous themselves? Even though Paul does not use it here, the words Isaiah spoke would certainly be apropos: “Listen to me, all who hope for deliverance, who seek the Lord! Consider the quarry from which you were mined, the rock from which you were cut!”¹ This no doubt may have prompted Paul to tell young Timothy: “You are God’s man. Run from all these atrocious things, and work instead at what is right and good, learning to trust Him and love others and to be patient and gentle.”²

But even more harmful was the fact that everyday etiquette, tact, virtues, and integrity were being trampled underfoot; even the expected Christ-like characteristics they gained through their new birth and sanctification were either being ignored or misused. And sadly, Paul saw this as being even more harmful to the Roman church when it came to how Jewish believers were treating Gentile believers. He addressed this same problem in Galatia: “The Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would save the Gentiles also, through their faith. God told Abraham about this long ago when he said, ‘I will bless those in every nation who trust in me as you do.’ And so it is: all who trust in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received.”³ Paul then goes on to offer his list of the righteous things a sanctified believer should exhibit in his character and actions and calls them the fruit of the Spirit.⁴

I’m sure the Apostle Paul was aware that his argument and rationale may have been somewhat puzzling to the church in Rome. So he asks a rhetorical question for them, “What does all this mean?” Early church scholar Origen feels we can find the answer when we understand that it’s one thing to pursue righteousness and another thing to have it implanted within. We know that when someone studies and follows one reference source to another they are said to be pursuing the subject. When we use this same analogy with Gentiles who did not have the tablets of the Law, it is clear that they were not in pursuit of righteousness. Nevertheless, they derived some concept of right and wrong from the natural laws revealed to them. Therefore, they were much more disposed to accept something told to them by faith. So when they heard the message of Christ through the Gospel they accepted it with fewer obstacles than did the Jews.⁵ Some would argue with Origen’s idea; natural law cannot come close to producing what the Law God gave to Moses achieved.

Perhaps that’s why Pelagius gives a different point of view. He says that Paul is imagining here what a Jewish critic might say: If the fact, if it is true that it does not depend on the one who wills or the one who runs, then why is it that the Gentiles found righteousness? How was it that they who never sought it before found it, while Israel who sought it all along could not find it? The Apostle might reply to such a question by saying: the Gentiles believed as soon as they heard the Gospel, but the Jews refused to believe even though they heard it first. This is even more remarkable since they were “the called” through Abraham. You see, righteousness is acquired through faith, and you Jews have refused to believe.⁶

John Calvin sees Paul here begging the question of why did all this happen. Why was Israel, who had the Law given to them by God through Moses, now removed from their place as the firstborn in the family of God, and the Gentiles, who had no laws to follow place ahead of them by God’s favor? Was it the case of Jacob and Esau repeating itself? The way Calvin sees it, it was the result of God’s predestination process. Calvin feels that Paul sees predestination as God’s way of sorting out from the Jews every one who murmured against Him, just as He did in the wilderness. He wants them to know that the reasons for this are easy to understand. But what did Paul’s opponents do, they developed their own plans and then tried to put them ahead of the predestination of God. Paul had previously taught that predestination was to be counted as the first cause. And the fact that this is superior to all other causes, we can see how the corrupt and wicked minds of the ungodly caused them to question the judgment of God.⁷ Calvin goes on to explain that it was Paul’s objective to exalt the grace of God alone, that no other reason might be sought for in the calling of the Gentiles but this, – He moved to embrace them while they were still unworthy of His favor.

As to the second cause, nothing appeared more senseless, or less appropriate than to believe that the Gentiles, who, having no interest in righteousness, who rolled in the passions of the flesh, should be the first to partake of salvation, and to obtain righteousness. Just as illogical would be to say that because the Jews labored so hard to obtain righteousness through the works of the law, they should be excluded from the reward of righteousness. Paul wants to give a straight answer. So he says very plainly that the righteousness which the Gentiles attained was by faith. As such, it depended on the Lord’s grace and mercy, and not on man’s own merit. And the reason the Jews missed the righteousness they sought for was because they wanted to get credit for obtaining it. They wanted to be justified by what they did, not what God did. What they either didn’t realize or refused to accept is that no person can completely satisfy the Law enough to acquire the salvation they need. That’s why Christ’s fulfillment of the Law became their stumbling-block, while for the Gentiles, He became their steppingstone.⁸

Adam Clarke says that we may speculate that the Apostle could have expressed himself in answering these questions in the following manner: I have already vindicated the rejection of the Jews and the election of the Gentiles. It was solely dependent upon Divine truthfulness and justice. So let’s turn our attention to what caused all of this to happen. In the first place, what might be the reason for the calling of the Gentiles and the rejection of the Jews? Paul’s answer could be: My true opinion on the calling or inviting of the Gentiles is this: they had no expectation of becoming part of those who enjoyed the privileges of God‘s in His kingdom. Consequently, they spent no time searching for or trying to obtain such blessings on their own. But in spite of this, they have been justified and counted worthy to receive the remission of sins, and enjoy the privileges of God‘s people. Not because of anything they did to make themselves worthy in obedience to the Law. It was purely by the grace and mercy of God that they were given enough faith to believe. So by embracing the plan of salvation found in the pages of the Gospel, they were adopted into the family of God. To make it as clear as possible, the Gentiles were called to salvation, they did not find it on their own.⁹

Robert Haldane asks a rhetorical question: What is this discussion all about? He then draws the following conclusion: Those Gentiles called by God, of whom the Apostle spoke about in verse 24, who were not living righteous lives, but had yielded their passions to every kind of wickedness, still ended up obtaining true righteousness. We must call this an astonishing instance of divine grace and mercy. For how else could people who were God-haters and guilty of all sorts of abominations, as Paul outlined them in the first chapter of this Epistle, become God-lovers and partakers of that righteousness which corresponds to all the demands of the law? What makes it so astounding is that the nation of Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, thereby ended up having attained nothing. Whatever objection someone may raise to this doctrine the Apostle Paul is teaching here, he offered clear evidence in the case of the Gentiles by using the example of Jacob and Esau, with which he pointed out the purpose of God according to election. Once made, it is unchangeable. It has been and always will be that salvation is by Him who calls, not those who ask to be called.¹⁰

Albert Barnes feels that the Apostle Paul has no intention of suggesting that Gentiles had no concerns about right and wrong. Nor would he eliminate any chance that they had discussions among themselves about them. But when compared to the Jews, they were far behind. One reason is that they did not see it as a reason to justify themselves before God. They were also not driven by prejudice and pride to prove they were better than others as the Jews did. They had no code of conduct such as the Law of Moses to subscribe to with the intention of justifying themselves through obedience and performance. Oh yes, they were excessively sinful, and one missing characteristic among them was righteousness based on law.

Yet they did have their set of moral laws, such as was common to most societies. These forbid stealing, lying, cheating, murder, false witness, etc.¹¹ This was their attempt at weaving righteousness of their own making. Regardless of how immoral a person may be, they still have a set of standards to govern their own version of righteousness, much like any moral person. As such, they are both confident in their standards of righteousness. But it is just such self-composed righteousness that keeps them from coming to the cross of Christ. They must renounce their improvised righteousness and be willing to approach the cross as lost, stained sinners, and throw themselves upon the mercy of God in Christ in order to be justified by Christ’s righteousness and receive the gift of forgiveness and eternal life.¹²

Charles Hodge points out some doctrinal aspects of what Paul is describing here. He says that going against one’s conscience is often a greater obstacle to salvation than carelessness or habits. In other words, being a hypocrite. Christ said that publicans and harlots would enter the kingdom of God before the Pharisees. Because of that, even thoughtless and sensual Gentiles proved susceptible to the Gospel and were more frequently converts to Christ than the Jews who were wedded to inaccurate views of the plan of salvation.¹³ Hodge goes on to say that no man should think that error in doctrine is a slight practical evil. No road to perdition has ever been more thronged than that of false doctrine. Error is a shield over one’s conscience and a blindfold over one’s eyes.

Charles Spurgeon advised his congregation that for thousands of years Gentiles worshiped idols that looked like animals made from blocks of stone and granite. Their philosophy of life was planned immortality. The way they lived was offensive to God, yet even they attained righteousness by faith. When the Gospel was being preached among the Gentiles they believed in Jesus and were saved. Meanwhile, Israel kept striving for righteousness through the Law. So they used many ceremonies and external washings, and wearings of phylacteries (Scriptures in a box tied to their foreheads or wrists) and robes bordered with pomegranates. Does this seem strange then that Gentiles who were so outwardly sinful, who were utterly ignorant of God’s righteousness, perhaps even indifferent to it, were led by the grace of God to seek righteousness in the right way, namely, by faith in Christ? No! That’s the only it can be received as a gift.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER NINE (Lesson XXIX)

Bible scholar John Stott offers his advice on how to understand Paul’s use of this text from Hosea. We start by noting that according to the way they are viewed in the Last Covenant, these First Covenant prophecies can be taken three ways: First, they must be seen in their historical context as literal. In other words, what was said would happen to the people of Israel. Secondly, they were given a spiritual meaning and interpretation. In this case, the opening of the door to the Gentiles to become part of Christ and His church. And thirdly, they pointed prophetically to when the consummation of the Kingdom of God would occur and usher in eternity’s forecast. Here, the prophecy takes the form of God’s promise that in love and mercy he would overturn a hopeless situation. He was ready to embrace again those He had declared as no longer worthy of His love because they had rejected it. The immediate application was to Israel in the eighth century BC, repudiated and repelled by Yahweh for apostasy, but promised a reconciliation and reinstatement.¹

Then Stott continues by saying that it can be applied to the future when the Gentiles who knew nothing of His love responded when He loved them enough to send His only Son with the Gospel and to be their Redeemer, Lord and Savior. They had been “separated from Christ,” and excluded from citizenship in Israel and had no part in the covenant of promise.² As such, they were without hope and without God in the world. But Paul was only too happy to tell them: “But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to Him through the blood of Christ.”³ “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household.”⁴ The Apostle Peter also applied Hosea’s prophecy to the Gentiles.⁵ Paul’s inclusion of this message in Hosea shows a marvelous reversal of how all that could have gone wrong could end up with all going so right because of God’s love, grace, and mercy. Those who stood outside the Tabernacle looking in have been welcomed inside. Those who were considered aliens and foreigners have become citizens of God’s kingdom. And strangers and wanderers have now become part of the beloved family of God.⁶

Verse 29: It is just as Isaiah said: “The Lord All-Powerful allowed some of our people to live. If he had not done that, we would now be like Sodom, and we would be like Gomorrah.”⁷

Again, Paul employs the words of a prophet to make another point, and that is, had God not acted, even though He may use force, the outcome will be much worse than what happens when He gets involved. These words were spoken during a time when God was fed-up with Israel’s habitual sinning without contrition. They are described as carrying such a load of guilt that they are bent over because the weight is so heavy. Even though God tried to discipline them, they would not change. This forced God to punish them over and over again. But God was not finished. Instead of throwing them away as damaged goods, He issued this invitation: “Come now, says Adonai, let’s talk this over together. Even if your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow; even if they are red as crimson, they will be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land.”⁸

Robert Haldane focuses on the Doctrine of Election and says that by quoting from Isaiah, Paul proves that the doctrine of the unconditional election of individuals to eternal life is not contrary to the ideas we should think of when considering God’s goodness. In fact, it is so consistent with it, that had it not been for this election not one child of Israel would have been saved. There are some who misunderstand and think that the doctrine of election is prejudicial and discriminatory, but we see here it is a glorious demonstration of Divine goodness and love. Without this election, through which God prepared vessels of mercy to bring Him glory, neither Jew nor Gentile would have escaped the destruction prepared for the flawed and rejected vessels.⁹

Charles Hodge also comments on Paul’s use of Isaiah. The Apostle’s object by using Isaiah is the same as that of using Hosea. He’s trying to show that being an Israelite was not enough to escape the grief of God’s wrath or secure the enjoyment of God’s favor. Although Isaiah is speaking of the national punishment people brought upon themselves by sinning, which cost almost every one of them to be left out of God’s plan of salvation, yet it was necessary to get rid of those who worshiped idols and practiced immorality so they did not end up in the kingdom of God. By doing so, Paul also proved that the Jews, just because they were Jews, were as culpable for God’s judgment as were the Gentiles. This kept them from claiming special privileges and favor for admission into the kingdom of heaven.¹⁰

In John Stott’s summation of Paul’s quoting from the two prophets, it served as a bulwark for his argument that God had gotten rid of exclusivity for the Jews and total rejection of the Gentiles. By bringing the Hosea and Isaiah texts together, Paul provides First Covenant endorsement for his vision of what the Last Covenant promised. On the one hand, God called some from the Jews and some from the Gentiles (verse 24). This provides for the idea of a fundamental Jewish-Gentile solidarity and equality in God’s new society. After all, there was going to be many more Gentiles than Jews participating in the redeemed Christian community.

As Paul saw it, this is what Hosea prophesied, that multitudes of disenfranchised Gentiles would be welcomed as the people of God. As Isaiah prophesied, however, the Jewish membership would consist only of a small remnant of the nation. Their number was so small that it could not be used to prove that their inclusion represented the whole nation of Israel. In fact, the number was so minuscule that it could be interpreted as the rejection of all Israelites as a people.¹¹ Jesus foretold this when He prophesied: “I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world – from east and west – and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. But many Israelites – those for whom the Kingdom was prepared – prepared will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and remorse.¹²”¹³

Hebrew scholar David Stern makes a point from a Jewish point of view. He says that as Isaiah stated: “If Adonai-Tzva’ot (Lord of Hosts) had not left us a tiny, tiny remnant, we would have become like S’dom, we would have resembled ‘Amora.”¹⁴ By referring back to concepts presented by Paul in verses 6–7, and verses 27–29, it gives closure to Chapters 9–11, concerning Israel’s apostasy (see 9:1–11). No one can blame God for Israel’s failure to accept Yeshua as the Messiah. In fact, they should thank God for showing enough mercy to preserve a “seed” or a “remnant” who did accept Him. From then until today this remnant is known as Messianic Jews.¹⁵

In the Messianic Bible Study, we read about Paul’s quote from Isaiah.¹⁶ It concerned the fact that although the number of Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, yet only a few of them will survive and become part of God’s elect. This will all come about, not because He wanted to exclude anyone but He wanted to include people from every tribe and nation as part of His redemption plan.¹⁷ The writer says that Paul will go on to state in chapters 10 and 11, that God is not finished with Israel yet This is only a stage in their relationship that they must go through together¹⁸.¹⁹

Verses 30-31: So what does all this mean? It means that people who are not Jews were made right with God because they grabbed hold of faith, they were not trying to make themselves right. And the people of Israel, who tried to make themselves right with God by following the law, did not really seek it with anticipation.

After making his case, Paul now summarizes the point he has been trying to make. He wanted the leaders of the congregation in Rome to know that the Gentiles who turned to Jesus as their Messiah, were just as valid in their claim to the promises of Abraham as the Jews. This may have stunned some of the Jewish scholars. After all, the Jews were the ones waiting for Messiah to come, not the Gentiles. Not only that, but the Messiah had been promised through the bloodline of Abraham and David, not through some heathen wise man or king. Paul wanted them to see it wasn’t the Gentile’s decision, it was God’s decision.

This should not have come as a surprise to the Jewish people. God used the prophet Isaiah a long time ago to make this clear: “The Lord says, People who never before inquired about me are now seeking me out. Nations who never before searched for me are finding me.”²⁰ But, as the highly respected American radio commentator, Paul Harvey, used to say, “And now you know the rest of the story.” God made this statement because even though He spread out His arms all day to welcome them, His own people turned away. Not only did they reject His offer of reconciliation, but the insulted God to His face by worshiping idols, speaking to evil spirits in graves and caves, while all along pretending to be too pure to associate with Gentiles, many of whom were worshiping the same idols. In this, Paul saw a repeat of this same hypocrisy by the Jews in that they rejected Jesus as the Messiah, but still felt holy enough to dismiss Gentiles as impure and untouchable.

We see this thinking in what Paul told the Corinthians because he was upset when they had multiple disagreements among themselves they went to heathen courts to settle their disputes.²¹ These Gentiles practiced a lifestyle that was abhorrent to God, so why were they seeking their advice. Yet, they too dismissed the unconverted Gentiles as nonredeemable and not worthy of their time or effort. Paul may have heard that some converted Gentiles in Rome had tried to join the congregation but were rebuffed because they were not considered eligible. Paul sent a similar message to counter any possible discrimination by believers in Ephesus.²² This same thing happens today when a person is not considered intelligent enough, wealthy enough, or suitable enough to become a member of some prestigious congregation. Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do.

1 John Stott: On Romans, op. cit., loc. cit.

2 Ephesians 2:12

3 Ibid. 2:13

4 Ibid. 2:19

5 1 Peter 2:10

6 Stott: ibid.

7 Isaiah 1:9

8 Ibid. 1:18-19

9 Robert Haldane: On Romans, op. cit., loc. cit., pp. 492-493

10 Charles Hodge: On Romans, op. cit., loc. cit., p. 509

11 Romans 11:15

12 Matthew 8:11-12

13 John Stott: On Romans, op. cit., loc. cit.

14 Isaiah 1:9 – Complete Jewish Bible; See Genesis 19

15 David H. Stern: On Romans, op. cit., loc. cit.

16 Ibid. 1:9; 10:22-23

17 See Revelation 7:9

18 See Psalm 44:20-23

19 Messianic Bible: On Romans, op. cit., loc. cit.

20 Ibid. 65:1-2

21 1 Corinthians 6:1

22 Ephesians 2:1-14