Day 42: Romans 9-11. Israel, the Church, God's People
Paul is Jewish. Paul is a disciples of Jesus. Paul loves Judaism. Paul loves Jesus. In chapters 9, 10 and 11, Paul tries to speak about all of these things in a way that is true to God's promises through Jesus, but also true to God's faithfulness to Israel as the chosen people.
One of Paul's statements is that God chooses the ones he chooses, and hardens the hearts of others, and who knows why. An imaginary opponent poses the question, "How can God blame someone for a hard heart, if he hardens the heart?" Good question.
Paul has nothing but praise for his Jewish brothers and sisters' zeal and how religious they are. He respects them, an doesn't really have any idea why most of his brothers and sisters have not joined him in the community of Jesus.
But, Paul asserts: God chooses. God chose Abraham, and Jacob, ad Joseph. And God is choosing now, and is choosing Gentiles to also be a part of his chosen people. God is in charge, and somehow this is happening. That is the greatest good news of All. God chooses. God loves his people, both the ones he is choosing now, and the ones he chose long ago.
And I believe, at the end of Romans 10, when Paul writes, "How can they hear without a preacher? How can they preach unless they are sent?" he is particularly speaking to gentile Christians, to make sure they are speaking and sharing words of grace and faith that they have been given. Make sure you are good witnesses to the grace and love of Jesus, he is telling them.
He has an interesting thought: Maybe, if we make a really good community, and are really good witnesses of what life in Christ is like, we will make them Jealous.
In Chapter 11, Paul thinks about what will happen "in the end." Paul exhorts the Gentile Christians not to think of themselves too highly; after all, if they could be grafted into the vine, they could most certainly be cut off, and the original branches grated back on! He also muses that perhaps God has a purpose in the supposed hardness of heart of some of his Jewish brothers and sisters. It is exactly so that God could show mercy to the Gentiles -- and then -- in the end -- all of Israel will also be saved. At least, that is Paul's vision and his hope.
A long while ago, I read an interesting book about Jesus by an orthodox Jewish man. He had the deepest respect for Jesus, and he mused that perhaps Jesus came to be the Messiah for Gentiles. He didn't believe that Jesus was the Messiah for Jews (he was still waiting for the one who would usher in the Messianic Age), but perhaps Jesus was the Messiah for Gentiles, bringing those who did not know the God of Abraham into his presence.
One of Paul's statements is that God chooses the ones he chooses, and hardens the hearts of others, and who knows why. An imaginary opponent poses the question, "How can God blame someone for a hard heart, if he hardens the heart?" Good question.
Paul has nothing but praise for his Jewish brothers and sisters' zeal and how religious they are. He respects them, an doesn't really have any idea why most of his brothers and sisters have not joined him in the community of Jesus.
But, Paul asserts: God chooses. God chose Abraham, and Jacob, ad Joseph. And God is choosing now, and is choosing Gentiles to also be a part of his chosen people. God is in charge, and somehow this is happening. That is the greatest good news of All. God chooses. God loves his people, both the ones he is choosing now, and the ones he chose long ago.
And I believe, at the end of Romans 10, when Paul writes, "How can they hear without a preacher? How can they preach unless they are sent?" he is particularly speaking to gentile Christians, to make sure they are speaking and sharing words of grace and faith that they have been given. Make sure you are good witnesses to the grace and love of Jesus, he is telling them.
He has an interesting thought: Maybe, if we make a really good community, and are really good witnesses of what life in Christ is like, we will make them Jealous.
In Chapter 11, Paul thinks about what will happen "in the end." Paul exhorts the Gentile Christians not to think of themselves too highly; after all, if they could be grafted into the vine, they could most certainly be cut off, and the original branches grated back on! He also muses that perhaps God has a purpose in the supposed hardness of heart of some of his Jewish brothers and sisters. It is exactly so that God could show mercy to the Gentiles -- and then -- in the end -- all of Israel will also be saved. At least, that is Paul's vision and his hope.
A long while ago, I read an interesting book about Jesus by an orthodox Jewish man. He had the deepest respect for Jesus, and he mused that perhaps Jesus came to be the Messiah for Gentiles. He didn't believe that Jesus was the Messiah for Jews (he was still waiting for the one who would usher in the Messianic Age), but perhaps Jesus was the Messiah for Gentiles, bringing those who did not know the God of Abraham into his presence.
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