“Introducing Romans 9-11!”

Introduction

I have been wrestling for the last several weeks on how to present this next section: (Romans 9:1-11:36).

As I was preparing for the first part of (Romans 9), I realized that I was going to spend more than half of the message on the introduction—because there are so many things that are relevant to understanding this section, so I made the decision to make this first message an INTRODUCTION to the Romans 9-11!

We are going to look at the FOREST before we examine the TREES, and hopefully we will achieve an accurate understanding of these chapters!

And there are key doctrines related to SOTERIOLOGY (the theology of our salvation, namely the 460+ year division between the followers of John Calvin and Jacob Arminius), as well as God’s RELATIONSHIP with Israel (are they out, or is there still a plan for them?), and why that is important/relevant to believers today!

Mike Winger correctly suggests that one of the relevant questions was, “Why didn’t the Jews recognize and accept Jesus as Messiah?”

IN ORDER TO introduce you to (Romans 9-11), I want you to consider FOUR THOUGHTS:

I. The REALITY: (Romans 9-11) can be DIFFICULT to UNDERSTAND!

2 Peter 3:15–16 CSB

15 Also, regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our dear brother Paul has written to you according to the wisdom given to him. 16 He speaks about these things in all his letters. There are some things hard to understand in them. The untaught and unstable will twist them to their own destruction, as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures.

In John Stott’s commentary, “The Message of Romans,” we read:

“‘Romans 9–11 is as full of problems as a hedgehog is full of prickles,’ Dr Tom Wright has written. ‘Many have given it up as a bad job, leaving Romans as a book with eight chapters of “gospel” at the beginning, four of “application” at the end, and three of puzzle in the middle.’”

The challenge is not just the CONTENT, but also the CONTEXT!

“Why is Paul bringing up Israel here?”

“Does this fit into the message of the Romans?”

Stott points out that, “Some regard Romans 9–11 as no more than a ‘parenthesis’, ‘excursus’ or ‘appendix’.”

However, many teachers (Mike Winger, Gary Hamrick, and myself)—along with John Stott disagree!

“It is also almost universally acknowledged that these three chapters are concerned with relations between Jews and Gentiles, and particularly with the unique position of the Jews in God’s purpose.

Paul has already alluded to these topics in a number of previous passages. Now he elaborates on them.

M. Winger - “Romans 9-11 is not parenthetical, but rather a natural flow…”

Rom 1:2(Rom 1:16; 2:9-10, 17ff; 3:1ff, 29ff; 4:1ff; 5:20; 6:14f; 7:1ff.; 8:2ff.)

Romans 1:2 CSB

2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures—

Romans 1:16 CSB

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.

Romans 2:9–12 CSB

9 There will be affliction and distress for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no favoritism with God. 12 For all who sin without the law will also perish without the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.

Romans 2:28–29 CSB

28 For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. 29 On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter. That person’s praise is not from people but from God.

Romans 3:1 CSB

1 So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?

Romans 4:1 CSB

1 What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?

Romans 5:20 CSB

20 The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more

Romans 6:14 CSB

14 For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the law but under grace.

Romans 7:1 CSB

1 Since I am speaking to those who know the law, brothers and sisters, don’t you know that the law rules over someone as long as he lives?

Paul also USES the OT extensively in (Romans 3-5, 7) both in quotations and illustrations!

THE POINT: Paul’s focus on Israel and Israelites (“…the Jew”) is a natural flow of his message (which hopefully will become clear in the last part of my message today)!

II. The GOAL: UNITY and UNDERSTANDING!

Which seems pretty bold on my part considering the Church as been feuding over some of these issues since the late 1500’s!

1 Corinthians 1:10–12 CSB

10 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction. 11 For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters, by members of Chloe’s people, that there is rivalry among you. 12 What I am saying is this: One of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.”

1 Corinthians 3:1–4 CSB

1 For my part, brothers and sisters, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, since you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, 3 because you are still worldly. For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not worldly and behaving like mere humans? 4 For whenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not acting like mere humans?

I admit this seems like a pretty bold goal on my part, considering the Church as been feuding over some of these issues since the late 1500’s!

Those are indeed challenging goals, but not unattainable!

Because the LAST THING I want to do is bring further DIVISION to the Body of Jesus Christ!

I realize ACHIEVING these goals will require HUMILITY, HONESTY, OBEDIENCE (to the Word of God), and COMMITMENT to TRUTH and to ONE ANOTHER!

Part of me thinks, “What’s the point?” “Why even try?” “How could you possibly bring unity to the Church when it is so fractured?” “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?”

The honest answer is, “Nobody!”

And hopefully when folks stand around at my funeral, someone will remember the next verses in (1 Corinthians 3):

1 Corinthians 3:5–9 CSB

5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So, then, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

I also believe that we should at least TRY to be THE ANSWER to JESUS’ PRAYER!

John 17:20–23 CSB

20 “I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word. 21 May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. 22 I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.

III. The RULE: Your CONCLUSIONS Concerning Romans 9-11, MUST NOT VIOLATE Romans 9-11!

IN OTHER WORDS, whatever conclusions or convictions you reach about these three chapters must not violate what these three chapters teach!

For EXAMPLE, you cannot come to a conclusion concerning a verse in chapter 9 that VIOLATES other verses in the chapters 9-11!

For instance…

Romans 9:15–16 CSB

15 For he tells Moses, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then, it does not depend on human will or effort but on God who shows mercy.

And you conclude, “It doesn’t matter what I will to do, or do, it is all God’s mercy and God’s choice. I have NOTHING to do with my salvation!”

How then do you explain the next chapter?

Romans 10:8–13 CSB

8 On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame, 12 since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Let me give you ONE MORE EXAMPLE:

A quick reading of these three chapters will reveal there’s a whole lot of question marks!

TWENTY-FOUR asked by Paul!

Eleven in chapter 9; six in chapter 10; and seven in chapter 11 (not counting the questions contain in the OT quotations)!

There are THREE QUESTIONS that are answered with, “Absolutely not!”

Romans 9:14 CSB

14 What should we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not!

Romans 11:1 CSB

1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.

Romans 11:11 CSB

11 I ask, then, have they stumbled so as to fall? Absolutely not! On the contrary, by their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous.

If, in your study of these issues you come to a conclusion that is DIFFERENT from Paul’s answer, you need to KEEP STUDYING!

LAST THOUGHT…

IV. The REASON: We Need to Understand God’s Relationship with Israel!

The REASON why we need to understand God’s choice and relationship with Israel is because you and I are SAVED by the SAME GRACE, by the SAME MERCY, by the SAME PROMISES, and through the SAME FAITH AS ABRAHAM—and not because we deserved it, or earned it, but because we BELIEVED God’s PROMISE!

Romans 11:32–36 CSB

32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may have mercy on all. 33 Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and untraceable his ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? 35 And who has ever given to God, that he should be repaid? 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.