Romans 9

The New International Version Chapter 9

9 I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit—2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, 4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! d Amen.

For Paul one of the greatest sadnesses in his life was the fact that he was seeing an increase in hostility by his fellow Jews toward the Gospel.

By this time there was a significant shift of Christianity from it’s mainly Jewish roots and Jewish expression of faith to a very gentile focus and expression.

That is great for us but for Paul it was a tragedy.

It was the Jews that God chose, it was to the Jews that Jesus came.

For Paul the gentiles needed to be adopted into God’s chosen family, but the Jews had it by birthright and they were just dismissing it. Giving it away. All of that tradition all of the blessing that God had given them led up to the Messiah and they turn their backs on it.

The New International Version Chapter 9

6 It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” g 8 In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. 9 For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.” j

As we know and as Paul has stated earlier. That in his opinion not all Jews are Jews.

For Paul “Jewishness” is not by blood but by faith.

Paul goes on to prove this point from a different perspective than before.

Understand that Abraham did have another son, Ishmael. But Ishmael was not the son of promise and therefore his descendants were not “the chosen children of Abraham”. That is one of the reasons whey God is the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob.

This title (as it is used in scripture) show the continued promise of God through the chosen line.

This demonstrates what Paul had said in Chapter 8 - they did not chose God, he chose them, they did not justify themselves - God justified them and they will not glorify themselves - God glorifies them.

He is the one.

He chose Isaac, He chose Jacob.

So if we are Abraham’s children by faith then our lineage comes through God’s prescribed method of faith (faith in Christ)