Romans 10
Notes
Transcript
Prior:
Israel’s Present Condition: Unbelief Through Zeal Without Knowledge 9:30-10:4
Theme: Israel’s present state of unbelief is due to her lack of acceptance of the good news of Salvation by faith
Christ Fulfills the Law for Jew and Gentile
10:1-13 Two Ways of Righteousness
(1-4) Israel’s Zeal without knowledge led to theology of righteousness by works
1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.
All doubt regarding the connection between God’s sovereign election to salvation and human free-will/responsibility is erased in the wake of this verse. Clearly, the saving is not needed because God isn’t powerful enough to do it, or just hasn’t gotten around to it.
If individuals are elected to salvation from eternity past, how can Paul’s present prayers have any impact on the election or salvation of the Jews? Answer: The election for those who would believe, and it is only those whom God has given salvation.
2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
(testify on someone’s behalf). He can remember being in their shoes. Paul was the most zealous of Jews
(
5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.)
The New International Version. (2011). (). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.)
At the center of meticulous Jewish obedience is a perverse and obstinate disobedience. It comes from the ignorance of the heart.
3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
Ignorant…once confronted with the gospel of Christ, God’s righteousness, they were no longer ignorant because they were uninformed, but they were ignorant in their heart. That’s why their zeal was not according to knowledge.
The righteousness that comes from God is the basis for our justification. It is a righteousness that we by grace are given, not by grit we build and establish. Anything righteous system we try to construct will never withstand the scrutiny and judgement of God, apart from Christ’s righteousness.
4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
The central part of this verse is the word “end”. Three possible meanings here: (1) termination, (2) goal, (3) fulfillment.
Termination is best suited within the context.
“everyone who believe” Only those who have faith in Christ will see the end of their law-abiding righteousness pursuit. Also meaning that those who have not believed are still enslaved to trying to produce righteousness by the old way. A way that has never worked. It has a 100% failure rate.
Salvation is given to any and all who meet the condition of faith. Jews? Great. Gentiles? Great.
Paul is addressing the Jews and his concern for them.
The biggest problem for the Jew was that he did not recognize that he was lost.
The biggest mistake for the Jew was believing in unconditional election or unconditional salvation
10:14-21 The World-Wide Proclamation
Reasons Why People Don’t Believe?
Don’t see
Don’t see their sin
Don’t see Jesus as the savior
Don’t see