Post by Josh on Feb 5, 2007 21:22:34 GMT -8
11/05:
These chapters all kinda go together with the theme of Israel. Having previously stated that a true "Jew" is not one outwardly, but inwardly (Romans 2), Paul laments that so many Jews of physical descent have rejected the message about Christ. But, "not all who are descended from Israel are Israel", he says in 9:6, so the promises of God (through the prophets) have not failed. There is a mystery here; that the Church is now fulfilling those promises-- the Church, Gentile and Jew is now the true Israel.
This whole concept has been blowing my mind recently (I wrote about it on the Eschatology thread in a post called Examples). We are the true Israel, the true Mt. Zion, the true Jerusalem, and God's true Temple! Gentiles have been 'grafted in' and are now equally part of the kingdom of God, not based on physical ancestry, but based on faith.
Still, Paul laments for his physical Jewish brothers--even wishing that he himself could be damned (9:2) if it meant their salvation.
There have been some Christians who have proposed that God still accepts Jews under the law and Christians under grace (an extreme version of the "two people of God" theory). This passage from Paul obliterates this opinion--we are all one family and we are all saved only through Christ. If one could be saved through the Jewish law, Paul would never have felt such sorrow for his countrymen.
These chapters all kinda go together with the theme of Israel. Having previously stated that a true "Jew" is not one outwardly, but inwardly (Romans 2), Paul laments that so many Jews of physical descent have rejected the message about Christ. But, "not all who are descended from Israel are Israel", he says in 9:6, so the promises of God (through the prophets) have not failed. There is a mystery here; that the Church is now fulfilling those promises-- the Church, Gentile and Jew is now the true Israel.
This whole concept has been blowing my mind recently (I wrote about it on the Eschatology thread in a post called Examples). We are the true Israel, the true Mt. Zion, the true Jerusalem, and God's true Temple! Gentiles have been 'grafted in' and are now equally part of the kingdom of God, not based on physical ancestry, but based on faith.
Still, Paul laments for his physical Jewish brothers--even wishing that he himself could be damned (9:2) if it meant their salvation.
There have been some Christians who have proposed that God still accepts Jews under the law and Christians under grace (an extreme version of the "two people of God" theory). This passage from Paul obliterates this opinion--we are all one family and we are all saved only through Christ. If one could be saved through the Jewish law, Paul would never have felt such sorrow for his countrymen.
