I think before we get started on the church fathers, we have to understand these chapters by Paul in context. These are some of the most misunderstood chapters of the Bible by Christians today. I have had an extensive argument against a very anti-semitic person from Theologyweb regarding this chapters. Likewise, what we are going to begin by doing is to demonstrate that the church fathers were anti-semitic at worst for most of their works, and mistaken at best for the rest.
Its important to understand what this is in contextual relation to. This is referring to the grafting in process of the Gentiles. If we go back to Numbers 15:13-16, we find this written. " 13 " 'Everyone who is native-born must do these things in this way when he brings an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. 14 For the generations to come, whenever an alien or anyone else living among you presents an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the LORD, he must do exactly as you do. 15 The community is to have the same rules for you and for the alien living among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You and the alien shall be the same before the LORD : 16 The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the alien living among you.' "
This is a lasting ordinance made with the nation of Israel. The same laws and regulations refers to the Torah. They will be a lasting ordinance FOREVER as the terminology refers to whenever we see the text "for the generations to come." This is how the Israelites would understand the terminology.
We must refer back to Matthew 5:17-20 now. Yeshua teaches that not one letter from the Torah will be done away with. The problem becomes when we look at these verses in their understanding. Hosea 2 talks about some heavy things. If not read carefully you do not know who this is being addressed to. Hosea 2 in and of itself sounds like a divorce decree between God and Israel. And according to most Bible translations (with the exception of David Stern's, who includes this part with Hosea 2, which is fine because man is the one who has come up with these chapters in the first place), Hosea 2 sounds very awkward as related to the rest of the Tanakh. It seems like its just placed there. Until we read THIS part of Hosea 1 - "10Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered; and instead of it being said to them, You are not My people, it shall be said to them, Sons of the Living God!(C)
11Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together and appoint themselves one head, and they shall go up out of the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel [for the spiritually reborn Israel, a divine offspring, the people whom the Lord has blessed.](D)
What is going on here? The house of Israel and the house of Judah are two different things. What happens in Hosea is there is a punishment between God and the 10 Northern tribes.
God says he will take them back. This is also often called "the 10 lost tribes of Israel." This will be important to understand when reading Romans 9-11, but it should also be kept in mind that it is still a subject of debate between the Ephraimites and the Messianic Jews. Tim Hegg does a great job explaining the problems that are mentioned in his article here - www.torahresource.com/.../Two%20House%20Fatal%20Errors.pdf . There are writings to demonstrate that God has maintained a remnant within the Bible of Israel, as well as from the book of Tobias in the Septuagint. "
"The book of the acts of Tobit the son of Tobiel, son of Ananiel, son of Aduel, son of Gabael, of the descendants of Asiel and the tribe of Naphtali who in the days of Shalmaneser, king of the Assyrians, was taken into captivity from Thisbe, which is to the south of Kedesh Naphtali in Galilee above Asher. I, Tobit, walked in the ways of truth and righteousness all the days of my life, and I performed many acts of charity to my brethren and countrymen who went with me into the land of the Assyrians, to Nineveh. Now when I was in my own country, in the land of Israel, while I was still a young man, the whole tribe of Naphtali my forefather deserted the house of Jerusalem. All the tribes that joined in apostasy used to sacrifice to the calf Baal, and so did the house of Naphtali my forefather. But I alone went often to Jerusalem for the feasts, as it is ordained for all Israel by an everlasting decree. Taking the first fruits and the tithes of my produce and the first shearings, I would give these to the priests, the sons of Aaron, at the altar. Tobit 1:1 -61 (approx. 200 BCE) " This is a good historical document. Also from the book of Sirach,
"So that the sovereignty was divided and a disobedient kingdom arose out of Ephraim. 22 But the Lord will never give up his mercy, nor cause any of his works to perish; he will never blot out the descendants of his chosen one, nor destroy the posterity of him who loved him; so he gave a remnant to Jacob, and to David a root of his stock. Sirach 47:212 (approx. 180 BCE)
Again, some great items from the Apocrypha/Septuagint writings. Josephus has writings on this too, but I really wish to save this for another writing, lest I get sidetracked from the issue at hand.
What most people leave out from the Biblical writings is this -
"Now in that day the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on YHVH, the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. For though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea, Only a remnant within them will return; A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness. For a complete destruction, one that is decreed, the Lord YHVH of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole land. " Isaiah 10:20-23
Jeremiah 31 and 33 are valuable as well. So does God divorce the people of Israel? Not according to the Tanakh. So since Yeshua says that we are to follow the Tanakh, lets see what Paul has to say and if he should be called least in the kingdom of heaven or not.
We begin first with Romans 91I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit— 2I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, 4the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised![a] Amen.
To who do the promises belong forever? Israel, the physical nation. Thats who Paul is talking about. The next verse begins the controversy. 6It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned."[a] 8In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring.
Again, who is Paul addressing here? Physical Israel. Not everybody who is from Israel is a part of the promises of God. Why? Because some of them have turned away, and they are being punished. This will clear up much controversy as we proceed. This is not a new definition for Israel as many "scholars" have proclaimed. Circumcision of the heart is required in Deuteronomy 30:6 (before any of the controversy begins with any of this, even within the Ephraimite movement) 6And the Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with all your being, that you may live. It is even reinforced again in Romans 2:28-29 - 28A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.
We can tell very plainly that in Romans 3:9 there is a distinction made between a Gentile and a Jew. This reoccurs in Romans 3:29. There are two different parties mentioned in the Bible. As we will come to find, both of these parties have different roles. The role of the Gentile will be defined later. So there is an Israel within Israel if you will.
Lets proceed further.
9For this was how the promise was stated: "At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son."[c]
10Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. 11Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God's purpose in election might stand: 12not by works but by him who calls—she was told, "The older will serve the younger."[d] 13Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."[e]
14What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."[f] 16It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.
This describes in the covenant of God. Salvation does not depend on man's effort. Thus one can not enter into the covenant of God based on their works. Given the context of Pauls' background of being a Pharisee, who would understand this better than himself?
17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."[g] 18Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
19One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" 20But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' "[h] 21Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
22What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— 24even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? 25As he says in Hosea: "I will call them 'my people' who are not my people; and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one,"[i] 26and, "It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.' "[j]
Here we see from Hosea a passage from chapter 2. We have already gone over this in much detail earlier. Gentiles are being described as part of the child of promise. We have already looked at what was going on in Hosea in part because I am not going into the Ephraimite arguments just yet. We might go into them after we observe what the early church fathers did with scripture. The main thing to keep in mind stems back to Numbers 15, where the Gentiles are called to be in the covenant of God as well. There is no division between the Gentiles and the Jews described. This passage from Hosea is about the Israelites who were rebelling against God, and did not follow his appointed holidays, shabbats and new moons in accordance to his will. Again, this passage refers to the Northern tribes of Israel. This is not a divorce decree. It is a punishment. Its important to realize in the end, Adonai the Lord says in Hosea 2 "16 "In that day," declares the LORD, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master. [c] '
17 I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked.
18 In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety.
19 I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in [d] righteousness and justice, in [e] love and compassion.
20 I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the LORD.
21 "In that day I will respond," declares the LORD— "I will respond to the skies, and they will respond to the earth;
This is calling back the people of Physical Israel. Lets move forward with Romans 9. 27Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved. 28For the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth with speed and finality."[k]
29It is just as Isaiah said previously: "Unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah."[l]
So God is stating that he will always preserve a remnant of the Israelites. To those who prefer a redefinition of Romans 9:6 of Israel, who is Paul talking about here? Physical Israel. Also much to the dismay of the anti-semitic people who state that the descendants of Israel who are Biblical no longer exist today. Further, there has always been a faithful remnant that God has preserved. So did the Messianic Jewish movement precede the Christian movement? No question about this. Otherwise, we see other problems of irreconcilable matters for the Christian movement (by this I mean the Nicene Christians, not the Spiritual Christians). Sorry for the pun, lol. Good to have a bit of a sense of humor when writing I suppose.
30What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. 32Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone." 33As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."[m]
Does it say anywhere here that Israel should not pursue the Torah? No. They pursued it not by faith, but as if it were by works. Legalistic observance, and not through faith. Again another reference to a physical Israel is being made.
Now we're done with Chapter 9. Onto Chapter 10.
1Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Again, Paul is talking about Physical Israel. They are zealous for God, but their zealousness is not based on the foundation of God's wisdom (Torah). Here we see another controversial verse in verse 4. If it is translated that Yeshua is the end of the law in the manner most Christians like to mention then Chapter 10 makes no sense. Telos is the Greek word utilized here for "end", and this means the goal at which something is aimed. Lets proceed from here.
5Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them."[a] 6But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'[b]" (that is, to bring Christ down) 7"or 'Who will descend into the deep?'[c]" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,"[d] that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:
The Torah contains righteousness in it. Aren't we supposed to be following righteousness? So if Yeshua is the end of the law like the Christians state it is, or in Galatians 2:21 as they like to lay claims to, then Paul is in a serious contradiction. This is why skeptics are always claiming that the Bible has contradictions in it, and why Christians look absurd when trying to defend the Bible. Its in the way they define "under the law" and "works of the law" or "observing the law." We talked about this in the last article.
Another thing to mention is verse 8. What in the world is Paul trying to reference here? Deuteronomy 30. Is the Torah hard to follow? In Deuteronomy, we spot the a reference that states that the Torah is not hard to follow at all. It is only hard to those who make it hard. It is not in heaven that these things are obtained. It can be found when people write the Torah on their hearts. Deuteronomy 30:11-14, the previous words were my paraphrasing. "11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. " These verses have been manipulated by Jews in certain ways, and we'll touch base on this at a later time. The rabbis do not control the scripture much to your dismay, and it is certainly evidenced when the Rabbis turn against scripture. I have written articles on this, but I believe it is a calling to have an entire article on what the rabbis have done with the Torah, which has turned away the Gentile believers in God on so many levels.
9That 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. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
Verse 9 is the most abused scripture by Christians in my honest opinion. While there is a tremendous merit to it, the way Christians present this as is an incomplete picture. We have to confess Yeshua is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead to be saved. They are spot on about this. But the process of how to do this is often ignored. It is tying this back into the Torah. We are to approach Yeshua in the same way that the Jews of antiquity approached the Temple sacrifices.
11As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."[e] 12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,
Here one is compelled to believe that there is no difference between a Jew and Gentile. This statement is also used in the same statement Paul makes when he states that there is no male or female. In context this reads the same as Ephesians 2. That in the Lord, we are One New Man. In the spiritual sense, there is no difference between Jew and Gentile. In a physical sense there is. Think about this next time you want to disobey the Torah.
13for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."[f]
14How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"[g]
16But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"[h]
Both parties, Christians and Messianics agree with verse 13 the same exact way. We believe ANYONE who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. And Paul once again makes mention of the Israel he is talking about. The Physical Israel was mentioned in Chapter 9. Not all of the Israelites accepted the good news, but there is still a remnant saved over.
17Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. 18But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."[i] 19Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says, "I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding."[j] 20And Isaiah boldly says, "I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me."[k] 21But concerning Israel he says, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people."[l]
Again, talking about the natural children (am still not seeing where Christians say that Paul is talking about a redefined Israel). Its dangerous to cherry pick one verse and make it the foundation of your belief system. Paul gives a very important piece of advice as it pertains to the Gentile nations, and as it is described in the Tanakh. Its amazing when we read this in context and reference the New International Version of the Bible how much Paul is teaching from the Tanakh. He cites Leviticus 18:5, one of the most important passages for both Jew and Christian to understand - 5 Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD. He cites the Deuteronomy passages that I cite. He goes into Isaiah 28:16. 16 So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed. The cornerstone is the Messiah. The foundation is Israel! So without Israel, we don't have a foundation (something I came to find on a practical level). Lets go further with Paul's teachings from the Tanakh. That is mentioned in Romans 10:11, the verse right before he says that Jew and Gentile are no different in spirit. Interesting he would utilize Isaiah 28:16 if he were trying to get rid of the covenant with Israel in this very place. It makes no sense. Paul concludes with Isaiah 65. Lets take a look at the entire context of the passage he is laying claims to here - 1 "I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, 'Here am I, here am I.'
2 All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations-
3 a people who continually provoke me to my very face, offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on altars of brick;
4 who sit among the graves and spend their nights keeping secret vigil; who eat the flesh of pigs, and whose pots hold broth of unclean meat;
5 who say, 'Keep away; don't come near me, for I am too sacred for you!' Such people are smoke in my nostrils, a fire that keeps burning all day.
6 "See, it stands written before me: I will not keep silent but will pay back in full; I will pay it back into their laps-
7 both your sins and the sins of your fathers," says the LORD. "Because they burned sacrifices on the mountains and defied me on the hills, I will measure into their laps the full payment for their former deeds."
8 This is what the LORD says: "As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes and men say, 'Don't destroy it, there is yet some good in it,' so will I do in behalf of my servants; I will not destroy them all.
9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and from Judah those who will possess my mountains; my chosen people will inherit them, and there will my servants live.
10 Sharon will become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds, for my people who seek me.
He won't destroy Israel. He will restore his servants, and punish those who fall away. But nowhere does it say he will destroy.
Lets keep going, because the next 2 verses will be the most crucial in understanding this passage.
1I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 3"Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me"[a]? 4And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal."[b] 5So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.
WHERE DOES IT SAY THAT GOD HAS REPLACED ISRAEL WITH THE GENTILES?
Nowhere, he never did. God has never rejected his people. He always keeps a remnant because he loves the people of Israel.
The next verse is another abused passage by Christians.
6And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.[c]
7What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, 8as it is written:
WHOSE GRACE? It is by God's grace that he preserves the Israelites, not by legalistic works (Shma my Jewish viewers). This again refers to physical Israel.
"God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day."[d] 9And David says: "May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them. 10May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever."[e]
More of the Tanakh being referenced here. Much like the rest of the passages Psalm 69:23-24 states "23 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.
24 Pour out your wrath on them; let your fierce anger overtake them." It infers a punishment to those who are disobedient within these passages. It does not infer all of Israel.
The other excerpt is from Isaiah 29:10. This is in reference to those who oppose Israel. It is important for those who read these chapters written by Paul to go back and look over all of the information that he cites from the Tanakh before drawing unwarranted conclusions.
11Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.
Romans 11:11-12 is very important. He reiterates, has Israel, that is physical Israel stumble to the point of no return? The reply of Paul says, "Not at all." Because of their iniquitiy, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. That right here is a description of what the Christian church is supposed to be doing under the covenant of Israel (not their own manmade doctrine). Let me explain this a bit further so that one can understand the fullness of what is going on. All of the feast days, and sabbaths are commandments that last forever according to God. Dr. Michael Brown is one of the top 5 scholars in Hebrewic studies, and he defines every place in reference to where God utilizes Le'olam to mean forever. When you see "for the generations to come" mentioned in the Bible, or a "lasting ordinance" or "an everlasting covenant" something like this mentioned, it means forever. It is not an opinion, but a commandment of God. Later in Romans 11, we're going to spot a point that Paul even agrees with this claim. If we return to following these commandments, and the Jews today see the Gentile world follow the commandments while also following Yeshua, then we will see the day that the entire nation of Israel will say "Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord" "Baruch hasem Adonai!" Matthew 23 says that when this happens, Yeshua will come back to the Earth in the clouds! This message sent out to the Gentiles, is what I am called to teach you. It is some kind of wonder that the Jews have been kept away from a Jewish Messiah following Jewish practices for as long as they have. You have heard it taught that Jews believe Jesus was merely a teacher. Well they do but this is because they follow more the text of Shemtov Matthew because it is a text written from the Spanish Inquisition by the Jews in rebellion against the Catholic church! There was a political motive underlying it. Most Christians don't understand a thing about this document. Unbeknownst to the Jews during the time period, the Catholic church was utilizing Jewish writings, and it should have been made more clear to the Jews by Shemtov that this was what was going on, there was an abuse of scripture. But Shemtov was an Orthodox Jew who did not have this political intention at all, so given his hatred of what the Christian church was doing during the time period, it was only natural that he would write something that was to oppose Christian teaches, up to and even including the Messianic teaching about Yeshua Ha Mashiach. Do you see where the division comes into play?!! Most of the fault lies on the shoulders of the Christian world, and it is their responsibility to fix this.
12But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!
13I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry 14in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.
Paul is saying that because he is ministering to Gentiles, that he is going to teach Gentiles how to provoke the Jews to jealousy. We can obviously see what he's doing through his teachings. He's teaching the Gentiles the Tanakh, so that they can follow it and show them how to follow the Torah out of love (see Deuteronomy 6:4-5). Also of importance, he distinguishes the Gentiles from Israel from verse 13.
15For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
Paul is talking about the root and he is referencing the root of the olive tree. The olive tree is described in the Tanakh as being the nation of Israel. The branches are called holy here. And these branches are also of Israel.
Next will be very important to understand. "17If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you." Here it talks about what has happened with the Gentiles. The Gentiles are not at the foundation. They are referred to as a "wild olive branch" grafted into the covenant. Now the nature of how they are grafted in must be taken into account. Are they grafted in "instead" of the other branches, or are they grafted in "among" the other branches? It is because of the other branches that they can be grafted into the covenant in the first place. They are grafted in among them. And those who are grafted in among them should not boast over them, because it is the root that supports them. 19You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in." 20Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. 21For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either."
So yes you are grafted in Gentiles. But you are not to stand in arrogance over the natural branches, because its illogical to do so. If God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare the wild ones coming into the covenant. Again, the emphasis is put on the natural branches, not the wild branches.
22Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!
Again, we see the reference ultimately being to the olive tree that I was mentioning, regarding the roots which are supported by God. It once again distinguishes between the olive tree of Israel and the wild branches that are grafted into the covenant. The natural branches again refer to Israel. If the unbelieving branches come back into their own olive tree, they will surely hold precedence over the wild branches in God's eyes only because they are a part of the sustaining root of the natural covenant of God. This is why Jesus puts so much emphasis on his people returning to him in Matthew 23. Its all prophetic.
25I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. 27And this is[f] my covenant with them when I take away their sins."[g]
Some have tried to use this as an explanation to state that Israel is not the centerfold of the covenant of God. This is because 25 is usually taken out of context. ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED. You can join us for the ride, or we will leave you behind, but our mission proceeds forward.
28As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.
Stop right here. Do you remember when I made the statement that God's covenants are forever? Here Paul is laying the very same claim down. God's gifts and his calling are irrevocable. God's call has been with the nation of Israel from the very beginning. So if that be the case, he can not thus go against this calling. God wants the Gentiles to follow the Torah when they are engrafted, not do away with it. Paul lays claims to the very same statement that Yeshua makes in Matthew 5:17-20.
30Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now[h] receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you. 32For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
I have seen someone try to utilize these verses to lay claim that this verse concludes that the church has overtaken the covenant of God.
In context however, this can not be shown. From a Yashanet article - The gentiles at Rome were benefiting from the "unbelief" of these Jews, yet (as we will see), condemning them because they (the gentiles) did not see God's unfathomable ways (re: verse 33). Both the Jewish disobedience and God's mercy are in present tense. Mercy is shown to the Jews through gentile inclusion in the faith of Israel. The present stumbling of these Jews is a blessing, not a curse (in God's deep wisdom) as it brings salvation to gentiles and provokes unbelieving Israel to reconsider.
http://www.yashanet.com/studies/romstudy/text11a.htm
This would also be an incorrect interpretation because Paul would have contradicted himself in verses 28 and 29. We are saved from this contradiction since the Jewish disobedience and God's mercy are both in present tense. Because of this it does not follow that this relationship will be so forever or in the future. So we know what it is not talking about, and that is the actual covenantal relationship with God. So one can not use these verses to lay claim to an eternal curse to the Jew, or even the church being at the centerfold of the covenant. It will not be a Christian church, or a Messianic synagogue that God comes back for. It will be the body of Messiah, which includes a Jewish belief system through the covenant of Israel. Welcome, doers of the Torah, to the ministry that God has called you to.
In the love of Yeshua Ha Mashiach,
hamashiachagape
No comments:
Post a Comment