Adult Forum
February 23, 2014
Religious Diversity in
Paul’s World:
Romans 9-11
Adult Forum
Last week: Romans 1-4, how God justifies
non-Jews
Today: Romans 9-11, the relationship among
Paul’s groups
Next week: Paul and women in the early
Church
Romans 9-11
How Paul reconciled the
diversity in his world:
(a) Jews who don’t follow
Jesus;
(b) Jews who followed
Jesus and opposed
Paul;
(c) Jews who followed
Jesus and supported
Paul;
(d) Non-Jews who
followed Jesus.
Summary of Romans 9-11
Paul: God plans in very crooked ways
God has chosen to redeem the non-Jews
through the faithfulness of Jesus.
Jews who don’t see that are well meaning but
undiscerning.
At the end, all Jews will be saved (along with
non-Jewish Jesus followers).
Romans 9:1-5
Paul’s Love and Respect for All Jews
I am speaking the truth in Christ-- I am not lying;
my conscience confirms it by 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 destroyed by Christ for the sake of my own
people, my kindred according to the flesh. 4 They
are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption,
the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the
worship, and the promises; 5 to them belong the
patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh,
comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed
forever. Amen.
Romans 9:6-29
God’s Unsearchable Ways
God’s plans are crooked – choosing second born
sons; hardening Pharaoh’s heart . . .
and choosing to redeem non-Jews through the
faithfulness of Jesus before all Jews have
accepted Jesus as Messiah
Romans 9:30-31 NRSV
“What then are we to say? Gentiles, who did not
strive for righteousness, have attained it, that is,
righteousness through faith; 31 but Israel, who
did strive for the righteousness that is based on
the law, did not succeed in fulfilling that law.”
Righteousness in Romans
Refers to God’s righteousness in bringing nonJews into right relationship with God.
Remember the theme in Romans 1:16-17?
16For
I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of
God for salvation to all the faithful, first to the Jew, then
to the Greek. 17For the righteousness of God has been
revealed in it, from faithfulness to faithfulness, as it is
written: “The righteous one will live out of
faithfulness.”
Romans 9:30-31
Amplified and Paraphrased
What are we to think about the fact that nonJudean non-Jews, who had no idea that God had
plans for bringing them into God’s household,
became children of God through the faithfulness
of Christ, but other Jews, pursuing the same
goal of bringing non-Jews into God’s household
but through the Law, did not succeed?
(Amplified paraphrase 9:30-31)
Romans 9:32-10:3
Jews who try to bring non-Jews into the
household of God through conversion . . .
Stumbled over God’s plan . . .
And EVEN THOUGH they may have said nasty
things about me (Rom 3:8) . . .
They are well meaning . . .
But do not understand God’s plan.
Romans 10:4
NRSV
For Christ is the end
of the law so that
there may be
righteousness for
everyone who
believes.
Romans 10:4
NRSV
Amplified Paraphrase
For Christ is the end
of the law so that
there may be
righteousness for
everyone who
believes.
For the point of the
Law is Christ for
fulfilling the
righteousness of God
with respect to all the
non-Judean Jews.
Romans 10:5-11:16
10:5-21 Scripture supports Paul’s argument
11:1-2a “I ask, then, has God rejected his
people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a
descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe
of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people
whom he foreknew.” (NRSV)
11:2b-10 A remnant is still faithful to God’s plan.
11:11-16 Rejection of Jesus as Messiah in God’s
plan to bring non-Jews into righteousness.
Romans 11:17-25
Analogy of the Olive Tree
11:17-25 Non-Jewish Jesus followers are like olive
branches grafted onto an olive tree, Israel.
God pruned off some branches to make room for the
new branches.
Non-Jews better not get uppity: God can switch things
around!
11:25 “So that you may not claim to be wiser than you
are, brothers and sisters, I want you to understand this
mystery: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until
the full number of the Gentiles has come in.” (NRSV)
Romans 11:26-36
11:26, 29 “And so all Israel will be saved; as it is written,
‘Out of Zion will come the Deliverer; he will banish
ungodliness from Jacob’ . . . for the gifts and the calling of
God are irrevocable.” (NRSV)
11:33-36 “O the depth of the riches and wisdom and
knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments
and how inscrutable his ways! 34 ‘For who has known the
mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?’ 35 ‘Or
who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?’ 36
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever. Amen.” (NRSV)
Adult Forum
February 23, 2014
Religious Diversity in
Paul’s World:
Romans 9-11