Recap

So far in Romans we've read through the section on how the gospel is good news for both Jew and Gentile, and how the gospel creates a new humanity. We looked at how Paul was writing to a church of both Jews and non-Jews, Gentiles, drawn into a culture war. And we saw that from the beginning of the letter, Paul wanted to address this. 

Paul began his letter by emphasising his calling to share the gospel. This gospel is rooted in its Jewish heritage but is meant for all humanity, both Jew and Gentile. He explained that all humanity is trapped in sin, including the Jews. Their special relationship with God carried responsibility, not special privilege. The solution is faith in Jesus, who frees people from sin. Paul highlighted Abraham, who was saved by faith before the law. He serves as the father of all believers, making all who have faith in Jesus part of one family.

Paul then explained how the gospel creates a new humanity, where believers are justified through Jesus and made right with God. We rejoice in suffering, as it shapes us to be more like Jesus. While Adam’s sin brought death and sin, Jesus’ death and resurrection bring life, forming a new humanity through grace.

This new humanity is embraced through baptism. Baptism symbolises dying to the old self and rising to new life in Christ. Paul then clarified that freedom in Christ doesn't mean we can live in sin, as sin enslaves us. Instead, offering our lives to God brings true freedom and life. Though the law was meant to guide against sin, sin used it to trap people.

But through Jesus, believers are no longer condemned. We are no longer accountable to the law, but to the Spirit. Paul described his struggle with the power of sin in his life, but reassured us that the Spirit empowers believers to live in freedom. By following the Spirit, not sin, believers are made children of God and heirs of His promises. Although the struggle with sin continues, it is nothing compared to the future hope when all creation will be fully transformed by the Spirit. Meanwhile, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ.

What then do we do with Jews who have rejected Jesus? What about God's promises to them? Paul answered by pointing out throughout Jewish and Israelite history there are those who were born descendants of Abraham, that didn't participate in the promises to Abraham. Descendants of flesh versus descendants of the promise. The fact that some Jews have rejected Jesus was part of what allowed Gentiles to become descendants of the promise, while not being descendants of the flesh. In short, these Jews have opted out of the promise by rejecting Jesus. To opt back in, all they need to do is accept him.

Romans 11-12

So going back to an earlier question, has God rejected the Israelites? Paul’s answer is no. He is an Israelite. Paul references 1 Kings 19:10-18, pointing out that we saw Elijah encouraging God to reject the Israelites for their disobedience. God responds that he has reserved for himself 7,000 Israelites who are still obedient.

So as we’ve said, God continues to choose a remnant, a select group from the wider group, that are faithful to him and will continue to be descendants of the promise. And again, this is due to God’s goodness and grace, not because of this group’s righteousness.

The rest were hardened as part of God’s plan to include the Gentiles. At this Paul then looks forward to the future of Israel. It is his hope that the inclusion of the Gentiles will make the Jews jealous. Hopefully, from that place of jealousy, they will find their way back. If the initial rejection of the Jews lead to Gentiles being included in the promises, what incredible benefit will their eventual acceptance of Jesus look like?

Paul explains that part of the reason he is an apostle to the Gentiles is to spur his people into jealousy. Again, his hope is that if some Jews were worthy enough to receive God’s grace through Jesus, then eventually all will.

But if it’s the case that these branches of Jews have been fully broken off and the Gentiles have been grafted in in their place, then the Gentiles should not boast. It is the heritage of the Jews: the patriarchs, prophets, scriptures, etc, that the Gentiles are being grafted into.

And remember, it wasn’t because of their righteousness that the Gentiles were included, but because of God’s goodness. If he was more than willing to break off the original branches for their pride, then God will be just as willing to break off the new branches if they are similarly proud.

And in the same way, if God was willing to graft in these ‘wild’ branches, then there’s always a chance he will graft back in the original branches. This then leads us to perhaps the most controversial passage in the whole New Testament, Romans 11:25-36.

He again asserts that some of the Jews/Israelites have been hardened to allow Gentiles in, and will continue to be hardened until ‘the full number of the Gentiles has come in’ (Romans 11:25). At that point, ‘all Israel will be saved’ Romans 11:26). It’s unclear what each phrase means.

Is there a specific number of Gentiles that need to be saved and then when that time comes we’re done? Is Paul referring to the mission to the Gentiles? As in, when the gospel has been spread to the ends of the earth, so all have had their opportunity to be saved?

And what is meant by all Israel? Is it like the previous verse in that all the Israelites that have chosen Jesus or does it mean literally every single Israelite individual? Or is it that the combination of Jew and Gentile makes a new spiritual Israel that is saved? Scholars are very divided on these interpretations.

Even as Paul points out, these Jews are both enemies of God because they have rejected the gospel, but are beloved by God because of the special relationship they have with him as descendants of Israel.

God shows mercy to the disobedient, and so there’s still an opportunity for God to show mercy to these Jews even though they have rejected Jesus. Paul was clearly right when he called this a mystery.

While I’m sure there are plenty of people who have very strong opinions on this passage and what it all means, I believe there is a clear lesson that the majority of us can learn from Paul’s talk about the Jews.

As we saw in Romans 9:2-3, Paul has deep compassion for the Jews, and it is his desire that all Jews eventually are saved. That should also be our desire, that all are saved. And if there is some spiritual loophole that means that all Jews will one be saved, we should celebrate it, not begrudge it. Because more people being saved, however it is done, is a win to be celebrated.

Clearly recognising the confusing nature of what he has just described, Paul ends this section with a doxology, a closing prayer, thanking God for his mysterious ways. We cannot fully know them or understand them.

Not only does this doxology close out this section on the place of the Jews in light of the gospel, it also closes out the book so far. Up until now, Paul has been explaining the theology of the gospel. Next up, he’s going to unpack what the gospel should then look like in practice in our lives and in the lives of the Roman church.

Paul appeals to his readers, based on the mercies of God, which he unpacked in Romans 1-11, to offer their bodies as a sacrifice to God and be transformed by the renewing of their minds. In other words, the gospel should lead to believers living their lives for God and allowing themselves to be transformed in line with God’s will.

In a community of believers, this looks like parts of a body working together. No one part is more important than another, but when each part does its role well, the whole body is blessed.

Paul then lists some examples of what an individual’s role might be; prophesying, ministering, teaching, exhorting (encouraging), leading, and being compassionate. This list isn’t to be seen as comprehensive, but is seen to be a gift from God through us to the rest of the believers.

Paul encourages believers to show genuine love, support one another, live peacefully, and overcome evil with good. He highlights the importance of serving others, showing hospitality, and refraining from seeking revenge.

Up until this point, we’ve read through Paul’s theology of the gospel that declares us new humans that make up one family, empowered by the Spirit to live free from the power of sin. To indulge the Spirit and not the sin in our lives.

In practice, that looks like these things. Paul is highlighting the way that we avoid indulging sin, and instead indulge the Spirit in a way that protects the unity of this family that we are now part of.

Psalm 136

This psalm isn’t attributed to anyone in particular and falls into the category of praise psalm. Every verse ends with the phrase ‘for his steadfast love endures forever’.

Psalm 136:1-3 - A call to give thanks to the Lord

Psalm 136:4-9 - He is Lord over creation

Psalm 136:10-22 - He delivered his people from Egypt and into their own land

Psalm 136:23-26 - He remembers, rescues, and provides

The psalmist opens with a call to give thanks to the Lord for he is good. Give thanks to him, for he is the God of gods, and the Lord of lords. He is greater than any other.

Then the psalmist focuses on the Lord as creator. He alone does great wonders. Through his understanding, the heavens, earth, and seas were made. The sun, moon, and stars were all made by him.

Next up is the exodus, where God brought his people out of Egypt. He struck the firstborn of Egypt and brought out his people. With his strength and mercy he split the Red Sea in two and caused his people to walk through it, but drowned pharaoh and his armies. He led his people through the wilderness, defeating great nations before them so they might inherit the land.

Finally, the psalmist highlights that God is the one who remembers, rescues, and provides. He remembered his people, rescuing them from their foes, and giving them food. And so the psalmist gives a final call to give thanks to the God of heaven.

Through it all, everything characteristic or action of God is attributed to his steadfast love that endures forever. Everything God is and does flows out of his love, and we can be confident in that always.