Romans 9:1-5
1: I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit,
2: that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart.
3: For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh,
4: who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises,
5: whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
Paul was preparing to speak about the rejection of the Jews and calling of the Gentiles, but before he did, he wanted to make it clear that his love for Israel and the Jewish people was deep and sincere. Paul, formerly called Saul, having been a devout Jew and Pharisee himself before his conversion to Christ on the road to Damascus (Acts 9, Acts 13:9), followed the Lord sincerely and in truth. He cared so much for the Jewish people that he spoke the truth to them and did not compromise the gospel to avoid hurting their feelings.
Paul said he had such great sorrow and unceasing grief in his heart, that he would be cut off from Christ himself if it would save his kinsmen in the flesh—the Jews. He noted God’s plan for them—to bring them into sonship and glory. They were given the covenants and the Law with all of the temple practices, and the promises. They were the descendants of the fathers of the nation of Israel, and even the line through which Jesus came, according to the flesh.
Paul loved the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. He established this fact before he moved on to discuss God’s plan of salvation which, from the very beginning, was to include all nations, all people, even the Jews, by faith—not by lineage or practice of the Law.
2: that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart.
3: For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh,
4: who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises,
5: whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
***
Paul was preparing to speak about the rejection of the Jews and calling of the Gentiles, but before he did, he wanted to make it clear that his love for Israel and the Jewish people was deep and sincere. Paul, formerly called Saul, having been a devout Jew and Pharisee himself before his conversion to Christ on the road to Damascus (Acts 9, Acts 13:9), followed the Lord sincerely and in truth. He cared so much for the Jewish people that he spoke the truth to them and did not compromise the gospel to avoid hurting their feelings.
Paul said he had such great sorrow and unceasing grief in his heart, that he would be cut off from Christ himself if it would save his kinsmen in the flesh—the Jews. He noted God’s plan for them—to bring them into sonship and glory. They were given the covenants and the Law with all of the temple practices, and the promises. They were the descendants of the fathers of the nation of Israel, and even the line through which Jesus came, according to the flesh.
Paul loved the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. He established this fact before he moved on to discuss God’s plan of salvation which, from the very beginning, was to include all nations, all people, even the Jews, by faith—not by lineage or practice of the Law.
Comments
Post a Comment