Friday 20 March 2009

Romans 10:1-21

Romans 10 begins with words that could just as well be seen as the end of Romans 9. Paul again speaks of his desire to see Jews saved, as he had also mentioned in Rom. 9:1-5. His heart desires and he prays for their salvation. This means, that they are not saved. This word, salvation, is the same word used in Rom. 11:26: ‘And so all Israel will be saved.’

Jews are zealous, Paul says, but in a wrong manner. They do not know the righteousness of God and try to establish their own. They do not submit to Gods righteousness. (Rom. 10:2-3)

In Rom. 10:4-8 Paul repeats his earlier words. Christ is the end (or: the goal) of the law. There is righteousness for anyone who believes. Moses stresses that those who do the whole law will live by doing so. (Rom 10:4-5) Paul has repeatedly made clear that no-one is able to do so.

Those who expect to be justified by faith, know they do not have to climb to heaven, or descend into the deep. Christ has come down from heaven, and rose from the dead. We do not have to struggle, because Christ did all for making us righteous. It is enough to believe with the heart and to confess that Jesus is Lord and that he rose from the dead: you will be saved!
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (Rom 10:10)
I think the words of this verse should be read as a parallelism. Those who believe and confess, received God’s righteousness and salvation. That is a command, and a promise as well. Those who want to be saved, must believe in Christ, but it is also that easy. You do not have to ascend to heaven or descend deep down: Christ already did so. He came from heaven – he is Lord. He come from the deep – he rose from the dead.

Paul underlines his Gospel with a quote from Psalm 25:3, something he had also said in Rom 9:33:
As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." (Rom. 10:11)
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Rom. 10:12-13)
If it is true that those who call on him are saved, then the believers in Rome can only do one thing: proclaim the Gospel to their Jewish and non-Jewish neighbors. People will only call on him if they believe the Gospel, and they will only believe, if someone tells them. (Rom. 10:15)
But it is also clear that not all who hear the Gospel, listen and believe. This is nothing new; it was already clear in the Old Testament. Listen what Isaiah says of Israel:
All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.(Rom. 10:21)
Not all in Israel obeyed God, but among the gentile nations, some people would obey God, says Isaiah:
And Isaiah boldly says: "I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me." (Rom. 10:20)

Even Moses had already predicted that God would make his nation Israel jealous of those who, at that time, were not his people:
Again 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." (Rom. 10:19)
The construction of Paul is clear. The Gospel is preached in the whole world, but only part of Israel believes, while among the other nations, people also come to faith in Christ.

The word for thus, so (Greek: houtoos) that occurs in Rom. 11:36 (so all Israel shall be saved), is found in Rom. 10:6. There we read: ‘But the righteousness that is by faith says (thus): "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven’?” I included the word thus, as that Greek word is used in this place.

The word all (Greek: pas) that occurs in Rom. 11:26 is also used in Rom. 10:4, ‘for everyone who believes.’ In Rom. 10:11-13 that same word occurs four times:
As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
In Rom. 10:16 it occurs again: But not all the Israelites accepted the good news
And in Rom. 10:18 also: Their voice has gone out into all the earth.

No comments: