Misused Bible Verses That Should Concern You – Philippians 4:19

Would not be extremely encouraged by reading, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19, ESV). We are encouraged because :

      ·         It is so definite: "my God will".  

      ·         It is so all-encompassing: "every need". 

      ·         It is so personal: "of yours". 

      ·         It is also so infinite: "according to his riches in glory"  -- preposition kata ("according to") conveys appropriate to or corresponding.

Imagine finding ourselves in an anxious moment as we leave the doctor's office but we can say, "My God will supply every need . . .."  Or perhaps we might suddenly get hit with financial pressure but we can say, "My God will supply every need . . .."  We might see the bill increase but the number of hours of paid work decrease, but we can say, "My God will supply every need . . .."  OR CAN WE?

One Pastor said in a sermon: “In view of life’s difficult circumstances many of us must wonder from time to time whether or not God really cares for us or not. All of us have had perplexing situations that we have had to deal with. All of us have had needs which we have earnestly prayed over.  I want you to know this morning that GOD WILL PROVIDE!”[1]

Question!  Is that what Paul is saying in this verse.  Let's look a little closer.

We note that Philippians 4:19 starts with a little 3-letter word in English: "and".  ‘And’ is a conjunction.  It’s a little word used in connecting two clauses or sentences. Every single  English  translation starts this verse with ‘and’.  So what thought is Paul connecting? 

The Church of Philippi was started by Paul.  He was the church planter.  But in this context he is writing from house arrest in Rome.  One reason he was writing them was to give thanks for the gift they had sent to him via Epaphroditus (himself a member of the Philippian congregation). (see Philippians 1:3–5)

Paul had a need.  We don’t know what kind of need.  But he had a need. The Philippian Church had wanted to help him but for some reason did not have the opportunity.  In spite of that Paul tells them he is content.(cf: Philippians 4:14)

They now had been able to send him some gift.  This was a generous church. Paul felt like they were his partners (v1:5). At times only they supported him.  Even while in Thessalonica they supported him.  Paul could not repay the Philippians, but he knows his God would.  They gave out of their earthly wealth. God will meet their out of His riches in glory. (Philippians 4:19)

The point that Paul is making is "Those who are generous toward God will find that he is generous toward them and will supply their every need … in Christ."  Paul says specifically to the Philippian congregation that God will meet their needs because they have met the needs of others, namely him on his missionary journeys.   

"This assurance of the divine supply of the Philippians' needs implies that they had given so liberally that they actually left themselves in some real "need" (χρεία). Yet it is true that those who share generously with others, especially to advance the work of the Lord, are promised a divine supply of anything they might lack because of their generosity."[2] 

Note also these proverbial promises:

  & Proverbs 11:25 (ESV), ²⁵ Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.

  & Proverbs 19:17 (ESV) , ¹⁷ Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.

Now we certainly know that our Heavenly Father will always care for us.  Matthew 6 makes that clear. But this verse is far more pointed than that.  Paul's point (and ultimate the point of the Holy Spirit) is that where true generosity leaves a need in my life and yours, God will look after us.  It is irresponsible to somehow claim this verse in any other context.

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[1] http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/god-will-provide-thomas-dibble-sermon-on-gods-provision-58721.asp

[2] Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:Philippians/Exposition of Philippians/VI. The Philippians' Gifts to Paul (4:10-20)/B. The Previous Gifts (4:15-20), Book Version: 4.0.2

Discernment That Leads to Excellence - Part 1

Discernment That Leads to Excellence

I - Good, Better, Best

Das Kind mit dem Bade ausschütten, is the German proverb purportedly giving rise to the English proverb: Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.  I see this being applied in Christian circles in terms of the reality that none of us are perfect; there are defects in all our character, conduct and theology – but we don't have to abandon a minister or ministry just because of these obvious failings.

One lady I endorsed for many years was Beth Moore.  Recent reports have surfaced that concern me.  When I discuss these critiques of her ministry I often am faced with the rebuttal: don't throw the baby out with the wash.  I believe Beth Moore has developed her ministry to the point she cannot be trusted.[1]  Now this blog isn't particularly about Beth Moore.  I feel betrayed by her, to be sure, but it's not about her.  She is an example of hundreds.  Her proponents will point to conversions, good studies and so on as a means of NOT throwing the baby out.

So let's talk about that.  Is this proverb a suitable response by godly people?  Let me be personal.  If you could accurately point out character or conduct failures on my part; or if you could point out significant departures from Biblical teaching, are these issues to simply be overlooked.  Is it still valuable to watch and support my ministry?

Or let me put the question another way: At what point DO YOU throw the baby out with the wash?

The idea of not "throwing out the baby" essentially demands some level of doctrinal triage[2].    At some point we have to decide what issues we will live with and what issues are unbearable.  Secondly we have to clarify our nomenclature. Words do have meaning.  Is Beth Moore (for example) a false teacher (by definition); is Beth Moore an harmful teacher; or is Beth Moore a good teacher that requires consistent Berean scrutiny?

Recently (Summer/Fall 2015) we have been deluged with fear and speculation regarding Israel, Syria, moons, and the unveiling of the Shemitah.  (All of which amounted to nothing.) Is this false, harmful or faulty?  An elder in my church recently reflected a provoked spirit when seeing the purported revival of manifested smoke and gold dust at a so-called church.  Is this false, harmful or faulty?

I sat with someone recently in a fellowship who was speaking about some of these motivational-type speakers (my phrase) such as,  Joyce Meyer, Joel Olsteen etc.  Again this person seemed to be aware of some of the criticism levied at these speakers, but all-in-all thought it was uplifting and encouraging.  Again what I heard was don’t throw the baby out with the wash. 

Paul's prayer for the Philippian Christians was that “. . .  your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9–11, NIV)

Some years ago I watched a home renovation program on television with the host Shell Busey. He often rated products and material with the categories of Good, Better & Best.  Paul wants us to discern what is "best."  Some translations translate that Greek word (διαφέρω [diapher] excellent.  It could be translated "to be of more value". ^[3]  " The Greek present participle means literally to carry different ways to different places. Thus to test things that differ, sift truth from error, discriminate the higher spiritual blessings from the lower material blessings.^[4]

Even when it comes to "good" Bible teachers and ministries, isn't it incumbent upon the believer to "discriminate the higher blessings from the lower?"  It's not just a matter of false and maybe even unhealthy.  Is it not ultimately a matter of what is excellent?  What is the best? 

I would appreciate your comments. 

Next blog in this series: What is a false teacher?

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[1] https://carm.org/beth-moore

[2] (in medical use) the assignment of degrees of urgency to wounds or illnesses to decide the order of treatment of a large number of patients or casualties. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triage

^[3] Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.

^[4] Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 2432). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Jesus Is Lord - Unique New Covenant Reality

We start this study in John’s Gospel, chapter 21, and we are studying verses 1 to 14.  Verse 1 starts with the phrase, “After these things Jesus manifested Himself again . . ..”  This is, according to verse 14, the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples as a group. The two previous appearances to the group are recorded in chapter 20 (20:19-23 and 20:26-28). But this is not his third appearance altogether, there are 10 separate recorded incidents, other than these three[i].   

The Story

This is a unique manifestation of the risen Savior.   Seven of the disciples are present for this revelation.  They had obeyed Christ and had gone into Galilee to wait for Him (Matthew 28:10).  It is very likely they were there at the Sea of Galilee waiting for Jesus and the other four.  Like many of us they may have been bored and Peter came up with the idea, “I am going fishing.”   Like any group of men the others thought that was a good idea.   There is no indication that Peter was again falling away from His Lord as many seem to think.  He’s got time on his hands … let’s go fishing!  It seems they fished all night.  This was not unusual.  Apparently fishing on the Sea of Galilee was often done at night. The text tells us that they were at least 100 yards from shore.

Early in the morning a figure appears on the shore, whom we know to be Jesus.  Jesus called out to the men in the boat, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?”  This term children was not derogatory, but a friendly address between men.  We might translate it today: lads or guys!  It was a rhetorical question.  Normally we would have asked, “How’s it going?” Or, “Catch anything?”  But Jesus’ question assumes the answer is ‘no’.  And it was!  They answered Him, “No.”

Now at this point, the thinking disciples might have said, “This picture is familiar!” There is a similarity this incident has with the earlier one recorded in Luke 5:4 because Jesus said, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.”  And like any fisherman’s dream when they obeyed the stranger’s suggestion “they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish.”

We’re going to come back to this, but John immediately gets the picture: This is Jesus!  It is the Lord!”  Peter jumps in and runs to shore.  What happens next?  Jesus already had breakfast cooking.  The other six disciples drag the net ashore and Christ invites them to bring their fish and eat with Him.  The number of fish was great and the net was not torn.  Both of these little details, again, ought to have set their minds back to the events recorded in Luke 5.

Exposition

“Why does the Holy Spirit give us this story?”  What is the Spirit’s intent?  I believe the central point of the story is the point that is found in the center of the story!  It is found in John’s chiastic[ii] form of writing:

 

A. Jesus reveals Himself to His disciples (v.1)  

                        B. The miracle commanded (vv. 2-6). 

                                    C. The Beloved Disciple confesses, It is the Lord (v.7).

                        B. The miracle revealed (vv. 8-13). 

A. Jesus was revealed to His disciples (v.14).

When it clicked with John that there was a relationship between the catch of fish and the man on the shore, he said to Peter, “It is the Lord.”  This was a confusing time for the disciples that we don’t fully understand.  There was something about the appearance of the risen Jesus which was different enough to make immediate recognition difficult. Mary Magdalene (20:15) did not immediately recognize him, and when he appeared to the disciples (20:19-23) he had to show them his hands and side before they are said to have recognized him.

When John gives the reason for the disciples’ hesitancy in approaching Jesus, he does not say it was because they knew that it was Jesus, but because they knew that it was the LORD. Mary Magdalene had announced to the disciples that she had seen the LORD in 20:18, and when Jesus was recognized by the disciples in 20:20 they rejoiced when they saw the LORD. The climax is reached in the recognition scene with Thomas (20:28) where he exclaims, “My LORD and my GOD”.

There is a very real sense that Jesus Christ’s appearances were to reveal Himself these times to the Twelve, whereby they knew they were in the presence of Deity – they knew they were in the presence of God Himself.  Turn with me and read for yourself Jesus’ prophecy in, John 8:28 

²⁸ So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.”

When John said, “It is the Lord”, the record reveals that he said, “O Kurios estin”  -- The Lord it is!   Jewish rabbis translated kurios in the LXX as Jehovah!  It is Jehovah!  Gerhard Kittel, the renowned Greek scholar says this:  “The name of kurios implies a position equal to that of God . . . The name of kurios thus designates the position of the Risen Lord.”[1]

Note Philippians 2:9-11 

⁹ For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Now compare that with Isaiah 45:22-23

²² “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other. ²³ “I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.

Jehovah God and Lord are synonymous terms.   The New Testament Church viewed this Lordship of Jesus Christ critical in the life of the Believer:

1.      Peter taught that the inauguration of Christ as Lord followed the Cross. Acts 2:36 (NASB95) ³⁶ “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”

2.      Paul claimed that salvation is based upon this acknowledgement.  Romans 10:9 (NASB95) ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. British scholar A. M. Hunter concludes from the New Testament evidence, "the confession of [Jesus'] Lordship--probably at baptism--made up the earliest Christian confession."

3.      The affirmation of legitimate prophecy is based upon the speakers confession that Jesus is Lord.  1 Corinthians 12:3 (NASB95) ³Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit always leads people into the Lordship of Christ.

4.      The Church believed it was this Lord who is the giver and sustainer of life. 1 Corinthians 8:6 (NASB95) ⁶ yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.

5.      It is this Lord who is sovereign over all authorities and is the Head of the Church. Ephesians 1:22 (NASB95) ²² And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church.

6.      It is the Lord Himself that is coming again to rapture His Church and bring judgment. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16 (NASB95) ¹⁵ For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  (see also 4:6; and 2 Thess 1:9)

7.      Jesus is Lord over all.  Acts 10:36 (NASB95)
³⁶ “The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)—

The point is this:  After His resurrection the predominant name given to Jesus is ‘Lord’.  

Ralph P. Martin says: "The confession Jesus Christ is Lord stands as the climax of the drama of salvation.  [Jesus Christ] receives the new name which is none other than God's own name the sign of a new aeon [age] already begun in the Church and the world."  

When we speak of Christ as Lord, we acknowledge His sovereignty, His absolute ownership of all things, and His unlimited power.  The appropriate response, of course, is obedience.  Thus it becomes abhorrently hypocritical to confess Jesus as Lord and not obey Him.  This is what brings the stinging indictment from our Lord:

"Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter." (Matthew 7:21)

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[1] Kittel, Gerhard, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Wm. Eerdmans, 1965, Page 1089

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[i] To Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9;John 20:11-18)

To the women (Matthew 28:9, 10)

To Cleopas and his companion (Luke 24:13-35)

To Simon (Luke 24:34; I Corinthians 15:15)

To the disciples on the Emmaus Road (Luke 24:13-32)

To the disciples on a “mountain” in Galilee (Matthew 28:16-20) 

To the five hundred (I Corinthians 15:6)

To James, the Lord’s brother (I Corinthians 15:7)

To the eleven on Olivet, near Jerusalem (Acts 1:4-11; cf. Luke 24:50, 51); and of course,

To Paul, when he was on his way to Damascus (Acts 9:3-7; 22:6-10; 26:12-18; I Corinthians 9:1; 15:8)

[ii] In recent years, scholars have rediscovered the importance of a “chiastic” analysis of biblical and other literature. P.F. Ellis and J. Gerhard have shown that the entire Gospel of John is structured according to an A:B:C:B’:A’ chiasm or pattern of concentric parallelism . . . Chiastic analysis of biblical texts serves multiple purposes . . . it enables the reader to discern the “literal sense” of the Gospel, the meaning intended by the biblical author . . ..  

Jesus Is Lord.

God's plan for Israel did not fail. Israel means, theologically, the elect of God according to His purpose.  It does not include all of those who are Jewish by natural descent.  That's Romans 9.  Romans 10 involves the other side of the coin: faith and belief.  In the first blog I identified a number of contrasts that Paul engages in.  In this blog we look at the “righteousness that is by the law” (v. 5) with “the righteousness that is by faith” (v. 6).  Thus we read:

“For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:5–10, ESV).

 Paul is going to explain his points by referring to the Old Testament.  This of course was his Scripture and it was, at the very least, regarded so by his readers.  He takes us first to Leviticus 18:5 (ESV), "⁵ You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the Lord. "  Paul's point is to affirm that any righteousness that we can claim that comes from the law, is the result of "doing" the law.  That principle is firmly established. "The righteousness which is of the law taught men to do and live. But the righteousness which is by faith teaches men to believe and live (10:6)."^[1]  Paul emphasizes this in his letter to the Galatian churches: “But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.”” (Galatians 3:12, ESV).

"To explain the opposite kind of righteousness, the kind that comes by faith, Paul cites language drawn from Deuteronomy 30:12–14[2] (vv. 6–8). He quotes lines from that text and then applies them to Christ or to the gospel."^[3]  "There is no need to travel to heaven to bring Christ to earth, for God has already sent him into the world. Nor should anyone think they must bring Christ up from the realm of the dead, for God has raised Christ from the dead. What God requires is not superhuman works but faith in the gospel Paul preaches."^[4]

  

So Paul takes this Old Testament account that refers to the Law and applies it to faith in Christ.  The same accessibility that is promised regarding the law is also promised regarding faith in Christ.  In Deuteronomy 30:14 (ESV) we read, "¹⁴ But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it."  In verses 9 and 10 of Romans Paul draws these same elements (in reverse order) into the Gospel:

“because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9–10, ESV)  "'Jesus is Lord' was the earliest declaration of faith fashioned by the church (Acts 2:36; 1Cor 12:3). This great truth was recognized first by God in raising his Son from the dead—an act then acknowledged by the church and one day to be acknowledged by all (Philippians 2:11)."[5]

To confess (ὁμολογέω [homologeo]) means to agree with God that His Son is Lord.  "Elsewhere in his letters, Paul associates Christ’s resurrection with His lordship (Eph 1:19–22; Phil 2:9)."^[6] So it would appear that the lordship of Christ is the critical component to faith and belief.  Robert Haldane writes, "It should always be remembered, that if he believes anything different from the testimony of God relating to the person and work of the Savior, he does not believe the Gospel, but something, whatever it may be, which can neither sanctify nor save."^[7]

This is not a token, intellectual assent to this reality.  “For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:10, ESV). Belief is the historicity of the resurrection is not the issue (although it is certainly included).  The issue is that the resurrection of Jesus is the objective attestation to His Lordship.   Confession with the mouth and the life is evidence that one truly believes in this reality, to the point that it is life-transforming.

"A man becomes righteous, perfectly righteous, through believing God’s record concerning His Son. But the evidence that this faith is genuine is found in the open confession of the Lord with the mouth in everything in which His will is known."^[8]

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Previous Blogs on this topic:

1	His Righteousness Versus Their Righteousness	Romans 9:30-33
2	Never Reaching the End	Romans 10:1-4
3	Jesus is Lord	Romans 10:5-9
4

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^[1] Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 2251). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

[2] Paul is doing a unique work of exegesis here.  In "Deuteronomy exhibits God’s salvation as achieved not by humanity’s strenuous efforts, but by divine grace bringing it near. In particular, Deut. 30 sets this in the context of an anticipated return from exile-judgment (Deut. 30:1–6). Paul sees this fulfilled in the new covenant in Christ (Jer. 31:31–34, cf. 2 Cor. 3:7–18). Thus Christ was the end (goal) of the Mosaic law." (Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study Bible: bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James Version (Ro 10:6). Nashville: T. Nelson.)  Again we see the hermeneutical principle exemplified in Paul's inspired words.  Christ is the end of the Law and the redemptive motifs in the Old Testament ultimately point to the New Covenant fulfillment.

^[3] Moo, D. J. (2002). Encountering the book of Romans : a theological survey (p. 160). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

^[4] Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (pp. 2174–2175). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

[5] Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:Romans/Exposition of Romans/VI. The Problem of Israel: God's Righteousness Vindicated (9:1-11:36)/D. Israel's Failure to Attain Righteousness Due to Reliance on Works Rather Than Faith (9:30-10:21), Book Version: 4.0.2

^[6] Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Ro 10:9). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

^[7] Haldane, R. (1996). An exposition of Romans (electronic ed., p. 514). Simpsonville, SC: Christian Classics Foundation.

^[8] Haldane, R. (1996). An exposition of Romans (electronic ed., p. 516). Simpsonville, SC: Christian Classics Foundation.

The K.I.S.S. Principle of the Cross

Subtitled: Paul's Simplicity in Profundity

First Corinthians chapter 1:10, all the way through to Chapter 4 is one unit of thought.  The issue is disunity, divisions and dissension in the Church.  Paul has heard evidence of hostility, strife & quarreling, jealousy & envy and pride.  All of this bears the assessment that the Church is acting like Corinth and not Christ.

Paul sees humanity in 2 very simple categories: perishing (1:18) or saved (1:18).  In the category of those "perishing" there is, according to Paul's analysis another two general groups of people: Jews and Greeks. The Jews simply desire a sign (1:22); and the Greeks desire wisdom (1:22).  The "Jews", in their search for God say, "Do something to convince me."   The "Greeks", in their hunt for the Divine say, "Say something to convince me."

The Gospel answer to both is the Cross.  †

The Cross is a stumbling block to the Jew for it seems to be the antithesis of power, i.e., weakness.

The Cross is foolishness to the Greek for it is the antithesis of wisdom, i.e., foolishness.

But to the "saved" – those that "believe" (that other category of humanity), it is neither weak nor foolish.  It is "it is the power of God.” ^[1]

Why is the Cross the power of God unto salvation?  Because it destroys the foundation upon which the perishing stand – human reasoning.  Therefore in the end: “This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.” (1 Corinthians 1:25, NLT)

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^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (1 Co 1:18). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Never Reaching the End

Israel's rejection was because they tried to become righteous through their own merit thereby rejecting the very means that God had ordained: Christ the Messiah.  They "stumbled" over the Rock, Christ Jesus.  This was no minor falter.  It resulted in damnation (cf: Romans 9:3).   In 10:1–4, Paul describes the rejection of Israel from a slightly different point of view.

“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:1–4, ESV)

The passion of Paul in these verses not only confirms the "lost-ness" of the nation of Israel, but reveals to us the heart of a true evangelical.  "Brothers," he writes, "the good pleasure  of my heart (εὐδοκία τῆς ἐμῆς καρδίας ) and my prayer is for their salvation (σωτηρία [soteria] … deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation.)   The passion of Israel is not the problem.  It's the perspective that is the issue. "The word zēlos refers to an intense desire and concern for something . . . Many Jews considered zeal a prized virtue . . . In this context, Paul suggests that his fellow Jews misdirected their zeal because they did not recognize God’s work."^[1]   "The law was never intended by God to be his final word. All along it was anticipating something greater to come. Now, that something greater has come: Christ. He is the telos of the law." ^[2]

Just as this assessment is made of the nation, so too is it true of individuals.  Paul said to the Philippian Church, “though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also . . . But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—” (Philippians 3:4–9, ESV) [Emphasis Mine]

There are two very important aspect to this emphasis that Christ is the telos of the law.  The first is that the Law aimed at bringing us to Christ (Galatians 3:24), but it also means, secondly, that Christ is the terminal point of the law.  In other words the coming of Christ replaces an old order and a new order has come. Those who refuse to believe in Christ and place their faith in Him, lose on both counts. They never find true righteousness and they never know the freedom of the New Covenant.

In the next verse, Paul describes why this is so defeating. ““For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them.” (Romans 10:5, ESV) .  If the demands of the Law are not fulfilled and if they are still in effect, then you have to live by them.  How far will that get you?  “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20, ESV).

"Those who have not yet passed from the being-in-the-Law to the being-in-Christ, and those who allow themselves to be misled into exchanging the being-in-Christ for the being-under-the-Law, are under the Law and are made to feel its power"[3]    Dr. Moo creatively concludes, " We might picture the law as the race itself. Christ is the finish line. As Israel runs the race of the law, they should always, of course, have their eyes fixed on the finish line. Instead, Paul has been suggesting, Israel concentrated so exclusively on the race that they forgot about the finish line. With the coming of Christ, that finish line has been reached, but Israel does not recognize it."^[4]

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Previous Blogs on this topic:

1	His Righteousness Versus Their Righteousness	Romans 9:30-33
2
3
4

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^[1] Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Ro 10:2). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

^[2] Moo, D. J. (2002). Encountering the book of Romans : a theological survey (p. 158). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

[3] Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:Romans/Exposition of Romans/VI. The Problem of Israel: God's Righteousness Vindicated (9:1-11:36)/D. Israel's Failure to Attain Righteousness Due to Reliance on Works Rather Than Faith (9:30-10:21), Book Version: 4.0.2 

^[4] Moo, D. J. (2002). Encountering the book of Romans : a theological survey (pp. 158–159). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

His Righteousness Versus Their Righteousness

Romans 9:30-10:13 Part 1

In this on-going study of Romans 9-11, we hit an interesting break in Paul's thinking.  Of course most readers know that enumerating chapters and verses is not an inspired activity.  Previously, it would seem that translators assumed a break in Paul's thought and placed Chapter 10 where it exists.  However, I came to the conclusion that the break should have been between 9:29 and 9:30.  The question Paul asks in verse 30 is taking us into a different dimension: “What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith;” (Romans 9:30, ESV)

There is somewhat a connection between Chapters 9 and 10.  Paul shows us that we can only see a small number of saved Jews because God only chose a remnant; and it's that remnant that comprises True Israel (“even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?” (Romans 9:24, ESV).  Romans 9:30-10 is going to show us that you can't simply blame God for the failure of most of ethnic Israel.  For the most part, the Jewish people refused to acknowledge God's means of righteousness. What we see in 9:30-10:13 is the contrast between 2 types of righteousness. One will save you, the other will damn you.

A Righteousness That Will Save You	A Righteousness That Will Damn You
Righteousness that is by faith” (9:30)	“a law of righteousness” (9:31)
“God’s righteousness”	“their own righteousness” (10:3)
The righteousness that is by faith” (10:6)	“the righteousness that is by the law” (10:5)

So Paul starts, as noted with this question: “What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone,” (Romans 9:30–32, ESV).

This point surprises some people, but the truth is that we can see clearly that God has always – always – only saved people based upon faith.  Good works or law-keeping have NEVER contributed merit to one's salvation. "Gentile success is attributed to their avoidance of the false approach of the Jew and their willingness to receive righteousness as a gift. Hardly a passage in the NT is stronger than this one in its exposure of the futility of works as a means of justification."[1]

If you followed the previous blog series on Romans 9, this will also provide some balance to the argument.  Divine sovereignty in election (Romans 9) is never at enmity with human responsibility (Romans 10).  " God’s sovereignty is compatible with human responsibility. Israel should have believed the gospel and trusted in Christ, but the majority refused to do so. Still, God’s saving promises will be fulfilled."^[2]

We should also note that not only has God's program for salvation not changed, neither has His Savior changed.  Salvation always depended upon faith in the Promised Messiah.  Unfortunately, Paul writes, that "they stumbled over the stumbling stone."^[3]  "Christ has been to the Jews a stumbling stone (the image is from Is. 8:14; 28:16) over which they have fallen (vv. 32, 33; 1 Pet. 2:8)"^[4]

Again, this stumbling over the Messiah is not a new idea.  It was predicted by the prophets. “as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”” (Romans 9:33, ESV)

We read in Isaiah 8:11–15 (ESV),

¹¹ For the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: ¹² “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. ¹³ But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. ¹⁴ And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ¹⁵ And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.”

Quite clearly Paul is not only showing that the Messiah would be rejected but by quoting Isaiah 8 he is showing that this Messiah is God.  It's the Lord of Hosts that is the stumbling block.  Jesus is God.  When a unbelieving, yet orthodox Jew rejects Jesus Christ, he is rejecting God – the God of the Bible.  The unbelieving, unrepentant Jew does not worship the God of the Bible.  He or she is an idolater.

"For those who put their trust in Christ, he becomes a foundation stone, a stone on which to build a spiritual life. Others, not recognizing who he really is, trip over him and fall. This is what has happened to Israel."^[5]  

What does it mean that those who believe will not be put to shame?  The Greek word is καταισχύνω [kataischuno ] meaning to have their hope deceived.^[6]  Is not the hope of Israel the restored Davidic kingdom, the restoration of her fortunes, the blessedness of peace, prosperity and protection?   In objective language it is the eternal kingdom – The Kingdom of God.  This will only be a reality for those who have faith in Jesus Christ – alone – apart from works of righteousness.

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[1] Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:Romans/Exposition of Romans/VI. The Problem of Israel: God's Righteousness Vindicated (9:1-11:36)/D. Israel's Failure to Attain Righteousness Due to Reliance on Works Rather Than Faith (9:30-10:21), Book Version: 4.0.2

^[2] Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2174). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

^[3] The New International Version. (2011). (Ro 9:32). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

^[4] Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study Bible: bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James Version (Ro 9:30). Nashville: T. Nelson.

^[5] Moo, D. J. (2002). Encountering the book of Romans : a theological survey (p. 157). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

^[6] Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.