The Good News of Salvation in Jesus Christ

Studies in Paul’s Epistle to the Romans

Lesson 25 : The Grace of God and the Disobedience of the Jews (9:30–10:21)

JEWISH REJECTION OF THE GOSPEL – THE JEWS’ TWO-FOLD ERROR – THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD / RESPONSIBILITY OF MAN IN BALANCE – THE ‘LAW OF RIGHTEOUSNESS’ – THE GENTILES WERE NOT SEEKING THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD FOUND IN CHRIST – HOW DID THE ‘NOT-SEEKING’ GENTILES FIND RIGHTEOUSNESS? – ISRAEL PURSUED RIGHTEOUSNESS BY WORKS OF THE LAW – “SEEKING THE LAW” WAS NOT WRONG, IT WAS HOW THE JEWS WERE SEEKING THE LAW – WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO PURSUE THE LAW ON THE BASIS OF FAITH? – ISRAEL’S STUMBLING OVER THE STONE – THE ‘STONE PLACED IN ZION’ QUOTE – ISRAEL’S PROBLEM CENTERS ON THE PERSON OF CHRIST – THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD AND ‘THEIR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS’ (10:1-4) – A BURDEN FOR SOULS IN THE LIGHT OF ELECTION – ISRAEL UNDER CONDEMNATION – IMPROPERLY GUIDED ZEAL FOR GOD – TESTIFY – THE JEWS WERE IGNORANT OF GOD’S MANNER OF BRINGING PEOPLE TO HIMSELF – THE ‘RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD’ = BOTH GOD’S ‘ACTIVITY OF DECLARING RIGHT’ AND ‘THE STATUS OF BEING RIGHT’ WITH GOD – THEIR OWN (SELF-)RIGHTEOUSNESS – SUBMIT – PAUL’S REASON FOR STATING THE JEWS HAD ZEAL WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE – THE “END” OF THE LAW – CHRIST AS THE CONSUMMATION OF AN AGE – PAUL’S QUOTE FROM DEUT. 30:11-14: JEWS AND GENTILES WITHOUT EXCUSE – “WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN? (TO BRING CHRIST DOWN)” – “WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?” (TO BRING CHRIST UP) – ABYSS – WE’VE SEEN WHAT “RIGHTEOUSNESS BASED ON FAITH” DOES NOT SAY, NOW WHAT DOES IT SAY? – THE “NEARNESS” OF THE GOSPEL: “BECAUSE” IF YOU CONFESS … – THE PROPER RESPONSE TO THE GOSPEL – JESUS IS LORD = STATEMENT OF DEITY – PAUL’S TWO-FOLD REASON TO QUOTE ISAIAH 28:16 – JESUS IS LORD OVER ALL, JEW AND GENTILE – ISRAEL’S ACCOUNTABILITY (10:14-21) – THE ROAD OF FAITH – PREACHING, PREACHERS AND ISAIAH 52:7 – REBUKE FOR HIS JEWISH BRETHREN? – UNBELIEF = DISOBEDIENCE – SCRIPTURAL SUPPORT FROM PSALMS 19:4 – HAS THE GOSPEL GONE TO THE “WHOLE WORLD?” – THE JEWS KNEW AND WILLFULLY REJECTED – PAUL QUOTES DEUT. 32:21b AS THE FIRST DEMONSTRATION OF WHAT ISRAEL KNEW – FURTHER DEMONSTRATION THAT ISRAEL KNEW, THIS TIME FROM THE PROPHETS – GOD’S GRACE AND ISRAEL’S RESISTANCE