Brit Chadasha Foundations-Concepts in Romans-Chapter 10

Rom 10.1-21 tells us that unbelief was the cause of Israel’s failure; how real righteousness with God comes about; how faith comes through hearing and obeying proper teaching in the Torah.

v 1…Brethren (in this context “brethren” means Jewish and Gentile believers in Yeshua) my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them (Israel) is for salvation (the fulfillment of the promise of restoration).

v 1…For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God (a fleshly, religious zeal) but not in accordance with knowledge (of God in Torah facts; full discernment-Paul shows his respect for the faith of his Jewish, non-believing brethren).

v 3… For not knowing about God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own (based on outward works and morality, but they did not see beyond the letter, the outer cloak, to the goal that the commandments pointed to), they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God (which is based on faith and allowing God to do a work on their hearts-Jer 31.31-34).

v 4…For Messiah is the end (Greek word “telos” is used here for “end” meaning the goal, target; where we get the word “telescope” from. The Torah is the telescope we look through to see Messiah, he is the goal, the target-this verse was horribly mistranslated by using the word “end” to support the false view that Paul taught that the Torah was done away with) of the Torah (faith in Yeshua does not “end” the Torah. Paul has just proved that in 3.31. If a person was following the Torah by faith it would point them to Yeshua as Messiah. Yeshua made visible what he was teaching, he was the Torah in the flesh-Psa 40.7; John 5.46-49; Luke 24.27- He contains within himself all that the Torah demands for justification) for righteousness to everyone who believes.

v 5… For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on the Torah shall live by that righteousness (Lev 18.5)

v 6…and (not “but” as in many versions) the righteousness based on faith speaks thus, “Do not say in your heart,’ who will ascend into heaven?’ (the word is over our heads to understand),

v 7… or ‘who will descend into the abyss?’ (to deep to understand).

v 8… But what does it say? “The word (Torah) is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”-that is, the word of faith which we are preaching (don’t sigh over the fact that it is impossible to obtain justification by works, you don’t have to work it. Obey the Torah in faith because it is in your heart and faith in Yeshua involves following the Torah. You cannot follow the Torah and deny Yeshua, or believe in Yeshua and deny the Torah-John 5.39-47),

v 9… that if you confess with your mouth Yeshua as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved (in v 9-13 Paul will be quoting from the Covenant of Moab found in Deut 29.1-30.20. Having linked faith in Yeshua with the Torah, Paul now talks about an oral confession using words. This is a very Jewish concept and can be found in the ancient Jewish writings)

v 10… for with the heart (desires; Deut 30.6 says that it is circumcised by God, which is the same thing as saying “live” and “born again”-He is quoting concepts found in the what is called the Covenant of Moab found in Deut 29.1-30.20).

v 11…For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.”

v 12… For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon him (this is the heart of the Shema and the concept that the Lord is one in regards to salvation);

v 13…for “Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”

v 14…How then shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

v 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent (by God)? Just as it is written “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings (the basar, the gospel) of good things!”

v 16… However, they did not all heed the glad tidings (the basar, gospel), for Isaiah says “Lord, who has believed our report (Paul is talking to Israel in these verses. He equates the suffering servant with Yeshua and that he is trying to reach Israel with the good news of salvation, but that Israel has not listened to the message)?”

v 17…So faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of God (as seen in the Shema, hearing is the same as doing with understanding. This is what Israel was not doing).

v 18…But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have: “Their voice has gone out …into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.”

v 19…But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they (from their own Scriptures of God’s intention to bring in the Gentiles)? At the first Moses says “I will make you jealous by that which is not a nation, by a nation without understanding will I anger you (Deut 32.16-21-God says that you made me jealous by your idols, I will make you jealous by a “no people”, the Gentiles).”

v 20…And Isaiah is very bold and says “I was found by those who sought me not, I became manifest to those who did not ask for me.”

v 21…But as for Israel he says,  “All the day long I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people (Paul shows them what the Scriptures say that Israel has fallen into sin by hearing and not obeying and that has happened before. He also shows that the Lord will send someone to save them-Isa 6.8-9; 27.9; 59.20; Jer 31.33-34.  If the book of Romans ended here, some might conclude that the Lord was done with Israel, but the next chapter puts that idea to rest).”

Posted in Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Tying into the New Testament, Verse-by-Verse Bible Studies

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