The Anticipated New Covenant Romans 9 11 Part I The entirety of Romans 9 11 is a single unit that has one overarching theme: Israel. In this study we will start in the central e section and spiral out toward the outer d sections as illustrated in the outline below. The Renewal of God s Covenant & People 9:1 11:33 a God s Gifts upon Israel 9:1-5 b Electing of Israel (The Root Was Planted) 9:6-13 c Jew/Gentile People Included in the New Covenant 9:14-29 d Israel s Failure of Attaining the Law s Righteousness 9:30-33 e The New Covenant & New People in Christ 10:1-13 d Israel s Failure of Obeying the Gospel 10:14-21 c Jew/Gentile People Included in the New Covenant 11:1-16a b Engrafting upon Israel (The Branches Are Engrafted) 11:16b-29 a God s Mercy Grows His Israel 11:30-33 The central section is the focal point of these chapters. It highlights the New Covenant in Christ and the new people who belong to Christ. This focal point is essentially related to the overarching theme of Israel because it answers critical questions. Is God faithful to Israel? How will Israel continue to grow? Who is now part of Israel? All these questions are answered in the central section where our study will begin today. Obviously there is a more fundamental question that must be answered. What is Israel? What is Paul s meaning for that term? Does the word Israel have different meanings in these chapters? These questions will be dealt with in our next study since it is emphasized in the outer sections (a,b,c) of the previous outline. So then, let s start in the center, studying the focal point, so we can better understand the overarching theme that Paul is writing about in chapters 9 11. I. The Great Anticipation The word anticipation is critical for interpreting and explaining what Paul is saying in 10:1-13. When you anticipate something it is not an act of sin. It is not wrong to look forward to what God has promised you. Anticipation implicitly means that you are in need of, and desire, something bigger and better. There is a theme of maturity in these passages. Paul is speaking about a good era of childhood for the nation of Israel which anticipated the New Covenant era of adulthood. Just as we can say it is good for a child to ride a bike anticipating the day when he will drive a car, we can also say it was good for Israel to have the righteousness of the Law anticipating the day that they would have the righteousness of Faith. These verses often suffer the injustice of misinterpretation, resulting from an impatient zeal to rightly condemn all forms of self-righteousness. The quest for relevant application often trumps the accuracy of interpretation. Yet, when we patiently wrestle with the full meaning of the text, our need for application will not only be satisfied, but the application will have a much broader scope than originally assumed, or even desired.
2 The first step of misinterpretation often begins when one explains the meaning of the righteousness of the Law (9:30,10:5). The misunderstanding is to assume this is inherently bad. Many assume that any righteousness of the Law is a bad thing, and has always been a bad thing. Some consider that the righteousness of the Law simply teaches a person how to earn their own salvation, which is actually impossible. When Paul quotes Leviticus 18:5, in Romans 10:5 saying, The man who does those things shall live by them, it is often interpreted as a bad and negative teaching. Or, this verse is assumed to be a good hypothetical principle, which then results in a bad righteousness of the Law. Therefore, this Law-righteousness is often equated as personal self-righteousness by which a person can never be saved. So then, how can the righteousness of the Law be a good thing when Paul explicitly condemns it in 9:31 and 10:5-6? Additionally, how is the righteousness of the Law not equivalent to personal self-righteousness? To answer these questions we need to consider three points about the Law s righteousness: Time, Purpose, and Faith A. The Time of the Law s Righteousness When Paul writes about the righteousness of the Law he is speaking about the time period before Christ. It was a time period under the Mosaic Covenant, which was a blessing to the nation of Israel. The Law identified the Jewish people as God s own covenant people. Therefore, when Moses writes about the righteousness of the Law (10:5a), he was writing about that time period. For the way of life during that era, Moses said, The man who does these things shall live by them (10:5b). Living by the laws and statutes of Moses covenant was the way of life, and the way to have life in the Promised Land. Many of those basic laws are consistent with our New Covenant way of life, and the way we are to have life in the world to come. Like in the New Covenant, the Laws of Moses required faith in God and trust in God s forgiveness. As we go to church every Sunday and trust in Jesus forgiveness, the Israelites were to bring their offerings every Sabbath day and trust in God s forgiveness. As the Scripture instructs us in how to be fruitful in our faith, all the civil, ceremonial, and moral aspects of Moses Law also instructed them in how to be fruitful in their faith. Essentially the Law of Moses instructed the people of that time period in how they should live by grace alone, through faith alone, and evidence that living faith to the world and their neighbor. The Pharisees of Jesus day, the self-righteousness with which Saul of Tarsus may have been plagued, and all the corrupt forms of Judaism that developed over the generations all of this was simply a corruption and distortion of the true Law of Moses. Therefore, when Paul is writing about the righteousness of the Law in this passage it is a real, true, and good righteousness that was for a given period of time before the coming of Christ. This helps us see that the good uncorrupted Law of Moses had a good purpose as well. B. The Purpose of the Law s Righteousness The Covenant of Moses, the righteousness of the Law, always anticipated the Goal the Lord Jesus Christ. (v.4) The Mosaic Covenant was instituted with this Goal in
3 mind, and for the purpose of having this Goal. Remember, a child does not ride a bike without also desiring to drive a car one day. In the same way, the Law of Moses was inherently limited in respect to a point of ending, destination, and achievement. The Goal of the Law of Moses was an ending point, in the sense that the New Covenant brought an end to the Old Covenant time period. This Goal was also a destination point, in the sense that all aspects of Moses Covenant looked forward to the work of Christ. And all aspects of the moral, civil, and ceremonial laws would find their fulfillment in the work of Christ. The Goal of Moses Law is the point of achievement, in the sense that Christ was truly the One who achieved the promised life and achieving immortal life, Christ even revealed the greater anticipation of Moses Law. The purpose of Moses Law was to prepare God s people and the world for the coming of Christ even if it served as a brutal husband pointing out the sin of an adulterous wife (7:1-4). Therefore, the righteousness of that Law functioned during the time period for which its purpose was to anticipate the Goal which was the Faith to come. C. The Faith anticipated by the Law s Righteousness The righteousness of Faith that came after the righteousness of Law had always been inscribed, and especially heard, through the words of the Law. Paul quotes what the righteousness of Faith speaks (10:6). Very significantly, Paul quotes from the Law in Deut. 9:4, 30:12,13,14, because he is telling them to listen the voice of the righteousness of Faith calling out from the Law of God. Moses speaks (10:6) about the righteousness of Faith even though he writes (10:5) about the righteousness of the Law. This subtle difference in the Law s speaking, versus its writing, highlights the Apostle s preaching. Paul preaches what the Law of Moses speaks and says (10:6,8). Paul s message is the word of Faith (10:8), which one can even hear in the Law of Moses. As an inherent aspect, and the destination to expect, the Faith to come was woven within, and speaking though the writings of Moses. As Paul said earlier, apart from the Law, God s righteousness is revealed now for those who now have ears to hear it is being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets (3:21). The gospel is at the same time apart from, and being witnessed by the old Law. In Christ, God performed a work that the Law itself could never do, yet had always expected God to do. So then, the Law s righteousness was for a time, and for a purpose, of anticipating the Faith the righteousness of Faith accomplished in Jesus Christ, which God used to manifest His righteousness. D. The Salvation and Damnation of the Law s Righteousness Considering the time period before Christ, the purpose directed to Christ, and the anticipation of Christ, we can safely say that the Law s old righteousness was a saving righteousness only for that era, and only in respect to the person and work of Christ. Remove the Goal the ending, destination, and achievement that Christ secured and you have severed the head from the body, killing all hope and promises of salvation within the Law. The righteousness of the Law summarized in Leviticus 18:5 was salvific
4 only for the people of that time period, and only because that Law foreshadowed and anticipated Christ to come. The exclusive language I am using is extremely important and it is even essential to my explanation of Romans 2. Before the coming of Christ all the saved people of God were the true doers, fulfillers, and keepers of Moses Law. As I explained then, it was not a natural law that they were doers of, it was God s Covenant Law that anticipated Christ. True believers of the Old Covenant era, had the Holy Spirit, lived by faith, through grace, and did those things in the Law as an evidence of their faith. With all these qualifications we can see why the righteousness of the Law was merely a saving anticipation of Christ. But what happened when The Anticipation came? When Jesus rose from the dead, what happened to the good way of life under the Old Covenant? Well for those who stayed under the confines, and even within the righteousness of that old Law, it became their damnation. After the coming of Christ, those who still identified themselves by, and lived under the righteousness of the Law would suffer judgment as a condemned self-righteousness people. By not moving on and embracing the anticipated righteousness of Faith in Christ, they denied the very reason and purpose for the Law s existence. In denying the Goal, they rejected whatever saving righteousness the Law was offering. For this reason Paul says in Philippians 3:9 that he wants to be found in Christ, not having my own righteousness, which is from the Law. Paul knew that since Christ had come, the righteousness from the Law was now an act of unrighteousness that would unleash all of hell s fury upon self-righteousness. This is the same reason Paul begins Romans 10 speaking of Jews seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. Having now rejected the Goal of the Law, even the righteousness of that Law, they have morphed, perverted, and twisted the entirety of that Law into the stench of self-righteousness. They failed to accept that the old righteousness of the Law is now replaced by the new righteousness of Faith of which even Gentiles now have the fullness. II. The Great Tragedy One of the most critical verses for interpreting this section of Romans is 9:31, but Israel, pursuing the Law of righteousness, has not attained to the Law of righteousness. Some translations conclude this verse by saying Israel has not attained to the Law. Either way the Law of Moses is in view here. And the most interesting point is that Paul denies that Israel has attained the very Law under which they live. A. Sin of Omission How the Jews Fell Short At first, this does not seem to make much sense. If the Jews pursue the righteousness of the Law, and live under the righteousness of the Law, then should not they have the righteousness of the Law? (especially if we assume it is something bad) Well, Paul is emphatically saying, No! They have not even attained, reached, or come to the Law which they love so dearly. Paul understands that the righteousness of the Law has always been something good, and attainable, only as it anticipated Christ and would
5 be accomplished in Christ. Therefore, since Israel has rejected Christ, they are rejecting the very Law of God having severed the head from its body. Yet the focus is on what they did not do. Their sin of omission was that they did not seek the Law by faith since they pursued the Law of righteousness by works (9:32). This is a contrast to the righteousness of faith exemplified in the life of Abraham who was justified by faith and not by works (4:2). As with the passage about Abraham, Paul is killing two birds with one stone. The one word works applies to any fruits, or evidences of faith, that a person may wrongly rely upon for justification. And the word works applies to any Jewish requirement mandated by the out-of-date Mosaic covenant. All that they did under the meaning of the word works prohibited them from arriving at the Law through Faith. Within this particular passage of 9:30 10:8, Paul s use of the word Faith is equivalent to Christ. When he says that Israel did not seek the Law by Faith, he means that once Christ had come, they did not pursue the Law of God through the work of Christ. His summary point clarifies that he is talking about Christ: for they stumbled at the Stumbling Stone (9:32) In addition to the word Faith in this particular section, we should understand that Paul is referring to Christ in the terms righteousness of Faith, Stumbling Stone, Goal or End. Therefore it is helpful to capitalize these words because it helps the reader understand that Paul is explaining the person and work of Jesus Christ from different vantage points. For this reason Paul says the believing Gentiles have now attained to righteousness (9:30). They have actually arrived where Israel had only desired to arrived. They have reached the very Law that Israel was pursuing but very significantly Paul does not say that Gentiles have attained the righteousness of the Law. Paul understands that the righteousness of the Law has expired along with the former time period. Therefore, by knowing the Goal of the Law, even the way the Law itself is to be attained, Paul says that Gentiles have attained the righteousness of Faith (9:30). This Faith is everything the righteousness of the Law desired, and the only way through which the Law could render any righteousness. This Faith was the way in which Israel was to arrive at the Law, and to where the Law was headed. Yet when this Faith came, Israel stumbled, fell short, and tragically missed the whole anticipatory point for why Moses required obedience upon that era of history saying, The man who does those things shall live by them (Leviticus 18:5). B. Sin of Commission How the Jews Disobeyed As illustrated in the previous outline we have studied most of the central e section (10:1-13), and the first d section (9:30-33). Now we will study the reflecting d section of 10:14 21. These d sections reflect one another in that the first one highlights a sin of omission, concerning how the Jews fell short of the Law, stumbling over the Stumbling Stone. This second d section highlights a sin of commission, in that the Jews committed a high-handed transgression by disobeying the gospel. Paul says, But they have not all obeyed the gospel (10:16), and that God has stretched out His hand to a disobedient and contrary people (10:21). Paul labors to point out that the Jews truly are guilty of disobedience because they have heard the preaching of the gospel throughout Scripture, and even in creation itself (10:18)! This
6 helps us see that their ignorance (10:3) is a willful ignorance, which chooses not to accept nor understand God s righteousness manifested in Christ. The Scripture has well prepared and even preached the coming of Christ to the Jewish people. So when He arose with immortality they were completely without excuse for rejecting the very Person about whom their Law had always preached to them, and of whom it still bears witness. III. The Great Call We have come full circle around these passages to the last part of the central section. The New Covenant was accomplished and is now identified through Jesus death and resurrection (10:9-10). Whoever puts their trust in Him will not be put to shame. Whoever calls upon Him will be saved. For the same Lord (10:12), the one Lord mentioned in Deut. 6, He is the Lord over all, and rich in mercy to all who call upon Him (10:12). Paul is explaining that this New Covenant call is God s call upon both Jew and Gentile. This righteousness of Faith is for the New Covenant people of God, which now includes both Jew and Gentile. And as we will see in our next study, it is through this New Covenant righteousness of Faith that God will grow the Israel which He planted and rooted in the chosen loins of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
7 Appendix The following is a concise interpretative summary of Romans 10:1-13. The Law s Anticipation and Fulfillment v. 1-13 1. Israel s Ignorance and Insufficiency: (1-3) Israel, by rejecting Christ, is willfully ignorant of God s righteousness manifested in Christ. They do not know how God has fulfilled His covenant promises, having now accomplished the anticipated justification. By seeking to establish their own righteousness in the Law, they ve rejected the Law s anticipated Goal. Their own outdated righteousness is a wicked contrast to God s righteousness which was demonstrated in Christ. 2. The Law s Goal / End is Christ: (v.4) The work of Christ, which revealed God s righteousness, is the Law s goal. Whoever now believes in Christ, God reckons them as righteous, since they have Christ for righteousness. 3. The Law is reached by the righteousness of Faith (5-9) i. The Law s Past Promise and Inability (v.5) Moses rightly wrote about the righteousness which is of the Law (see 9:31) which promised life by doing the Law. The man who does those things shall live by them (Lev.18:5) describes this righteousness of the Law. Though good for that time, it was nevertheless under the condemning era of Death s and Sin s reign. Thus the Law was unable to grant the righteousness and life it promised. (see 7:10; Gal.3:21) ii. The Law is fulfilled in the righteousness of Faith (v.6-9) Christ is and established the righteousness of Faith which the righteousness of Law anticipated. Only in the righteousness of Faith through Christ is the righteousness of the Law attained to, and received by us. (10:5-9 explains 9:30-31) Paul quotes from the Law (Dt.9:4; 30:12,13,14) to show that the Law anticipated this new work of God through Christ. (3:21) iii. The Invitation for this righteousness (v.10-13) Whoever believes in Christ now has this righteousness of Faith which the righteousness of the Law always desired, and needed, to give its intended verdict of life. (10:4-13 explains 8:4) (Is. 28:16 & Joel 2:32 continue their call) The details of going from glory to glory in II Cor.3:7-18, from Moses to Christ, are explained here in Rom.10:5-9.