Alright, I realize that the title of this post might sound like I am discrediting the work of Jesus Christ, which I am not. It is only Jesus Christ who has saved us, but if the Jews didn’t reject Him, we might have never heard the message!
God led me to some pretty mind blowing scriptures the other day. I encourage you to read all of Romans 11. While you are at it read 10, 7, 8, 9 in that order as well. Here are some highlights from Romans 11:
“But through their false step and transgression salvation [has come] to the Gentiles, so as to arouse Israel [to see and feel what they forfeited] and so to make them jealous.”
“But if some of the branches were broken off, while you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them to share the richness [of the root and sap] of the olive tree. Do not boast over the branches and pride yourself at their expense. If you do boast and feel superior, remember it is not you that support the root, BUT THE ROOT THAT SUPPORTS YOU. You will say then, Branches were broken (pruned) off so that I might be grafted in!”
“Lest you be self-opinionated (wise in your own conceits), I do not want you to miss this hidden truth and mystery, brethren: a hardening (insensibility) has [temporarily] befallen a part of Israel [to last] until the full number of the ingathering of the Gentiles has come in.”
One of the things that I was wondering about recently was the whole “elect” and “chosen” thing. I couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that God would chose people to be saved, and others to perish (also knows as double predestination). Something just didn’t fit. However, I couldn’t see how the scriptures made sense with the clear use of the words “elect” and “chosen”. After reading the chapters mentioned above, I finally got it. Israel is the chosen people. They just are, and it’s not for us to figure out. However, when we believe in Jesus Christ, we are grafted in, and we become the chosen and elect. Those who don’t believe aren’t the chosen, but it doesn’t mean they can’t become the chosen if they do start believing. So, God answered my questions with these scriptures. Double predestination is wrong, and God did not create anyone to go to hell.
Don’t you just want to hug a Jew and say, “thanks for missing it [the Gospel] for my sake. Now will you just believe already?”
You know, I have met a lot of Christians who say bad things about Jewish people, and it’s always kind of baffled me how one can call themselves a Christian and disrespect the Jews. Do they not realize that Christianity is Jewish? Have they forgotten that Jesus was actually a Jew? I have a deep respect for these people. After all, if they are good enough to be God’s chosen, they are certainly good enough for me!
Romans 9-11 speaks about Gods dealing with Jews and the Gentiles. It is made clear that “it is not the natural children who are God’s children”, but God is talking about those whom He predestined by His foreknowledge.
“To God’s elect…who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” [1 Peter 1:1-2]
God never takes the initiative in hardening a persons heart or making it wicked.
Look here at some verses Carol collected:
God hardens Pharaoh’s heart:
Ex 4:21 21 The LORD said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that
you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power
to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people
go.
Ex 7:3 . 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my
miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt, 4 he will not listen to you.
Ex 9:12 12 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not
listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said to Moses.
Pharaoh hardens his heart:
Ex 8:15 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his
heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had
said.
Ex 8:32 32 But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not
let the people go.
1 Sam 6:6 Why do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did?
God foreknew the heart of Pharaoh and how he would harden his heart and He used it as an instrument for His glory.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.THEREFORE God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. [Romans 1:21-24]
Sidharth
These verses make it very clear.
Comment Submitted: April 12th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Sidharth - I’m not really sure how your comment is relevant to this post, or what exactly you are trying to clarify.
Comment Submitted: April 13th, 2008 at 6:47 am
My comment was on Gods election…
Comment Submitted: April 13th, 2008 at 7:39 am
Try out Jacob Jervell’s Luke and the People of God. He says that God’s intended plan was that his people would accept the messiah (ultimately) although it would take their killing him (rejection) for that to happen. Ironic, isn’t it. We typically hear that in Acts the Jews rejected him and so God opened the door for the Gentiles. But what scripture is more closely saying is that the Jews accpeted the message of a crucified and resurrected messiah and because of their acceptance God opened the door to the Gentiles.
When you read Acts through that lens you notice thousands and thousands of Jews becoming Christians, even Pharisees. I know what you are saying and where you are coming from but I don’t think it is quite the whole picture.
Comment Submitted: April 16th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Matt - Based on the scripture in Romans 11, I would have to disagree with you. I don’t think it was because of their acceptance that God opened the door to the Gentiles, as scripture clearly says, “But through their false step and transgression salvation [has come] to the Gentiles, so as to arouse Israel [to see and feel what they forfeited] and so to make them jealous.” I agree with Jervell’s concept that the Jews will ultimately accept the Messiah, but that hasn’t happened yet. There were some who believed after Jesus was crucified, but the majority of them are still waiting for their Messiah.
This post is about Romans 11, not the book of Acts, but I will definitely look into it more, and by no means do I think I know everything about this topic. When reading Romans 11, I didn’t see anything to debate, but I guess there will always be someone who disagrees, even when the text seems plain and simple.
Comment Submitted: April 16th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
I appreciate your willingness to discuss and your insightful comment.
If you read that whole chapter you see that God has always had a remnant of Jews faithful to his cause and kingdom. That is why he starts chapter 11 talking about Elijah who thought he was alone and the only one still faithful but God told him there were more faithful ones out there he just wasn’t aware of. He says, “the elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened.” The elect are those who didn’t stumble. In the cast of the NT and Christianity those are the Jews like Nicodemus, the several hundred of Christ’s followers (all Jews), and eventually approx 10,000+ faithful Jews we find in the book of Acts. So you see, the Jews did accept the messiah in the New Testament period. See Acts 2:41, 47; 4:4, 5:14, 6:1,7; 9:42; 12:24; 13:43; 14:1; 17:4, 12; 19:20; and 21:20 - the Jews who had their hearts set on God recognized the Messiah when he showed up.
But what about those who didn’t get it at first?
Paul talks about them in 11:11 - through those who stumbled (not the elect) salvation has come to the Gentiles but even they will have a chance to repent and return to full inclusion (11:12). So there was a stumbling on the part of some of God’s people (the Jews) but not all of them. God’s plan from the beginning was that his people would accept the messiah and I think we miss the fact that many did (the elect Jews). We only focus on those who rejected and crucified him.
I guess what I am saying is this - God didn’t plan for the Jews to accept it and his plan got all messed up when they didn’t so the Gentiles were more like an after thought. They were in God’s plan from the beginning and they were joined to (faithful) Israel when they became Christians. There is more continuity here than we often realize.
This does seem like a straight forward text but the difference is Paul is speaking about two different groups of Jews - those who accepted Christ and remained faithful (11:1-6) and those who rejected Christ who still have opportunity if they repent (11:7-12). The fulfillment of God’s promise to the Gentiles came through the acceptance of some and the rejection of others.
Just my 2 cents. Hope it makes sense.
Comment Submitted: April 17th, 2008 at 10:28 am