Lesson 128

Romans Chapter Ten

The Faithfulness of God

 Israel in the Present

    

Within the framework, that is, Israel within the Church age, Paul turns to Justification once again.

 

Outline of Chapter 10

1. 10:1-13  Justification the Method  [by faith]

a. 10:1-5  Method as practiced by Israel; or the religious type

b. 10:6-13  Method as taught by Scripture; 

2. 10:14-15  Justification the proclamation

- 4 times he states the message of justification; gospel must be proclaimed

- His point here is this; if we have a message, what good is it if people don't hear it? Don't know what it is?

3. 10:16-21  Response to the message of justification.

 

1. 10:1-13  Justification the Method  [by faith]

This section answers the question how is man justified?

 

In v.1-5 how it is viewed by Israel; "them" in vs:1,2 = unbelieving Israel.

There is a sense that Israel here is a prophetic pattern; How they respond to God and His word is the same as man in general respond to God and His word!

 

In v.6-13 how God views it as taught by Scripture;

 

When you think Justification,  you need to think of a proper standing before God,  our position as Believer's; one of the most important BD’s we need to know and understand.

- How do we get it?  By what means is it achieved? 

 

Let's examine 10:1-5,  Israel and man's answer to these questions is religion.

 

 

The "for" that begins vs:2 says here we have the reason for vs 1.

Paul once again lays bare his intense personal desire for the spiritual future of Israel. 

 

 

- "For I bear them [Israel] witness that they have a zeal for God,"

 

- Some documentation that Paul had been down this same road.

Acts 22:1-5;  Gal. 1:13-14; 1 Tim. 1:13

 

-  But one day he gave it all up, his intense zeal redirected, all as a result of a discovery            Phil. 3:6-10 

 

- "they have a zeal for God but not in accordance with knowledge."

 

- How does Israel/mankind begin with a zeal for God but not according to the standard of God, therefore not on the basis of truth?  How is it manifested?

 

 

In verse 3 we see that it is by law performance; a works system; that is religion.

 

 

- "For" [gives reason for their lack of full/accurate knowledge; they were seeking God on the basis of their own agenda, their own way!

"For not knowing about God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own,"   [a strong statement of religious zeal]

 

 

- So it begins then with zeal + ignorance + sincerity = works to impress God [great definition of religion]

 

These are the religious crowd; the nice people/sincere people; not the hell raising lascivious crowd at all;

 

They should have known God's viewpoint about their own righteousness since the prophet Isaiah made that clear 64:6 "filthy rags"

- In this first part of vs:3 there are 2 parallel ideas;

 

- logical connection; if your ignorant of God and His word, DVPT; your going to run off in the wrong direction, pursuing your own thing; all to your detriment.

 

 

- So where did they end up?  Those seeking to establish their own  righteousness?  In pride and arrogance!  last phrase of vs:3

     "they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God."

 

- 10:4 points our the fundamental doctrinal error in their thinking and approach to righteousness and therefore to God. 

 

te,loj can mean 2 things; 2 differing nuances to "end" are pertinent

#1  end in the sense of termination, finished, cessation;

#2  end in the sense of a purpose, goal, objective; 

- When you examine the law and the believer's relationship to it in this age; what do we know? What have we already learned?

 

 

 

 

 

- The point is that the Law or any law system has nothing to do with acquiring righteousness, being justified before God!

 

- Look at Gal 3:24-25  see a blending of the two meanings of telos.

 

 

- And when we are measured by that standard we clearly do not measure up! 

When we realize that, the law has done its job!

 

"we are no longer under a tutor"  In what sense?

1.  We are not locked in or controlled by the Law's rules; [regardless of how good the rules are, which Paul develops in Gal 5]

 

2.  We are positively free to live within the life and righteousness that Jesus Christ provides.

 

3.  We are to be positively under the control of the Holy Spirit, 5:16-26,  and the discipline that grace provides Titus 2:11,12;  grace is to be our motivator in life.

 

4.  Point is the law cannot give righteousness, it only leads the sinner to the Savior who can give the righteousness needed.

 

 

Christ is "the end of the law" in the sense that through His death and resurrection, He has terminated the ministry of the Mosaic Law for those who believe, for the C/A believer.

 

The righteousness of the law is fulfilled in the life of the believer through the power of the Spirit who indwells each believer, Rom. 8:4.

 

 

 

Reformed theology attempts to keep the Gentiles under the Law--if not as a means of acquiring righteousness, [salv.]  then as "a rule of life," that's where all the trouble has arisen.