romans chapters 9-11
Beginning in chapter nine, Paul addresses national Israel's rejection of Jesus as their Messiah. He points out that God will bring into his family Gentiles, and that only a remnant of national Israel will be saved (25-29). This brings us to the end of chapter nine, which reads:
What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame” (9:30-33, emphasis ours).
Here Paul juxtaposes the Gentiles who pursue righteousness by faith with Israel who pursued righteousness by the law as if by works. This is critical to understand: righteousness never was obtained through a person's own works of obedience to the law. Using obedience to Torah for your own righteousness is a misunderstanding of the function and purpose of Torah. Torah does bring life, as we will see shortly, but not by works. As Paul states in the verses that follow,
For I bear them witness that they [the Israelites] have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness (10:2-3, emphasis ours).
You see, the law was given after the people of God were redeemed from the land of slavery. Wright emphasizes the fact that God’s law is given in a context of grace:
Paul’s entire understanding of the Mosaic law is that it never was intended as a ladder of good works up which one might climb to earn the status of “righteousness.” It was given, yes, as the way of life (Romans 7:10), but it was the way of life for a people already redeemed ... God did not say to Israel in Egypt, “Here is my Torah; if you keep it perfectly for a year or two, then I will liberate you from your slavery,” but “I am liberating you now because I promised Abraham I would do so; when, and only when, I have done so, I will give you the way of life that you will need for when you come into your promised land.” ... the Torah, the Mosaic law, was never given or intended as a means whereby either an individual or the nation as a whole might, through obedience, earn liberation from slavery, redemption, rescue, salvation, “righteousness” or whatever else. The gift always preceded the obligation. This is how Israel’s covenant theology worked (231-232, emphasis ours).
Wright's analysis is significant for God does not change. The Torah was given to a people already redeemed. He did not redeem Israel from Egypt based on their merit. Likewise, God does not redeem us based on our merit. God's grace always precedes anything man does. Man's obedience or disobedience to God is a faith-based response to what God has already initiated.
The problem that Paul is addressing is that the Israelites were using Torah as a means to establish their righteousness, as opposed to using it as a response to the righteousness that God freely gives them. They were pursuing righteousness through the law by works instead of faith, something that is completely unbiblical, even in the Torah. God did not change how we are declared righteous. It was not first through works, but because we failed, then through faith. No, it was always through faith, by his grace. And the response of the faithful is always obedience to his commands.
Now, that being said, Paul says something very interesting in this passage. He says
The problem that Paul is addressing is that the Israelites were using Torah as a means to establish their righteousness, as opposed to using it as a response to the righteousness that God freely gives them. They were pursuing righteousness through the law by works instead of faith, something that is completely unbiblical, even in the Torah. God did not change how we are declared righteous. It was not first through works, but because we failed, then through faith. No, it was always through faith, by his grace. And the response of the faithful is always obedience to his commands.
Now, that being said, Paul says something very interesting in this passage. He says
that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works (31-32a, emphasis ours).
Paul says that the law would lead to righteousness, but only if pursued by faith, and not by works. C.E.B. Cranfield, a scholar and commentator on the book of Romans, says the following about this passage:
It is of the greatest importance to recognize something which is often completely ignored, namely, that there is not the slightest suggestion here that to pursue the law was wrong or useless. It is not for its pursuit of the law, not on account of the fact that it had pursued, and was still pursuing, the law, that Israel is condemned, but for the way in which it had pursued the law. The implication is that Paul thought that, had Israel pursued the law [out of faith], it would indeed truly have come to grips with it, and that his desire for Israel was not that it should henceforward not pursue the law, but that it should cease to pursue it [out of works] and henceforward pursue it [out of faith] (510).
If Israel had pursued the law by faith, it would have led to righteousness. But they didn't and instead pursued righteousness by works, thereby not attaining righteousness. Pauline scholar E.P. Sanders disagrees with Cranfield, saying that to pursue righteousness from the law by any means is to pursue righteousness apart from Christ (37). Sanders assumes the law and Christ are mutually exclusive, when in fact, they are one in the same. A pursuit of righteousness by the law out of faith reveals a righteousness that comes from Christ alone. As we will show below, this is exactly what Paul goes on to say in Romans ten.
Many such as Sanders believe that it is wrong to pursue a righteousness from the law. This is simply not the case and is not the problem Paul is addressing, for Paul clearly establishes that the law can lead to righteousness. No, the problem for the Jews is that they sought this righteousness from the law by works. They thought, “If we obey it carefully enough, we will be saved. If we erect enough fences (the Oral Law) around it so that the Torah itself will never be violated, we will be saved.” As it says in 10:3, they were ignorant of the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own. Pursuing righteousness through the law by works is not the purpose of obedience to Torah. Rather we are to pursue the law (obey the law) by faith, and this leads to righteousness. How so? What is the righteousness that the law, when pursued by faith, leads to? It is Christ! That is what Paul so poignantly states in 10:4:
Many such as Sanders believe that it is wrong to pursue a righteousness from the law. This is simply not the case and is not the problem Paul is addressing, for Paul clearly establishes that the law can lead to righteousness. No, the problem for the Jews is that they sought this righteousness from the law by works. They thought, “If we obey it carefully enough, we will be saved. If we erect enough fences (the Oral Law) around it so that the Torah itself will never be violated, we will be saved.” As it says in 10:3, they were ignorant of the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own. Pursuing righteousness through the law by works is not the purpose of obedience to Torah. Rather we are to pursue the law (obey the law) by faith, and this leads to righteousness. How so? What is the righteousness that the law, when pursued by faith, leads to? It is Christ! That is what Paul so poignantly states in 10:4:
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
The Greek word commonly translated “end” is τέλος (telos). According to BDAG, while this word can mean "end" as in termination, it can also mean “goal” or “outcome,” as in “the goal toward which a movement is being directed” (998). For example, one could say the end of attending college is to graduate with a Bachelor's degree. But a more accepted way of saying this would be the goal of attending college is to attain a Bachelor's degree. With this in mind, the most current version (2011) of the NIV translation of Romans 10:4 reads as follows:
Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes (emphasis ours).
And the CJB (Complete Jewish Bible) translation reads this way:
For the goal at which the Torah aims is the Messiah, who offers righteousness to everyone who trusts (emphasis ours).
Far from saying that the Messiah is the "end" or "termination" of the Torah, Romans 10:4 states that the Messiah is what the Torah is all about, that he is the righteousness that it ultimately depicts and points to. Cranfield agrees that “goal” is the best translation of telos in this context. In his commentary on Romans, Cranfield shows that in the larger passage (9:30-10:13),
Paul is concerned to show that Israel has misunderstood the law. At this point a statement that Christ is the goal to which all along the law has been directed, its true intention and meaning, is altogether apposite. Israel has misunderstood the law, because it failed to recognize what it was all about … Christ is the goal, the aim, the intention, the real meaning and substance of the law—apart from Him it cannot be properly understood at all (519).
The Torah describes in picturesque language and in minute detail exactly who the Messiah would be and what he would do in both his first and second coming. In the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the entirety of the Torah is revealed. He is the goal of the Torah.
The righteousness that the law leads to is the Messiah, but this righteousness (Christ himself) is only attained by faith, not by works. This is the faith of Abraham, whereby we trust that God will achieve what man cannot do for himself, that is, justify us. We acknowledge there is not one thing we can do to earn it or obligate God to us. This is the kind of total reliance for which God is looking.
Furthermore, if you attempt to pursue the law that leads to righteousness by works, it will not lead to righteousness. Instead, those who pursue it by works, inevitably stumble over Christ and completely miss that he is what Torah is all about.
The righteousness that the law leads to is the Messiah, but this righteousness (Christ himself) is only attained by faith, not by works. This is the faith of Abraham, whereby we trust that God will achieve what man cannot do for himself, that is, justify us. We acknowledge there is not one thing we can do to earn it or obligate God to us. This is the kind of total reliance for which God is looking.
Furthermore, if you attempt to pursue the law that leads to righteousness by works, it will not lead to righteousness. Instead, those who pursue it by works, inevitably stumble over Christ and completely miss that he is what Torah is all about.
Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame” (9:32-33).
So, again, in 10:4, Paul establishes that Christ, the Messiah, is the righteousness that is attained when the law is pursued by faith. Here, Paul's letter gets really exciting! He is going to give the readers a specific example of exactly what this looks like, how the law can lead to righteousness (namely, to Christ), when pursued by faith.
In verse five, Paul says that Moses writes about the righteousness based on the law. This is not a works-oriented righteousness. Paul has already established that there is a righteousness based on law, when pursued by faith. In verse 6, Paul then begins to say, “But the righteousness based on faith says . . .” It is important to understand that Paul is not setting up a sharp contrast between two opposing ideas, mainly “the righteousness based on the law” and “the righteousness based on faith.” Again, he has already established that there is a righteousness based on the law that is pursued by faith.
The “but” in verse six is the Greek word δὲ (de), which is a conjunction that means “but, and, or now,” and whose purpose is to connect two clauses. A strong contrast is not made with this word, and that is why some translations instead put in “more” or “moreover” in place of “but.” If Paul were to make a strong contrast, he would have instead used the word ἀλλὰ (alla), which means “but, rather, on the contrary,” as he does in verses 18 and 19 of the same chapter.
So what is Paul doing here? He states that there is a righteousness based on the law (verse five), and then begins to show in verse six how this righteousness can be pursued by faith, and he continues to do this through verse 11.
In verse five, Paul says that Moses writes about the righteousness based on the law. This is not a works-oriented righteousness. Paul has already established that there is a righteousness based on law, when pursued by faith. In verse 6, Paul then begins to say, “But the righteousness based on faith says . . .” It is important to understand that Paul is not setting up a sharp contrast between two opposing ideas, mainly “the righteousness based on the law” and “the righteousness based on faith.” Again, he has already established that there is a righteousness based on the law that is pursued by faith.
The “but” in verse six is the Greek word δὲ (de), which is a conjunction that means “but, and, or now,” and whose purpose is to connect two clauses. A strong contrast is not made with this word, and that is why some translations instead put in “more” or “moreover” in place of “but.” If Paul were to make a strong contrast, he would have instead used the word ἀλλὰ (alla), which means “but, rather, on the contrary,” as he does in verses 18 and 19 of the same chapter.
So what is Paul doing here? He states that there is a righteousness based on the law (verse five), and then begins to show in verse six how this righteousness can be pursued by faith, and he continues to do this through verse 11.
[Moreover] the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
To understand the point Paul is making, we must first understand what he is quoting, which comes from Deuteronomy 30. To give some quick context, Deuteronomy 28 through 30 describes the blessings which will fall on Israel when they obey God's commandments and the curses that will ensue when they disobey his commandments. The ultimate consequence is exile among the nations, a picture of being cut off from relationship with God. At the start of chapter 30, we see that God does not leave the exiled Israelites without hope, but states that if they begin to obey his commandments yet again, he will then circumcise their hearts. He will put his law in their hearts, restoring them both to the land and to a relationship with himself. This leads us to Paul's quotation:
For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it (Deuteronomy 30:11-14).
Here Moses is telling the Israelites that God's commandments are not impossible to obey, contrary to much current theology that calls them a burden (cf. 1 John 5:3). They are not too hard to keep, nor are they far off, but they are near, even in their hearts, so that they can do them.
Now Paul here employs a Jewish teaching technique called a “midrash,” which is an interpretation or extrapolated teaching of the scriptures. A midrash reveals the deeper and often hidden layer of meaning to the text, and in this case, how it points to Christ. In Romans ten, Paul “midrashes” Deuteronomy 30:11-14, showing that the commandment, at the deepest level, IS Christ (cf. John 1:1). Our righteousness, the Messiah, is not found in heaven or beyond the sea; rather he is near us. He is the Living Word, in our mouth and in our hearts. For we confess our faith in Him through our mouth and have our faith in him in our hearts, and therefore, we are saved. Aha! The law that leads to righteousness when pursued by faith! How incredibly rich and meaningful and exciting is Paul's teaching.
Unfortunately, what many fail to understand is that this is not a replacement of the commandments by Christ. Rather, he is the meaning behind the commandments. He does not nullify them. As Jesus says himself in Matthew 5:17, he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. When we keep the commandments, we proclaim who Christ is! When we walk them out, people see Christ in us. Consider that Christ is the light of the world (John 8:12), but Jesus says that we are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14), and the Psalmist writes that the commandments are a lamp and the Torah is a light (Psalm 119:105; cf. Proverbs 6:23). When we walk out the commandments, people see the light of Christ shining forth from us. He is the deeper meaning beneath the Torah. Moses says the commandments lead to life. How clear this is when we realize that Jesus is the Living Word, near us, in our mouths and in our hearts, so that we can obey him. Once again, we see so clearly that the law leads to righteousness when pursued by faith, for the Word of God IS life, blessing, and righteousness to those who have trusted in him.
****
The final passage in this section that leads to confusion concerning the law is Romans 11:6. In the first part of Romans 11, Paul shows that there is still a remnant from national Israel, just as there has always been. Let's look at verses 5-6, which read:
Now Paul here employs a Jewish teaching technique called a “midrash,” which is an interpretation or extrapolated teaching of the scriptures. A midrash reveals the deeper and often hidden layer of meaning to the text, and in this case, how it points to Christ. In Romans ten, Paul “midrashes” Deuteronomy 30:11-14, showing that the commandment, at the deepest level, IS Christ (cf. John 1:1). Our righteousness, the Messiah, is not found in heaven or beyond the sea; rather he is near us. He is the Living Word, in our mouth and in our hearts. For we confess our faith in Him through our mouth and have our faith in him in our hearts, and therefore, we are saved. Aha! The law that leads to righteousness when pursued by faith! How incredibly rich and meaningful and exciting is Paul's teaching.
Unfortunately, what many fail to understand is that this is not a replacement of the commandments by Christ. Rather, he is the meaning behind the commandments. He does not nullify them. As Jesus says himself in Matthew 5:17, he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. When we keep the commandments, we proclaim who Christ is! When we walk them out, people see Christ in us. Consider that Christ is the light of the world (John 8:12), but Jesus says that we are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14), and the Psalmist writes that the commandments are a lamp and the Torah is a light (Psalm 119:105; cf. Proverbs 6:23). When we walk out the commandments, people see the light of Christ shining forth from us. He is the deeper meaning beneath the Torah. Moses says the commandments lead to life. How clear this is when we realize that Jesus is the Living Word, near us, in our mouths and in our hearts, so that we can obey him. Once again, we see so clearly that the law leads to righteousness when pursued by faith, for the Word of God IS life, blessing, and righteousness to those who have trusted in him.
****
The final passage in this section that leads to confusion concerning the law is Romans 11:6. In the first part of Romans 11, Paul shows that there is still a remnant from national Israel, just as there has always been. Let's look at verses 5-6, which read:
So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
The key to understanding this passage is understanding the Greek word οὐκέτι (ouketi) which is here translated as “no longer.” According to BDAG, ouketi has two possible meanings (736):
Instead, the second meaning of ouketi best explains what Paul is here arguing. In fact, BDAG, in describing the two usages of ouketi, lists Romans 11:6 as an example of this second usage of ouketi. Some translations capture this meaning better than others. Consider how the most current (2011) translation of the NIV reads:
- The extension of time up to a point but not beyond ( translated as “no more” or “no longer”)
- A marker of inference in a logical process (best translated as “not”)
Instead, the second meaning of ouketi best explains what Paul is here arguing. In fact, BDAG, in describing the two usages of ouketi, lists Romans 11:6 as an example of this second usage of ouketi. Some translations capture this meaning better than others. Consider how the most current (2011) translation of the NIV reads:
So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace (emphasis ours).
Here we see that Paul is using ouketi as a marker of inference in a logical process: If by grace, then not by works. Other places where Paul uses ouketi in the same way include Romans 7:17, where Paul is describing his inner-struggle with wanting to obey the law and yet not being able to do so. In verse 17 he says,
So now it is no longer (ouketi) I who do it, but sin that dwells within me (emphasis ours).
Is Paul using ouketi to denote that at one time he was in control of his actions, but this is now no longer the case and instead sin is in control? How could this be? When was he not “under sin?” No, rather, he is using ouketi in the second sense, as a marker of inference in a logical process. “It is not I who do it, but rather sin.”
Paul uses ouketi in the same way in Romans 11, not to denote a change in the way God operates, for he has always operated on the basis of grace and never by works. Instead, he is showing that God always maintains a remnant by grace, and logically states that if by grace, then not (ouketi) by works.
Paul uses ouketi in the same way in Romans 11, not to denote a change in the way God operates, for he has always operated on the basis of grace and never by works. Instead, he is showing that God always maintains a remnant by grace, and logically states that if by grace, then not (ouketi) by works.