God’s Power Unto Salvation

This is the second article of a series of articles on Romans 9-11, based on the book Rejoice, You Gentiles, with His People by Johannes Gerloff, which is expected to be published in early 2022.nnContext is critical if we wish to understand any statement properly. We have to know the framework within which the author communicates. For that reason, to understand Paul’s discussion of Israel in Romans 9-11, we need to get an overview of the first eight chapters of his Epistle to the Romans.n

“Context is critical if we wish to understand any statement properly”

nRomans 1-8 provide answers to the questions:n

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• How can I be justified before God?

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• How do I enter into a relationship with my Creator?

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nThe starting point is his assessment in Romans 1:20-21:nn“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.”nnThus, the Apostle reaches a conclusion: “So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honour him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”nnThe Jewish people have an advantage over non-Jews because: “To them, the words of the [one and only] God were entrusted” (Romans 3:2). However, considering their way of life, Paul has to reproach his kinsmen: “You teach others, but you do not teach yourself… You boast in the law (Torah), while [at the same time] you disgrace the [one] God by transgressing the law. For the name of the [one] God is being ridiculed because of you among the Gentiles” (Romans 2:21-24).nnPaul, known among his contemporaries as Rabbi Sha’ul of Tarsus, knew that: “Circumcision is useful if you practice the law. But if you violate the law, your circumcision has become invalid” (Romans 2:25). He realised that, concerning the problem of sin, there is no difference between Jew and Gentile. “…for all have sinned. They lack the glorious presence of the [one, true] God” (Romans 3:23).nnThe way out of this dilemma is the fact that a person is justified through a trust- relationship with God. “…since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith“. (Romans 3:30). Paul explains to his readers step by step how they are able to enter into peace with God. The outstanding example is Abraham, the Father of our faith (Romans 4). Today, our faith is in the sacrificial death and victorious resurrection of Messiah Yeshua – our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5). He has provided the way to a life with God through His victory over sin and death on the cross of Calvary (Romans 6).nnPaul, however, does not evade reality. He knows about the struggles in the life of a believer: “I do not understand my own actions. Not what I want I do, but what I hate is what I do” (Romans 7:15). To his disciple Timothy he writes, “Messiah Yeshua has come into the world to save sinners,” without forgetting: “of whom I am the first” (1 Timothy 1:15). He does not state that he once was a sinner. Even after his justification he does not emphasise his own righteousness, but points to the One who saved him. Paul is completely aware that there is nothing within himself that might qualify as ‘good’. “I do have the ambition to do good things”, he writes, “but I am not able to produce the good” (Romans 7:18).nnDespite this ‘catch-22 situation’ which Paul describes in chapter seven, he knows that: “There is no condemnation for those who are in Messiah Yeshua” (Romans 8:1). The decisive point is that: “Those who are led by God’s Spirit, they are God’s children” (Romans 8:14). Recognising that, he concludes; “The sufferings of this present time are nothing in comparison to the future glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).nnSummarising, we conclude: Romans 1-8 focuses on the individual human being, his helplessness, his separation from God, the work of Messiah Yeshua for man’s sake, God’s grace, and the way to salvation from sin and death.n