January 28
Romans 10:18-20, “But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.”
Paul had done his best to convince the gainsayers that the Jews had indeed heard the gospel. But now the objectors propose another excuse, “Perhaps they did not understand!”
Once again Paul quotes Scripture to counteract the objections. He quotes Moses from Deuteronomy 32:21 (...I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.) and Isaiah from Isaiah 65:1 (I Am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not
. Most commentators take this text to mean: “Didn’t the Jews understand that the gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles They did because the Old Testament (Moses, Isaiah, and other Old Testament writers) prophesied it.” Boice thinks Paul means: “Didn’t the Jews understand the gospel? They did, because they were provoked to jealousy when the Gentiles, upon whom they had often looked disparagingly, believed it.”
Boice asks the following question: “If Paul’s countrymen did not understand the gospel of Salvation by grace through the work of Christ – if it was utter foolishness to them – why would they have had such an emotional reaction when it was proclaimed among the Gentiles?” Generally the Jews did not care what the Gentiles believed. The fact that the Romans worshiped Caesar and other false gods was of little significance to the Jews, as long as the Romans did not try to impose their belief system on them. As long as they had their Judaism, they cared not what the Gentiles believed, because they “knew” their Judaism was superior in every way!
“But that was not the reaction Paul was seeing. Instead of detached indifference and smug superiority, there was jealousy and anger on the Jews’ part.” (Boice) They understood fully what was going on. The message Paul and the other Apostles were preaching was a message of salvation by grace, apart from keeping the Jewish law. Further they understood that the gospel message was not a contradiction of Judaism, but was a fulfillment of it, and that is why they were so offended.
A second offense was that Christianity was being received by these Gentile dogs, who were “no-people,” ignorant and irresponsible. That is exactly what Moses and Isaiah had prophesied. The Jews considered themselves to be the “privileged people of God,” and this offer of salvation to the Gentiles literally sickened them to the point of hatred.
Consider the three things Paul listed of the Gentiles that irked the Jews:
1. The Gentiles were “those who are not a nation.” This is not to say that the Gentiles were not organized into nations, but rather that the Gentiles were not a special people in the sight of God, as were the Jews. God had worked exclusively among and through the Jews for thousands of years, from Abraham to the time of Christ, and now, if Christianity was true, “their privileged position was being taken away and these ‘no-people’ were replacing them.” (Boice)
2. The Gentiles were “those who have no understanding.” And this certainly was true. The Gentiles, for all their vaunted philosophy and secular learning, were just ignorant pagans spiritually. They understood nothing of true God, they did not have His law, and they did not know His ways. Instead, their ways ran to gross pagan vice and depravity. Paul described the Jews accurately in Romans 2:17-18, “Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law.” What an offense for the gospel to be given to these ignorant Gentiles.
3. The Gentiles were “those who did not seek God.” The Jews whole being, as a nation and individually, was to seek God. They did this by trying to obey His law and keep His ordinances. The Gentiles did none of this, they were to busy having “fun.” But the Gentiles were finding God, in spite of themselves. You don’t have to have much of an imagination to realize just how much this offended the Jews. When the Jews heard Paul or the other Apostles preach, they became jealous, angry, and offended. “Pilate they abhorred, but they could live with Pilate. They could endure the Roman occupation, just as they could endure their own corrupt and cynical politicians. But they could not endure Christianity. Paul was quite right in saying that their anger toward the Gentiles showed that they understood the nature of the gospel very well.” (Boice)
Adapted from “Romans” by Boice.
In Christ,
Dan Todd
Romans 10:18-20, “But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.”
Paul had done his best to convince the gainsayers that the Jews had indeed heard the gospel. But now the objectors propose another excuse, “Perhaps they did not understand!”
Once again Paul quotes Scripture to counteract the objections. He quotes Moses from Deuteronomy 32:21 (...I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.) and Isaiah from Isaiah 65:1 (I Am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not
. Most commentators take this text to mean: “Didn’t the Jews understand that the gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles They did because the Old Testament (Moses, Isaiah, and other Old Testament writers) prophesied it.” Boice thinks Paul means: “Didn’t the Jews understand the gospel? They did, because they were provoked to jealousy when the Gentiles, upon whom they had often looked disparagingly, believed it.”Boice asks the following question: “If Paul’s countrymen did not understand the gospel of Salvation by grace through the work of Christ – if it was utter foolishness to them – why would they have had such an emotional reaction when it was proclaimed among the Gentiles?” Generally the Jews did not care what the Gentiles believed. The fact that the Romans worshiped Caesar and other false gods was of little significance to the Jews, as long as the Romans did not try to impose their belief system on them. As long as they had their Judaism, they cared not what the Gentiles believed, because they “knew” their Judaism was superior in every way!
“But that was not the reaction Paul was seeing. Instead of detached indifference and smug superiority, there was jealousy and anger on the Jews’ part.” (Boice) They understood fully what was going on. The message Paul and the other Apostles were preaching was a message of salvation by grace, apart from keeping the Jewish law. Further they understood that the gospel message was not a contradiction of Judaism, but was a fulfillment of it, and that is why they were so offended.
A second offense was that Christianity was being received by these Gentile dogs, who were “no-people,” ignorant and irresponsible. That is exactly what Moses and Isaiah had prophesied. The Jews considered themselves to be the “privileged people of God,” and this offer of salvation to the Gentiles literally sickened them to the point of hatred.
Consider the three things Paul listed of the Gentiles that irked the Jews:
1. The Gentiles were “those who are not a nation.” This is not to say that the Gentiles were not organized into nations, but rather that the Gentiles were not a special people in the sight of God, as were the Jews. God had worked exclusively among and through the Jews for thousands of years, from Abraham to the time of Christ, and now, if Christianity was true, “their privileged position was being taken away and these ‘no-people’ were replacing them.” (Boice)
2. The Gentiles were “those who have no understanding.” And this certainly was true. The Gentiles, for all their vaunted philosophy and secular learning, were just ignorant pagans spiritually. They understood nothing of true God, they did not have His law, and they did not know His ways. Instead, their ways ran to gross pagan vice and depravity. Paul described the Jews accurately in Romans 2:17-18, “Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law.” What an offense for the gospel to be given to these ignorant Gentiles.
3. The Gentiles were “those who did not seek God.” The Jews whole being, as a nation and individually, was to seek God. They did this by trying to obey His law and keep His ordinances. The Gentiles did none of this, they were to busy having “fun.” But the Gentiles were finding God, in spite of themselves. You don’t have to have much of an imagination to realize just how much this offended the Jews. When the Jews heard Paul or the other Apostles preach, they became jealous, angry, and offended. “Pilate they abhorred, but they could live with Pilate. They could endure the Roman occupation, just as they could endure their own corrupt and cynical politicians. But they could not endure Christianity. Paul was quite right in saying that their anger toward the Gentiles showed that they understood the nature of the gospel very well.” (Boice)
Adapted from “Romans” by Boice.
In Christ,
Dan Todd
