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By: Curtis Baker

Due to the subject manner that Paul addresses in Romans 9-11, I thought it might be appropriate to speak a word of caution. Paul, of course, in Romans 9-11 is dealing with the question of whether God has been faithful to his promises to Israel. To both review and anticipate where Paul leads this argument, Paul has shown that God has indeed been faithful to Israel, but what is often misunderstood has been Israel’s role in God’s redemptive plan. Many in the past (and the present) assumed that simply because one was a physical descendant of Abraham, this automatically put one in favor with God and made them an heir to all of God’s promises. Paul has been at pains in Romans 9 to show that this simply is not the case. Being an heir of God’s promises was never simply a matter of ethnic heritage. It has always been about faith that lead to obedience. Israel had a special role in bringing God’s redemptive message to the world, but being an Israelite by blood did not automatically secure one as being in right relationship with God. The “true Israel,” if you will, has nothing to do with being an ethnic descendant of Abraham — it has everything to do with following Abraham in faith and obedience (Romans 4). This is Paul’s overall point in Romans 9-11. Having said that, because of the historical sensitivity that is present when talking about the Jewish people, one must be careful how the teaching of scripture is presented. It is important to be both accurate to what Paul teaches, but also not be misunderstood in such a way as to invoke anti-Jewish sentiment. Unfortunately, much of history has not carried such a balance, and the Jewish people have been subjected to one kind of horror after another. The Holocaust remains a horrific reminder of what can happen when hatred is allowed to go unchecked.

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