The Epistle to the Romans
Lesson 17
Special English Version

The Gospel, Scorned by Israel

Reading Assignment: Romans 10

Introduction
In our last lesson we reviewed Romans 9 where Paul defended the righteousness of God in turning to the Gentiles after setting Israel aside as a nation, temporarily, because of their unbelief.

Romans 10, proves that Israel’s temporary rejection involves the rejection of any individual Jew. During this dispensation of Grace, the Bible does not mention Israel, as a nation that is connected to God by a covenant. God’s covenant with Israel will be restored when Christ returns and “all Israel shall be saved” (Romans 11:26).

In chapter 10, Paul makes clear that the promise of God’s salvation applies to the house of Israel and to every individual Gentile as well.

Importance of this Lesson

• Romans 10 is of great importance. In verse four, we see the KEY SPIRITUAL THOUGHT for the whole epistle – Christ is the believer’s righteousness. Verses nine and ten are two of the most loved and widely used verses about the way of salvation. These verses have brought assurance to thousands of people through the years. Verses fourteen and fifteen have a special meaning for missionary calling and work – “how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent?” Finally, the whole chapter shows that while God has temporarily rejected Israel because of their unbelief, He has opened the way to salvation for all individual Gentiles and Jews.
  (Memorize Romans 10:4 for the exam.)

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The Lesson

I. PAUL’S LOVE FOR ISRAEL AND GOD’S SIMPLE PLAN OF SALVATION – Romans 10:1-13

1. Verse 1 – This verse reveals the same burden for Israel that Paul mentioned in Romans 9:1-3, Paul here desires and prays that they will be saved.
2. Verse 2 – Israel failed to understand their own rebellion and disobedient way of living. They had enthusiasm for God and wanted to serve Him, but not according to knowledge. That is, they rejected the fuller revelation of God’s mind and will through Christ. Many today have a form of godliness, they are religious, but deny Christ and His Word.
3. Verse 3 – Israel rejected the righteousness of God in Christ, but tried hard to make themselves righteous by their works. The phrase “God’s Righteousness” here, differs somewhat from the often repeated phrase “the Righteousness of God.” For example, the righteousness of God becomes ours in Christ through imputation (Romans 3:21-22). The way it is used here, it means that the Jews did not know how righteous God really is. How foolish of them to think that by their works they could become so righteous that God would accept them.
4. Verse 4 – Here is the KEY spiritual thought in the entire epistle: Christ is the end (the completion or fulfillment) of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. The law demanded a righteousness, which no man could reach. But Christ reached it (Matthew 5:17-18). He satisfied every requirement of the law. Now He Himself becomes our righteousness. That righteousness is imputed to us when we believe (Romans 3:21-22).
5. Verses 5-7 – In these verses, the apostle showed the difference between the righteousness of the Law and the righteousness that is received by faith in Christ. In the words …That the man which doeth those things shall live by them, Paul was quoting Leviticus 18:5. He described what righteousness of the Law is really like, “which if a man DO, he shall live in them.” The fact is no one but Christ could DO everything the Law required. If a man broke even one part of the Law he was a lawbreaker (Galatians 3:10). When a man broke the Law he could not receive eternal life. Man can receive eternal life only through the sacrifice of Christ in our place. The law will judge everyone who seeks salvation by keeping the law. In verse 6, Paul applied to Christ the words of Moses in Deuteronomy 30:12-14.
   In these verses Moses invited Israel to understand that God had not hidden His Word and that His Word was not far away. They need not to look for the Word of God in heaven or on the other side of the sea, because “the word is very nigh (close) unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.”
   1. In our text, Paul said that you need not bring Christ down from heaven or bring Him up from the dead to show God’s righteousness. He has already come down. He has been here. He has already been raised from the dead. The righteousness, which is by faith, lays hold on these blessed truths. (Know the meaning of verses 6-7.)
6. Verse 8 – …The word is…in thy mouth… Many people talked about the Word. …The word is…in thy heart… Many had received Christ into their hearts by faith. It is wonderful to realize that salvation is not in some far-off place. It is … nigh thee…. Salvation is available to everyone through a simple act of faith. (Know the meaning of this verse.)
7. Verses 9-10 – The Holy Spirit has used these verses in a powerful way to clearly reveal the way of salvation. The Holy Spirit brought assurance to countless souls. Commit these verses to memory.
   1. …confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus… (Actually, Jesus, as Lord). This confession is to God Himself in which we receive Christ as our Lord.
   2. …and shalt believe in thine heart… that is, believe, sincerely, with everything that is in you.
      … that God hath raised him from the dead… Saving faith does not exist when there is doubt about the resurrection of Christ. …thou shalt be saved. We can never completely understand the word “saved.” It includes more than any other word in the Bible. It includes every doctrine connected to our salvation, such as “justification,” “redemption,” “sanctification,” “forgiveness,” etc. It means that Christ found us, delivered us, paid for us, and set us free.
   3. In verse 10, Paul repeated what he had just written. He made clear that there is no other way to be saved or made righteous than through sincere faith in Christ and open confession of Him as Savior and Lord.
8. Verse 11 – This is a quotation from Isaiah 28:16. By using it, the apostle proved that his preaching that the Gospel was for both Jew and Gentile was not different from what the Lord had said to Israel.
9. Verses 12-13 – These verses continue and establish this fact, …For whosoever (Jew or Gentile) shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. To call upon the name of the Lord is to put your faith in that name. The Lord’s name represents all that He is. To call on that name is to place your trust in Him.

II. WHILE GOD “STRETCHES FORTH” HIS HANDS TO ISRAEL, THEY REJECT THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST WHICH IS FOR EVERYONE – Romans 10:14-21

1. Verses 14-15 – In these two verses, God shows His plan that we must preach the Gospel to everybody in this age of grace.
   1. Perhaps Paul expected more questions and objections from the Jews, and for that reason he asked four questions:
      1. How shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
      2. How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?
      3. How shall they hear without a preacher?
      4. How shall they preach except somebody send them?
   2. The Jews knew about God. They believed He existed. Preachers had proclaimed the Truth to them. God had sent these preachers. But Israel rejected the message and the messengers. Read 2 Chronicles 36:15,16 and Psalm 81:11-13.
   3. For the Gentiles, these verses represent one of the greatest challenges to missionary work in this age of grace. It is still true, how will a person call on the Lord when he does not believe, or how can a person believe, if he has not heard the Gospel? It is not possible to hear without a preacher and a person cannot preach if he is not sent. Pray that the Lord of the harvest will raise up laborers (Luke 10:2).
2. Verse 15 – …How beautiful are the feet…The apostle here quoted from Isaiah 52:7. Paul shows us what God thinks of those who preach the Gospel of Christ.
3. Verse 16 – Paul quoted a passage from Isaiah 53:1. This verse shows that with all of the privileges God gave to the Jews, many of them did not believe or obey the gospel when they heard it.
4. Verse 17 – This verse shows that saving faith results from hearing the Word of God. Some Jews probably said to Paul, ”when did we hear it?”
5. Verse 18 – Here is Paul’s answer. He quotes Psalm 19:4 to prove that every person heard the Word in some form or another. …their sound went into all the earth…. Read again Romans 1:19-20.
6. Verses 19-20 – …Did not Israel know? God gave His Word to Israel. They heard it. God told Israel that all the nations of the earth would know His righteousness, His truth. God made His great salvation available to the whole world. Words like …I will provoke (move) you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you…I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. (see Deuteronomy 32:21; Isaiah 65:1), should have convinced Israel that God has included the Gentile world in His great plan of salvation.
7. Verse 21 – …All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. Paul quotes from Isaiah 65:2. God turns away from Israel. But God reminds them of patience, forgiving, and continual efforts to save them.
   1. God did not turn away from them forever. We shall see this in the study of Romans 11:25-26.
   2. Remember that today believing Jews and believing Gentiles are one in Christ, Ephesians 2:14-16, 3:6.

Examination

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