1I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit— 2I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, 4the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.
6It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned."8In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring. 9For this was how the promise was stated: "At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son."
10Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. 11Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God's purpose in election might stand: 12not by works but by him who calls—she was told, "The older will serve the younger." 13Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."(NIV)
Main Points and Discussion Questions
1. Most Jews have not trusted in Christ and so face God’s wrath, and this grieves Paul deeply. (vv. 1-5)
- Paul felt the need to speak of his love for the Jews, in light of statements previously made that could be misconstrued by many of his own people (Rom 2:23-24; 3:9-20)
- “for I could wish…” – The fact that there is no way that Paul could ever be condemned by God (because of Rom 8:38-39) in the place of his people should not encourage us to overlook the deep affection and concern which is at the root of Paul’s statement
Discussion Question 1: Do we find ourselves grieving, like Paul, for those loved ones of ours who do not know Christ, and therefore face God’s condemnation? According to Rom 10:1, what should follow our grief as a matter of course?
2. God’s promises with respect to Israel have not failed, because not all of Abraham’s physical descendants are his spiritual descendants. (vv. 6-9)
-it has always been a “remnant” from within Israel that God has intended to draw to Himself – Paul shows this through the examples of Isaac and Ishmael, and then Jacob and Esau
-the true descendants of Abraham are those and only those who put their faith in Christ (Gal 3:7, 29)
3. God’s effectual calling of His true children has nothing to do with anything in them, but rather with His own purpose. (vv. 8-13)
- A closer look at the examples of the two pairs of brothers reveal this to be true – God wants to demonstrate that He does not choose according to merit, but His own purpose (cf. 1 Co 1:26-29)
- In the case of Isaac, God wishes to show Abraham – by causing Sarah to be pregnant even in her old age - that he doesn’t need the “help” that Abraham felt obliged to provide by taking Hagar as a wife.
- In the case of Jacob, there was no difference between him and Esau – neither had any advantage over the other.
- And his purpose in election is to magnify the glory of His grace! (Eph 1:3-6)
- A warning: professing Christians should not think they are free from responsibility – God’s call to faith is a genuine one, even if it is only His grace in election that makes it possible. (Php 2:12-13; Col 1:21-23)
- Similarly, unbelievers are responsible for their unbelief (Lk 13:34).
Discussion Question 3:
Why should the doctrine of election be cause for great humility, rather than pride?
