30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith;
31 but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.
32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,
33 just as it is written, "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."
V. 30 - “What shall we say then?” - What does all this mean? What is meant by ‘not my people’ and then ‘my people’? (See: Rom 9:25-26) Paul here is saying, “Let me explain it to you.”
“Gentiles... attained righteousness... which is by faith” - This message was as true for Peter as it was for Paul. See Acts 11:15-18 “‘Then as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as he did on us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, as he used to say, “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Therefore if God gave them the same gift as he also gave us after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to hinder God?’ When they heard this, they ceased their objections and praised God, saying, "So then, God has granted the repentance that leads to life even to the Gentiles." Peter was reluctant to accept Gentiles as Christians, or part of God’s family, because… they were Gentiles. All his life, as well as back into history, the Gentiles were reviled and rejected by the Jews. You would think that Paul trained as a Jewish leader, a Pharisee, would have agreed completely with Peter. Yet, by God’s grace and His power, Paul realized, almost immediately Gentiles were Jesus’s people if they accepted and believed in Him. Paul had a special desire to save the chosen people, and started almost every mission in a new town in a synagogue. If anyone would understand and accept Jesus as Messiah it would be those people who had waited for a thousand years. Paul did not shun or reject Gentiles because he saw that Jesus meant salvation for all.
Look at Paul’s and Barnabas’ message: “Both Paul and Barnabas replied courageously, ‘It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we are turning to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ' “have appointed you to be a light for the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” ‘ When the Gentiles heard this, they began to rejoice and praise the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed for eternal life believed. So the word of the Lord was spreading through the entire region.” (See: Acts 13:46-49.)
Gentiles received salvation by faith, and immediately became God’s own people. Jesus indicate we are His, and no one and no thing can take us from Him. (See: 2 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:15; Rom. 8:38-39) Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father's hand. The Father and I are one." (John 10:28-30)
V. 31 - “But Israel... did not arrive at that law.” - I too often jump straight to “salvation by works” when I hear “law”. However, James writes of “the perfect law of liberty” bringing peace and freedom in Christ. (See: Jam. 1:25) Jesus replied to the question about works - that believing the one the Father sent, Jesus, is the only ‘works’ necessary. (John 6:28-29)
V. 32 - “Because they did not pursue it by faith,” - Why didn’t they accept Christ? Israel balked at accepting Jesus as Messiah, and were putting themselves in peril. Jesus warned them, "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it.” (Matt 21:43) It goes even deeper. It appears that the Jews did not come to God in faith under the Law, but came to Him by rote. They did what they were told, but did not receive it into their hearts. Look at the number of times the Israelites, especially in the southern kingdom, that the king and priests were following God and the nation prospered. It only took one bad king - and not a long-reigning king at that - and the people fall into abominable practices. The actions were there, but not the faith.
V. 33 - "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE,” - Quoted from Isa. 28:16. See also: Isa. 8:14; Zech. 10:4; Gen. 49:24 (a Messianic prophecy); Psa. 118:22; Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:6-8 .
Jesus is both the cornerstone of His body, the church and, the stone non-believer stumble over. I have read in a commentary (don’t remember the source) that Jesus is the cornerstone of the church, but not the foundation. The foundation (per that writer) is the gospel taught by the apostles. Jesus being the starting point, the source and beginning of the church. Architectural designs for factories (or other large structures) always have a starting point (0,0 or zero-zero) which is usually a corner. Exterior walls, column lines, wall locations for rooms are referenced from that point. The foundation is the good news of salvation preached by apostles, that is, faith in Jesus Christ the starting point. We, the church, are built upon that salvation.
Please do not construe that I mean Christ is not our ALL-IN-ALL. "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) Christ is our only way to God, by faith in Him - the whole and complete support of our salvation. The apostles and the church today must build on that foundation to reach the world for Christ.
I am not quite sure of that line of thought (that faith in Jesus is a starting point with more for us to do to merit or received salvation), because Jesus is our all! “Salvation is found in no one else...” (Acts 4:12) He is more than a starting point (starting point for me implies there is more to be done after you make it past the starting point). He is the end as well as the beginning. He is the source of power. Without Christ there is no salvation. For me, that is far more than a starting point. The preaching of the gospel is how people learn about salvation through Jesus. The preaching is not the salvation. Learning about trusting in Him as Lord and Savior is not salvation, however necessary learning may be (it is necessary!).
Trusting and believing in Jesus is salvation.
Jesus has the ‘last word’ for those who choose not to believe. Unfortunately (for the doubter, the atheist, the non-believer), God has given us the choice to accept or reject Jesus. People seldom reject the idea of living in a paradise, or reject being forgiven, or reject heaven, etc. They reject the idea they need Jesus. They reject that they can’t do it themselves; that they are dependent on some one (Jesus!) to pay for them. The scary part of this imagery regarding the stumbling stone is not that you might stub your spiritual foot on Him, and fall. How frightening to realize the person you reject will be the thing that crushes you. You reject Him; your name is not added to the Lamb’s Book of Life. That simple misstep on your part means rejection at the final judgement - in other words, eternity separated from God. You reject the stone, that stone crushes you. (Matt. 21:44)
***End of Chapter
Romans 9: 1-33
