III. DISPENSATIONAL (JUDICIAL RIGHTEOUSNESS)--9:1-11:36 (Part II)

B. God's Present Purpose in Israel--10:1-21
     1. Present state of  Israel--vv. 1-4
          a. Paul's desire--v. 1
               (I) Chapters 9 and 10 compared
                    (A) Chapter 9--He wished himself  lost, if  it were possible, for sake of  his kinsmen, the Jews.
                    (B) Chapter 10
                         (1) He desires that they might be saved.
                         (2) He prays that they might be saved.
               (II) Brethren--addresses all believers concerning his yearning for Israel
               (III) Heart's desire
                    (A) Literally: "the dear pleasure of  my heart"
                    (B) To contemplate and hope for the salvation of  Jews was a thing of  delight
               (IV) Prayer to God
                    (A) All spiritual longings should end here.
                    (B) The word is from deomai, to want, to beg, to pray.
                    (C) Thus, it can be conceived as earnest prayer.
                    (D) Prayer is huper autov, on their behalf.
                    (E) Prayer is on their behalf  "unto salvation."
          b. The Jews ignorant of  God's righteousness--vv. 2, 3
               (I) Have a zeal for God--v. 2
                    (A) Paul is a witness to their zeal.
                         (1) Paul himself  was a Jew and, therefore, would know firsthand the zeal of  his own people.
                         (2) Paul himself was so zealous as a Jew that he persecuted the church of  God.
                    (B) Paul denies that they had any real knowledge of  God and His ways.
                         (1) But not "(in accordance with, founded upon, and carried on with) knowledge (accurate
                              apprehension of  the way of  righteousness as revealed to them)."-- Alford, 416; bold type is his.
                         (2) "Zeal must not be mistaken for knowledge in Divine things."-- Newell, 387
                    (C) Zeal for God is good.
                    (D) Zeal is inadequate.
                         (1) Failure to find salvation is more deplorable because of  their zeal.
                         (2) Zeal for God, or anything else, is not enough for salvation.
               (II) They go about establishing their own righteousness--v. 3.
                    (A) NOTE:  THE JEW HAD GOD'S OWN BOOK, THE OLD TESTAMENT.
                    (B) Jews are in a fearful condition.
                         (1) Wholly ignorant of  God's righteousness
                              (a) Not justification
                              (b)"But that only righteousness which avails before God."-- Alford, 416; italics are his.
                              (c) They were not ignorant of  the attributes of  righteousness and holiness in God.
                         (2) Seek to establish their own righteousness
                              (a) "They (the Jews) were desperately set on establishing, building up that which God had cast
                                   down, that is, human righteousness."--Newell, 390; bold type is his.
                              (b) Scripture
                                   ((I)) Psalm 14:1-.3
                                   ((II)) Isaiah 64:6
                              (c) Doubly blinded
                                   ((I))"The common blindness of  man to his" lost state--Newell, 390
                                   ((II)) "The false confidence the Jew has in his own righteousness because the Law was given by
                                        Jehovah to his nation."--Newell, 391
                                   ((III)) Cf. 2 Corinthians 3:15
                         (3) They were not subject to the righteousness of  God--they did not subject themselves to the
                              God-given righteousness.
          c. The reason--v. 4
               (I) Christ the source and end of  righteousness
                    (A) 1Corinthians 1: 30
                    (B) Hebrews 12:2
               (II) The end of  the law for righteousness
                    (A) Christ is that end because He fulfilled the Law.
                    (B) Meaning of  "End"
                         (1) Stopped the law as a means of  salvation
                              (a) Scriptures
                                   ((I)) Romans 6:14
                                   ((II)) Romans 9:31
                                   ((III)) Ephesians 2:15
                                   ((IV)) Colossians 2:14
                              (b) On1y objection is that the Law was never intended as a means of  salvation.
                         (2) Christ the goal or aim of  the Law
                              (a) Galatians 3:24
                              (b) Certainly true from the point of  view that He did what the law could not do, justify us
                         (3) Christ the fulfillment of  the Law
                              (a) Scripture
                                   ((I)) Matthew 5:17
                                   ((II)) Romans 13:10
                                   ((III)) 1 Timothy 1:5
                              (b) He certainly was that, but may not be in view here.
                              (c) This is not to say that Christ fulfilled the law for us by His earthly life.
                                   ((I)) Cf. Galatians 3:10-13
                                   ((II)) Nowhere in Scripture are we taught that Christ's "obedience as a man under the Law, is 'put
                                        to the account' of  any sinner whatsoever!" (Newell, 392)
                                   ((III)) "The Law is no more a rule of  life than it is a means of  righteousness. Walking in the
                                        Spirit has now taken the place of  walking by ordinances." (Newell, 393; italics are his.)
                                   ((IV)) Scripture
                                        ((A)) Hebrews 7:18, 19
                                        ((B)) Ephesians 2:15
                                        ((C)) Colossians 2:14
     2. The present standing of  Israel--vv. 5-13
          a. The righteousness of  the Law versus the righteousness of  faith--vv. 5-11
               (I) The Law's righteousness--v. 5
                    (A) Moses spoke of  it--Leviticus 18:5
                    (B) Negatively
                         (1) Not speaking of  law versus faith, but the righteousness proceeding from them
                         (2) Does not say that righteousness of  law is the righteousness of  God
                    (C) Doing the law,or trying to do it
                         (1) You live by it.
                         (2) You're judged by it.
                              (a) Romans 2:12
                              (b) Galatians 3:10
                    (D) Life is not obtained by the law.
                         (1) Galatians 3:21
                         (2) A ministration of  death and condemnation--2 Corinthians 3:7-9
                    (E) The Law is a schoolmaster.
                         (1) To lead to Christ--Galatians 3:24
                         (2) To stop our mouths--Romans 3:19
                         (3) To cast ourselves on God's mercy
                              (a) Cf. Psalm 51
                              (b) Cf. Galatians 3:11-14
               (II) The faith's righteousness--vv. 6-11
                    (A) Paul quotes from Moses again.
                         (1) Cf. Deuteronomy 30:10-14
                         (2) Passage freely cited
                         (3) Speaks on this wise--the "by faith righteousness" is personified here as "wisdom" is in the Book of
                              Proverbs. (Justifiable because Christ is our Righteousness)
                         (4) "Say not in thine heart" equivalent to "think not"--a Hebrew idiom
                         (5) The words, "that is, to bring Christ down:" and "that is, to bring Christ up from the dead." are
                              interpretations by Paul, under inspiration of  the Spirit, of  the Old Testament passage.
                         (6) "That is, the word of  faith, which we preach:" are again interpretative.
                         (7) The words "in thy mouth, and in thy heart" are very appropriate here in view of  vv. 9, 10
                              (a) "In thy mouth"--confession
                              (b) "In thy heart"--belief
                         (8) The Jews were always asking for a "sign from Heaven"
                              (a) This quotation virtually says, "Don't seek a sign, but believe the word we preach."
                              (b) Newell--"It is so to this day, and sad to say, the tendency to demand 'signs' is increasing rather
                                   than lessening.  If  a man come announcing 'healing meetings' (although no such 'meetings for
                                   healing' are known in Scripture), the place will be crowded.  History is full of  spiritual wreckage
                                   caused by 'Lo , here,' and 'Lo , there!'" (page 396--footnote)
                    (B) Believing and confessing--vv. 9, 10
                         (1) The order in vv. 9,10
                              (a) Verse 9 has confess, then belief  to correspond to the order of  the quotation from Moses.
                              (b) Verse 10 gives the correct order.
                              (c) Also remember he is dealing with the present standing of  Israel, and the hardest thing for a Jew
                                   to do would be to confess the despised Nazarene as his Lord.
                         (2) The confession
                              (a) With the mouth
                                   ((1)) Not always the easiest thing to do
                                   ((II)) Cf. John 12:42, 43
                                   ((III)) This writer the day he was saved made verbal confession of  his salvation to several
                                        persons in the place he was saved.
                              (b) The Lord Jesus
                                   ((I)) Jesus as Lord
                                   ((II)) No Jew would do this who had not really trusted Christ, for Kurios [Lord] in the LXX is
                                        used of  God.  No Gentile would do it who had not ceased worshipping the emperor as
                                        Kurios.  The word Kurios was and is the touchstone of  faith."--Robertson, 389; italics are
                                        his.
                                   ((III)) Confessing Jesus Christ as Lord thus implies believing Him to be God and also your
                                        master.
                                   ((IV)) Scripture
                                        ((A)) Ephesians 1:18-23
                                        ((B)) Colossians 1:13-20
                                        ((C)) Colossians 2:8-10
                                        ((D)) Hebrews 1:2-3
                         (3) The believing
                              (a) The bodily resurrection of  Jesus Christ from the dead is as central as the cross.
                              (b) Cf. Romans 4:25
                              (c) Consider Peter's sermons
                                   ((I)) Pentecost--Acts 2
                                        ((A)) Death--v. 23
                                        ((B)) Resurrection--vv. 24-32
                                        ((C)) Exaltation--vv. 33-36
                                   ((II)) Cornelius--Acts 10
                                        ((A)) Death--v. 39
                                        ((B)) Resurrection-- vv. 40-41
                                        ((C)) Faith--v. 43
                              (d) Paul's sermons
                                   ((I)) In Antioch of  Pisidia before Jews--Acts 13
                                        ((A)) Death--vv. 27-29
                                        ((B)) Resurrection--vv. 30-37
                                        ((C)) Faith--vv. 38, 39
                                   ((II)) On Mars' Hill --Acts 17
                                        ((A)) Resurrection--v. .31
                                        ((B)) Repent (believe)--v. .30
                                   ((III)) Before King Agrippa--Acts 26
                                        ((A)) Death--v. 23
                                        ((B)) Resurrection--v. 23
                         (4) The correct order--v. 10
                              (a) The "for" shows that v. 10 explains v. 9.
                              (b) Believe with the heart unto righteousness
                              (c) Confession
                                   ((I)) With the mouth unto salvation
                                   ((II)) Confession does not save.
                                   ((III)) Confession is the proof  that you are saved.
                                   ((IV)) Calvin--"It may seem strange, that he ascribes no part of  our salvation to faith, as he had
                                        before so often testified, that we are saved by faith alone.  But we ought not on this account to
                                       conclude that confession is the cause of  our salvation.  His design was only to show how God
                                       completes our salvation, even when he makes faith, which he implants in our hearts, to show
                                       itself  by confession: nay, his simple object was to mark out true faith, as that from which this
                                       fruit proceeds, lest any one should otherwise lay claim to the empty name of  faith alone:  for it
                                       ought so to kindle the heart with zeal for God's glory, as to force out its own flame.  And
                                       surely, he who is justified has already obtained salvation:  hence he no less believes with the
                                       heart unto salvation, than with the mouth makes a confession. . . . for no one can believe with
                                       the heart without confessing with the mouth: it is indeed a necessary consequence, but not that
                                      which assigns salvation to confession." (Calvin, John, Commentaries on th Epistle of Paul the
                                      Apostle to the Romans.  Grand Rapids, MI:  Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1948;
                                      translated and edited by Rev. John Owen; page 394)
                                 ((V)) The words "with the mouth" is of  necessity outward --cf. James 2:14ff.
                    (C) The witness of  the Scripture--v. 11
                         (1) The Old Testament teaches the righteousness of  faith.
                         (2) Quotes Isaiah 28:16
                         (3) The word "all" is not in the LXX nor the Hebrew, but is certainly implied by the indefinite participle.
                         (4) NOTE:  "Ashamed" means "to flee out of  fear."
          b. The universal character of  salvation--vv. 12, 13
               (I) Explains "whosoever believeth" of v. 11--indicated by the word "for."
               (II) In this present dispensation of  grace, there is no difference between Jew and Gentile.
                    (A) Verse 12
                    (B) Cf. Romans 3:29, 30
                    (C) Looks at all being saved without distinction (The only criteria is faith in Jesus Christ.)
                    (D) NOTE:  This same phrase is used in Romans 3:22 in connection with universal sinnerhood.
               (III) Christ is central--i. e., "Same Lord."
                    (A) Lord of  all
                    (B) Rich unto all that call upon Him
               (IV) Old Testament cited to prove his point
                    (A) Joel 2:32
                    (B) The Message of  this quotation (Following from Newell, 401; italics and bold type are his.)
                         (1) "Salvation is promised"
                         (2) Salvation"is a be-saved, not save-yourself, salvation"
                         (3) "It is the Lord who is to do it."
                         (4) The Lord saves "those who call upon His name."
                         (5) He saves the "whosoevers," anybody.
                    (C) The danger of  taking verse out of  context
                         (1) This verse is in the context of  vv. 9-11.
                         (2) Paul's gospel was not "Call upon the lord."
                         (3) Paul's gospel was "Christ died for our sins:  He was buried, and was raised for you:  hear and
                              believe." (Newell, 401; italics are his.)
                    (D) Proof of  the deity of  Christ
                         (1) The context is talking about Jesus Christ.
                         (2) Verses 9 and 10 show confession of  Him as Lord.
                         (3) Here he says to call upon the name of  the Lord.
                         (4) The word "Lord" is the common name for Jehovah.
                         (5) Therefore, since a=b and b=c, then a=c; thus, Jesus Christ is Jehovah God.
     3. Present salvation for Israel--vv. 14-21
          a. Heaven's view of  preaching--vv. 14, 15
               (I) Universal apostleship is a necessary corollary to a universal gospel.
                    (A) A universal gospel demands God sent preachers (whether these preachers can prove a so-called
                         apostolic succession or not)
                    (B) The word apostle means sent one.
                    (C) True apostolic succession--Acts 2:41, 42
               (II) Paul's argument
                    (A) No one can call on the Lord without believing on the Lord.
                    (B) No one can believe on the Lord without hearing the message concerning the Lord.
                    (C) No one can hear the message without a preacher (or in modern day God's printed Word, the Bible).
                    (D) No one can preach unless he is divinely sent.
               (III) The Old Testament proof
                    (A) Isaiah 52:7
                    (B) Mosaic Law was a ministration of  death and condemnation, not good news.
                    (C) The gospel is good news, glad tidings.
                    (D) God describes the feet of  the gospeler as "beautiful."
          b. Obedience to the Gospel required--v. 16
               (I) Obedience is voluntary--seen in the phrase "But they have not all obeyed the gospel."
               (II) Obedience = believe
                    (A) Romans 1:5
                    (B) Romans 16:26
                    (C) 1 Peter 1:22
               (III) Quotes Isaiah 53:1
                    (A) The context of  this quotation has to do with the sufferings and death of  Christ.
                    (B) The preacher's lament
                    (C) The scriptures are full of  examples of this cry of  Isaiah's.
                    (D) Even our Lord warned of  this same unbelief.  So be not discouraged in your witness.
          c. Source of  faith.--vv. 17, 18
               (I) By hearing
                    (A) Refers
                         (1) To the ear as instrument
                         (2) To act of  hearing
                         (3) To message heard
                    (B) "Faith, indeed comes of  hearing.  Do not imagine men will be saved in any other way.  Earnest,
                         prayerful Cornelius is commanded (and that by an angel) to send for 'Simon whose surname is Peter,
                         who shall speak to thee words by which thou shalt be saved' (Acts 11:14). 'It pleased God by the
                         foolishness of  preaching [lit., the preached thing--Christ crucified] to save them that believe.' (I Cor.
                         1:21 marg.)" (Newell, 405; italics and the words in [ ] are his.)
               (II) By hearing the Word of  Christ
                    (A) The term "word" is hrema instead of  logos.  It literally means "speech"or “saying."
                    (B) The use of  hrema may be in preparation for the use in the quotation of  v. 18 of  the same word.
                    (C) "Saying of  Christ" may be a more accurate rendering.  The word "God" may have been a rationalizing
                         correction to suit better the sense of  the prophecy.
                    (D) Psalm 19:4 is quoted here as Old Testament support.
                         (1) Refers to natural revelation
                         (2) Also appropriate here since the Psalms peculiarly belong to Israel.
                         (3) Also appropriate in view of  the Pauline appeal of  the following verses.
               (III) Faith comes by hearing--"If  you hear, with a willing heart, the good news, that Christ died for you; that He
                    was buried; that He was raised from the dead:--by truly 'hearing,' faith will 'come' to you.  You do not have
                    to do a thing but hear!  So there is God's part--He gave, by the Spirit, the written Word.  And Christ's
                    part--He speaks, quickening the Word.  And your part: 'He that,hath.ears, hear.'" (Newell, 405)
          d. Was Israel ignorant--vv. 19-21
               (I) Question asked--v. 19a
                    (A) Did not Israel know?
                    (B) Did it not know about the "whosoever-plan. this believing-plan, this calling upon the Lord's name and
                         being saved?  Yea, even about this constant warning by their own Scriptures that if  they were unfaithful
                         God would extend His mercy to the Gentiles?"--Newell, 406; italics are his.
               (II) First reply
                    (A) Calls Moses as a witness
                    (B) Deuteronomy 32:21
               (III) Second reply
                    (A) Calls Isaiah as a witness
                    (B) Isaiah 65:1, 2
                    (C) An appeal to Israel
                         (1) The basis
                              (a) Disobedience in deed
                              (b) Disobedience in word
                         (2) "A disobedient people; a people that, being rebuked, did deny and gainsay their prophets, and even
                              their own Messiah,--as they do unto this day!" (Newell, 407)
                         (3) Note the grace of  God evidenced in this appeal
                         (4) Newell, 407--"It should astonish and warn us--every unbelieving Jew we see!  Astonish us, that the
                              human heart should treat God so!  And warn us:  for, as we shall see in the next chapter, we Gentiles
                              are now being 'visited' by God,--this same God of  Love:  and He is stretching out His hands to
                              usward!  May we early yield to Him!"